Tahlequah Daily Press

Sports

Related Photos

  • Trevor Eubanks and the Keys Cougars will take on Sequoyah Friday night at Cougar Fieldhouse. Photos by Ben Johnson

    Eubanks.jpg

  • Sequoyah’s Courtney Jones (left) and Baylee Ratliff (right) will take on Keys in the second installment of the Cherokee County Clash on Friday night.

    seq-jones.jpg

Discussion

Add a comment on this story
February 3, 2012

County Clash: Part II

Sequoyah and Keys meet Friday night in the second installment of the Cherokee County Clash.

By BEN JOHNSON Sports Editor

Every coach said nearly the same thing.

It ranged from: “we’re a lot different team now” to “we’re a better team now, and I’m sure they are to” to “they’re playing much better now.”

Those were the words of Sequoyah girls coach Bill Nobles, Sequoyah boys coach Jay Herrin and Keys boys coach Duane Jones.

With those comments, one thing is for sure: both games between Cherokee County rivals, Sequoyah and Keys, will feature different nuances this time around. The two schools will meet tonight at Cougar Fieldhouse in Park Hill with the girls playing at 6:30 with the boys to follow at 8.

In the first boys game, Preston Releford led Keys with 14 points, including two free throws late to seal the Cougars’ victory.

“We’d love to repeat what we did last time,” Jones said.

The Class 3A No. 20 Cougars (10-8) will be search of their second straight win over Sequoyah, dating back to last season.

“Keys has had our number the last couple of times,” Herrin said. “But it’s always battle.”

The 3A No. 7 Indians (13-6) are coming off a dominating performance, a 54-33 victory, over 3A No. 2 Victory Christian on Tuesday. But Herrin knows his club has to keep improving.

“Last game doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “It’s all about tomorrow.”

Sequoyah’s blowout of Victory Christian certainly caught Jones’ attention.

“They thumped Victory pretty good,” said Jones, whose club knocked off Victory Christian in a regional tournament last season.

As for game plans, Jones knows his team doesn’t go into its bench as much as Sequoyah. So staying out of foul trouble is imperative.

“It’s important that our guys stay fresh,” Jones said. “So we have to stay out of foul trouble.”

In the girls game, Sequoyah will go for the season sweep after winning the first game 41-35. But Nobles is cognizant of Keys’ recent run of strong play.

“They’re having a great second half of the season,” Nobles said of the Lady Cougars, who are 6-4 since Jan. 1. “Plus it’s always hard against Keys. It’s never an easy game.”

Keys (9-9) enters having won four of its last five games. Keys coach Leon Ashlock was not available for comment on his team’s game against Sequoyah.

For the Lady Indians (14-5), staying healthy recently has been an issue. But Nobles thinks he’s girls will should be good enough to go against the Lady Cougars.

“The No. 1 thing is we’re getting over the flu bug that I have now,” Nobles said. “Hopefully we’ll be back to a solid eight-man rotation.”

Text Only
Sports
Poll

What do you plan to do over the Memorial Day weekend?

Go to Lake Tenkiller or Lake Fort Gibson.
Go to the Illinois River.
Attend ceremonies to honor veterans.
Spend time at home with family and/or friends.
Go out of town with family and/or friends.
A combination of the above.
None of the above.
     View Results
Press Sports Twitter Updates
Follow us on twitter
Follow me on Twitter
AP Video
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium 50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
Stocks
Bedlam