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Enid Outlaws Playoff Preview (1st Round)

By
Robert Faulk
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Your hometown Enid Outlaws finished the regular season in style Sunday, by beating Dallas Skyline 123-103. The win left them tied with the Houston Push for best record in the league (22-2), and by virtue of the tiebreaker, won the Central Conference over Houston. Further, the TBL announced that Enid star Chance Comanche was honored as 1st team All Conference, while sharp shooter Charlie Marquardt received 2nd team All-Conference honors.

By virtue of their outstanding regular season, Enid will have home court advantage throughout the playoffs, which begin this Wednesday. Each round of playoffs are best 2 out of 3, with the first game being “away” and the next two games “home.”

The first round pits Enid against a conference rival – Omaha’s Finest (12-12). They will play 7:00 p.m. in Omaha the first game, at the Stride Bank Center here in Enid on Friday, July 2nd at 7:00 p.m. for game #2 and Saturday, July 3rd at 6:00 p.m. (Stride Bank Center – if necessary). The winner of this series will play the winner of the Houston/Shreveport matchup next week in the conference finals.

The Outlaws won all five matchups against the Finest this season. With the exception of the last game, all games were close (118-115, 136-125, 126-116, 129-121, 143-113). In those games, Enid’s MVP candidate Chance Comanche averaged 30.4 points per game, with a high of 40 points and 20 rebounds in their last matchup. Tavares Sledge has also had several high scoring games against the Finest, averaging 23 PPG over their last 4 matchups. Taking out the 5 losses to Enid, Omaha is 12-7 against everyone else, including giving Houston one of their two losses.

Omaha has had a bit of, shall we say, roster flexibility, with one of their top players, Craig Sword, out since May 16th. Forward Devonte Patterson (#10) has taken up some of his slack and has had 17, 35 and 25 against Enid the past three games, and 24.3 PPG, and 7.4 RPG on the year.

As for the Outlaws, the unquestioned best player is Center Chance Comanche, who averages 27.2 PPG and 12.8 RPG, both good for second in the league. Close behind are Wayne Runnels (19.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.9 APG), Charlie Marquardt (18.8 PPG, 49.7% from 3, a league leading 92 3’s made), and Tavares Sledge (16.2 PPG 9.4 RPG).

Tickets for Friday’s matchup start at $8 are on sale at www.stridebankcenter.com or walk-up the day of the game.

Pimento Cheese

By
Sherrel Jones
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Summertime is supposed to be a great time to relax, but sometimes if you are the one in charge of all the cooking, it is a little more difficult to relax. I think that’s why folks invented sandwich fillings like pimento cheese. It’s practically a staple in every refrigerator in the South and in ours for a week or so out of every month.

This classic filling is so easy, I wonder how the good folks who sell it ready to spread make a living…that falls into a category of food for thought or thoughts on food. Growing up I never thought much about pimento cheese—it was just something put in a container and made by a producer named Price. (They still do and it is still available in our local markets.)

Then I learned from my very particular Mother-in-law that “pimenna” cheese is something of a specialty and deserving of using the best possible ingredients in specific amounts and combined in particular tried and true techniques to produce a mixture unique to the handed-down family preferences.

My Mother-in-law was very specific when instructing me on the finer points of making ‘Pimenna” Cheese. First, it was important to grate EXTRA Sharp Cheddar Cheese yourself on the big hole side of the grater. This was important because the cheese had to be FRESH.

I don’t think she gave much thought to the cheese-making process in that aging played a significant role in creating EXTRA sharp cheddar. The real mayonnaise had to be the best you could buy—none of this miracle substitute would do.

Being a member of Southern Foodways Alliance I had the privilege of participating in a project to gather recipes and recollections of pimento cheese from participants across the American South. It was an education on the process and I discovered my mother-in-law wasn’t the only Southerner who was particular about her pimento cheese!

These days I prefer to keep it simple without all the extra fanfare. I don’t grate my own cheese and I use twice the amount of pimentos just to include any extra vegetables where I can in our diet. Including the juice means a little less mayo (just trying to keep the stuff a little heart healthier if possible.) Variations abound with the additions of Hatch chilies, green chilis, jalapenos, fresh chopped dill, green onions tops and all, crisp chopped bacon, even toasted pecans! You can even use other cheeses and cheese combos. Taco or Mexican blend cheeses are easy to find and make tempting alternatives to experiment with the next time you are hungry for something unique to spread on a sandwich or cracker. Any way you grate it or stir it, “pimenna” cheese is a keeper for any season. Did I mention using it in your next grilled cheese sandwich?

