With the spring sports season coming to a close in the coming weeks, more and more local seniors are signing with universities and colleges to continue their athletic career at the next level.
Here is a summary of the city school signings from Wednesday.
Parker, Farmer sign with rival schools
Eisenhower basketball studs Kinyon Parker and Kevin Farmer will go from teammates to rivals next season.
After a change of heart, Parker signed with his hometown team Cameron, while Farmer will head South to play for Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. The signing ceremonies transpired in front of a small crowd of students in the Ike auditorium.
Cameron and MSU are storied rivals, with some considering it the Red River Rivalry of Division II. Although Parker and Farmer have been involved in several rivalries together through their playing careers, they have never been on opposite sides.
“We’ll always be friends, of course, and we’ll be rivals once we get on the court, but right afterwards, we’ll be friends like we always were,” Farmer said.
Parker echoed a similar sentiment when addressing his thoughts on facing his former teammate in college.
“Kevin is a really hard competitor, so I’m really looking forward to playing against him in college; teaching and schooling him a little bit in what he needs to work on,” Parker said.
Parker originally announced his oral commitment to Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) in March, but he reversed his decision later on before officially choosing the Aggies on April 23.
Parker said he simply couldn’t pass up the opportunities provided by the Cameron basketball program.
“There were bigger opportunities to further my education,” Parker said. “The scholarship beat (SWOSU’s), so I couldn’t give that up. I couldn’t give that opportunity up. I’m just blessed to be able to play basketball at the next level. Not many people get to do that.”
As hard as choosing a school was for Parker, picking which sport to play might have been even more difficult. He received several football and basketball offers, ultimately going with basketball because of game experience.
“I’ve just been playing it since I was in 3rd grade,” Parker said. “I developed a love for it when I was young, and yeah, I love football, but basketball, you can’t replace that.”
Farmer experienced a similar situation, having to choose between basketball and golf, but like Parker, basketball left too much of a lasting impact on him. Farmer turned down an offer from the Cameron golf team, opting for the Mustangs’ hardwood.
“Basketball is a ‘love for the game’ sport,” Farmer said. “I see myself being able to play golf in the future more, but I don’t see myself playing basketball much longer. Being able to play basketball, which is something I’ve done since I could walk, for another four years is just amazing.”
Four players from the basketball team, including Parker and Farmer have earned athletic Farmer have earned athletic scholarships. RJ Fisher and Kenneth Graham signed to play college football back in February.
Eagles coach Todd Millwee, who is an Ike basketball alum, said he takes pride in the number of college athletes the school produces.
“Lawton has a lot of great athletes,” Millwee said. “Basketball wise, coach (Bruce) Harrington spit out a ton of Division I and Division II players. Every year it seems like we have one, two and sometimes three guys who get to play at the next level. I think that speaks a lot of our program, and we hope to keep that tradition going.”
Rogers, Brown head to Western
Although the boys are going their separate ways, Gena Rogers and Delecia Brown will remain teammates in college. The Ike duo signed to play basketball at Western Oklahoma State College in Altus.
Rogers and Brown joined Texas State signee Jaeda Reed as the only players from this year’s Ike girls basketball team to take their talents to the next level.
“We’ve been playing together for so long, so I’m really happy we’ll be able to go to college together,” Rogers said.
The duo earned recognition from Lady Pioneers coach Eddie Broughton thanks to their impressive senior seasons in which they helped the Eagles to a second-straight state tournament appearance.
Brown averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game, earning her a spot on the Big 10 All-Conference honorable mention list. Rogers, who averaged 7.4 points, 5 rebounds and 1.8 steals was named to the Big 10 All-Conference third team.
Both young ladies made the Oklahoma Coaches Association (OCA) Class 5A All-Star by Class team.
Brown said Altus’ proximity to Lawton made the decision easier for her.
“I feel I’m not too far from home,” Brown said. “I just thank coach (Daniel )Wall and coach Broughton for giving me an opportunity to play.”
Ike coach Daniel Wall said he plans to continue his support of all three signees throughout their college careers.
“Jaeda gave me a Texas State polo when she signed, and that was really nice of her, so I’ll definitely look to go to some games and support these young ladies at the next level,” Wall said. “Western is right down the road, so that’s not too far, so it’d be nice to get away and go see them. It goes past basketball. I’m going to support them in the next stages of their lives, and they’re going to do great things.”
Although Ike loses three college-caliber players from its roster, the Lady Eagles will remain a force in Class 5A next season.
Ike returns three players who also received prestigious honors after the conclusion of the season.
Ginger Reece averaged 13.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game her junior year, earning a spot on the Big 10 All-Conference second team, and she was also listed as an honorable mention on The Oklahoman’s Class 5A All-State team.
Meanwhile, junior Hallie Horton (5 ppg, 3 rpg) and freshman Naomi Smith (5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3 apg, 2 spg) were named to the Big 10 All-Conference honorable mention list.
“The seniors did a wonderful job and led this time, but now moving into next year, we’ve established a standard of excellence,” Wall said. “The bar’s been set, and we’re going to continue to strive for regional championships, area championships and state tournament appearances, just like we have in the past. We’re not going to take our foot off the gas, and the girls who are coming back know that.
“We have a lot of talent coming back, and we’re expecting to do big things next year.”
Riles sprints to USAO scholarship
Surrounded by family and friends, Midajah Riles of Lawton High signed to run track at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) in Chickasha early Wednesday morning in the LHS cafeteria.
This was no surprise considering Riles’ performances over the years as a Wolverine.
Riles has been running track since the 6th grade, and she used that experience to medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the state meet in 2017, placing sixth with a personal best time of 16.01 seconds.
She is back at it again in 2018, steadily improving her times as the season progresses.
The senior claimed the Big 10 Conference championship in the 300-meter hurdles on April 26 in 48.53 seconds, the ninth-fastest time in Class 6A this year. Her personal best in that race is 47.93 seconds, which she ran her sophomore year.
Riles ranks just outside the Top 10 in the 100 hurdles this season, and she is also a member of the 4x400-meter relay.
“She is very intense in practice,” LHS coach Ryan Breeze said. “She gets after it, and she comes with a good mindset and works every day. It’s not easy to have great intensity every day to come run, but she does. She works hard when we’re stretching. She works hard when we’re warming up.
"She gets better every day in that aspect. Her times have continued to come down, not just annually, but throughout the year.”
As the regional and state meets near, Riles said she feels comfortable with how she compares to her competition.
“It’s hard, but I always try to make it work,” Riles said.
As a student, Riles is considering double majoring in art and psychology.