LOCAL

Changes Keep IOOF Cemetery Locally Run
Cessna Pilot No Ghost
Ace Harmonica Player Bringing The Blues Survivors To Poncan

Changes Keep IOOF Cemetery Locally Run

By MARK GALVIN

News Staff Writer

After more than a century of hometown cemetery service, Ponca City’s IOOF Lodge is trying something new to generate revenue, now that the cemetery is no longer for sale.

The local Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which for years struggled to break even operating the cemetery on South Waverly, is launching its own venture into providing burial-related services and products.

The IOOF’s new items — monuments, vases, vaults and mausoleums, for example — are nothing new to the cemetery business, of course, but they were always offered by funeral homes and other companies instead of by the Odd Fellows.

The new activity, which includes a service staff of professionals to assist families, appears to have bolstered the lodge, which began seeking alternative methods to grow after a controversial attempt to sell the cemetery two years ago.

“To maintain our non-profit status, we were always skeptical about what we could do (to raise revenue) and what we couldn’t do,” said lodge secretary John Miner.

“We never ran the cemetery as a business but as a community service, and breaking even was OK,” Miner said.

“Basically, that’s what we’ve done for 100 years. If we had enough to buy equipment and still break even, it was OK,” he said.

But with that method, the lodge hardly had any extra funds to provide additional community services such as scholarships, which several lodge members were interested in to enhance the lodge’s community activities.

It was the lodge’s uncertainty concerning its non-profit status that kept it from developing any new fund-raising methods, except for perhaps an occasional bean supper.

And it was the years of just getting by that made an offer so enticing from the international Loewen Group to purchase the cemetery in early 1997 for approximately $700,000.

The lodge’s decision to sell the old cemetery prompted an outcry from many community members and business people who saw the sale as a “big-business” takeover, and Kay County’s three county commissioners ultimately rejected the proposed sale by invoking a seldom-used state statute.

Brent Boyd, noble grand of the Ponca City IOOF Lodge, said despite indications that the buyer and seller would then continue pursuing the sale, The Loewen Group withdrew its bid and the deal is now off.

And lodge members are now refocusing to balance the commands of the first Odd Fellows from 180 years ago — “Visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead, educate the orphan” — with the rising expenses of operating a popular cemetery.

“Times have changed and the cemetery has grown. It costs a lot more to run it now,” Miner said.

For years the cemetery brought in revenue only from lot sales, from opening and closing graves, and from permit fees for placing monuments. Boyd said permit fees have averaged $1,200 in revenue per year at $10 per space. Lot sales have averaged approximately $45,000 per year and opening and closings approximately $55,000 a year.

At the same time, the cemetery is paying four full-time employees and a seasonal part-time employee, with costs for workers compensation, equipment, insurance and taxes.

With the new merchandising, local IOOF cemetery board chairman Calvin Sells said, “We’re actually going to have more to offer than we’ve ever been able to offer in the past.”

The lodge voted in March to enter an agreement with cemetery sales associate Mike Selfridge of McLoud to provide training and salespeople for the cemetery. Selfridge’s group already is working at the IOOF Cemetery in Norman.

The new approach is for the cemetery to offer merchandise — monuments, markers, vases, outer burial enclosures and lawn mausoleums — directly to customers, and the sales counselors can also develop pre-need packages for families and can freeze the costs of opening and closing graves to beat inflation, Selfridge said.

“We’re allowed to sell this type of merchandise and still be non-profit,” Miner said.

As per state law, at least 10 percent of lot sales (and now cemetery merchandise sales) goes to a perpetual care trust fund, which will provide for cemetery upkeep after it is full. Boyd estimated that, without buying any new land, it would be 75 or 80 years before the IOOF Cemetery is full and the perpetual care fund would be needed.

Other money collected from sales will now go into a cemetery merchandise trust fund to ensure that the pre-purchased merchandise such as lawn mausoleums is available when the purchaser finally needs it.

“This is a business, just like all cemeteries,” Boyd said. “Most of our money’s going to go into trust, and anything else above that is going to go back to the community anyway.” With more revenue, the lodge expects to assist locally with some of the national IOOF’s projects, such as scholarships, Shoes For Kids, and U.N. Pilgrimages.

Boyd said, “It’s not going to be where ‘We’ll break even again this year’ is ever going to be OK again.”

Cessna Pilot No Ghost

He’s the Real Swayze

By S.L. DICKEY

News Staff Writer

We’ve known him as a ghost, a bad boy summer dance instructor, a “nice” bar bouncer and a drag queen — employees at Greenwood Aviation met the real thing — a pilot.

