Elite 8

Every December we roll out the Elite 8 and this year's group is one of the best we've ever had. For the girls we have four stand-out players and four of the biggest names in the state. Alyssia Brewer from Sapulpa, Jenni Bryan from Coweta, Angel Goodrich from Tahlequah Sequoyah and Tia Magee from Jenks bring style and flare to the court. For the boys, this group represents a tough, relentless style of play. Rotnei Clarke from Verdigris, Bryson Pope from Jenks, Monty Brown from Liberty and Robert Crawford from Victory Christian are four of the best players in the state that have earned the respect of their peers and the coaches. Alyssia Brewer (6-foot-3, senior) 17 ppg, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks Sapulpa Lady Chiefs Where is she going to college? "I am so excited about going to Tennessee. I know there are people out there that doubt if I can make it, but I want to go and prove everyone wrong," said Brewer. Tennessee is one of the meccas for girls college basketball and Brewer wants to leave her mark on the storied program. "I loved the coaches and it was such a good fit when I was there. It's an exciting program and the players were great." One thing you need to know about Alyssia Many people consider her an offensive threat, but she will really hurt you on the defensive side if you're not careful. She averaged over five blocked shots per game last year and could easily improve those numbers. She hustles on the court and for a player with her ability and size it really makes her a complete player. The best part of her game (optional) She gets her teammates involved in the game. This is not a one-man show at Sapulpa, head coach Darleen Calip preaches movement and getting people involved in the offense. When Brewer see's the double teams she always looks for the open player to dish the ball to. Her ability to grab crucial rebounds and get the fast break started is another aspect of her game that's underrated. One match-up you can't miss February 15th at Sapulpa the Lady Chiefs host Sand Springs on senior night. The Sand Springs team rolls in with two six-footers of their own in Kara Umbarger and Madison Harris, both juniors. It should be a great match-up late in the season. Jenni Bryan (5-foot-9, sophomore) 15ppg, 7 rebounds Coweta Lady Tigers What are the expectations this season for the Lady Tigers? "We don't let the high expectations bother us. We come to practice everyday and work hard, you can't get your head full of that this early in the season," said Bryan. But those expectations are high and the team is ready for it. Head coach Krista Binam is in her second year and has done a remarkable job of turning this program around. Nothing like being a Pressure Player In big games the Lady Tigers look to Bryan to make plays. And making plays is something she does very well. "I welcome that, I really don't know how to put it, but when I'm on the floor I'm just in it and it's a feeling," said Bryan. Gold Ball is the only Option The Lady Tigers are focused on winning it all this season, but team play will be the only way to get there. Getting other players involved like Amy Sommer, Brittani Smith and Meagan Selvidge will not be too difficult. Sommer averaged 14 points per game last year and provides a spark when needed. Bryan plays the forward position, but is skilled enough to bring the ball up the floor and make things happen on offense. All in the Family The Bryan family is legendary in Coweta. Her father, Ricky Bryan was a two-time All-American at the University of Oklahoma and played nine years in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons. Her brother Mike is at the University of Tulsa where he plays linebacker. Angel Goodrich (5-foot-3, senior) 18 ppg, 7 steals, 7 assists Sequoyah Tahlequah Lady Indians Why is She so Good? Angel Goodrich made a name for herself by pounding the ball inside and taking on the bigger post players. She also can hit from outside which makes her the complete player. Defensively she has quick hands to go with the quick feet. Averaging seven steals a game, Goodrich is considered a solid player who plays for the name on the front not the back. Will this Team Repeat? "A lot of people expect us to win so the expectations are high. We try not to let it get to us, we just go out there and play," said Goodrich. The Lady Indians return five starters four of which are seniors. This squad plays as a cohesive unit on a mission. When they are all on the same page it is tough for any team to beat them regardless of class. The Mental Edge (optional) Each player is different. Some use music to get them motivated others only need to put the uniform on and its go time. Goodrich doesn't need a motivating factor. The fact that she's getting ready to play basketball is enough. "I really don't need anything to motivate me, it's really more of a reaction type thing for me. I see the crowd and hear them, but during the game I'm focused on what we need to do to win," said Goodrich. It's all for the Team No one is surprised when Goodrich passes the ball instead of taking a shot. Last year Goodrich averaged seven assists per game which was a team high. "I just try to do what's best for the team," said Goodrich. Tia Magee (6-foot-2, senior) 16ppg, 6 rebounds Jenks Lady Trojans The only Returning Starter Tia Magee is alone in one aspect, she's the only one returning this season that was a starter last season. But for the Lady Trojans that might not mean as much this year. Magee is a force inside and can shoot from the perimeter, but first year head coach Rhonda Fields has a line going out of gym of girls that want to be on this team. Magee will have support from players like Twyla Ingram, Briawn Franklin, Christina Jackson and J.R. Hines. My Goal as a Player "Its like a job, my goal is to win, that's the ultimate goal. People that think they can just stop me and not worry about anyone else is wrong. My mindset is to help everyone else around me," said Magee. And that "go to work" attitude they bring to practice everyday will help this team and Tia win games. A Change at the Top (optional) "The team has responded well to the coaching change. Coach Fields has an aggressive practice and has a goal for this team. We feel just as strongly about the goal as