Mike Kays

3 weeks ago | cnhinews.com | Mike Kays

CLAREMORE — Hilldale reached the summit for the second time in three years, and were denied planting the title flag by an early second-half goal as Heritage Hall took a 1-0 win in the Class 4A championship game Saturday on the campus of Rogers State University. Tucker Austin, who was penetrating from the left side, centered a pass to Noah Ragazzino just in front of the goal, freezing Hornets keeper Cameron Stout, who had six saves of nine shots on goal in the first half alone.

4 weeks ago | cnhinews.com | Mike Kays

Hilldale's offense fizzled out in the very worst way in their quest for consecutive state tournament trips. The Hornets managed just three hits over two games against North Rock Creek, losing 5-0 and 1-0, and were thus swept out of the best-of-three area round series. East Central-bound Cason Coomer did the number in game one, surrendering a leadoff double by Pearson Bennett in the third and a single by Nathaniel Cannon in the sixth. Both were left shy of home plate.

1 month ago | cnhinews.com | Mike Kays

Three times. Three painful outcomes. All 2-1 scores. On Thursday at Hornets Stadium, Hilldale ripped those three monkeys off its back. The Hornets (15-1-1) still have work to do, but some weight is off their shoulders after another 2-1 outcome, this time defeating the same Clinton program that handed them heartbreaks in two semifinal defeats and a championship loss from 2021 to 2023.

1 month ago | cnhinews.com | Mike Kays

It didn't go as planned. If you repeat as champs you want to celebrate after an 18-hole march on that final green. Instead Fort Gibson's celebration of its repeat championship took place Tuesday in the Shawnee Country Club clubhouse as officials declared Monday's 18 holes to be it for 2025 due to rain, giving the Lady Tigers back-to-back Class 4A titles and their third overall with the other being in 2016. "They really love golf.

1 month ago | cnhinews.com | Mike Kays

Hilldale has a pair of Hornets heading to NFL camps, and it’s the first time that’s happened in the 30 years of the school’s existence. After stints at Northeastern A&M, Old Dominion and most recently at New Mexico, defensive lineman Devin Brandt-Epps signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Also this weekend, Devin Hembry, a cornerback out of North Dakota, was a rookie minicamp invite by the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs.