The Checotah Wildcats rallied in the fourth period but fell short 55-50 in defeating the Spiro Bulldogs Thursday at the Checotah Event Center. The Wildcats were without their head coach Malcolm Warrior who was ejected from Checotah’s previous game after receiving a technical so assistant coach Zane Oldman took over the coaching duties.
It was a rough start for the Wildcats as senior R.J. Womack received two fouls in the first minute of the game.
Checotah would play with intensity and determination as Rowan Chapman played hard in the paint, battling for rebounds while Tyler Orman was fouled multiple times as he drove to the basket that would put him on the free throw line.
With the game tied at 5-5, Aum Patel made a three-point basket followed by a Chapman score to take a 10-5 lead. Spiro would come back with great drives by Davis Carter and Brycen Graham. Keaton Cox would extend the Bulldogs’ lead with a three-pointer to end the period with a 12-10 lead.
With Womack back in the game to start the second period and the rotation of Cooper Cutbirth and Hudson Pollard, the Wildcats began to limit the Bulldogs shooting. Chapman gave the Wildcats a 1413 lead then Orman made a great play to steal the ball and score. Within the next three possessions, Womack made two rebounds and a blocked shot and scored. Spiro was tough as Cody Douthit made a pair of three-pointers to extend their lead but Chapman and Orman both scored to go into the halftime break trailing 25-21.
The third period was all Bulldogs as they outscored Checotah 19-9 with Carter and Graham doing most of the scoring. Checotah did have some high points as Cutbirth hit a threepointer.
Chapman opened up the fourth period with a score and the Wildcats forced a turnover but missed a couple of shots. On the next possession Chapman made a nice rebound and passed it to Womack who scored a long three-pointer to cut the lead 44-35 with 4:33 on the clock.
Wes Brown added a score afterwards followed by a Hudson Pollard score to make the game 47-40 with 2:35 remaining in regulation.
Carter scored again and Womack picked up his fourth foul with 1:34. The type of effort that Chapman, Cutbirth and Womack gave against the Bulldogs in the paint was physical throughout the contest and the home crowd noticed it especially when Womack and Brown combined for five points to make it 49-45 with 52.6 seconds remaining. Hayden Reed and Patel scored the next points but the Bulldogs capitalized at the free throw line. Brown would score from the foul line and Tyler Corn scored in the final seconds as Spiro survived the Checotah rally 55-50.
“We wanted it badly because it was a win or this is my final game. I felt like we gave it our best from the start to the finish and never gave up but we just couldn’t pull it off,” Checotah senior R.J. Womack said.
Tyler led Checotah with 11 points, Rowan Chapman 11 points, Wes Brown and R.J. Womack each finished with seven points, Cooper Cutbirth six points and Aum Patel five points.
“This was not our best season and it didn’t go how we wanted, but it’s definitely not a total loss. Basketball is about teamwork, discipline, and learning, and we
had all that. We had a great Coach who cares for us and he taught us many skills that will stay with us forever, and that means a lot to me. They say don’t be sad that it’s over, be glad it happened, and I most definitely am,” Womack added.