she does. We've all bought it now we just want to play," said Magee. "The team has meshed together really well and things are going great." Hello Georgetown "Georgetown, I love it. I've always wanted to go somewhere and be a franchise type player. When I met the Georgetown coaches we just clicked. We have the same goals, they see me playing a three or a two and I've always wanted to play guard," Magee said. Rotnei Clarke (6-foot-1, senior) 37 ppg, 9 rebounds, 6 assists Verdigris Cardinals King of the Mountain If there's one player most people say could make an impact on college team today it's Clarke. Averaging an incredible 37 points per game and nearly 10 rebounds are staggering numbers for any class. You can add his name to the list of great basketball players that have come through Oklahoma. Back-to-Back Covers (optional) "That was fun. They put it up in the school library and everybody let me have it a little, but it was good and the cover looked good," said Clarke. No one has ever glossed the cover of HSSTM two months in a row until now. Clarke is well deserving of the honor, remember there is no HSSTM curse! Focused and Ready "It's real important for us to get ready for the season. Obviously we've failed twice never getting past the quarterfinals of the tournament. Our goal ever since I was a freshman in high school was to get to the state finals. That goal hasn't change," said Clarke. And with four returning starters and the state best scorer there chances are better than ever. Tournament of Champions "Going into that tournament is unbelievable. The atmosphere, the tradition, it's a great place to play and that's a chance for the smaller schools to go in and prove they can play with anyone," said Clarke. "Stringtown beat us last year, so it proves that small schools play really good basketball." Bryson Pope (6-foot-6, junior) 13 ppg, 10 rebounds Jenks Trojans Making a Name Bryson Pope has been a regular name to Jenks fans for several years. His brother Nathan Pope was a stand-out basketball player and Bryson has quietly become an extremely important player in coach Clay Martin's basketball team. If you haven't seen him sky for a big rebound or battle for inside position you need to. This kid can play and plays bigger than 6-foot-6. Basketball at a Football School (optional) You always hear it, "they only play football at Jenks they don't play basketball." The Jenks basketball program has five gold balls in their trophy case, but all belong to the girls. Pope would love to be the first class to add one for the boys. "We have a great team and we are capable of going all the way. We just need to put it together," said Pope. Bring it Every Night When people project you to be one of the top kids in the state, which carries a little more pressure and responsibility. "When I hear those things it makes me think I need to bring it ever night. When people are talking about you that way you need to be ready to perform," said Pope. Dynamic Duo If you think stopping Pope is the key to beating the Trojans you need to look again because they have two players that can contribute and take over games. Vince Boncaldo is a big center who plays alongside Pope. Stopping one is a great way to start a game plan, but you better have a backup plan. Monty Brown (6-foot-10, junior) 10ppg, 8 rebounds, 6 blocks Liberty Tigers Man in the Middle There aren't too many people bigger than Monty Brown. The man in the middle for Liberty isn't afraid to get inside and bang for the ball. Averaging a double-double every game is on the horizon for Brown, but for now he'll take what the defense will give him and jam it down their throat when needed. Getting the Job Done Even though the Tigers return four starters they will need to develop a good rotation. Brown is the team leader statistically and should remain in that role. They will need production from other players such as Bryan Brock and Justin Alwardt. Big Man on Campus Brown is starting to learn what guys like Rotnei Clarke are going through in the recruiting journey. For Brown schools like the University of Oklahoma and Tulsa University have shown a lot of interest in center from Liberty and that interest is peaking the interest of the community. Soon he will be covered up with letters and phone calls from perspective coaches. That process isn't an easy one, but for Brown and his family they've enjoyed the journey thus far. Next Level (optional) The ultimate goal is to make it in college and who knows from there. "I want to play hard and take the team as far as we can go. I want to stay focused on the team and clear my head of everything before we step on the floor," said Brown. Determined to lead this team and take them to the next level is how you describe Monty Brown. Robert Crawford (6-foot-5, senior) 18 ppg, 10 rebounds Victory Christian Conquerors Anything's Possible (optional) Can Victory Christian really go all the way? Robert seems to think so and he makes a very compelling argument. "We want to win state. We have a real passion this year and we have guys that are role players that are all about this team and we're going to go out and get the job done," said Crawford. High Flyer Crawford can jump out of the gym and opponents know that. So stopping him before he gets started is key, but Crawford will tell you once he steps on the court stopping him may only be an idea not a reality. "I plan on giving a show. I want to dunk it a lot more than I've done in past years. I've got a dunkers mentality," said Crawford. One Game you can't Miss Big games are in store all year, but on December 11th at 8pm Victory hosts the Jenks Trojans. "Everybody's looking forward to playing Jenks. When you play Jenks you know you have to play great to win. But we are also looking forward to Douglass, senior night in Oklahoma City," said Crawford. And a teammate of Crawford, T.J. Petit, is a former Trojan so there's a little more motivation. Time to go to Work Crawford has heard from numerous people about what it takes to make it to the next level and beyond. His ultimate goal is to play in the NBA. He realizes that goal of becoming a professional basketball player isn't easy, but he's decided to go to work and make it happen. If there's one kid that has the fortitude to do it's Robert Crawford.