Considering their lofty rankings, many people felt Sequoyah's Indians and Lady Indians had a tough district draw.

     SHS hosted a pair of athletic Spiro squads, but the Indians and Lady Indians both prevailed to advance to the Regional Tournament. The Indians picked up an impressive 71-49 victory, while the Lady Indians clawed their way to a 46-42 win in a thriller.

     The Indians started strong, taking a 12-9 lead after the first quarter, but Spiro battled back with a 17-15 edge in the second quarter to make it a 27-26 SHS lead at the half.

     Sequoyah added three points to its advantage with a 15-12 advantage in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs managed to take a slim lead, 36-33, in the third. Tucson Grigg tied the game with a trey, hit a basket, swiped a steal and knocked down another 3-pointer to give the Indians the lead. Then the Indians' playoff experience took over in the fourth frame.

     Heading into the final frame, SHS held a four-point lead, and knew it would take a strong finish to turn back the Bulldogs.

     The Indians -- especially Solomon HorseChief -- delivered just that. HorseChief scored 12 of his 14 points in the final eight minutes, connecting on 7-of-7 from the charity stripe. The burst allowed the Indians to pour in 29 points, while holding Spiro to just 11, to turn a close game into a comfortable win.

     "We had strong bench play, and our kids were able to keep us ahead for most of the game," Indians head coach Larry Gipson said. "Tucson had one of his best games of the season, and Josh came up big for us. Solomon was very strong, especially in the fourth quarter, and Wes made several big plays. This was just a very good total team effort."

     Josh Caughman came up big for the Indians in the paint, scoring a team-high 15 points. HorseChief also stepped up, delivering a 14-point performance, while Wes Nofire also hit double figures, with 11. Jeff Elizondo chipped in with nine, with Grigg adding eight. J.J. Samples and John Bird scored six and four points, respectively, while Joe Byrd and Nathan Cornell rounded out the scoring with two points apiece.

     The Lady Indians played extremely well for two quarters, and that was enough to carry them past an upset-minded Spiro squad.

     Sequoyah opened the game with an 18-11 lead after the first quarter, when the offense for both teams suddenly went cold. Both squads scored just six points apiece in the second quarter, and the Lady Indians took a 24-17 lead at the half.

     The Lady Indians came out of the lockerroom determined to put the game away, and it appeared they had done so, when they outscored the Lady Bulldogs, 20-14, in the third quarter.

     Sequoyah took a comfortable 44-31 lead into the final frame, but Spiro had one last charge left in its reserves.
The Lady Bulldogs outscored the Lady Indians, 9-2, over the final eight minutes to make it a close game. But Sequoyah's strong play in the first and third quarters was enough to allow the Lady Indians to hold on for the win, and advance to this weekend's Regional Tournament.

     Jaymee Miller led the Lady Indians with 14 points, while Whitney Warrior also hit double figures, scoring 10. Ashley Teehee picked up nine points, and Cristine Hooper added five. Candice Carey and Lavena Jones each scored four, and Tara Pettit rounded out the scoring with one point. 

       The Lady Indians overcame a slim deficit in the fourth quarter to post a 51-46 win over Westville, while the Indians were in control from the opening tip in rolling to an 84-40 thumping of Westville.

       The Indians' playoff experience was evident Thursday night, as Sequoyah came out focused and opened up a 20-9 lead after the first quarter. SHS poured it on in the second frame, using a 29-12 run to make it a 49-21 lead at the half, all but putting the game out of reach. 

       The third quarter saw Sequoyah post a 17-4 edge, using their outstanding defense to wrap up the win. The Indians took their 66-25 lead into the final frame and went on to win big.

       Solomon HorseChief and Jeff Elizondo led the charge, pouring in 23 and 19 points, respectively, to pace the Indians. Wes Nofire added eight, while Josh Caughman and Joe Byrd chipped in with seven and six points, respectively. T.J. Hooper picked up five, with three players -- J.J. Samples, Nathan Cornell and Justin Marshall -- each scoring four. Tucson Grigg and John Bird rounded out the scoring with two points apiece.

      The Indians improved to 21-2 with the win, and advanced to Saturday's Regional Finals, where they will face Holdenville, a 55-53 winner over Haskell. 

      The Lady Indians fell into an 11-6 hole after the first quarter, but battled back with a strong second frame. During the second quarter run, the Lady Indians outscored Westville, 17-9, to turn their slim deficit into a 23-20 halftime advantage. But the Lady Yellowjackets had an answer, responding with a 14-10 advantage in the third quarter. Trailing 34-33 entering the final frame, the lady Indians responded with their highest scoring quarter of the game, pouring in 18 points while holding Westville to 12 points in grabbing the five-point victory. 

      The Lady Indians were led by playoff veterans Whitney Warrior and Jaymee Miller, who scored 18 and 17 points, respectively. Cristine Hooper and Candice Carey each added six, while Ashley Teehee rounded out the scoring with four points.

       The win upped the Lady Indians' record to 19-5 on the season, and sends Sequoyah into Saturday night's Regional Finals, where they will face Class 3A No. 2 Bethel, a 57-37 winner over Haskell. 

       Saturday's finals begin at 6:30 p.m. for the Lady Indians, followed by the boys finals, which are slated for 8 p.m. Both games are at the Muskogee Civic Center. 

      Sequoyah jumped out to a 23-7 lead midway through the second quarter, but Holdenville battled back with a 23-16 edge in the third quarter to pull to within 40-37 heading into the fourth quarter. The Indians closed out the game with an 18-10 edge to claim their second straight regional title.

      Solomon HorseChief led the way with 20 points, while Wes Nofire and Jeff Elizondo scored 14 and 10 points, respectively. Josh Caughman added eight, Tucson Grigg finished with four, and J.J. Samples rounded out the scoring with two points. 

