CLASS B BOYS STATE DAY TWO: Red Oak advances to the state finals

OKLAHOMA CITY — Red Oak will play for the gold ball on Saturday.

The Class B-No. 2 Eagles (26-4) prevailed over No. 10 Leedey, 62-41, at the Big House on Friday in the state semifinals. Red Oak pulled off a wire-to-wire victory, as they did on Thursday against Kinta, and have yet to trail in the state tournament. They had built up a 23-6 advantage on the Bison at the end of the first quarter.

It’s either No. 1 Earlsboro or defending state champion No. 4 Calumet versus the Eagles for the crown. Red Oak will be playing for its second gold ball in three seasons and its third in school history.

“It’s great, same feeling I had sophomore year, I think it’s just a little bit higher because I’m a senior now,” said Grayson Nix, who had a game-high 23 points for Red Oak.

Nix had rolled his ankle in the first quarter, causing him to exit for a bit. However, he returned within the first minute of the second quarter and continued to produce. Nine of his 18 points against Kinta on Thursday came in the fourth quarter and had tallied just six in the first half, but he was more prominent in his first half scoring production against Leedey on Friday, with 13 points at the half and seven in the first quarter. He was also a perfect 7-of-7 at the free throw line and had seven rebounds.

He said what he thought was the difference in appearing on the score sheet more often early on.

“I think just getting the nerves off, just shaking the nerves off and just kind of getting out there and attacking in the first half,” he said.

Nix was one of three players for Red Oak in double digits on Friday, allowing with fellow seniors Jacob Armstrong, who had 16, and Cash Balentine, who had 14. Armstrong was 3-of-9 from 3-point land and Red Oak shot 5-of-17 from beyond the arc as a team in the game, though the Eagles were 4-of-9 from deep in the first half.

Nine of Balentine’s 14 points were in the fourth quarter.

“Cash is just one of those gamers,” Red Oak head coach Trey Booth said. “Him and (seniors Brett) Deatherage, (Will) Edington, they kind of get lost throughout the year because they don’t have the big time numbers, but in these big time games…those three guys have really stepped up the last two days, able to give us a couple double-digit wins.

The Eagles shot 19-of-37 total from the field. Deatherage paced both teams with seven assists. Balentine had a game-high three steals. Red Oak turned the ball over 10 times, compared to the Bison, who coughed it up 15 times.

The state championship is at noon on Saturday.

“Earlsboro is unbelievably talented. If it was a horse race, we would not win that,” Booth said. “Calumet has Riley Island, who’s one of the better players in the history of Oklahoma high school basketball. Either one’s a great challenge and I know my kids are really excited to be able to go tackle that.”