Sports

CASHION’S BOYS basketball team had a lot to cheer about the first full weekend in March as they qualified for the Class 2A state tournament.

We continue the look back at the year that was in sports for 2020. The series began in our Wednesday, Dec.

The Kingfisher boys will be the overwhelming favorite to win the Wheat Capital Tournament when the 52nd annual event tips off Thursday in Chisholm.

LADY WARRIORS – Members of the 2020-21 Okarche junior high girls basketball team include, from left: front row, Scout Payne, Jill Glazier, Avery Schieber, Erica Hammons, Ruby Vandendriessche and Hannah Carnott; and back row, Kylie Harper, Addison Mingus, Madison Nance, Jadyn Rother and Jaci Easton.

Kiowa girls coach James Pannell picked up the phone, looking for someone to play. Kevin Lewallen answered. That exchange led to Tuesday’s rare regular-season showdown between Lomega, Class B’s best in the west, and Kiowa, quite possibly the class’ top team in the east. No.

The tragic, tragic story of Jacie Cochran is now well-known and well-documented. The wife of Cashion coach Cale Cochran, Jacie gave birth to their firstborn child on July 2, 2020, but lost her own life in the process.

Brexten Green did a little bit of everything for Cashion during its historic run to the state title. Now he’s got the first of what will likely be several postseason honors to show for it Green was named the District A-3 most valuable player last week after a vote of its coaches.

The 2020 year in sports can almost be referred to as “the year that wasn’t” in sports. The usual flurry that was January and February in basketball and wrestling carried over into the first week of March. Then COVID. Then the world - slowly at first, then more rapidly began to shut down.

In yet another way COVID-19 has affected sports, Kingfisher’s annual high school wrestling tournament was completed in just one evening this year. Due to a number of teams having to drop out, the tournament was reduced to four teams, which set the stage for a round-robin format at all the weights..

Vance Raney scored his share of points in Cashion’s most recent win, but the final five in the last 80 seconds of the game were by far the biggest. Raney nailed the game-tying 3-pointer and then made the go-ahead free throws as the Wildcats won 60-58 at Morrison on Dec. 18.