Sports

It’s often said the best way forward, in an effort to create lasting change, is to take a step back.

That's just the path the El Reno School Board took last week, reaching into the past for its next high school varsity softball coach.

On the recommendation of Athletic Director Rodney Haydon, the board voted to hire Brianna Michalicka to replace Jason Little, who resigned earlier this spring.

Michalicka, whose maiden name is Dow, was impressive in her interview, said Haydon.

She was one of five interviewed for the position among the 19 coaches who applied.

Football is back, even for a limited time, and Russell Cook could not be happier.

“We are excited to get things going,” said Cook, who begins his third season at the helm of the Indians program.

El Reno High School kicked off its window for spring practices last week with a series of two-hour drills. The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association allows schools 21 calendar days after the conclusion of all spring sports to hold football drills.

Four more El Reno High School athletes have signed national letters of intent to play at the college level next season. 

Redlands Community College will be headed back to the Sunshine State next week for the 2024 NJCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships after earning an at-large bid for a second straight season.

The 2024 championship, hosted by Eastern Florida State College, runs May 19-24 at the Duran Golf Club in Melbourne, Fla.

Redlands earned the at-large bid after placing fifth at the NJCAA Southwest District Championships in Fort Worth. The Cougars posted a 54-hole total of 977 after rounds of 324, 331 and 322.

Players on Okarche High School’s boys basketball team, along with team members and school staff, were honored last week in the Oklahoma House of Representatives for winning the 2024 Class A State Championship.

The group was hosted by Reps. Mike Dobrinski and Nick Archer.

Bull riding fans can get an up-close view of the sport on Sunday as the 12th Annual Mustache Bash returns to the Denny-Crump Arena, with opening ceremonies set for 2 p.m.

It's the third year for El Reno to host the event, which started in 2013, and sports 50 professional bull riders in a one-day cash prize event. Fans can bring their own lawn chairs and sit inside the arena. The riding is conducted in a fenced pen but in full view of fans.

Cost to enter the event is $10 for fans ages 6 to 12 years old and $15 for 13 and older. Those under the age of 5 are free.

BLANCHARD – Cooper Park had just one desire over the final 18 holes of the 2024 Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association’s Class 5A Boys Golf Championships – post a sub-80 score.

The El Reno High School senior came within inches of doing just that as his 14-foot par putt on the 18th green rolled just past the cup. Park would tap in for a bogey and final round of 80.

“It was just the putting. I just needed to turn those three putts into two putts,” said Park.

Local seniors will have little time off before taking the diamond again with six players earning roster spots for the two outings of the Western Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association’s All-Star Games.

Being played Wednesday in Weatherford, El Reno High School will be represented by Grady Lesperance and Austin Castanon in the Large School Game at 4 p.m.

Calumet will have four players in the Small School Game at 7 p.m. Those selections are Hunter Arnold, Dalton Belcher, Hunter Navanick and Derrick Krantzman.

Redlands Community College’s baseball team may have lost the war in its season-ending series against No.14 Western Oklahoma State College, but the Cougars did win one battle – in a big way.

Cade Sims, a redshirt freshman from Waxahachie, Texas, tossed a no-hitter against the Pioneers in a 3-0 win between losses of 16-10 and 5-0. It was the first no-hitter of the season for a RCC pitcher and the first since Josh Harrell in 2019.

In a rematch of the fall title game, Calumet High School’s baseball team had its nine-game winning streak snapped by top-ranked Fort Cobb-Broxton in the Class B State Championships.

Fort Cobb-Broxton’s 2-1 victory left the second-ranked Chieftains with a 23-5 record for the spring season.

“It very easily was one of the better finals the last few years. All three runs scored for both teams were unearned.

“We hit the ball hard but right at them for the most part,” said Calumet head coach Cody Thiessen.