Sherrel’s Easiest Pimento Cheese Spread
1 (8-oz) pkg. extra-sharp *large size grated cheddar cheese
1 (4-oz) jar sliced or diced pimentos
*1/4 cup mayonnaise (a little more if you like) Cook’s notes: The question: to drain or not to drain the pimentos? I don’t drain and get by with less mayonnaise. Stir it all together until well blended. It just gets better by the day if it lasts that long. I like the cheese to appear it was grated on the large hole side of the grater…(It’s a Mother-in-law thing.)

You Have to Eat to Lose

By
Kat Kannberg
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Photo by Ello on Unsplash

As a personal trainer, one of the biggest misunderstandings I hear almost daily is that less food is better. In fact, the total opposite is true. The more you eat, the more you lose. How, you ask? Well, if you only feed your body once or twice a day, your body goes into survival mode, this causes your body to store anything that you eat as fat. The reason is that if you are not fueling your body with at least a small snack or meal several times a day, your body will know it has stored fat to survive off of. This all is a vicious cycle that will never get you any progress.

To get results from any meal program, you need to eat three good, healthy meals per day, as well as a few small snacks. When you do this daily, your body will start burning off what you eat, and your metabolism will increase, turning your own body into a calorie-burning machine. When you add in any activity that raises your heart rate, you will start burning off body fat. The idea then is to burn more calories than what you are taking in each day, and you will start getting the results you are wanting.

What are healthy ways to reach these goals? Avoiding fried foods, sugar, white starches, and sodas, is a good way to start cleaning up your eating habits. After you have made this change, you will want to add in healthier options such as lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, veggies, and healthy fats. Here are some good choices:

Lean Proteins – Chicken breast, lean steak, lean ground beef, greek yogurt, egg whites, tuna, turkey breast, and protein powder.

Complex Carbs – Brown or white rice, oatmeal, quinoa, black beans, green peas, sweet potatoes, and whole-wheat pasta.

Veggies – Zucchini, spinach, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, celery, cucumber, bell peppers, and kale.

Healthy Fats – Olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, flaxseed, dark chocolate, almonds, cashews, cheese, and chia seeds.

Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash

These are just samples of each category to make choices from. You can use these choices for your meals and small snacks. The next thing you should factor in is your weight, age, gender, and goals. For example, if you are an average person wanting to lose some weight, you will not need as much as a person trying to put on muscle mass. If you are someone trying to just be fit and healthy, you are not needing to eat as much to be lean, you do still need three meals and snacks, just smaller portions. People who are larger or have more muscle burn more calories, even at rest. Your gender should also be considered. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than women do of the same age and weight, which means men burn more calories. As people get older, their energy tends to decline, therefore they burn fewer calories. Older people’s calories need to be lower than a younger active person would need. They would still need to eat three meals a day and snacks, but at smaller portions.

The key is to eat lots of healthy food, and get to moving! You only get one life, and a healthy lifestyle can make all the difference!

Enid Outlaws v. Dallas Skyline Game Preview

By
Robert Faulk
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Today (June 27th), the Enid Outlaws will play their last regular season game, battling Dallas Skyline at 4:00 p.m. The Outlaws have had an amazing inaugural season, with a current record of 21-2 on the year (10-1 at home). Enid’s only two losses were in the middle of May, when they lost back to back games against the Houston Push and tonight’s opponent, Dallas Skyline. The Outlaws are currently tied for 1st in the Central Conference with the Push, who is also 21-2. Houston lost last night to Omaha’s Finest, dropping into the tie with the Outlaws. Houston plays this afternoon against the Lewisville Leopards, who are 8-15 on the year.

Dallas Skyline (11-12) beat the Outlaws 114-111 in Dallas on May 15th. Chance Comanche had his typical dominating game with 38 points and 8 rebounds, but didn’t get much help from the rest of the team. Dallas had six players score in double figures led by 24 points from Wesley Harris. On the year, Dallas has been streaky, but has won 3 in a row coming into tonight’s matchup. Dallas is led in scoring by Guard/Forward Ricardo Artis (#3) at 22.4 points per game, followed closely by Guard Malachi Davidson at (#1) 20.4 PPG. Also of note, Dallas is coached by Angela Weathers.

As for your hometown Outlaws, they are on a 13 game winning streak. Chance Comanche continues to be near the top of the league in Points (2nd at 27.4 PPG) and Rebounds (2nd at 12.9 RPG). Charlie “Buckets” Marquardt still leads the league in 3 pointers made (shooting an absurd 50%) on the year, while averaging 18.8 PPG. Watonga native, Wayne Runnels is also an integral piece averaging 19.9 PPG, 8 RPG and 3.0 APG.

