Jumping The Ship: Dale Pirates vs Vanoss Wolves:
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Dale came into the night as the #1 team in 2A and what some view as the best team in the state. This was Dale’s senior night and they came out and put on a show. A team that has…
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Continue ReadingDale came into the night as the #1 team in 2A and what some view as the best team in the state. This was Dale’s senior night and they came out and put on a show. A team that has mostly played together going back to the third grade showed the chemistry that reflected that. The #1 player in the state that is a University of Oklahoma (OU) commit, several other players that are good enough to play college, and a coach that knows what he is doing. In 2021-22, the team went 20-2 on the year and won the state championship. Last year, the team went an impressive 32-0, capturing their second straight 2A championship. So far this year, they are 24-2, with their only losses coming to a team from Alabama and Owasso (who they lost to by three). Over the past three years, they have went a combined 74-4. With that being said, at the end of the first quarter it was 18-4 with Dale winning. They built on that in the second quarter, leading 37-10 at halftime. It just continued to become more lopsided as the game went on, with the final score being 68-35.
Dayton Forsythe Dayton Forsythe 6’3″ | PG Dale | 2024 State #206 Nation OK showed why he is the #1 ranked player in the state and is committed to the University of Oklahoma. He is a phenomenal two-way player that has a non stop motor. He showed the ability to slither through traffic and finish at the rim with an arrange of finishing moves. Contact did not faze him, as he brushed it off regularly. Not only was he able to finish at the rim, he showed the ability to knock down difficult shots. These shots were an arrange of both mid-range and three pointers. He led his team in scoring. On defense, he came away with one steal after another. I lost count of how many steals he had, but I would guess that it was probably eight. Fighting for loose balls and the rebound was not a problem for him, as he would come away with these balls time after time. It was a remarkable performance against the #12 team in the class.
Denton Forsythe Denton Forsythe 6’1″ | PG Dale | 2026 State OK played well for a sophomore. I had heard a lot of talk about how good Denton has the potential to be, possibly being as good as his brother. He showed the flashes of this throughout this game. He showed enough to make me think that this is at least in the ball park of possibilities. He showed the ability to knock down shots, as he knocked down a three and a couple of mid-range jumpers. He was consistent and chose his shots wisely. He showed the ability to get to the rim and finish through traffic on a couple of occasions. His playmaking was a big asset for his team tonight, as he showed the ability to drive gaps and find the open man. No matter if the player is in the corner for a three or cutting from the opposite side. On defense, he played great perimeter defense. Fighting through screens and showing the ability to read the play to know how to guard it. He was able to flash a good ability of switching when guarding, as well. His quick hands helped him come away with a couple of steals and knock the ball away on another occasion. Only time will tell on how good he will become, but the potential to be a great two-way player like his brother is certainly there.
Easton Edmondson Easton Edmondson 5’9″ | PG Dale | 2025 State OK proved to be a great playmaker for his team. One thing that stuck out to me almost immediately about him is that he was playing great defense and giving everything he had: forcing turnovers, coming away with steals, and fighting through ball screens, while he looked to set his teammates up on the other end. There were several times that he threaded the needle with a well-placed pass. It almost seemed like he had a sixth sense to detect when and where his teammates were at all time, even when they were cutting. As we got further into the game, he showed that he can score. There was one time that he utilized a nice pumpfake, drove the close out, and finished at the rim. He had a couple of finishes at the rim. This is a true playmaker that plays great defense. His playstyle reminded me of players like John Stockton or Jrue Holiday.
Trayden Chambers Trayden Chambers 6’7″ | PF Dale | 2025 State OK made an impact in a couple of different areas tonight. He continually played great interior defense and solid perimeter defense, while coming away with a couple of steals. One of these steals led to a 3/4 court pass for an assist. He grabbed several rebounds through the course of the game. He was turning great shot contest into rebounds going the other way. He scored a few times inside and knocked down a couple of free throws. His impact went beyond the box score, with his defense and hustle plays. It was a great game for him that saw him affect the game in multiple ways.
Highlights
Layne Thrower
Layne Thrower
Layne Thrower was one of the only bright spots for Vanoss on Tuesday night, as his team got ran out of the gym. Entering the game, he was the leading scorer and second on his team in plus-minus. He contributed on both ends of the court tonight against the #1 team in 2A. He continually drove to the rim or fought inside, which led to multiple times that he scored in the paint. His scoring impact went beyond that, as he knocked down a three-pointer. He is a capable shooter from deep, as he entered the game shooting 34.1% from three. On defense, he came away with a couple of steals and a block. It was a solid game for him.