Actor Patrick Swayze landed his teal and tan Cessna 414 twin-engine plane at the Ponca City Airport on Wednesday about noon.

Kelly White, line supervisor for Greenwood Aviation met the plane and wasn’t exactly sure it was him until he talked. The minute he spoke, White said he knew it was Swayze.

Swayze and a guitar-playing friend needed fuel and lunch. The duo were at the airport about 45 minutes. Lunch was brought to them from Enrique’s — they ate it out of carryout boxes in Swayze’s plane.

Superstars at the Ponca City Airport aren’t that unusual. Chuck Greenwood, owner, Greenwood Aviation, has refueled their planes and shown down-home hospitality to a wide assortment of the rich and famous — like golfer Greg Norman, super-model Naomi Campbell and yesterday, actor Swayze to name only a few.

Greenwood says, “We don’t treat them (superstars) any different than any other pilot or plane that lands here. We ask them if they want coffee, a Coke, popcorn — if they want to look at the radar. I think that’s why they come back — we at Greenwood Aviation don’t ask them about their ‘famous’ personas — we just treat them like real people.”

According to Greenwood, another reason he thinks the famous return to the Ponca City Airport is his insistence on privacy protection. “We absolutely tell no one that they (superstars) are here. They can land here, get fuel, food, and they know that no one will know about it until after they’ve gone.”

Greenwood, with a twinkle in his eye, said to me, as ace Ponca City News reporter, “As a matter of fact, if you’d gotten here and he was still here, you wouldn’t have gotten close to him.”

But I did see his “autograph.”

Ace Harmonica Player Bringing The Blues Survivors To Poncan

Press reviews on Mark Hummel are exuberant. “Jazzy” says one. “Power, speed and heart,” says another. “Wonderful” says a third. Mark Hummel is a fine blues harmonica player who brings his talents, his group, and his press clippings to the Poncan Theatre Friday at 7:30 pm.

“We’re very proud and fortunate to bring Mark and The Blues Survivors to the Poncan,” says Poncan Theatre director Kenn Wessel. “I’ve spoken with some of the many blues aficionados around Oklahoma and they’re really excited to be able to hear him.” And the Poncan promises to make this a happy, whooping evening. “It’s gonna be a party,” Wessel says.

Hummel’s stature has recently shot to the top because he’s been such an important figure in the development of West Coast Blues. This special brand of blues is really a fascinating amalgam of diverse other blues elements. There’s some 20’s and 30’s jump, some elements from classic Southern blues, some Chicago sounds and other hearty sounds of blues. Since Hummel grew up listening to great blues-rock crossover music, he could strike out at any moment to quote almost any player on the planet.

He has been called “a master showman,” “an ace harmonica player,” “one of the best ever,” “one hell of a harp player.” Some have called him the best harmonica player ever. While that’s an impossible comparison, there’s no doubt that fans will hear some terrific music at the Poncan Theatre this Friday.

In addition to his “incredible talents,” his peers appreciate him for his extensive knowledge of the history of blues. Hummel is “a blues scholar of the highest standing,” says Andy Gregg for Real Blues. Hummel has another great quality “that sets him apart from other artists,” Gregg says. “He loves the blues.” Hummel “spent thirty years helping promote and publicize the lives and careers of those bluesmen he so respects.”

Hummel’s great strength may be his ability to pull together divergent music into a rich, vigorous whole. His recent album, “The Heart of Chicago,” draws from great Chicago traditions, and they are very extensive. One reviewer wrote that this is “a wonderful disc.” A fan can “savor it in the same way you would savor a fine Kentucky bourbon or a Cuban cigar.” Tom Townsley for the Blues Revue wrote that “this is no cheap imitation; it’s the real thing, served straight up and crafted with care.”

“We’d like to bring more blues to the Poncan,” says Wessel. “Our fans have asked for more and more,” and with stars like Hummel the crowds may just continue to expand. Wessel says that “many fans may be surprised at the music a good blues player puts out.” “This is not the traditional sound of heartache and troubles,” Wessel says. While any good bluesman knows that music and has it in his soul, blues is very likely to be vigorous, energetic, rockin’ music. “Surveys show that the fan of classic rock pretty likely to move toward blues as fewer and fewer musicians play the old rock anymore.” “Blues is actually having a huge resurgence,” Wessel adds. “It’s here to stay.”

The Mark Hummel concert is presented by the Poncan Theatre with the assistance of KLOR Radio. Tickets for Mark Hummel are available at the Poncan Theatre office, or at the box office before the door. Other vendors who will sell tickets until Friday afternoon are the main Ponca City banks, Quality Water, Motor City, and Installations Unltd. Beer will be served. The Poncan Theatre office at 104 East Grand is open 1-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone is 580-765-04943. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door.

