Gold balls go back to Okeene, Cashion, Stringtown, and Lomega.
By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
Okeene Takes "A" Boys Title
Brady Wardlaw did his part to ensure Okeene would equal its feat on the gridiron by scoring 22 points and grabbing nine rebounds as the Whippets took home the Class A title by downing Beaver, 51-46.
The victory gives Okeene its first title in basketball, finishing the season with a record of 25-1. Okeene's only loss of the season came to Thomas, 35-34 Feb. 15.
Okeene featured five senior starters, including three that averaged in double figures on the season. 6-5 forward Zach London entered the state tournament leading the team with 11.4 points per game, while Drew Westfahl and Wardlaw both averaged 10 points per game.
The Dusters finished the season with a 25-5 record while losing to Okeene in the state tournament for the second season in a row. Last season, Okeene downed Beaver in the first round.
Josh Malone scored 18 points for Beaver in the final game of his prep career.
Welch's Epic Shot Gives Cashion Title
Sophomore point guard Bailey Welch became a legend with a floating lay-up. As the ball fell through the State Fair Arena basket as the buzzer sounded, a town of 635 went into delirium as Cashion defeated Howe 53-52 to win the Class A girls title.
Howe's Ashley Scroggins hit a three-pointer with 37.9 seconds remaining to give the Lions a 52-51 lead. Cashion missed a three-point chance of its own with 20 seconds remaining, but Howe was unable to convert from the charity stripe, setting up Welch's date with legendary status.
Howe featured five sophomore starters, and probably hasn't played its last game at "The Big House." The Lions finish the season with a record of 27-2, with their only other loss coming to Class 2A contender Pocola.
Aubrie Williams led Cashion with 14 points, while Welch chipped in 13 for the Lady Cats. Lindsay McCown scored 14 and grabbed 12 rebounds in a losing effort for Howe.
Stringtown Denies Glencoe's Class B Repeat Bid
Orlando Brown scored 16 points and ensured there would not be a repeat winner in Class B, as Stringtown won its third gold ball by defeating defending champion Glencoe, 63-46.
Brown, who scored 40 in a semifinal win over Fargo on Friday, drained key free throws down the stretch to put the game out of reach. James Watson, a 6-8 junior, scored 18 for Stringtown. 6-7 senior Chris Washington added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Tigers.
After hitting just 12 of 33 from the free-throw line during Thursday's opening-round victory against Boynton-Moton, Stringtown canned 25 of its 31 free-throw attempts in the final.
Battle of Kingfisher County Goes to Lomega
In a game featuring two teams from Kingfisher County, the gold ball went back to Lomega after defeating Dover, 71-62 to win the Class B girls state title.
Rachel Wilczek scored 21 points for Lomega, who finished the season with a 26-5 record. Hillary Winter, a 5-10 sophomore, added 18 points for the Lady Raiders in the victory.
Krista Bullis scored a game-high 28 points for Dover in the loss.
Putnam City Shocker
Putnam City super-sophomore Xavier Henry won't get the chance to defend his Class 6A crown. In a huge shocker, Putnam City lost the Area final on Friday to Lawton Eisenhower, then lost the Area consolation game to Putnam City North, 88-83.
The losses mean that Putnam City will be staying home for March Madness as the state tournament kicks off Thursday.
PC North's Dennon Mitchell scored 25, while Brentrell Friday added 20 for the Panthers. In the loss, Henry scored 23.
Rotnei Gets 57, State Berth
On Friday, Verdigris guard Rotnei Clarke continued to build on his eye-popping numbers after scoring 57 points in an 82-74 victory over Adair. The victory gave Verdigris the Area championship and a berth into the Class 3A state tournament.
Meanwhile, Pawnee sewed up a berth in the 2A tournament with a 72-70 victory over Preston behind Keiton Page's 45 points.
