By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
Haley Mitchel was raised on Okarche basketball.
And she is now fully immersed like never before.
Mitchel, had previously coached with her mother, Cherie Myers ,who coached 2001 to 2017. Then Mitchel took a break for her own children. She now has a boy, Crew 5, and a girl Collins, 2.This year she is back in Okarche leading the girls basketball team.
Mitchel was an Okarche basketball assistant coach from fall, 2009 to 2017.
Mitchel also played for her mom and graduated 2005. “It’s been an incredible experience, I got to play here I got to be an assistant and junior high and now I’m the head coach.
Mitchel takes the helm from last year’s head coach Kelli Jennings.
Mitchel played basketball after high school in Okarche at Northern Oklahoma College in Enid and then Oklahoma Christian University. The 2020 girls varsity team in Okarche has two returning starters, Madison Owens and Ryen Wittrock.
“My mom and I both came here my freshmen year in high school,” Mitchel recalled.
Cherie Myers had coached at Kingfisher before Okarche.
“And we knew the tradition that was at Okarche and the passion behind Okarche girls’ basketball, and immediately you knew the devotion to basketball here and it’s definitely something you do with great pride you know, when you are on the court all eyes are on you and there is a lot of pride,” Mitchel said.
The community is behind her, she said.
“As a coach you are so blessed to be in a community where there is that passion that starts all the way down to the third grade in the elementary school.So as a coach you feel so important to have elementary teachers who show them the fundamentals and basics,” Mitchel said. “And the pride of the community is something like I have seen any place before. I’m very fortune to have the community to support you, that is so nice.”
The boys and girls schedule for the 2020-2021 season follows: Girls games start at 6:30 p.m. at home and away. Tournament times are to be announced.
Nov. 6, at Preston; Nov. 10, at Calumet; Nov. 13 home, Lomega; Nov. 17 at Harding Fine Arts; Nov. 24,at Oklahoma Christian Academy; Dec. 1, home, Watonga; Dec. 4, at Fairview; Dec. 8, home, Harding Fine Arts; Dec. 10-12, Garber Tournament; Dec. 15, home, Oklahoma Bible Academy; Jan. 5, at Cordell; Jan. 7-9, Three Rivers Conference Tournament at Fairview; Jan. 15 at Thomas; Jan. 19 home, Hennessey; Jan. 21-23, Coyle Tournament; Jan. 26, at Crescent; Feb. 5, Amber-Pocasset, home, Feb. 9, Cashion, home; Feb. 11-13, district; Feb. 18-20, regional; Feb. 25-27, area; March 4-6, state tournament.
Read The Okarche Warrior and follow okarchewarrior.com for updates.