DEATHS

Robert E. Firrel
Carol Scott Woolsey
Eldon E. Shaw
Lester Leroy Ray
Florence Lorene Lawson

Robert E. Firrel

FAIRFAX — Robert E. Firrel, rural Ponca City resident, died April 6, 1999, in the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Ponca City. He was 81.

The funeral will be 2 p.m. Friday, April 9, 1999, in the Hunsaker-Wooten Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Fairfax Cemetery.

Robert E. Firrel was born June 3, 1917, in White Eagle, the son of George and Mary K. Wallace Firrel. He attended Braden School. He served in the U.S. Army from Aug. 6, 1942, to Sept. 25, 1943. He married Henryetta Mary Rhodd in Fairfax in 1963. He was a fence contractor. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and working in his garden.

Firrel is survived by his daughter, Edna Firrel, of the home; stepson, Donald Joe Lauver, of Marland; stepdaughter, Mary Benskin, of Ponca City; six step-grandchildren; three step-great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife on May 27, 1996; four brothers; and three sisters.

The family will be at the home to receive friends and family.

Obituaries

Carol Scott Woolsey

Carol Scott Woolsey, longtime Ponca City resident, died Tuesday evening, April 6, 1999, at the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. She was 60.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, April 9, 1999, at the Longwood Baptist Church with the Rev. Larry Stephenson, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in the Longwood Cemetery under the direction of Grace Memorial Chapel.

Born Aug. 8, 1938, in Billings, she was the daughter of John Henry and Opal (Youker) Scott. She grew up in Ponca City and received her education in the Kildare and Ponca City schools, graduating from Ponca City High School in 1956.

On May 4, 1956, she was married to Kenneth Woolsey in the Kildare United Methodist Church. The couple has made their home in Ponca City since that time.

Mrs. Woolsey was a homemaker and had also worked for many years as a bookkeeper for the family business. She was a member of the Longwood Baptist Church and enjoyed camping, fishing, bowling, and spending time with her family.

Surviving are her husband, Kenneth, of the home; one son, Lonny L. Woolsey, of Ponca City, and a daughter, Cindy L. Hutchison, of Ponca City; her mother, Opal McLane, of Ponca City; five brothers and sisters, Merl Scott and his wife, Alice, Diane and her husband, Charles DeMoss, Pamela and her husband Jerry Lingnau, Gary Scott and his wife, Faye, and Larry Scott and his wife, Ruth, all of Ponca City; one granddaughter, Kendi Hutchison, of Ponca City, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father.

Casket bearers will be Tony Underwood, Mike Sweet, Robert Scott, Aaron Lingnau, Jeremy Lingnau, and David Lingnau.

Honorary casket bearers will be Fred Quaid, Harold Demming, Don Youker, Irvin Payne, and Leroy Evans.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 1151, Ponca City, Okla. 74602.

The family will be at the Floyd Harden home.

paid obituary

Funerals

Friday

Eldon E. Shaw

Funeral to be at 2 p.m. at the Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home in Arkansas City. Burial will follow in the Parker Cemetery in Arkansas City, Kan.

Lester Leroy Ray

Funeral will be held 10 a.m. at the Braman First Christian Church. Burial will be in the Braman Cemetery under the direction of Roberts and Son Funeral Home.

Florence Lorene Lawson

Funeral will be 10 a.m. in the Grace Memorial Chapel. Burial will follow in the Odd Fellows Cemetery.

NEWS BRIEFS

Free Clothing Available — Free clothing is available on Monday, April 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the First Assembly of God Church, 1308 Bradley, to anyone with a need. Use the furthest northwest door of the church to enter. We need clothing to donate. Please leave donated clothing inside the same northwest door. Giveaway available the first and second Mondays of each month from 6 to 8 p.m.

Being Relocated, or in town for a short time? We have homes

available by the month or longer. All homes are full furnished with

appliances, furniture, linens, pots and pans. Inclusive of cable,

local phone, and utilities. Please call 580-762-7980 or 580-718-0681.

adv.

Senior Citizens Dance Set — A Senior Citizens Dance will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday at the Senior Citizens Building, 320 South A in Arkansas City. The Pete Coli Country Band will play for dancing. All senior citizens are invited to attend and bring a favorite snack to share.

Free Pregnancy test. Birth Choice cares. Confidential.

Hours: Monday, 4-6 p.m., Tuesday, 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, 1-3 p.m. and

Thursday, 6-8 p.m. 700 West Broadway. adv.

