High school notebook
Putnam City junior Xavier Henry was named the 2007-08 Oklahoma Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year, it was announced Wednesday.
The 6-foot-6 standout averaged 26.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, leading the Pirates to the Class 6A state tournament. Xavier Henry will be the top boys basketball recruit next season in Oklahoma.
Sapulpa's Alyssia Brewer earned the state's girls honor earlier this month.
•Chargers off to good start: While Heritage Hall tennis coach Dick Villaflor said the state tournament results are what the Chargers are aiming for, he is pleased with the early season efforts. The Heritage Hall boys won the Ada Tournament last week, while the girls placed second behind Tulsa Bishop Kelley.
"This has been a real encouraging start,” Villaflor said. "We're working well as a team, and everyone is contributing.”
Both the boys and girls followed those efforts with 3-1 victories over Mustang last week. It all leads up to one of the more important tournaments of the year next weekend at the Heritage Hall Tournament of Champions.
• Lynn jumps Oku in Rivals Top 250: Jenks cornerback Gabe Lynn is the top football recruit in Oklahoma, according to Rivals.com. Lynn, who recently received offers from Miami (Fla.) and Oklahoma, has seen his stock skyrocket in recent weeks. Lynn is the top- ranked Oklahoman on the initial Rivals Top 250 for 2009, sitting at No. 35 overall.
Carl Albert running back David Oku is No. 40, followed by Oklahoma State commitment Jeremy Smith of Tulsa Union at No. 70. Owasso offensive lineman Brandon Webb is at No. 112, and Carl Albert safety Daytawion Lowe stands at No. 193.
•Brothers start hot: Caden and Cole Cleveland are off to hot starts for the OKC Broncos' home school baseball team.
Through eight games, Caden, a sophomore, is hitting .474 with a home run and six RBIs. Cole is hitting .500 with two home runs and eight RBIs. The OKC Broncos were home school national champions in 2006.
•Rycroft a surprise: Edmond Santa Fe is off to an 11-1 start. One reason is the play of first baseman/outfielder Austin Rycroft, who is hitting .500 with six home runs in his first year on the varsity.
Santa Fe will travel to Arizona later this week to play teams from Eugene, Ore., and Arizona.
•TEC girls looking good to three-peat: The Tulsa East Central girls track team is looking to win its third-straight Class 5A state championship. Cardinals coach Kevin Gordon feels great about his team's chances, saying that his team is loaded this season.
Tamra Grayson, the defending Class 5A 400-meter dash champion, won the 400 meters at the Tulsa Union meet last week in 58.21 seconds.
"We just got her back from basketball,” Gordon said of Grayson. "She's already gotten interest from Tulsa, Kansas and Missouri.”
Cornesia Wilkerson, the defending 5A champion in the 200-meter dash, is another headliner. Wilkerson has not run yet this season due to dental surgery, but Gordon expects her to begin competing in the next few weeks.
Junior Shanique Jones, who was hampered by injuries last season, is expected to make an impact as a long jumper and sprinter. Sophomore Ronika Hunter, who will run the 100- and 200-meter dashes, is a name to keep an eye on during the Cardinals' quest for another title.
[More
at newsok.com]
