Elk City to face Weatherford at home tonight

Details

Published on Friday, 17 February 2012 13:41

Mary Loveland
Daily Elk Citian

Elk City High School basketball teams are prepping for the start of playoff season. 

Both the boys and girls teams will play conference team, Weatherford, in the District game tonight in Elk City.

Districts are assigned by the OSSAA. There are 64 teams in class 4A and 32 District games to be played.

BOYS

The Big Elks have played the Weatherford Eagles three times so far this season.

“Weatherford is probably one of our biggest rivals to begin with,” Garrette Mantle, ECHS boys and girls head basketball coach, said. “It’s a team that traditionally is good at every sport and very competitive and it’s not different in basketball. They win a few, we win a few. It’s kind of like the North Carolina/Duke match up.”

Elk City High School boys have one once and lost twice to Weatherford. Coach Mantle said all three games were played to the buzzer.

Game number one against the Eagles was played here in Elk City where the boys lost 51-54.

Game number two was a close win with a score of 39-38.

The Big Elks then lost game number three in Weatherford by a mere two points with a final score of 48-50.

“Those boys have played for years and it goes down to the buzzer every time,” Mantle said.

If the Big Elks win tonight’s game, they will move onto the winner’s side of the Regional’s bracket. Otherwise, they will compete in the loser’s bracket.

If Elk City boys come out with a win, they are set to face either Bethany, currently ranked third in 4A, or Star Spencer.

“The boys played Bethany last year in our side of the regional,” Mantle said. “They got beat in double overtime. Bethany’s boys are really, really good. They’re very tall and big and they’re good players.” 

Mantle expects that tonight’s game against the Eagles will be just as close as the previous games this season.

“It’s a pretty heated rivalry game and it usually goes down to the wire,” he said.

The boy’s game will begin at 8 p.m. in Pioneer Gym.

GIRLS

The Elkettes have faced the Lady Eagles, currently ranked eighth in 4A, twice this season, both of which were losses.

The first game against Weatherford at home ended with a final score of 29-68.

When the Elk City girls played Weatherford for a second time a month later, they saw improvement with a score of 46-57.

“Our girls team has gotten so much better,” Mantle said.

The Elkettes are hoping for even more improvement in tonight’s game.

“Both our teams are unique in the fact that the leading scorers are actually sophomores,” Mantle said. “Mikayla Harrison is leading our girls team in points.”

The girls will begin play at 6:30 p.m. in Pioneer Gym.

Both teams are looking for a win.

Because this is a district game, entry fee is $5 unless you have an OSSAA pass.