Warriors off and running in Class A
Top-ranked Okarche pummels Cheyenne by 40 to begin title defense
![OKARCHE COACH Aaron West (background) barks instruction to his team and Easton Roby prepares to pass it up the floor during Wednesday’s quarterfinal win at OG&E Coliseum. [KT&FP Staff Photo]](https://www.kingfisherpress.net/sites/kingfisherpress.etypegoogle10.com/files/styles/article400/public/ac8688802c_Ar00604013.jpg?itok=MGxsSzfu "OKARCHE COACH Aaron West (background) barks instruction to his team and Easton Roby prepares to pass it up the floor during Wednesday’s quarterfinal win at OG&E Coliseum. [KT&FP Staff Photo]")
OKARCHE COACH Aaron West (background) barks instruction to his team and Easton Roby prepares to pass it up the floor during Wednesday’s quarterfinal win at OG&E Coliseum. [KT&FP Staff Photo]
Okarche overwhelmed yet another foe and it’s got the Warriors back in the state semifinals.
The two-time defending champ Warriors downed No. 12 Cheyenne/Reydon 89-49 Wednesday night in the Class A boys basketball state quarterfinals at OG&E Coliseum.
Top-ranked Okarche is now in the semifinals for the third straight year and the 14th time in the program’s history. The Warriors played Allen at 6 p.m. Friday in that semifinal round in Yukon (after press time).
The Bears had a solid start to the game. They won the tip, then chewed about 45 seconds off the clock before scoring the game’s first points.
Okarche answered with an Easton Roby three-point play on the other end.
That was followed by a Cheyenne turnover that led to a Roby bucket.
Then another turnover and another Roby make. Then another turnover.
It was part of an 11-0 Okarche run that spread into a 22-2 burst and the game was over before the end of the first quarter when the Warriors led 28-8.
By the end of the half, Cheyenne had called all five timeouts and the Warriors were up 23.
They pushed it to 31 points by the end of the third quarter.
This one played out like most other Okarche games.
The Warriors shot a modest 39.1 percent while the Bears were good on 47.1 percent of theirs. But Okarche attempted 87 field goals to 34 for its foe.
Turnovers played their role in that as Cheyenne committed 37, leading to 46 Okarche points.
The Warriors also won the rebound battle 46-29.
Cheyenne got a heavy dose of Roby and Jett Mueggenborg.
Roby kept it going after his fast start and finished with 22 points and 10 boards.
Mueggenborg poured in 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
The two combined for more field goal attempts than all of the Bears (4834).
Okarche also got 9 points each from Brett Carnott and Kysen Avila as it improved to 27-3 on the season.
Okarche is looking to advance to the title game for the ninth time in the program’s history. The Warriors are 3-5 in their previous trips.
The Warriors are looking to become the first team to win three straight in Class A since Fort Cobb from 2016-18.