The game starts at 4:00 p.m. at the Stride Bank Center here in Enid. Tickets start at $8 and can be purchased at the door or online at www.stridebankcenter.com.

Autry, NOC and NWOSU Play Key Roles in Economic Development

By
Lisa Powell
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The number one driver in a company’s decision to locate in a community is whether there is a reliable pipeline of skilled employees to fill their jobs. This is one reason that we value our education partners as a key component of our local economic development strategy. Enid is fortunate to be able to offer career-tech, college, and university classes to our students and job seekers.  Enid Public Schools, Autry Technology Center, Northern Oklahoma College, and Northwestern Oklahoma State University each play a unique role in training Enid’s workforce.

In NW Oklahoma there is a skills gap that continues to grow as companies are looking for trained employees with at least some education beyond high school. According to a report by Oklahoma Office for Workforce Development in 2019, 29% of the population in the western region had attained at least an associate’s degree, certificate, or some college while 15% had at least a bachelor’s degree. To meet the demand expected by 2024, 64% of the population will need an associate degree, certificate, or some college for the jobs created. Jobs that will demand at least a bachelor’s degree will also increase to 20%.

To work to close the skills gap, ERDA along with our education and industry partners are coming together to discuss solutions through the Elevate Enid Education & Workforce Development committee. Since forming in 2020, the group has met regularly to discuss strategies on raising awareness of education opportunities available in Enid, how to train more of our students and job seeks for the positions available in our region, and promote the open jobs available. Through the utilization of the career pathways model, a development of a workforce office at Autry Technology Center progress has been made towards these goals to have a trained and ready workforce.

We must do all we can to support funding for our regional higher education institutions with our state legislature. There are people across the state who don’t understand the value and impact that our regional university system has on the economies of the areas they serve. There is discussion that Oklahoma would benefit from consolidating all funding and learning to the two largest state universities. Those of us in more remote parts of the state know the error in this thinking. Without NOC and NWOSU in Enid, we would opportunity to train our nurses, business people, teachers, and others right here at home.

Each of our schools offers something different. Autry has more than 25 career programs and offers a wide variety of evening and weekend short-term courses and certifications for many diverse career fields from cosmetology to robotics. NOC is a nationally recognized institution where students can earn an associate’s degree in 36 different programs. Northwestern Oklahoma State University offers 29-degree programs including, 19 including bachelor’s degrees, 9 graduate degrees, and an online doctorate of nurse practitioner. The economic impact of having these classes in town is felt for generations.

Whether you are just graduating high school or looking to change careers, Autry Tech, NOC Enid, and NWOSU Enid can help prepare you for the next step. NOC Enid: 580-548-2275 or www.noc.edu NWOSU-Enid 580-237-0334 or www.nwosu.edu  Autry Tech www.autrytech.edu or 580-242-2750.

  [1] Local Skills Gap Analysis information was compiled by the Western Oklahoma Workforce Development Area (WFDA). The analysis represents 25 Oklahoma counties: Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Cimarron, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Jackson, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Major, Noble, Payne, Roger Mills, Texas, Washita, Woods, and Woodward. Source: Emsi-economicmodeling.com – 2020.1 https://oklahomaworks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Western-Briefing-2020.pdf

Popsicles or Pickup

By
CHS Athletics
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Story by Gracie Holder

As the school year and final sports are coming to a close, the introduction to a new era is present for those who wish to broaden their competitive realm: traveling-sporting teams. The regulation of a variety of summer sports ranging from soccer and tennis to golf and basketball showcases the inclination of athletes to improve themselves during their summer breaks. Although some athletes may choose to simply await their school sporting season, there are a large number of athletes that choose to commit to summer sports to refine their skills. Alice Watkins, Chisholm High School athlete shares her perspective on how competitive summer basketball team has aided her as an athlete.

Alice has been actively a part of competitive summer basketball for the past five years: starting in 6th grade. Her summer basketball team is an organization called Oklahoma Shock. Because of her loyalty to this organization and its intentions, Alice has devoted many hours and weekends with her team in the summer in hopes that her participation would lead to success in her future. Alice talks about the amount of time the summer competitive basketball team requires of her. “We practice once a week as a team. I like what we work on while we are there, and it is challenging while still being fun. My coaches encourage us to work on ourselves as individual players. This often leads them to challenge us to put in extra work on our own. Furthermore, over the summer we play about 32-40 games together,” Watkins said.

