December 10, 2019 Issue, Page 10 of 10

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Page 10 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Tuesday, December 10, 2019 Merritt boys cagers will have youth to draw on this season Whatever happens this noting Arapaho, Leedey, season will lay the ground- Hammon and Canute are work for the future for the talented squads. younger players in the pro- “A lot of them are senior- gram. laden teams that will be [giv- “We really have two re- ing] some hard matchups, turning players with much and the rest of our schedule playing time,” Norton said. is tough,” he said. “We've “We've got one returning starter, Rylan Givens. He’s got Fort Cobb, Carnegie and a junior this year. He’s a re- Mangum. Whoever we see ally good shooter. We will is going to be a tough sched- have to have him step up ule.” and do a lot more this year. The Oilers will stay with And then Trever Fowler, the offensive style as last my sixth man last year, is a year, as the team was post- junior this year. Other than oriented and had two strong those two, they're quite a post players, and it appears few new faces.” the same scheme will be Givens will be a point used this year, or at least at guard, and Fowler will play the moment, Norton said. post. Norton said there will Kamron Davis, left, tries to drive past Hagen Justus one day last week during a Merritt boys “A lot of people say we're be a couple of seniors who varsity basketball practice session. Staff photos by Don Munsch. going to have to be good de- will step up this year for the team: Eriq Williams and fensively because we're go- By Don Munsch, Editor talent in the 2019-20 season. tory over Cordell. Merritt ing pains just from the in- Steven Beecham. Both will ing to be a little out-athleted, Merritt High School’s The Oilers began in late finished 17-9 last year and experience,” Merritt varsity be post players. so we’re going to have do boys basketball team will November with a 65-57 graduated four starters. basketball coach Eric Nor- The conference will be things right to be in a lot of depend on an influx of new double overtime road vic- “T think we'll have grow- ton said. “really good,” Norton said, games,” Norton said. Former Elk City High tennis coach receives hall of fame nod job of coaching tennis, he “This honor is reserved the Inaugural Hall of fame nis coach for Elk City when said. When the superinten- for those individuals who induction ceremony on Feb. competitive tennis started in dent hired him, he never told have made a significant and 8, 2020, at the Quail Creek the 1974-75 school year. He anyone he had ever played considerable contribution to Golf & Country Club in coached varsity tennis for 25 tennis match in his life. the sport of tennis in high Oklahoma City. years for boys and 23 years And now many decades school, in communities and Laufer started the Elk for girls at the high school. later, he will be inducted in the state of Oklahoma,” City Tennis Classic Tourna- He had 16 years of coaching into the hall of fame for the notification letter said. ment, now in its 36th year. boys and girls tennis on the Oklahoma coaches. The letter invited him to He said he was the first ten- junior high level. Hurts leads Oklahoma’s latest College Football Playoff bid By Tyler Palmateer, The 0) in one national semifinal. optics of it sometimes for and helped convince Heis- Norman Transcript, Okla. Former Ohio State quarter- a quarterback, I think that man Trophy voters that NORMAN - Oklahoma back Joe Burrow will lead could be a positive thing. OU’s Kyler Murray was the could exhale Saturday night LSU (13-0) against OU (12- “It’s kind of like the “Hoo- worthy winner. after the final chip that all 1) in the other. And trying siers” scene, right? I mean, The building has been an but cemented its place in the to get OU its first playoff the field is going to be 100 intersection for Hurts’ life. College Football Playoff had yards long, and we're going All told, his numbers are win will be former Alabama Danny Laufer fallen. quarterback Jalen Hurts, an- to try to put it in the end zone pretty good in Georgia too. Staff photo by Don Munsch Being a national semifi- other transfer, who can pro- as much as we can and try to He’s 5-0 all-time in The nalist is a reminder, for both vide a thorough and unique hold them out as much as we Peach State. By Don Munsch, Editor at midterm in January and OU and the Big 12, that understanding of this back- can. Eventually, it’s going to Hurts doesn’t care to make Former Elk City High there was an elementary PE they still stake a claim at the drop. come down to that. I certain- the next month all about School tennis coach Dan- job open in Elk City, and so table of the elite. OU’s fan- It was another place and ly don’t think that’s going to his story. “It’s about these ny Laufer will be inducted Tcame and applied.” base might have let its mind time, but Hurts played be a differentiating factor.” guys,” he said at Saturday’s into the Oklahoma Tennis Laufer, who lives in Elk drift from there. The Soon- against and beat two differ- But it’s interesting to say press conference after OU’s Coaches Association Hall of City, graduated from Gotebo ers lament the fact they have ent LSU programs teams as the least. 30-23 overtime win over Game in February. High School and then went never won a College Foot- a member of the Crimson Hurts’ experiences inside Baylor in the Big 12 cham- Laufer received a letter in on to earn his education de- ball Playoff game. Not one Tide. OU has never played Mercedes Benz Stadium pionship. November notifying him of gree at Southwestern Okla- of their players has experi- in the Peach Bowl, but Hurts have shaped OU history. His OU'’s chances against LSU his induction. homa State University. enced that kind of joy. has once, and this year’s will depend heavily on him, benching in 2017 was the He didn’t have any expe- When he originally en- Well, except one. Dec. 28 game against the first sign that his days as Al- though. The Sooners have a rience in playing the game tered the education field, he The transfer portal has had Tigers will mark his fifth ap- abama’s starter were coming slim margin for error when when he started coaching, wanted to coach baseball its most profound effect yet pearance at Mercedes Benz to a close; his off-the-bench Hurts turns the ball over though. and basketball. on college football during Stadium. He is 4-0 there al- performance in the 2018 -- as evidenced by a loss at “T started coaching ten- “T never played tennis in this season. Former Geor- ready. “It certainly doesn’t SEC championship game Kansas State and two near nis in 1975,” he said. “I had my life,” he said. gia quarterback Justin Fields hurt,” OU coach Lincoln Ri- knocked Georgia out of the misses against Baylor this done my student teaching With doing the elementary will lead perfect Ohio State ley said. “Having the experi- CFP discussion, pushed the season. He has seven in the at Merritt and graduated PE coaching duties came the (13-0) against Clemson (13- ence, having been in it, the Sooners into the semifinals past four games. Good Luck to all of wt ls hy our area teams! TERRY’ qT PURNITURE *(580)225-4006 OR (800)925-4006] lerrysfurnitureshowroomcom SAYRE: 711 N.E, Highway CAMROCK OIL & SUPPLY SHOWROOM Monday ELK CITY: 2714 W. 3rd St. 102 S. Main St. 580.225.2580 580.928.2580 2001 SOUTH MAIN ‘Through hitps://www.fnbec.com/ Phone (580) 303- 4745 ELK CITY, OKLAHOMA Saturday 9-6 ‘Member EDIC. Equal Housing Lender. 2111 S Main st., Elk City, OK 73644