SPORTS

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Sophomore guard T’vondrick Henry drives against the defense in a scrimmage game. The Tigers hope to bring this success into their season with several new transfers and key returners that have helped to create a team bond. (photo by Levi Dade)

Men’s basketball prepares for season, facilitates team culture

BY ISAAC BOURNE

Sports Editor

It’s the dawn of basketball season as the OBU men’s basketball team suits up to start a new, exciting 2022-23 campaign.

Coach Dennis Nutt brings in seven new transfers this season with eight returning players, including two of the three leading scorers for the team last year, junior guard Ma’Darius Hobson, and junior forward Tylar Haynes. The addition of D1 graduate transfer LaQuan Butler Jr. gives this team a new big three to base itself around.

With many new additions this season, coach nutt commented on the team’s chemistry.

“We just try to put our culture out there and our philosophy, and hopefully the guys will blend well… and hopefully you put a product out there that wins games,” Nutt said.

“As soon as I got brought in, I felt the culture from the start and it’s a team bond,” Hobson mentioned at GAC media day in October. “We always have one main goal and we talk about it each and every day. We work hard. We have a great attitude and great effort.”

Butler said, “I feel like everybody has the same goal or will to win, so being a transfer, you know, I’m new here, so I like what’s going on right now.”

Butler has been a big addition to coach Nutt’s roster, as he comes from the University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley after averaging 7.4 ppg for them last season, even scoring 19 points for the team in their season opener.

Butler mentioned his experience with UT - RGV and his hope for the season.

“It’s been a struggle for the last few years, so I’m pretty excited to get out here with this group of guys and compete,” Butler said.

The biggest early story coming out of this team has to be their early season road trip to Stillwater, Oklahoma to take on Division One, Power Five team Oklahoma State in an exhibition game.

“This is a special trip for us, it’s a challenging game of course, but to play at that level and for them to see a Power Five type school it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Coach Nutt said about the exhibition.

This game will be held on Nov. 3 in the historic Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and will be the first of two division one opponents that the team will face this season, the second being in Natchitoches, Louisiana against Northwestern State University on Nov. 10.

Senior tight end Hunter Swboda points at the camera. He has accounted for 78 yards this season and caught one touchdown. (photo by Levi Dade)

Football continues winning tradition, remains undefeated

BY MATTHEW CHEATHAM

Staff Writer

The Ouachita football team is continuing to uphold their reputation as a formidable opponent, being an elite team in Division II.

With a victory against East Central on Oct. 27th, the team stands undefeated with a 9-0 record and is ranked #4 in the region for NCAA playoff consideration. Collectively on the season, the Tigers have scored 414 points (46 average) compared to giving up 146 points (16.2 average). To go along with their 14 straight winning seasons, Gregory Junior gave the program its first ever player drafted into the NFL when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in April, and the team is consistently ranked in the top five of Division II football for most of the season.

Already at 9-0, one more win will clinch the outright GAC championship.

“The most important game is the game on the schedule. Nothing else matters to our team but the next game up. Our focus is one-hundred percent on Southeastern Oklahoma State University; they have a very good team and we will have to play our best game,” said Coach Todd Knight, the head football coach for the Tigers for the past 23 years.

“The biggest thing that we have to focus on is being consistent, and that starts in practice,” said sophomore running back Kendel Givens, who is second on the team in rush yards with 854. “We want to finish up the right way and send those seniors out the right way. In order for that to happen, we have to keep playing ball how we know how to play and have fun with it.”

Givens’ running mate in the backfield, senior running back TJ Cole, became the sixth OBU player ever to have at least 3,000 career rushing yards, continuing the upward trend for this years team.

Besides SEOSU on Nov. 5, the Tigers will finish the season against Henderson in one of the most historically noted and epic rivalries in all of sports. The Battle of the Ravine will be held at Henderson on Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. There, the Tigers will prove their stance as a legitimate contender in NCAA Division II football.