Spring racing returns to Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs for the 11th consecutive year on March 16. With the races comes the arrival of some of the top thoroughbred competitors contending for the lead position in 270 races featured throughout the meet.

Oklahoma’s deer gun hunting season will not be lengthened but instead will remain 16 days long following the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission’s approval of administrative rules during its regular meeting Tuesday.

DEL CITY — March Madness came early for both Claremore Christian basketball teams.

TAHLEQUAH — The Lady Zebras finally got the signature win they've been yearning for.

Editor's note: This story was updated on Monday, Feb. 17, to include the death of 18-year-old Kolby Crum, who passed away on Saturday, Feb. 15.

TULSA - It was a clean sweep for Claremore Christian in the Class 1A HCAA state semifinals Friday night at Wright Christian Academy.

Claremore’s playoff matchups have been revealed, and they are no cakewalk.

With the recent release of district and regional assignments for Class 4A through Class B, the high school basketball playoffs are right around the corner.

Jace Schaffitzel is known for leading by example, and Tuesday night was a perfect case in point.

ADAIR — It was another tough outing for Sequoyah.

JAY — The result was never in doubt for the Verdigris girls as they raced to a 59-20 victory over Jay on Tuesday night.

TULSA — The Claremore Christian Lady Warriors raced past the Tyro Eagles (Kan.) 80-20 in the HCAA Class 1A Green Country regional championship game Monday at Wright Christian Academy.

The Will Rogers Jr High cheer squad competed in Branson in December and brought home first place and the Grand Champion trophy.

Junior Kaylee Ward and Freshman Sylvia Admire earned their stripes at last weekend's swimming (6A) East Regional Championship.

SEQUOYAH ⁠— Friday night was homecoming for the Sequoyah Eagles, and senior forward Halle Tathum took home the crown.

COLLINSVILLE — With 1:40 remaining in regulation and Claremore trailing by five, Kylee Ohman found herself in an unfamiliar situation.

OOLOGAH — At the time he made the basket, it was just another 3-pointer in the scorebook for Verdigris senior Tyler Haddock.

National Signing Day is a yearly tradition in which high school seniors sign a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to play a collegiate sport for a school of their choosing.

With the snowstorm now gone, local basketball teams can now get back to focusing on the looming playoffs.

SKIATOOK — Hailey Grant did just about everything except hit a halfcourt shot, and she came within tenths of a second from doing that as well.

The Claremore Christian Lady Warriors completed a perfect regular season in girls basketball for the first time in school history with 60-32 victory over Riverfield Country Day School (Tulsa) last Friday.

Verdigris swats Vinita for sweep

The Claremore Zebras won four of the final five matches, with three consecutive pins to top the Tahlequah Tigers on Tuesday night at the TMAC.

CHELSEA — Sequoyah boys basketball coach Larry Grigg had a specific mission for the team on Monday night.

GLENPOOL — Hailey Grant was on a mission to decimate Glenpool.

This season’s College Football Playoff left a lot to be desired for Oklahoma fans.

VERDIGRIS — For 67 seconds, Brock Fugate celebrated his own homecoming Friday night during Verdigris’ annual Homecoming basketball festivities.

Rick Venturi has seen a lot of football.

Homecoming queen Hailey Grant stepped down off the throne to slam in 16 points and vacuum 14 rebounds, handing the Claremore Lady Zebras a 48-45 victory over 14th-ranked Pryor on Tuesday night at Claremore Gym.

VERDIGRIS — News of the death of Kobe Bryant on Sunday rocked the sports and entertainment worlds.

VERDIGRIS — Once the rust wore off, the Verdigris girls basketball team was off and running.

OOLOGAH — After breaking their 15-game losing streak to Vinita this past weekend in the Pryor Invitational, the Lady Mustangs had to turn around and try to do it again on Tuesday night.

PRYOR — Two years ago, defeating Vinita seemed like an impossible task for Oologah girls basketball.

DeMarco Murray’s journey from retirement two years ago, to television and into coaching has reconnected him with Oklahoma.

Trae Young walked off State Farm Arena’s court in Atlanta and found his mother, Candice, sitting nearby along the floor's baseline.

CHOUTEAU — Verdigris got a chance to take on the defending Class 2A state boys champion in Rejoice Christian on Saturday night in the championship game of the Chouteau Invitational.

CATOOSA - The Claremore Zebras, ranked No. 20 in Class 5A in both girls and boys basketball, split a pair of seventh-place games Saturday in the Tulsa Teachers Credit Union Port City Classic.

PRYOR — Sequoyah girls basketball finally picked up that elusive win, and just about everyone got in on the act.

CHOUTEAU — Caden Parnell did not let a different jersey number affect him and particularly his shooting form Friday night.