Photos and story, courtsey of Shawn Yorks, Guymon Daily Herald
Texhoma’s J.D. Pugh fights for the ball on Saturday afternoon against Preston during the Class A state championship game in Oklahoma City. Pugh scored 21 points to lead the Red Devils in the 75-71 overtime loss
By SHAWN YORKS
The Guymon Daily Herald
The Texhoma team that made it’s run for a state title had two players with Cimarron County connections, J.D. Pugh, who made the all-tournament team is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs Marvin Elliott, of Griggs. Derreck Nye, is the grandson of Ruby Labrier, of Boise City. Our thanks to Shawn Yorks, and The Guymon Daily Herald for their story and photos.-_Ed.
OKLAHOMA CITY - It wasn’t supposed to end this way.
The Texhoma boys basketball team played an overtime game for the second straight day at the Class A State Tournament. But unlike a victory the night before over Okarche in the state semifinals, the Red Devils lost their overtime bid, 75-71 to Preston, in the Class A state championship game at the Oklahoma State Fair Arena on Saturday.
Texhoma’s season ends at 25-6 as the state runner-up. Preston wins its first state championship since 1991 and finishes the season 24-7.
The Preston girls won the state championship later Saturday to complete a title sweep for the tiny town 32 miles south of Tulsa.
“We played our hearts out,” Texhoma head coach Greg Higgins said. “That’s all you can ask of these kids.”
The Red Devils did what they have done so often this season – never gave up – despite practically the entire state wondering who Texhoma was and why they were at the state tournament.
Texhoma was labeled by the Oklahoma City press as the feel-good story of the tournament, simply because high school basketball observers downstate didn’t know much about the Red Devils.
But Texhoma’s play throughout the state tournament was typical of what Panhandle fans already knew – hard-nosed, never-give-up style of play.
“We came through probably the hardest bracket to get here,” Higgins said. “We went through No. 1 Pioneer, we went through really, really good teams to get here, and there’s not one team that had to do that.”
The stats were pretty even for Texhoma. Pugh led with 21 points, Nye 18, Matt Freeman 17, Trey Freeman 11 and Tanquary 4.
“We had to hit some shots to beat that zone,” Higgins said. “Nye had some big shots, Matt Freeman had some big shots.”
Nye and Matt each had five 3-pointers.
Texhoma’s Derrek Nye passes under the basket during the Class A state championship game against Preston on Saturday in Oklahoma City.
Texhoma players and fans celebrate the game-tying shot in the third quarter of Saturday’s state championship game in Oklahoma City. Texhoma lost to Preston 75-71 in Overtime.
