Norman — By Jeff Johncox
There’s so much good at the state basketball tournament it’s almost easy to forget six trips in seven days up and down Turner Turnpike. Almost.
In six seasons of covering Norman High and Norman North basketball, this was the first time three of four teams from the two schools made it to state.
So, there was plenty to keep track of.
Here are some of the highlights:
End on high note
The North boys had a roller-coaster season, but they found their game just in time to make it back to the state tournament for the first time since 2006. The T-Wolves rolled through their own regional, then won the area championship.
Unfortunately, their comeback fell short at Skiatook, where they fell to top-seeded Edmond Santa Fe in the quarterfinals.
It was a great run, especially considering when seniors Dalton Mitchell, Aaron Samuels, Jared Beal, Darius Gaines, Gary King, Dominic Porter and Michael Johnson were sophomores, North was 3-20.
Seeing Beal give the area championship trophy a big kiss after North’s victory in Sapulpa was a treat.
All the way back
Two years ago, the North girls were in the same predicament. The program was in trouble. After coach Don VanPool resigned, Jeff Blough needed to teach his girls how to win.
Well, that group made it to the state tourney, too, and seniors Madison Marquardt (who went to her first state tourney as a freshman at NHS), Andee Wayne, Payge Wilson and Carly Young saw their hard work pay off.
These girls didn’t even have a coherent half-court offense a couple years ago. This year they became one of the top teams in Class 6A.
It’s unfortunate that they fell in the quarterfinals to Edmond North, one game away from giving us all a state-tournament Crosstown Clash to enjoy.
Usual suspects
The fact the NHS girls made their seventh-straight trip to the state tourney doesn’t diminish what they accomplished.
The Tigers play every game with a big, bright target on their back. Teams gun for NHS. They step up.
So, another 20-win season and a trip to the championship game is a major success, especially for seniors Chelsea Key, Gwen Nelson, Laran Vanderpool and Tammy Losson, who helped make it four trips in four years.
Dance-off
It was neat seeing students from both North and NHS make the trips up to the Tulsa area for state, but special props go to the NHS Tiger mascot.
Mascots don’t get a lot of love, but the Tiger provided some halftime entertainment in the quarters and semis, gamely engaging in dance-offs with first two Edmond Memorial Bulldogs and then the Edmond North Husky.
I’m pretty sure the Tiger won the first one, but that Husky had style. Probably had something to do with the shamrock sunglasses.
Sportsmanship
The most touching moment of the state tournament came in the championship game.
The Tigers’ leading scorer, junior Kamra King, who scored 50 points in three state games, went down in front of the press table in terrible pain, saying she felt a pop in her right knee.
Her parents, the NHS trainer and coach Matilda Mossman came to her aid. As she was helped off the court, the NHS student section started chanting “Kam-ra Ki-ing,” and Midwest City students and parents who were jeering her just a few minutes earlier stood up and started chanting along with them.
Tuesday, King learned she’d torn her anterior cruciate ligament, which means she’ll miss her track season and the AAU summer basketball season.
But for a couple minutes at the Mabee Center, she was being cheered on by both sides. King’s a hard-nosed player that’s always giving full effort with the ball and without it. It was nice to see her appreciated.
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Who knows when Norman will have three teams back at the state tournament. It will be interesting to see if the North squads can build on their success and make it even further in 2011.
The NHS girls expect to return to state every year, and with King and Jeannie Ramon back for their senior season, they’ll have a good shot. Maybe the NHS boys can even get back in the mix.
With any luck, there will be even more excitement next March.
Jeff Johncox 366-3535 jjohncox@normantranscript.com
