Caddo boys nip Cyril in State thriller

OKLAHOMA CITY—There will be 42 games this week to decide state titles in Class 2A, A and B and there may not be a tighter game than Tuesday’s Class A boys quarterfinal between Caddo and Cyril with 12 lead changes and 10 ties giving fans plenty to cheer about.

In the end Caddo pulled out a 50-47 victory and while nobody wants to lose, the Pirates left the Big House with confidence that they will be back for an encore next season with a talented lineup that included a host of returnees including all five starters and one of the state’s premier players in junior Nash Harman.

From the first tip it just seemed that this contest was going to be decided by a slim margin with one mistake or missed shot determining the outcome.

Eric McLean gave the Pirates a 47-45 lead with 3:25 on a layup after one of Caddo’s 17 turnovers but just seconds later Caddo’s Noah Bacon knotted the score at 47-all.

The Pirates had a golden opportunity on their next possession but turned it over with 2:11 remaining in the game. Caddo got the ball downcourt and drew a foul but the Bruins missed both free throws and Cyril quickly got the ball in the offensive zone only to give up possession again.

This time the Bruins converted after the turnover, getting an offensive rebound from Braden Tyson and a put-back that gave them a 49-47 lead with 22 seconds remaining.

The Pirates pushed the ball up court quickly but in a crowd, Caddo was able to force a jump ball to get possession only to see Cyril get another steal and a chance to knot the score again.

Harman drove to the paint and got off a layup in a crowd but it missed and was followed by a wild scramble with a Caddo player sliding across the court to save the ball and get it to a teammate.

The Pirates quickly committed a foul with 1.4 seconds on the clock. Caddo pushed the lead to 50-47 with the first free throw but the second missed, Cyril rebounded and quickly called time.

After the officials talked it over, they put 1.2 seconds on the clock, forcing Cyril to try a long pass to Harman just across midcourt. Harman got a hand on the ball but was unable to control it as the buzzer sounded.

Coach Ty Harman, Nash’s dad and the Cyril Superintendent, knew his club was going to need a solid defensive effort to pull off the win.

“We didn’t play as well defensively as we needed but we’re still young and these guys are learning and getting better every day,” he said. “This group worked hard every day to improve and they gave tremendous effort all season.”

In the end the Bruins had too much inside power for the Pirates to handle as Caddo easily won the rebounding battle, 32-15, and it also won the battle in the paint with a 20-12 advantage.

Harman didn’t have to launch a search for a new skipper for the Pirates; he took the job himself.

“Shane (McLemore) had coached both of our teams and it got to the point where he just needed a break,” Coach Harman said. “It takes a great deal of time to coach both programs and splitting the two gave him a chance to concentrate on the girls.”

Coach Harman led his young team to a 19-7 record, claiming the Caddo County Tournament title and climbing to No. 11 in the final Class A rankings. The Pirates then knocked off No. 3 Rattan, 64-60 in the Area championship game to punch their ticket to State.

Young Harman led the Pirates with 21 points while playing all 32 minutes in the game. Noah Martin chipped in 13 for the Pirates and Bravyn Thompson added eight.