01/01/2025
Here's a preview of my top 10 sports stories from 2024, with the top two listed. See the Jan. 1 newspaper for the full list.
Top local Sports Moments of 2024
By John Tranchina
As 2024 concludes, a look back on the year demonstrates that our local area high school athletes delivered many outstanding performances, both on the playing surface and in the classroom. What follows is a list of the top 10 moments in Sapulpa-area sports from the past year. It was such a good year for so many different local sports teams, it was very difficult to cut this list to just 10; even after adding a few Honorable Mention items, I unfortunately still had to leave off some very noteworthy performances.
If there’s one theme that permeates this list, it’s just how close area teams came to the ultimate glory: so many teams suffered heart-breaking defeats, some in their respective state tournaments, some just one game shy of making it to state. But through it all was one over-arching theme: all of these teams and athletes gave their all, leaving it all on the field or court when it mattered most and for that, they can all be very proud of how it turned out, win or lose.
1 – March 9: Sapulpa girls basketball falls in Class 5A state final.
The Lady Chieftains were the 5A defending state champions and nearly pulled off the feat again, going 23-7 and advancing all the way to the 5A state final before falling 48-41 to El Reno, which had been ranked No. 1 all year and completed a perfect 28-0 season with the championship.
Sapulpa had a lot to be proud of, despite the loss. They overcame a disappointing 64-60 defeat to Will Rogers in the Area Tournament to still make it to state after defeating Grove. Sapulpa then powered past Carl Albert in the state quarterfinals, beat highly-regarded Booker T. Washington, 60-51, in the state semifinals even while missing a key starter after Kailynne Parker injured her knee in the quarterfinals, to reach their third state final in four years. In the final game, they nearly beat El Reno, despite star Tyla Heard’s ankle injury sustained in the third quarter.
Outstanding performances by Heard, senior Taylor Bilby, and sophomore Riki McQuarters led the charge all season, but the Lady Chieftains received contributions from a lot of different players, including Wrigley Adkisson, Parker, and freshmen Kianna Littlebear and Lou Chaney, among others, all under the guidance of longtime coach Darlean Calip.
2 – Nov. 2: Sapulpa cross country boys place fourth in 6A at state
After Sapulpa was bumped up from Class 5A to 6A this year in multiple sports, including cross country, this result didn’t seem possible, but the Chieftain boys enjoyed such an outstanding season that they finished as the best team on the east side of the state in any class. After taking second at the 6A East Regional on Oct. 26 (behind just Edmond Deer Creek), Sapulpa finished fourth at the 6A state meet in Edmond – behind Deer Creek, Piedmont and just 16 points back of third-place Mustang for a spot on the medal podium, and ahead of much bigger schools like Jenks, Broken Arrow, Owasso and Union, truly a remarkable achievement under coach Debbie Williams.
Individually, senior Rylan Coleman topped the squad by earning All-State honors with a ninth-place overall finish, completing the 5K course in 16:00.23. Senior Titus Ellis wasn’t far behind, placing 19th, while sophomore William Castleberry finished 26th, freshman Traber Lusk was fourth on the Chieftains and 46th overall and senior Clayton McCullough was 50th to complete the Sapulpa scoring. The two displacers were sophomore Michael Shockley in 67th and freshman Skylar Samuel in 71st.
I'm so proud of you!Congratulations!These are great!
Here's a preview of my top 10 sports stories from 2024, with the top two listed. See the Jan. 1 newspaper for the full list.
Top local Sports Moments of 2024
By John Tranchina
As 2024 concludes, a look back on the year demonstrates that our local area high school athletes delivered many outstanding performances, both on the playing surface and in the classroom. What follows is a list of the top 10 moments in Sapulpa-area sports from the past year. It was such a good year for so many different local sports teams, it was very difficult to cut this list to just 10; even after adding a few Honorable Mention items, I unfortunately still had to leave off some very noteworthy performances.
If there’s one theme that permeates this list, it’s just how close area teams came to the ultimate glory: so many teams suffered heart-breaking defeats, some in their respective state tournaments, some just one game shy of making it to state. But through it all was one over-arching theme: all of these teams and athletes gave their all, leaving it all on the field or court when it mattered most and for that, they can all be very proud of how it turned out, win or lose.
1 – March 9: Sapulpa girls basketball falls in Class 5A state final.
The Lady Chieftains were the 5A defending state champions and nearly pulled off the feat again, going 23-7 and advancing all the way to the 5A state final before falling 48-41 to El Reno, which had been ranked No. 1 all year and completed a perfect 28-0 season with the championship.
Sapulpa had a lot to be proud of, despite the loss. They overcame a disappointing 64-60 defeat to Will Rogers in the Area Tournament to still make it to state after defeating Grove. Sapulpa then powered past Carl Albert in the state quarterfinals, beat highly-regarded Booker T. Washington, 60-51, in the state semifinals even while missing a key starter after Kailynne Parker injured her knee in the quarterfinals, to reach their third state final in four years. In the final game, they nearly beat El Reno, despite star Tyla Heard’s ankle injury sustained in the third quarter.
Outstanding performances by Heard, senior Taylor Bilby and sophomore Riki McQuarters led the charge all season, but the Lady Chieftains received contributions from a lot of different players, including Wrigley Adkisson, Parker, and freshmen Kianna Littlebear and Lou Chaney, among others, all under the guidance of longtime coach Darlean Calip.
2 – Nov. 2: Sapulpa cross country boys place fourth in 6A at state
After Sapulpa was bumped up from Class 5A to 6A this year in multiple sports, including cross country, this result didn’t seem possible, but the Chieftain boys enjoyed such an outstanding season that they finished as the best team on the east side of the state in any class. After taking second at the 6A East Regional on Oct. 26 (behind just Edmond Deer Creek), Sapulpa finished fourth at the 6A state meet in Edmond – behind Deer Creek, Piedmont and just 16 points back of third-place Mustang for a spot on the medal podium, and ahead of much bigger schools like Jenks, Broken Arrow, Owasso and Union, truly a remarkable achievement under coach Debbie Williams.
Individually, senior Rylan Coleman topped the squad by earning All-State honors with a ninth-place overall finish, completing the 5K course in 16:00.23. Senior Titus Ellis wasn’t far behind, placing 19th, while sophomore William Castleberry finished 26th, freshman Traber Lusk was fourth on the Chieftains and 46th overall and senior Clayton McCullough was 50th to complete the Sapulpa scoring. The two displacers were sophomore Michael Shockley in 67th and freshman Skylar Samuel in 71st.
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