By Chuck Reherman
Sports Editor
Southwest Covenant faces the toughest task in the class A State Basketball Championship.
The Patriots face No. 1 ranked and only once beaten Frontier in the opening round at 8:30 p.m. tonight at Edmond Deer Creek High School.
SWCS, 17-8, is making their third appearance in five years at the state tournament. Frontier, 27-1, is a perennial state tournament team. Frontier lost in the first round last year to Tulsa Regent Prep 31-28, and has most of that team returned. Frontier enters the game averaging nearly 90 points a game.
“Frontier is the best team we have seed since playing Fort Cobb-Broxton in the Big House four years ago,” SWCS head coach Kevin Cobbs said. “They are so good. They are averaging almost 90 points a game.”
The Patriots punched their ticket to the “big dance” by beating No. 7 ranked Arapaho-Butler 38-26 in the area consolation finals in Weatherford. Arapaho was a state tournament team last year. SWCS had to win six games to reach the state tournament, including beating No. 6 ranked Okarche 61-53 in the area tournament and avenging a district finals loss by beating Vici 59-49 in the regional consolation finals.
Cobbs said the key for the Patriots is to not get rattled playing a team like Frontier.
“We need to maintain our composure and not get rattled under pressure,” Cobbs said. “And, we will have to shoot the ball well. We didn’t shoot the ball very well in the game against Arapaho. We can’t do that against a team like Frontier.”
The Patriots may not be without one of its top two scorers. Kelly Young injured an ankle in the win over Arapaho and will be a game time decision.
The winner will play the winner of No. 4 ranked Rattan (25-4) and No. 7 Seiling (26-0) in the 9 p.m. semifinals at the Ron Norick Arena at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds.
