Meet non-football players who signed Wednesday
GIRLS SOCCER Sakura Wilson, Edmond North
Just last summer, Sakura Wilson was told she was too short.
A 5-foot-2 goalkeeper? College recruiters wanted no part of that. But Oral Roberts saw something different.
Wilson could jump really high, reaching past the 8-foot crossbar. A scholarship offer was a no-brainer.
“They realized I could jump as high as anybody else, really higher,” Wilson said. “Height for a goalkeeper doesn't really matter.”
Wilson, a move-in senior from Japan at Edmond North, celebrated Wednesday afternoon signing with ORU in November.
She's spent her entire life bouncing between the states and Japan. Her father is in the Air Force. It was in Japan that Wilson was born.
She did live in Oklahoma during elementary school. But the family spent the past five years stationed in Japan. When Wilson learned she would be coming back, she sought out a college.
ORU had the majors she wanted — biomedical chemistry and biology — and a chance to play the sport she loved. “I found it as a good opportunity,” Wilson said.
BASEBALL Kale Davis, Westmoore
Westmoore baseball coach Joe Patterson challenged his new ace pitcher last spring in a closed-door meeting.
The Jaguars needed righthander Kale Davis to become more than just a star. He needed to become the guy.
“I had to be like the alpha dog on the mound, not just a hitter for the team but a leader for the other guys,” Davis recalled about the conversation. “I had to change my mentality and my thought process. I had to set the tone.
“That conversation really changed a lot and made our team, I feel like, a boost of energy from the mound side and confidence for the other guys, too.”
Davis, a 6-foot-4 pitcher with a low-90s fastball, signed his National Letter of Intent with Oklahoma State on Wednesday, completing his rise to a dominant ace pitcher.
He moved from Mustang before his junior season and established himself quickly with an 8-0 record, 2.14 ERA and 94 strikeouts while helping the Jaguars to a state runner-up finish. They enter this spring ranked No. 7 nationally by Perfect Game.
Westmoore catcher Chance Westervelt also signed with Cowley College.
Carter LaValley, Carl Albert
In one year, Carl Albert star Carter LaValley hopes to be playing Division I baseball. It's been his dream.
But the first step is a big year at Seminole State. “They were the first school that contacted me,” LaValley said. “I was hoping DI, but I love Seminole.”
LaValley, the cousin of Cincinnati Reds minor leaguer Gavin LaValley, signed with the Trojans partly due to lack of scholarships available at the next level. Seminole State is also pretty good at baseball.
Two years ago, LaValley's career could have been derailed. He broke his collarbone twice playing football. He needed surgery.
But rehabbing in the pool saved him. He had been a member of the Titans' swim team. Rehabbing in the water sparked more interest in competitive swimming.
Now, he's qualified for the Class 5A meet in a week, having shaved a massive amount of time from his events. And his future on the baseball diamond is secure.
“I'm 100 percent,” LaValley said.