Undefeated Warriors back to defend crown
#1 Okarche thumps Red Oak to claim area title, reach state for 3rd straight year
![OKARCHE BASKETBALL players, coaches and cheerleaders pose with the Class A area championship hardware they won last Friday after defeating Red Oak 88-51. [Photo provided]](https://www.kingfisherpress.net/sites/kingfisherpress.etypegoogle10.com/files/styles/article400/public/8dc1fbdd72_Ar00602012.jpg?itok=t7-Vd9fZ "OKARCHE BASKETBALL players, coaches and cheerleaders pose with the Class A area championship hardware they won last Friday after defeating Red Oak 88-51. [Photo provided]")
OKARCHE BASKETBALL players, coaches and cheerleaders pose with the Class A area championship hardware they won last Friday after defeating Red Oak 88-51. [Photo provided]
If the Okarche boys basketball team has taken anything for granted this season, it hasn’t shown.
The Warriors are back in the Class A state tournament for a third straight year after downing No. 8 Red Oak 88-51 last Friday in an area championship game in Cleveland.
Okarche enters state ranked No. 1, is the defending champ and has a 29-0 record with a 40-game win streak intact.
“It’s never easy to get there,” coach Aaron West said. “You can never take it for granted and our guys have been locked in 100 percent this season and are extremely focused.”
All but one of Okarche’s wins this season were by double figures. The Warriors’ closest contest was 90-85 over Class B No. 1 Calumet, which is the top seed in its own state bracket.
The next closest was 73-60 over Southwest Covenant in the Coyle Tournament finals in January. Only Cashion, which is in the 2A state tournament, kept its deficit in the teens (84-66).
Red Oak suffered the fate of most of the other Okarche opponents this season.
The Eagles actually shot 56.5 percent from the field in the first half (and 50 percent for the game).
But, they also had 19 fewer field goal attempts than Okarche in the first 16 minutes as Okarche ran to a 51-28 lead.
By game’s end, Okarche had attempted 74 field goals to 42 for Red Oak.
As usual, turnovers were a key.
The Warriors forced 29 of them and committed only seven. Red Oak’s miscues led to 38 points for the Warriors.
Jett Mueggenborg posted another monster performance.
The reigning state tournament MVP notched 33 points on 14 of 24 shooting.
On top of making three of Okarche’s nine 3-pointers, Mueggenborg went 11 of 15 from inside the arc.
He also led the team with eight rebounds and added six assists.
Easton Roby poured in 14 points and had six rebounds.
Ethan Kirby contributed 10 points while Hunter Mueggenborg added eight points and seven assists.
Adam Fenton led Red Oak with 11 points.
This is Okarche’s 19th appearance at state.
Prior to last season, Okarche’s only other title came in 1979.