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Okarche shines at OSU camp
OSU CHAMPS - Members of Okarche’s basketball team that won its division at OSU’s team camp were, from left: Brayden Stover, Koby Mingus, P.K. Harris, Kaleb Harris, Joseph Schaefer, Osbaldo Barcenas, Cody Read, Logan Kroener, Landon Goble, Tyler Schwarz, Treton Neiderer, Evan Endres and Landon Weeres [Photo Provided]
Although Okarche is coming off its most successful boys basketball season in a number of years, head coach Ray West had tempered expectations heading into this summer.
That’s why he came away more than ecstatic after the Warriors won their division two weekends ago at the Oklahoma State University team camp in Stillwater.
“It was a big deal to us because of how we are starting over,” West said.
The Warriors reached the Class A semifinals last season, but graduated six seniors and most of the production from that group.
At Stillwater, the group went 5-1 in pool games Friday and Saturday and then swept the competition Sunday in bracket play.
Wins in pool play came against the Oklahoma Patriots, Granite, Emporia (Kan.) JV, Bigelow (Ark.) JV and Macksville (Kan.) JV. The out-of-state schools are all larger than Okarche. The lone loss came to Collinsville JV. Collinsville is a 5A school near Tulsa.
In bracket games, the Warriors defeated Smith-ville (Kan.) and Stillwater JV to set up a rematch with Collinsville in the championship.
Okarche avenged its earlier defeat with a 13-point win.
“We really put it together, especially those last two games,” West said. “The guys had three really good days of basketball and showed a lot of improvement.”