The finest hoopers in Owasso are repeating recent history

By Caleb Parker

Picture of the tipoff in Owasso’s game against Ponca City taken by Addison Welborn

Nothing in the wintry sports season screams competition quite like basketball, and at Owasso High School this couldn’t be closer to the truth. Over the course of the past two months, the Varsity Boys Basketball team has been making accomplishments that rival the fierce dedication they put into their last season—the season that won them the State Championship title. Now, they’re back and bringing their A-game to B-Ball better than ever before.

During the 2023-2024 basketball season, the varsity team had trained rigorously in order to climb to the top, and their hard work paid off. This was the first time OHS had ever won the State Championship, and it was an invigorating moment for the entire Owasso Community. 

However, the team recognizes that to defend their new crown, they must maintain the unquenching thirst for victory that carried them through their last battles. Thankfully, recent games and tournaments have given them a sense of placement and direction.

Though December 18-23 brought disappointment for the Varsity Boys B-Ball team, attending and competing in the City of Palms Tournament was an important and critical learning experience for the group. Located in Fort Myers, Florida, the OHS team played against some of the highest ranked teams in the nation.

OHS junior and point guard Boden Williams noticed just how crucial the tournament was for pivoting the team in the right direction.

“All four of the teams we played were in the top 25 in the country, so… just to play against a good competition [was] definitely a really good experience for us,” Williams smiled.

Owasso lost to Oak Ridge in the Elite Eight with a score of 73-50. While still a defeat, playing against these higher-level teams enabled the OHS Basketball team to sharpen their senses on the court. Williams noted the skill gap between Oklahoma teams and the teams who competed in Florida.

“It was a lot different … because, I mean, you’re playing the best high school teams in the country,” pondered Williams. After a short pause, he said, “There was one team we played [where] their whole starting [lineup] was going to division one [college basketball]. It was definitely a different level, but to play against those teams and then to come back here shows us that we can compete against those types of teams [in the future].

Although the team has realized the necessity of trying new plays and adding different types of training to the mix, the guys' have chosen to stick with the time-tested workouts and drills in practices and games, confident that their solidified skill and ability is enough to win another state championship.

“There’s not really too much of a difference,” commented Williams. “We kind of just know, like last year, what it took to win it all, and … we hold ourselves to a standard. The intensity of the practices, the workouts, the conditioning … it’s all kind of the same stuff that we did last year. We’ve seen that we did it last year and [it] ended up working for us. We know what we [have] to do, and we’re [going to do] the same things again.”

Because of the team’s unbelievable pace that sets them apart from other teams in the state, new players can have somewhat of a shock when acclimating to the guys’ determination. Koen Scott, a junior at OHS and small forward on the Varsity team, noted the responsibility of the team’s veterans for the upcoming season.

Scott remarked, “I think our main thing is getting our transfers and helping them out, [as well as] getting them up to speed with what we do here.”

With a view on the season’s horizon, Williams listed some teams who could still pose a serious challenge to the State Champ Defenders.

“Deer Creek is supposed to be pretty good, and I think Choctaw and Normon [too],” replied Williams. “And I [also] think Union and Broken Arrow are actually pretty good [as well].”

Though the Florida tournament brought a halting conclusion to Owasso’s time next to the beaches, there’s still much work to be done here in Oklahoma. The team’s sights are on another trophy for the taking—with the challengers to the reigning champs being hot on the Owasso Ram’s heels.