Roland trio hopes Runnin’ Rangers can win state for legendary coach
OKC Millwood is state-quarterfinal opponent Thursday morning
The Roland Runnin’ Rangers are going back to the Class 3A State Tournament for the second time in three seasons and sixth time in the last 11 years.
Three starters of this year’s squad, junior Buck Triplett, sophomore Kade Shook and freshman Damonte Owens, are not only hoping to win Roland’s first boys state basketball title, but also get legendary coach Eddie Lewis his first-ever state championship as a coach.
“It’s going to be crazy,” Shook said if the Runnin’ Rangers win the state title on Saturday morning at Oklahoma City’s Jim Norick State Fair Arena — which is having its final state tournaments in its 60-plus history before the facility gets imploded this spring. “This would be Coach Lewis’ first gold ball. I believe we can (win state). We have a very good team, and we work together well as a team. We have a really good chance.” “My thoughts on it are I told Coach Lewis I would get him one (a gold ball and a state championship),” Triplett said. “I want to succeed for him. I want to see him go out winning one. That would be a great feeling for us and everybody here.”
“I feel like it would be a very good feeling, especially for Coach Lewis — bringing home his first one (state title),” Owens said. “Especially for us being a young team, I feel like we could come back next year and do the same. We just have to see.”
Triplett is the only starter who got to be on the last state-tournament team, the 2022-23 squad that went 24-3 and lost 62-46 to Oklahoma City Crooked Oak in the state quarterfinals on March 9, 2023. He said he is glad to get to go back to the state tournament after missing out last season.
“It’s a good feeling,” Triplett said. “The team we have this year is a good team. We’re all good teammates in general. I think we can make a good run.”
For Shook and Owens, they will be making their firstever state-tournament appearance.
“It feels good because I thought we should have gone last year, but sadly we didn’t get to,” Shook said. “Like Buck said, we have a good team, and I think we can go pretty far.”
While this will be Owens’ first state tournament, he has had success in big-time Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) tournaments. However, the freshman said making state does not compare to all his AAU Tournament outings.
“It’s a way better feeling going to the state championship than going to one of those AAU tournaments,” said Owens, who affectionately is called “Bubba.” “We have a really good chance of running (the table) and winning it. We just have to go out there and play.”
The Runnin’ Rangers will get to meet the top-seeded Oklahoma City Millwood Falcons at 9 a.m. Thursday.
“If we go out there and play, we can compete with them,” Owens said. “We have to go out there and play our hardest and go win.”
“It’s going to be a tough one for sure,” Triplett said. “It’s going to be a good match-up. They’re a good team, and we’re a good team. I’d put us up against any team in the state. I like our odds.”
Shook said there’s nothing like “Breakfast at ‘The Big House.’” “It’s definitely tough for some people,” Shook said. “If we just get up and get ready to go, we’ll definitely be able to get the business handled.”
