INDIAHOMA — Just five miles south of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Indiahoma’s basketball state championship banner hangs on the wall above the bleachers of a dimly lit gym.
In the lobby, a Gold Ball — the Warriors’ state championship trophy — sits alone in a glass case, comforted only by the net that was cut down in ceremonious celebration 16 years ago.
A 60-inch team picture of the 2002 state champions is plastered on the wall in the center of the gym behind the scoreboard. There is room for a second to join the fraternity, though.
Could this finally be the year the elite 2002 boy’s squad with a 28-4 record gets some company?
“We want to put our picture up there, too. It would mean a lot,” Indiahoma senior Jacob Tahah said. “Every time we talk about State, we look at that.”
Outside the gym, the Indiahoma water tower is decorated in black and white school colors with the words state champs reading vertically above an orange-painted basketball and the year 2002.
It’s been 16 years since Indiahoma basketball’s lone state championship when the Warriors defeated Boynton, 74-71. This senior-laden group wants a second Gold Ball for Indiahoma.
“We've been waiting for this opportunity since our 7th grade year,” Indiahoma senior Cameryn Wozniak said. “Since we were young, we've been talking about playing in the state tournament, winning a championship and that Gold Ball and bringing it back here.”
Heading into playoffs, which begin this weekend, the Indiahoma (22-3) boys sit ranked fifth in a wide-open Class B title race.
Indiahoma’s last state tournament appearance was 2010 when the Warriors were ousted by Binger-Oney by 13 points in the quarterfinals.
Chances the 2017-18 Warriors not only make the Class B State tournament but also become state champions are as bright as that shimmering Gold Ball.
“We have a chance — we really do and I believe that,” Indiahoma coach Zac Gipson said. “In a small town, if you win a state championship, you become a legend.”
Small town, big dreams
There’s something about teams from small towns. Despite having 10 or 100 times fewer people than other cities, small towns tend to have that special fire.
“It's big time because in a small community you don't have as much as you would in Lawton, Tulsa or Oklahoma City,” Gipson said. “So these small communities really rally around their athletic programs. Our fans have been great for us this year.”
Rallying around their respective school and athletic teams is what binds a community together.
That’s certainly the case with Indiahoma. This team’s potential of what it could achieve and what it would do for the community is immeasurable.
“It started to put the vision of winning a state championship in our minds,” Indiahoma senior point guard Cy Ulloa said. “Talking about it and beating the best teams has made it a reality that we could actually go do it.”
When Gipson took the Indiahoma job, he asked the boys, ‘What do you want to do this year?’ They responded simply, ‘Win State.’
“That’s always been in our mind from day one,” Gipson said. “It’s starting to become a bit more of a reality. I think for these seniors it adds to their legacy.”
Veteran group: the seniors
Veteran groups tend to have an edge when title chasing.
“It’s special to have them altogether for their senior year,” Gipson said. “They work their tails off and love basketball. It shows. That's the reason we've been successful this year.”
This senior-laden squad, which boasts an eye-popping nine seniors on the 13-player roster, has been playing together for years — some since second grade.
“We know each other so well,” Wozniak said.
It starts with the captains: seniors Cy Ulloa and Christian Adair.
“Christian Adair is a type of kid who has shown up big in big games all year long,” Gipson said. “If we get to the state tournament, he's going to have the performance of a lifetime. Big time players make big time plays in big time games. He's the definition of that.”
Adair, who recently broke his pinky finger and has played through the injury, hasn’t missed a single practice this season.
“That kid is relentless,” Gipson said. “Not only is he a great basketball player but he's a great kid. If you have five Christian Adair's, you'll never have a problem all year long and you will win almost every game off of sheer will.”
Adair has also had a pair of 40-plus point games.
“The crazy thing is he doesn't care about any of that,” Gipson said. “He just wants to win.”
Same could be said for point guard Cy Ulloa, who played the Comanche Country tournament semifinal loss against Sterling with the flu before he came down with bronchitis and missed the Snyder tilt, marking two of three Warriors’ losses.
“That goes to show how valuable he is to us as our floor general,” Gipson said. “But he's going to bring it every day and show up with energy.”
It’s that type of unselfish basketball that has rubbed off on this Indiahoma team and makes the Warriors a legitimate state title contender.
“Those two could care less about stats and all that,” Gipson said. “They just want to look up at the scoreboard and see that we won. That attitude trickles down to the rest of the guys.”
Cameryn Wozniak, the sharpshooter who plays inside-out, is Indiahoma’s X-factor and was called the team’s overall best player by Gipson.
“Cam has been huge for us,” Gipson said. “If he gets going, we’re going to be scary and we got a chance to win the whole thing.”
Jacob Tahah does all the little things for the Warriors — both on the floor and off.
“From the outside looking in, people would think JT is a punk because he talks trash,” Gipson said. “He comes off as the macho type guy who won't back down from anything, but I think he does that for his teammates to show them, 'Hey I'm here for you and we're in this together.'”
Ryan Jackson, who played at Cache with Tahah for a few years before returning to Indiahoma, is capable of playing Division II or JUCO basketball, Gipson said. Gipson coached Jackson and Tahah as eighth graders in Cache.
