By Mike Kays
Chemistry can be fluid or it can be combustible.
For Muskogee coach Terry Scott, the season has been all about finding that right chemistry and as the Roughers prepare to make their second consecutive state tournament appearance tonight, the mix is a good one.
Against a bracket with a predominantly western flavor, Muskogee begins its quest for their first gold ball in 35 seasons tonight against Putnam CIty West at the Skiatook Activity Center. Tipoff is 7 p.m.
“We’ve put everything together, coaching, strategy, and there’s not a set we won’t run if we have to whether we want to or not,” he said. “It’s time to hand it over to the kids and let them see what they can do.”
With a team that’s become more versatile offensively in the stretch, as well as healthy, Scott is optimistic.
“Back when we played Broken Arrow at home in December, I wouldn’t have been this optimistic because there were a lot of things we weren’t doing like I wanted us to,” he said. “We’re more bonded, we’ve developed into the kind of defensive team because everyone’s bought into the system.”
Four of the starters — Oren Faulk, Dante Wartson, Adrion Webber and Devante Wilson — are now at or beyond double-digit scoring averages. Defense ultimately helped Muskogee prevail in last Friday’s area championship win over Edmond Memorial, headlined by Wartson’s back-to-back steals in the final minute to seal the 57-53 victory.
Off the floor, that chemistry flow also appears to be fluid.
“These guys like to be around each other,” Scott said. “After we won last week we talked about the coaches going to Choctaw to scout (the area consolation final between PC West and Lawton) and six kids showed up together,” he said. “We didn’t tell them to come, they did it on their own.”
Finally, there’s the crowd factor. Scott credited his team’s following last Friday with an assist in that win.
“They’ve been good all year but they were intense and more involved in that game,” he said. “We need that this week.”
Roughers fans won’t have to travel as far as most of the others.
Three-fourths of the eight-team field hail from the west. Edmond Memorial got in through the consolation round win on Saturday. Putnam City is back as the defending champion after its area finals upset last week. Perennial power Midwest City is also in as well as top-ranked Edmond Santa Fe. And there’s Norman North, which in a 1-2 combo punch with Jenks, sent Broken Arrow home last week.
“People have said all along that the balance of the power is in the west and give these teams credit, there’s six here,” Scott said. “But the other two come from our conference which I think is pretty good. Regardless of what’s being said, I still think Muskogee is going to make an impact in this tournament.”
Some of that pro-West sentiment says PC West has the state’s best tandem of 6-foot-9 Amric Fields and 6-7 Tyler Neal. Fields has signed with TCU.
“They’ll take a shot from anywhere on the court,” Scott said. “Those two match up better for them against us inside but overall we’re bigger than they are. But these two can hurt you from anywhere whereas our inside guys are mostly inside and our outside guys are mostly outside.”
Here’s where Scott hopes he’s not holding dynamite in a bottle. Historical chemistry seems to be on Muskogee’s side, or at least his. In Scott’s three state championship seasons at Tulsa Central, all three titles were won at the Oral Roberts University’s Mabee Center and all three of those tournaments began with the quarterfinal game away from the finals site.
“That’s a lot of threes,” Scott said. “But what worries me is that Putnam City West had beaten Putnam City three times before last weekend.”
Scott didn’t want to let a pregame chat on Wednesday go by without a special word for another group heading to state — Gary Hendrix’s Fort Gibson Tigers.
“I want to wish them well this weekend with what they’ve gone through,” he said, noting the passing of Don Hendrix, Gary’s brother and Hilldale’s head football coach.
“Gary’s done a good job with those kids. I told our kids today, this is the last time we’ll practice together here in this gym and you realize that one day, this is all gone and it makes you appreciate them while they’re here. Life is like that too. I know this can’t be easy for Gary and I hope they go down to Oklahoma City and win it all.”
