AREA BASKETBALL: Bartlesville, Dewey and other squads jump into early-week action
Bartlesville High School’s Hudson Eads is announced prior to last month’s opening season game in Bartlesville. The Bruins travel to Edmond North High School on Tuesday (Dec. 3).
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Bartlesville Area Sports Report
(Note: To hear live action of the Bartlesville vs. Edmond North basketball action Tuesday (Dec. 3) night listen to KWON Radio (1400 AM. The girls tip off at 6:30 p.m., followed by the boys showdown.)
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With explosive game one expectations past them on a propitious note, Bartlesville High School’s new-look varsity basketball teams now begin the tough sledding.
The Bruins and Lady Bruins — both coming off evocative season-opening wins — board the bus on Tuesday (Dec. 3) bound for Edmond North High School and their season district openers.
Meanwhile, several other area prep basketball teams also eye key matchups early this week.
On Monday (Dec. 2), Wesleyan Christian rolls into Barnsdall in what has become a high-energy rivalry the past few years.
Barnsdall also will be home Tuesday to host the hungry Caney Valley teams.
Also on Tuesday, the Dewey teams yank up the curtains on their seasons with a road trip to Sperry.
Following is a closer look at each of these matchups:
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BOYS: Bartlesville at Edmond North
With the 49-40 victory on November 22 against Ponca City, Bartlesville recorded just its third season-opening victory since the 2013-14 season.
Fate might not have chosen a better way for new head coach Tommy DeSalme to make his debut with his alma mater.
Balanced scoring, tenacious defense, rugged rebounding and a stiff fourth quarter stand created the winning formula that sent the huge contingent of Bruin Fieldhouse faithful home on a euphoric gust of smiles.
But to state it frankly, Ponca City is likely far from the best team the rookie Bruins — DeSalme played multiple freshmen major minutes and returned just one full-time starter from the previous season — will face this season.
Edmond North is a potential mammoth obstacle — the Huskies are returning Class 6A state finalists, losing by only four points in last year’s state championship game against Owasso, 57-53.
Edmond North’s cumulative record the past two campaigns is 50-6. In the previous two seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23) the Huskies captured the state crown.
The good news for other 6A teams is the Huskies have graduated some high-powered talent, including Dylan Warlick (signed with Saint Louis University) and Chiante Tramble (signed with Independence Community College), along with Dontrell Yearby (Northern Oklahoma College-Enid).
The Huskies also graduated other senior experience.
Bartlesville will be the first team to face the apparently rebuilt Edmond North crew.
Can Bartlesville’s youthful enthusiasm and unique combination of talent and skills pull off what would be considered a major upset?
Tune in Tuesday night for the answer.
Bartlesville High School’s Kennedy Nuble (22) guards a Ponca City player during their season opener last month. The Lady Bruins travel to Edmond North High School on Tuesday (Dec. 3).
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
GIRLS: Bartlesville at Edmond North
Coming off a 70-32 dismantling of Ponca City, the Bartlesville Lady Bruins are off to their strongest start in many years.
Edmond North could give them the ultimate early-season measuring stick.
The Lady Huskies are coming off a 26-2 record from last year — and the state runner-up trophy. They lost in the Class 6A state final by just one point to Putnam City West, 41-40.
Bartlesville is coming off a 12-13 showing last season — and hasn’t turned in a winning campaign since 2018-19.
But this year’s Bartlesville team could be reversing course in a big way. Bolstered by the addition of 6-foot junior guard Sami Sheaffer and the return of battle-tested varsity veterans Alayah Lunn, Kennedy Nubel, Emma Zimmerman, Adrianne Flick and Cadence Gray.
A handful of other returning players to the program and sprightly freshmen round out the main arsenal of fourth-year Bartlesville head coach Justyn Shaw.
While hopefully on the threshold of becoming a burgeoning power, the Lady Bruins will be taking on a Lady Huskie program that has already arrived.
Edmond North has played in the state championship game the past three seasons — winning it all in 2022 and 2023.
But gone via graduation for Edmond North are some big-impact players, including Allison Heathcock (Creighton signee), Janiyah Williams (Oregon signee), Kate Melton and other senior talent.
Whether Bartlesville’s trajectory will be enough to rise past a possibly reloading Edmond North team is the mystery headed into Tuesday’s 6:30 p.m. tip-off in Edmond.
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MONDAY: Wesleyan Christian at Barnsdall
This will be Barnsdall’s season opener, but Wesleyan Christian School has already launched into action.
In their debut, the WCS Lady Mustangs outpaced Claremore Christian, 58-47.
Lydia Foster provided a large share of the firepower for the Lady Mustangs, who appear to have the experience and skills to make a stark turnaround from a few rough seasons.
Barnsdall is coming off an 11-11 season last year, including a sweep of WCS.
On the boys side, WCS clobbered Claremore Christian, 77-33, in November’s opener.
It was a strong message — especially with WCS having graduated some players of last year’s 24-5 team that signed college basketball letters of intent.
Barnsdall came in at 9-13 last season, ending the season on a four-game slide.
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TUESDAY: Dewey at Sperry
One of northeastern Oklahoma’s most enduring rivalries renews when these teams meet.
Although retooling their lineup, the Dewey Bulldoggers probably have to be considered the favorites going into the boys matchup.
Dewey finished 16-12 last season while Sperry checked in at 6-18. The teams split in 2023-24.
The Dewey girls could be energized by the addition of freshman Presley Smith at point guard, along with some veteran talent around her.
Sperry finished 16-11 last season and should prove a telling early-season test for the Lady Doggers.
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TUESDAY: Caney Valley at Barnsdall
The Caney Valley girls — who mulched Mounds in last month’s opener, 44-19 — are young but feisty, based on this game’s result.
Barnsdall will have home court advantage but be playing for the second-straight night.
The Caney Valley boys competed hard in their November opener while dropping a 47-42 decision against Mounds.
Barnsdall will be looking to rocket to a winning season start but faces challenging back-to-back night games against Wesleyan Christian and Caney Valley.