     "We didn't play as well as we could, and we hit just 5-of-32 from 3-point range," Indians head coach Larry Grigg said. "But, a win is a win. We will have to play better at the Area Tournament, if we are going to make it back to State.

      The Sequoyah Lady Indians had a tough loss Saturday in the Regional Tournament finals, dropping a 48-42 decision against Bethel. But, while the game may have been a loss -- sending SHS into the losers bracket for the entire Area Tournament -- the Lady Indians can take something positive out of the game.

      Bethel is a perennial power in Class 3A, and regarded as one of the few teams that has the potential to knock off reining champion Kansas. Bethel is ranked No. 2 in rankings on the east side of the state, while th western region rankings have BHS as the No. 1 team in Class 3A.

      Sequoyah got off to a fast start, taking a 16-11 lead after the first quarter. But the LadyIndians were hit by foul trouble in the second quarter, and were outscored, 16-4. SHS battled back, winning each of the third and fourth quarters, but couldn't make up enough ground to get the win.

      "Foul trouble killed us, but the girls played hard, and with a lot of intensity," Lady Indians head coach Brian Morton said. "If we play with the same level of intensity the rest of the way out, we should be fine."

      Candice Carey and Whitney Warrior stepped up with 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Cristine Hooper added nine. Jaymee Miller and tara Pettit rounded out the scoring with five points apiece. 

       Sequoyah held Valliant to just 31 points in posting a 53-31 win, holding VHS' star center to just seven points and not allowing a single player to score in double digits. The Indians, on the other hand, had little trouble picking up points, as three players scored in double figures, led by Wes Nofire's 18 points. Josh Caughman added 13, and Solomon HorseChief chipped in with 11.

      Sequoyah picked up a 13-11 lead after the first quarter, but that would be as close as it would get, as the Indians roared to a 15-2 advantage in the second quarter, making it a 28-13 game at the half. SHS pushed its lead to 19 points entering the final frame, with an 11-7 advantage in the third quarter. The Indians closed out the game with a 14-11 edge in the fourth quarter to provide the final margin.

     "Our defense was great, and Wes played outstanding," Indians head coach Larry Grigg said. "Wes stepped out and hit several mid-range jumpers to really stretch their defense. It was a breakout game for him." But, as well as Nofire played, Grigg was quick to point out it was a team effort that gave the Indians the win.

      "John Bird and Josh Caughman teamed with Wes to shut down their big guy, and really get physical with him," Grigg said. "Our post players really stepped up, and they had to against a team with an inside game like Valliant. But our guards did a great job of handling the ball, and they were able to get out and pressure Valliant's guards. This was just a great team win."

       The win put the Indians in the Class 3A State Tournament, held Thursday-Saturday. As the No. 3 team in the state rankings, Grigg expects his squad to get either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the State Tournament.

        "We will meet Sunday to determine the seedings, and we could possibly get a No. 2 seed, but a No. 3 seed is more likely," Grigg said. "Millwood is ranked ahead of us in the West rankings and the coaches rankings, so they will probably get the No. 2 seed. But no matter what you are seeded, you have to play well at this point to win. All eight teams that make it to state are very good." 

     "Alva is an outstanding team, with a lot of size," said Grigg, who is taking his third-seeded Indians to their second straight state tourney. "They are playing very well, and have two of the better players in Class 3A. But, we think we have a pretty good team, too, so it should be a dandy of a game."

     The Indians will tip off against Alva at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, and all first round games will be played at Choctaw High School.

     The Indians feature a balanced scoring attack, with three players averaging double figures. Jeff Elizondo, a 6-2 guard, is averaging 14.7 points, while Solomon HorseChief, another 6-2 guard, is scoring 13.5 points per game. Josh Caughman gives the Indians a good inside presence, scoring 11.6 points. Point guard Tucson Grigg averages just 5.0 points per game, but is a very strong ball handler and runs the team well.

      The fifth starter, Wes Nofire, has been playing as well as any big man in the state over the past few weeks. At 6-5, Nofire gives the Indians an inside presence on both ends of the floor -- which will be needed against Alva. Nofire averages 7.0 points per game, and has more than a dozen blocks in his last couple games.

     "Wes is playing really well, and obviously he is one of the keys to our success," Grigg said. "We will need him to play well, especially against Alva. But, at this point, all of our kids will have to play well, or it will be one and done."

     Alva is one of the few teams that can match Sequoyah's size, and actually has a size advantage over the Indians. The Goldbugs have a 6-6 post player and a 6-3 point guard that were among the top five in preseason Player of the Year voting. Alva also has starters at 6-4 in the post, as well as two other guards, going 6-2 and 5-11.

     "They do have a size advantage over us, but I feel like we are a little quicker," Grigg said. "We have seen some big teams this season, so the guys know what it takes to win."

     On the same side of the bracket with the Indians are No. 2 seed OC Millwood and No. 7 seed Oklahoma Christian. Millwood, ranked No. 4, enters with a 15-10 record -- playing against all the big schools in the Oklahoma City area -- while Oklahoma Christian, despite being a seven seed, is ranked No. 5 in the state, with a 24-4 record.

      If the Indians beat Alva on Thursday, they will advance to Friday's semifinal, where they will play the winner of the Millwood vs. Oklahoma Christian game. Tipoff for the semifinals is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

     The bottom half of the bracket features top seed and top-ranked Metro Christian (25-1) facing eight seed and No. 8 ranked Marietta (24-4), while No. 4 seed Chisolm (ranked ninth, 18-7) faces fifth-seed Morris (ranked No. 2 in the state, with a 24-4 record).

      The semifinals and state finals, played Friday and Saturday, will be held in the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City.