Tragedy averted, championship won

In some ways, it was a normal summer week for the Okarche High School boys basketball team.

The Warriors took part in their own team camp early in the week and then traveled to Stillwater on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to compete in the OSU team camp.

To add to the familiarity, Okarche won its division at OSU for the fourth straight year by dominating Little River (Kan.) in Saturday’s championship game.

But it was on the drive back to Okarche from Stillwater late Friday afternoon that familiarity and normality were tossed out the window.

That’s because potential tragedy literally came flying through it.

As the Okarche bus was traveling south on Interstate 35, just a few miles north of Guthrie, it was passed on the left by a double-deck car hauler.

“It never got back into our (right) lane, but once it passed us, either something broke off or something was loose and fell off,” said Brandon Treece, the Okarche assistant coach who was driving the bus.

That something was a metal beam and Treece watched as it bounced off the pavement and sprang toward the bus’ windshield.

“It sounded like a gunshot or something,” Treece said. “It was a loud bang.”

The beam hit on the passenger side and busted through the windshield, spraying glass all the way to the back of the bus.

Fortunately, none of the passengers, including Treece, was injured.

“A lot of the guys were either asleep or at least laying down,” Treece said. “So none of them had their heads sticking up over the seats.”

Superintendent Josh Sumrall was among those on the bus.

“We were very fortunate nobody was hurt,” Sumrall said.

The beam stopped about halfway through the windshield, but Treece knew there was no time to panic or overreact.

“I was just trying to stay as calm as possible and keep it between the lines,” he said. “We still had people passing us on the left and there’s a ditch on our right. And I couldn’t slam on the brakes because we’ve got people behind us, too.

“I just had to make sure nothing worse happened.”

Treece slowed the bus and pulled it to the side of the interstate.

“Coach Treece did an excellent job of keeping control of the bus until we got stopped,” Sumrall said.

Sumrall, Treece and fellow Okarche coaches Aaron West and Hunter Frisby assessed the damage and determined that with the Guthrie exit within sight, it was safer to drive into the city.

Treece said the car hauler never stopped.

“I really don’t think they had any idea that something happened,” he said.

Once in Guthrie, Sumrall alerted the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and all the proper reports were filed.

Treece said several players noticed he had glass all over his shirt and even in his hair.

“But I was OK and they were OK,” he said. “That’s all that mattered.”

Larry Black drove a bus to Guthrie to retrieve the team and get them back home.

Okarche returned to Still-water the next day almost as if nothing happened.

The two-time defending Class A champions beat Olton (Texas) and Blue Eye (Mo.), both 2A schools in their respective states, before battling Little River, a team that is returning all five starters from a state tournament qualifier, for the camp championship.

The Warriors throttled them 83-39 to win their division yet again. The team posed with OSU head basketball coach Steve Lutz for pictures after the game.

It was all smiles just 24 hours after tragedy nearly struck.

“I just feel like the good Lord was looking out for us,” Treece said.