Claremore Daily Progress

Sports Columnists

February 26, 2010

‘Black Saturday’ . . . Sports fan’s dream

CLAREMORE — There should be no complaining for something to do this weekend in Claremore.

If you are a sports enthusiast, then your plate is full with lots of options ranging from 5-and-under recreational soccer to high school and college basketball and even 10 college baseball and softball games.

The only reason you might want to drive over to Tulsa on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. would be to hopefully see the No. 5 ranked Claremore Lady Zebras play for the Class 5A regional title in girls basketball.

Jordan Schultz, a 5-foot-10 junior forward, and seniors Taylor Swift and Sierra Barnwell are worth the price of admission if you like gritty, yet clean, competitive basketball. Schultz is by far the best all-around basketball player that I’ve watched in Class 5A and 6A in the northeastern Oklahoma region. Her court savvy as well as her pin-point accuracy from the perimeter is one of the many reasons why the Lady Zebras are back in the state playoffs.

Swift and Barnwell, on the other hand, represent the glue that holds the Lady Zebras together. They are the ‘heart and soul’ and the leaders of the pack. Coach Mark Campbell couldn’t ask for two better girls to be running the show than the ‘dynamic duo’ of Swift and Barnwell.

These two talented senior guards may not put up the numbers like Schultz night in and night out, but they do the little things - hustle - that keeps the Lady Zebras beating to the sound of a familiar drum.

The Lady Zebras aren’t 19-4 by luck. No, these young ladies believe in Campbell’s system and they take pride in donning the ‘red and white’ jersey. No matter whose name shows up in the box score, it’s the name across the front of the jersey that’s most important.

These girls play for CLAREMORE  ... not someone else’s team.

The last time I checked, there wasn’t an ‘I’ in the word - Team.

When they win, they all receive the glory.

When they lose, they all accept responsibility for suffering defeat.

There’s no finger pointing or blaming others because these young ladies believe in unification.

. . . .

How about the Claremore Zebras and that No. 4 state ranking in Class 5A?

Head coach Tim Stewart has the Zebras believing that a trip to the state tournament is well within reach. Blessed with a 21-1 record and a slew of seniors dotting the roster, including Robert Boyles and Michael Skimbo, as well as the most exciting junior class in school history, the Zebras have already made school history with a perfect record inside the Frank Mobra Fieldhouse.

More importantly, this team achieved another first by hosting the 5A Regional Tournament today and Saturday. The Zebras will open the semifinal round at 8 p.m. tonight against Grove and then hopefully play the winner of Booker T. Washington and Nathan Hale at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the regional championship.

The hottest ticket in town, especially when it comes to watching the silky-smooth shooting of 6-foot-1 junior guard Alex Miller or 6-foot-5 junior post Dakota Caudill dominate the paint, will be inside the friendly confines of the Frank Mobra Fieldhouse.

Just like Knute Rocke told his Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players before each game, “No one and I mean no one comes into our house and pushes us around.”

Hopefully, that’s the same message that Stewart will deliver to his team upon the start of today’s tip-off.

If that isn’t enough to get the Zebras fired up, then I don’t know what it will take.

Of course, if I know Coach Stewart and his players, it’s one game at a time. No looking ahead, anything can happen in Oklahoma high school basketball.

. . . .

And to add to all hoop madness taking place in Claremore, Rogers State plans to ‘White Out’ the Expo at 6 and 8 p.m. on Saturday with a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader against Oklahoma Christian University.

For six magnificent seniors, representing both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, the past four years of their collegiate career has been memorable.

These players not only play for the love of the game, but they are also leaders away from the hardwood in their churches, classrooms and social groups.

Sylvester Spicer and Lance Sullivan have taken the RSU men’s basketball team to a higher level in such a short period of time. Both two-year starters for the Hillcats after starting their careers at Oral Roberts University and Langston University, gave RSU fans a season to remember in 2008-09. The Hillcats climbed as high as No. 1 in the nation, posted a 30-2 record, won the Sooner Athletic Conference championship and post-season tournament championship and also played in the NAIA national tournament.

And to top things off, Spicer set a milestone in his playing career by reaching the 1,000-point plateau in the Hillcats’ home game against Wayland Baptist University last week.

For Jenny Hardin, Yoda Woods, Autumn Thompson and Sophia Piggie, what a run it has been under the coaching of Amy Williams.

Hardin, who spent the previous three years competing at ORU, will have fans shedding a few tears and thinking back on the memories of watching this former Claremore Lady Zebras standout dribble the basketball since her childhood playing days inside John Smith gymnasium and then on to the Frank Mobra Fieldhouse before culminating with her career ending inside the Expo Center.

Hardin helped lead the Lady Zebras to three straight state titles, before moving on to ORU. After three seasons in Tulsa, Hardin returned to Claremore where she has the RSU women’s program in the Top 25 and feeling pretty excited about their upcoming chances in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament.

When the final buzzer sounds on Senior Night at the Expo, these six hard-working individuals will have paid their dues and left it all on the court one last time.

They have definitely earned the respect of their coaches, teammates and the Hillcat Nation.

Take a bow, seniors!

. . . .

And if you need a mid-afternoon Saturday pick-me-up before heading out to the Expo or the Frank Mobra Fieldhouse, why not enjoy a sunny day at the Hillcat Complex eating a mouth-watering hot dog and drinking a icy-cold Mountain Dew.

The RSU baseball team is off to a sizzling start with an 8-1 overall mark and a 1-0 record in the SAC. On Saturday, the Hillcats will look to make it 10-1 and 3-0 following a doubleheader against St. Gregory’s. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

The RSU softball team also will be making their first home appearance at the Hillcat Complex on Saturday, hosting Grand View University at 11 a.m. followed by a 1 p.m. game against Evangel University.

Their record may be 4-3 on the year, but the Hillcats are an exciting team to watch. In seven games, they have outscored the opposition, 54-39, as well as crushed 16 home runs. Freshman first baseman Linsey Curtis, of Collinsville, leads the Hillcats with five bombs and 12 hits in 26 plate appearances.

The Hillcats will conclude the weekend’s festivities with a doubleheader at noon on Sunday against Grand View University.

. . . .

Claremore, show your pride for these athletes.

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