While many student-athletes wish to spend their summer in relaxation from their distinguished sports, this is not the case for Watkins. As she mentioned, not only is the number of hours invested vital but the traveling experience is important as well: “My team travels frequently in the summer. We usually have tournaments every two weeks during the summer weekends—mostly traveling to Oklahoma City and Edmond. Additionally, we also attempt to play in Kansas, usually in the Wichita area—seeking tournaments with new, intensified competition. This year we are going to Kentucky for a tournament as well.”

Although Alice devotes time practicing, playing, and traveling for her summer-competitive basketball team, she also is granted opportunities that further enrich her summer experience and development of her friendships with others. For reference, Alice embarked on the most treasured aspect of her commitment to her summer basketball team. “My favorite part of playing during the summer is witnessing the level of competition from all areas. The games themselves are always energetic and competitive. It is also a completely different experience than school ball which is a nice contrast,” Watkins says. For those who are able, Watkins promotes the advantages of a summer sporting team due to the enriching experience it reaps; reinforcing individual improvement leads to the refinement of a team as a whole.

Finally, Alice described why this commitment is essential to her responsibilities as an athlete in the long run. “Playing in the off-season with my summer team has made me the player that I am today. Without my summer coaches and teammates, I would not know the game or play the game of basketball like I do today. It definitely prepares me for the upcoming school season—mentally and physically,” Watkins conveyed. This dedication to playing in the off-season has truly transformed how her regular season is played. Lastly, learning from adversities in the game of basketball have made her cognizant of improvements and beneficial tips: “The commitment to this team affects me as a player by wanting to see myself succeed. There is always competition at every practice and tournament for me—making me want to challenge myself and work hard on what I need to improve on”.

Alice has already begun practice for her summer basketball season. Her first showcase tournament will be May 8-9. Best of luck to you, Alice!

Turkey Time

By
Dalen McVay
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Howdy Okies!  It’s me again, having the privilege of discussing the great outdoors here in Northwest Oklahoma.  Spring turkey season has just wrapped up. Spring season ran from April 6-May 6 this year.  The Tom turkeys were out spreading their tail feathers wide doing their annual strut, trying to entice the hens.  Reports were relatively strong in our part of the state with a good number of harvested turkeys.  Unlike fall turkey season, the male turkeys (Toms and Jakes) are out wondering about looking for a female counterpart.  As such, a hunter typically dawns his best camo and facemask (hopefully in addition to mosquito/tick repellant) and uses either a mouth call, a box call or a slate call to get the males to wander on over.  Decoys are generally used and sometimes it’s amazing how quickly a young Jake will come sprinting in.  The old wise Toms however can be frustrating and stubborn.  Every call generally is returned by a booming gobble, but many times they hang just outside of reach.  On occasion a hunter is lucky enough to get an old Tom to strut in just close enough for a shot.  I don’t know about you, but my favorite way to cook wild turkey is the same way one cooks a chicken fried steak.  Perhaps not the healthiest option, but with limited numbers of Toms (depending on region), it certainly can’t be a diet killer.

Be sure to check your local regulations as to how many turkeys one can legally take.  Additionally, like deer, turkeys must be immediately tagged in the location of the kill, tagged and checked in with the Department of Wildlife.  Evidence of sex (beard or attached foot) must remain on the animal until it reaches its final destination. Oklahoma has made it easy to check in tagged animals on their E-check system at www.wildlifedepartment.com (or the department’s mobile app). Even if a shot isn’t fired, turkey hunting is a tremendous way to enjoy the beautiful spring weather and viewing other wildlife of our great state.  Happy hunting!

Haley Hibbets – Tennis

By
EHS Athletics
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By Robert Faulk

Haley Hibbets, an 8th grader at Waller Middle School, recently won the #1 Singles division of the Oklahoma State Jr. High Tennis Championship held at Tulsa Union High School. The Enid Public Schools Jr. High (7th, 8th and 9th grade) tennis team qualified for the State Tournament in the last tournament of the year at Shawnee.  The team was led all year by Haley, as the #1 singles player.

Haley had 20 wins and four losses in school matches this spring, with three of her losses coming against the same girl, Tokara Henderson, one of the top-ranked girls in the state. In six Jr. High tournaments, she finished 3rd once, 2nd three times, and won two tournaments, including the State Championship.

Speaking of the State Championship, Haley said “I was really proud of myself for winning State. I have been working really hard on technique which has helped me improve and win close matches. The semifinals were especially tough because I played a girl that beat me in our previous matchup. I was nervous going in, but after the match started, the nerves went away and I was able to pull it out in the 3rd set.”