“Ryan Jackson is an enigma — he's a hit or miss and is his own worst enemy at times,” Gipson said. “But he brings a different type of athleticism to this team so we hope to get him rolling.”
Connor Lee has scored 16 points in a game this season and gives Indiahoma some much needed interior size and quality minutes along with his unending support providing key morale boosts for his teammates.
“Connor is the best teammate out of anybody I've ever coached,” Gipson said. “He was phenomenal in the whole Chatty tournament — keeping everybody's heads locked in and being the best teammate possible. He's the first one clapping or shaking hands. It's the little things.
“His actions show the bond these guys have. You don't get this too often.”
Double duty coaching
Zac Gipson has plenty on his plate.
Like a few other area coaches such as Cyril’s Shane McLemore, Velma-Alma’s Kenny Bare and Carnegie’s Kirk Graham, Gipson coaches both the girls and the boys teams.
“This is my passion and what I love to do,” Gipson said. “There's nothing better than playing back-to-back where the girls play well then the boys play well. It makes for a good night.”
Gipson though coaches six teams in his first year at Indiahoma, including junior high and elementary.
“No matter what, Coach Gipson always makes time for us,” Ulloa said. “I admire how much he cares about us. We've never had a coach put in this much time — time away from his family and loved ones.”
“He could be home with his son, but yet he devotes time to us, too,” echoed Adair.
As stressful as it may seem from the outside looking in, the heart his teams show make his job relatively simple.
“At the end of the day, whenever they throw that ball in the air, they give me everything they have,” Gipson said of his boys and girls teams. “You never have to ask these kids to play hard. They give 110 percent.”
Having the senior leadership and short but intense practices has allowed Gipson to devote more time to the girls team and the junior high squads.
“This group makes it easy because they know the expectations and what we’re doing with our EDDs (every day drills) and they get us going,” Gipson said.
Speed bump
Indiahoma knew it wouldn’t be smooth sailing the entire journey.
“We needed a couple losses before we got there,” Tahah said. “We gotta bring it all and take this one game at a time.”
After reeling off 19 straight wins and scoring a signature victory over three-time defending state champion Fort Cobb-Broxton to win the Chattanooga Southwest Shootout in December, Indiahoma hit a bit of a rough patch, losing two of three games last month.
“We got too complacent,” Christian Adair said about the winning streak. “We just have to do the little things — box out, play defense — and the rest will take care of itself. We want to end this on a good note.”
Indiahoma, the top seed in the Comanche County Tournament, hadn’t won the county title since the state champions did it in 2001.
Ulloa and Tahah both had the flu during county. Adair, mending his pinky and still can’t fully extend it, is still only at 80 percent.
“Christian is a trooper,” Gipson said. “You can’t keep that kid off the floor.”
The Warriors were upset by Sterling in the semifinals, wound up third place, then lost at Snyder just days later without their floor general Ulloa, who’s flu bug turned into bronchitis.
“Our boys wanted it, but the pressure built up on us and we got that monkey off our back,” Gipson said. “It was good for us because I'd much rather lose then than come playoff time getting upset in regionals. It alleviated some of the pressure, but at the same time, it made us well aware we are beatable.”
The Warriors yearned for a tournament sweep, winning all three regular season tournaments, but still walked away with a pair — Chatty Southwest and Frazer Bank.
In the midst of the rough patch, Ulloa said the biggest obstacle has been staying together which sounds far-fetched for a tight-knit group of veterans.
“We may seem like a well-oiled machine, but we have a lot of problems,” Ulloa said. “I always tell myself, this is the last time I could be in this gym. We have to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Splitting with Class A powerhouse No. 2 Ft. Cobb though, which the seniors called their favorite memory so far this season, did wonders for the Warriors’ confidence.
“It confirms everything we know. When we're playing well, we can beat the best,” Gipson said. “On the opposite end of that spectrum, I've seen us play lackadaisical and lose games we shouldn’t.”
Indiahoma, hoping its lackadaisical play is long gone, hosts Wapanucka in the district title game Saturday before moving onto regional playoffs. If seeds hold, the Warriors will likely meet No. 11 Duke (21-3), a team they’ve beaten twice handily, in the regional final.
“It's so tough to beat a team three times,” Gipson said. “I'm hoping we have the edge, but you never know. It's about who's going to show up.”
One of the most lethal perimeter shooting teams around, No. 3 Lookeba-Sickles (20-4) is considered the Area favorite, and there is a chance they could meet in the Area title game for a trip to the State B Tournament.
Area III playoff games will be played in Cache, which is just a short jaunt east for Indiahoma and its hopeful fan base.
“That’s huge for us and for the community so they don’t have to make a long drive to see these boys do something special,” Gipson said. “It’s essentially a home game and with this great community, we’ll have every single person plus some come out and support us.”
It’s been a rugged road in recent weeks, but Indiahoma is hoping the speed bump was a blessing in disguise.
“We’re definitely talented enough so if we don't make State, it's a letdown for myself, the boys and the community,” Gipson said. “Our first goal is to make it there and then let the cards fall where they may.
“It would be exciting for our boys to get up there and have the opportunity.”
Opportunity is as bright as the shiny 2002 Gold Ball, glistening alone in the Indiahoma’s glass case and longing for a companion — one labeled with the year 2018 on it.