This Friday evening inside Harrah High School it will be a show down with the 5th ranked Guthrie BlueJays and the 8th ranked El Reno Indians. The winner moves on to next week's state tournament.However, the loser of the Suburban Conference showdown is not done, and will have another opportunity to get to Tulsa, the following night, against either Capitol Hill or Ardmore. That game will also be played in Harrah, at 6:30.
Guthrie is the No. 2 seed team and El Reno is the No. 3 seed team from the West and both defended their home floor with regional championships. Both have outstanding head coaches and both are familiar with each others squad's.
Guthrie and El Reno are very familiar with each other over the last few seasons and definitely the last two. A year ago, they played three times, including in the very same game they will play this Friday. The Area Tournament Championship game.
Guthrie won all three games a season ago against the Indians, including a 67-47 area championship win, at Edmond North, to move on to their fourth straight state tournament. However, El Reno responded the following night with an 82-75 win over Northwest Classen to make their trip to the state tournament for the first time since 1999.
This season the two teams have split with the visiting team leaving with the bragging rights.
El Reno spoiled the Jays home opener with a gutty 52-44 back on January 12th. The Jays dominated the boards and missed plenty of opportunities in the paint, but it was Devante Moore and Chris Mustain prevailing El Reno. The game saw 14 lead changes.
The Jays split the series by spoiling El Reno's Homecoming with a convincing 48-27 win on February 9th. El Reno played without Devante Moore and allowing the Jays to be more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball. The Indians did not help themselves in the third quarter by scoring just two points in the third quarter and 9 points overall in the second half to allow Guthrie to pull away.
Guthrie has the advantage down low in the paint with seniors Devon Hall and B.J. McDonald. El Reno has the advantage with two pure scorers in Moore and Chris Mustain. Travis Johnson always seems to have big buckets against Guthrie.
The Jays counter with Kentrell Brothers, who was the Guthrie Regional most valuable player, team defense, and players with multiple big games under their belts, including regional, area, and state tournament games as does El Reno, but the Jays have won their last six in State against the best.
El Reno wants the grand stage and take the down two time state champions and make their 33rd state tournament appearance. Guthrie has been there and done that before and wants their 5th straight trip to the dance and 25th overall. Regardless, someone will have two shots to get there, again.
The tip time is set for 6:30, in Harrah, and can be heard on Triple Play Sports 105.1 FM and streaming live on Guthrie Sports Page Radio.
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