Through the support of her parents, Haley is able to have two very accomplished private coaches, Matt Lopez and Vladica Babic (a past Oklahoma State University Tennis Player) of Oakwood Country Club as well as her Enid Public Schools Jr. High coaches Dusty Quarles and Nina Gregory. She practices with the Jr. High team and also puts in a lot of extra practice with her private coaches via clinics, strength and conditioning training, and footwork clinics. Coach Quarles had this to say about Haley: “Haley is such a competitor. She puts in the work every day, which is evident in her success. She has a very bright future ahead of her and that extends beyond just tennis. I’m proud of her and excited to watch her grow as a student-athlete.” Coach Gregory echoes the praise for Haley: “Haley is one of the most hard working, dedicated and humble athletes I’ve had the pleasure to be around. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to be around her and watch her compete this season!” As a true student-athlete, Haley also maintains a 4.0 GPA, is a member of Waller STUCO and the National Jr. Honor Society along with playing softball.

Enid Athletics Plainsmen/Pacer Pride of the Plains Brought to You by Slater Mechanical

Father’s Day

By
Sophia & Mallie
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Sophia and Mallie

Heyyyyyy guys! It’s Sophia and Mallie writing the June tween scene article in Enid monthly. We hope y’all enjoyed our article about Mother’s Day!! Since the month is June we thought we should write about Father’s day because they deserve appreciation as well. Sophia is going to start. Let’s get to it!!

My Father’s Days with my dad are always fun. One year, my mom, and my brother, and I made him chocolate cupcakes that looked like a grill, with candies that looked like hot dogs and hamburgers on top. They were really cute. We always get my dad OSU stuff because he is obsessed with OSU. My favorite memories with my dad are the cool and fun vacations we go on(especially when the resorts have unlisted free drinks). A funny memory I can remember is one time we were going on a walk and we were talking and my dad was on his phone, there was a pole coming up and he completely ran into it and smacked his head really hard on it. It was so funny. Some cool things we do together are every time we have tennis league we have a tradition where we eat subway for dinner and then get an Icee after our tennis matches. We also like to look at houses and critique them when we go on bike rides or walks. Lastly, we love to put on friends and family barbecues at our house when it’s a nice day. I think my dad is the best because he supports me in everything I do and try, comes to all of my sporting events even if he is busy on a day of a game he will cancel his plans just to come to watch me, he takes me to do stuff when I’m bored, lets me be me no matter what, and loves me so much. Your turn Mallie!!

My father’s days are pretty fun as well. For Father’s Day, my dad, and my grandpa and I go golfing and have a big cookout. I will also give him his favorite candy and golf balls. My favorite memories with him is when we go to top golf and hang out there. Some funny memories with my dad are when he is asleep because we always do something crazy to him like paint his nails, which is hilarious and I got to do it with my sister’s friends. We have also popped balloons in his face to wake him up, poured freezing cold water on him, and shook him a lot to scare him and wake him up. Vacations are pretty fun with my dad as well because he’s a party animal and loves to have fun. We also love to ride dirt bikes together. He was the one to teach me how to ride a dirt bike. My dad and I go to supercross and motorcross races together every year which is always a blast. That’s my favorite thing to do with my dad is go watch those cool and crazy races. A unique thing we do together is going to RC races. He’s really good and it’s really fun to watch him race against other people. I think my dad is the best because he lets me do a lot of fun stuff, takes me golfing and dirt bike riding, lets me be who I am, can always make jokes with me, and loves me a lot.

Thanks for reading our article over our dads and Father’s Day. We would love to know about y’all’s fathers and what you do every year for Father’s Day so email us at tweensceneenid@gmail.com. Feel free to email us if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for upcoming articles as well. Happy June and Happy Father’s Day!! See you next month!! BYEEEEEEEEEE!!

June Letter from the Editor

By
Robert Faulk
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I don’t know about you guys, but Summer is my favorite time of year. I have always preferred a sweltering 100 degree day to one in the 30’s. Maybe I’m crazy (wait, don’t answer that!).

With the summer comes Father’s Day. My dad was a decorated war hero, educated, stubborn, loved his kids but loved himself more. Like most of us, complicated. My relationship with him was complicated too. He spent most of my childhood in prison, but I know that he loved me. Because of this difficult relationship, I have made it a point to be different with my daughter (and bonus son) and it is the one thing in the world I am most proud of. Here’s to breaking the cycle of absent parents. Happy Father’s Day to all the great fathers out there!

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