Choctaw High School - Faces of the Future Yearbook (Choctaw, OK)

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GERS IN STATE TOU EY HIS season became a hisforical mark for fhe Yellow Jackef cagers when fhey fied for fhe Mefropolifan Conference in ifs maiden year and, seffing a firsf, advanced fo fhe Sfafe lournamenf in Tulsa. Nobody, affer seeing fheir firsf game, would have fhoughf lhe Jackefs, wifh only one refurning sfarfer and plagued wifh inexperience, would have a winning season much less go on fo capfure fhe regionals, share fhe conference fifle, and enfer fhe sfafe all in one year. ln fhe opening game againsf Soufheasf Chocfaw frailed for fhree quarfers, buf fhe sparked-up Jackefs exploded wifh a lafe A chance af fhe sfafe fifle was in fhe bag for Chocfaw affer beafing Sfar for fhe regional championship. Defeafed a second fime by Moore, 53-50, fhe Jackefs snapped back fo defeaf Crooked Oak 76-7I before enfering fhe Sfar Spencer Tournamenf, Alfhough fhe 5'9 average feam was piffed againsf Ana- darko's six-foof club, fhe Jackefs rallied in fhe lasf fwo minufes fo win 57-52, buf fhe nexf day fhey were eliminafed by Chickasha, 56-46. Haughf's 5-poinf oufbursf in fhe lasf I3 seconds fo defeaf Carl Alberf 45-44 fhrilled a Homecoming nighf crowd. Af fhis sfage of fhe season fhe newly-formed conference of Ed- mond, Yukon, Crooked Oak, Carl Alberf and Chocfaw was sfill up for grabs wifh fhe Jackefs in a posifion fo share fhe lead by upseffing Edmond fhere. Wifh Tom Earnesf scoring 26 poinfs for his season high, Chocfaw surprised fhe Bulldogs 75-66 for one of fhe besf wins of 'rhe year. lf was a 'Haughf' nighf in fhe following confesf for Haughf as he blisfered Yukon wifh 42 poinfs fo defeaf fhem and push Edmond ou+ of fhe Mefro Conference lead. Affer being fhree minufe scoring bursf led by Jonny Haughf, who fofaled 27 poinfs, fo win 75-67, revealing fhe one ingredienf fhaf was fo be fheir sfrengfh-a never-say-die affifude. Enfering fhe Carl Alberf Tourney, fhe Jackefs received back-fo-back losses from Edmond, 70-58, and Moore, 59-52, be- fore bouncing back fo spank Casady 8I-65 for sevenfh place. Nexf Edmond and Moore vicfimized fhe club 56-54 and 65- 54 respecfively and Sfar Spencer pulled a squeaker 72-7l, buf again fhe boys bounced back fo fhrash Befhany 66-39 behind Haughf's 22 poinf run and Larry WakIey's rebounding. Spark of fhe defense, Roberf Hicks, proved 'foo quick for many offensive opponenfs and forced fhem info impos- sible sifuafions and misfakes. !

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BA KET BALL'S NEW LOOK: Driving around a Crooked Oak de- fender in +he firsi game of fhe region- als, Tom Earnesi goes for fwo poinfs as +l1e Jaclxeis besf rhe Ruff Nex. Larry Wallley, bairling here wiih Paul Lowery, No. 25, Jonny Haughf, No. 2l, Joel S+eele, No. 23, and a Wewolra Tiger, broughf down I7 rebounds in rhe s+a+e game, buf could noi offser Wewoka's edge in heighf. Em, PuHing the 'eagle eye' on The goal during +he regional finals wiih Sfar, Jonny Haughf aifempis 'io add fo his 23.I season scoring average. STATE TOURNAMENT TRAIL Chociaw 67 Crooked Oak 62 Chocfaw 48 Srar Spencer 47 Sfaie Chocfaw 46 Wewolca 57

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ACKET CRO ED FIRST manhandled by Sfar 60-44 fhe Jackefs suffered anofher one poinf loss, 65-64, fo Carl Alberf, buf 'Ihey rebounded fo crush Befhany 76-5I. Traveling fo Yukon fhe Jackefs had fo defeaf fhe Millers fo keep fheir hopes alive for a share of fhe Mefro crown wifh Edmond. The Jackefs pulled fhe game ouf as Haughf hif 'Iwo free shofs wifhin 'rhe lasf fhree seconds for a 69-68 vicfory. The Jackefs were sfung by Soufheasf 70-66 before fhe lasf league game wifh Crooked Oak. They could be conference co-champions by winning or runner-up by losing. For fhe 'rhird fime and wifh Haughf's 22 poinfs and Wakley's I5 and feam efforf fhe .lackefs prevailed 72-6I, Regionals saw Chocfaw again playing Crooked Oak, and fhe Jackefs broke a deadlock in fhe fourfh quarfer fo win 67-62 fo sef up a clash wifh Sfar Spencer for fhe championship. Like fhe Chocfaw-Crooked Oak relafionship fhe Bobcafs had defeafed Chocfaw fwice earlier, buf fhe fhird fime was nof fhe charm as fhe Jackefs pinched off a lasf-difch efforf, Joel Sfeele saved fhe day wifh an insurance layup baskef wifh I5 seconds fo go for a 48- 45 lead. The Bobcafs scored a goal, buf fhe Jackefs nailed down a 48-47 vicfory fo win fhe regional championship and gain fhe sfafe playoffs. However, fhe cinderella feam sfruck ouf af Tulsa in an affempf fo make ifs dream of a Sfafe AA Championship come frue when if was edged ouf by a fowering Wewoka feam, 57-46. Haughf was held fo 22 poinfs and Wakley, hounded by 6'4 adversaries, scored only I I. The Jackefs frailed by only fhree af half and by four lafe in fhe fourfh quarfer only fo see fhe Tigers sfrefch fhe margin again. For fhe season Haughf led scoring wifh a 23.I average, and Wakley recovered 380 caroms fo lead rebounding. Defensive ace Roberf Hicks stole 45 balls wifh Earnesf furning in 22 assisfs. Sfeele compiled fhe leasf number of violafions wifh I8. Receiving recognifion from fhe Oklahoma Journal and fhe Oklahoma Times were Haughf and Coach Hauser. Haughf was named fo fhe Journal second All-Sfar feam, firsf All-Conference, Conference Player of 'rhe Year, and an .3l+erna+e All-Sfafer. Coach Hauser was named All-Sfar Coach of fhe Year by fhe Journal. Behind a screen of Joel Sfeele, Tom Earnesf cufs for fhe baskef as he led a second half scoring drive fo defeaf Soufheasf. 102 .xi-I As Carl Alberf moved 'Io wifhin one poinf, Coach Hauser wifh shirf- fail ouf, crooked fie, and fensed face reflecfed fhe sifuafion as he called fime ouf.