Break In — A resident in the 300 block of South Pine Street, flagged down a Ponca City police officer at 11:25 p.m. Wednesday, to report a house had been broken into. The officer took a report.

Loud Music — At 2:22 a.m. Thursday, two Ponca City police officers responded to the report of loud music in the area of 700 Monument Road. Subjects were contacted and the music was turned down.

Patriots Meeting — The Kay County Patriots will hold its meeting Saturday at Conestoga Restaurant at Interstate 35 and U.S. 60. The event will start with fellowship and dining at 1 p.m. with the meeting from 2 to 6 p.m. The subject is Misapplication of Laws Pertaining to IRS and Social Security.

Dougan's Bar-B-Q Friday special from 4-8 p.m., all you can eat

ribs with beans, potato salad and coleslaw, $7.49. 215 South 14th,

765-7979. adv.

Ballroom Dancing — The Stillwater Ballroom Dance Club is sponsoring a dance Friday, 8-11 p.m., at the Parks and Recreation Annex, 315 East Ninth, Stillwater. Open to the public and all ages, ticket cost is $10 each. Al Good, popular band leader in Oklahoma, will provide the music. For more information call 372-3432, 372-5057, or 372-7626.

Head Country all day Friday special - All you can eat, smoked

BBQ ribs, beans, potato salad, and coleslaw, only $7.49, all day.

1217 East Prospect. 767-8304. adv.

Destruction — A Ponca City police officer responded to a call in the 500 block of South Eighth Street at 9:38 p.m. Wednesday. The resident advised the officer that someone broke the windows out of a vehicle. A report was taken for destruction of private property.

Assault — An employee of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center contacted the Ponca City Police Department at 7:43 p.m. Wednesday, to advise a woman was being treated for assault. Apparently, the victim left the emergency room prior to receiving treatment. An officer took a report for assault and battery and requested extra patrol in the area of 1000 West Highland Avenue.

Concert Planned — The Ambassadors Concert Choir will be performing on Saturday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Poncan Theatre. It performs a variety of “fun” jazz, gospel and Broadway tunes. The concert is free and is sponsored by the Ponca City Arts and Humanities Council, Conoco and the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Dougan's Bar-B-Q Thursday special from 4-? 1/2 BBQ chicken

with 2 vegetables. $4.25. 215 South 14th. 765-7979. adv.

Community Meeting — The Otoe-Missouria Tribe announces that a community meeting will be held Friday, April 9 at 4 p.m. in the Conference Room of the Otoe-Missouria Enterprise Building. The purpose of the community meeting is to gather input from community members and discuss tribal objectives relative to a forthcoming A.N.A. grant proposal to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Your participation will be greatly appreciated.

WCW/NOW Spring Stampede. Gripping wrestling action coming

on Pay Per View. Sunday, April 11th at 7:00pm. Be sure and order early call Cable One at 762-6684. adv.

Bowl-O-Rama — The Middle School Parent/Teacher Association will host a fund raiser at Ponca Bowl on Saturday, April 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and include a drink, bowling, pool tables and a light show. Proceeds will be used to purchase equipment. Tickets can be purchased at the Middle School Office. If questions, contact Karol Oakes at 762-7767.

Pauline’s Steak and shrimp dinner, $11.95. Friday, April 10th. For reservations. 765-5460. adv.

Arrest — An 18-year-old man was arrested by a Ponca City police officer at Kingston Road and East Prospect Avenue, at 4:57 p.m. Wednesday, for driving under suspension, no insurance and driving in a manner not reasonable and proper.

Dog Rescued — Two citizens, in the 1100 block of East Prospect Avenue, contacted the Ponca City Police Department at 9:58 a.m. Wednesday, regarding a dog who had been inside a vehicle since Tuesday. An officer arrived at the scene and rescued the dog.

Grass Fire — At 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, the Ponca City Police Department was notified of a grass fire a half mile west of U.S. 177 on Carbon Black Road. A unit from the Ponca City Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire.

Backfire — Two Ponca City police officers arrived in the area of Blackard Lane and Woodlands Road at 2:03 p.m. Wednesday, when a resident called to report hearing gun shots. Officers determined the noise came from an old green Ford pickup backfiring.

In Custody — A Ponca City police officer arrested a 19-year-old man from a traffic stop at North Ninth Street and East Highland Avenue at 7:56 p.m. Wednesday. The subject was charged with no insurance and driving without a drivers’ license.

Larceny — A resident in the 400 block of North Fourth Street contacted the Ponca City Police Department at 8:11 p.m. Wednesday, requesting assistance. An officer took a 30-year-old man into custody for larceny from a residence.

GARDENING

Good Advice for a Greener Lawn

Good Advice for a Greener Lawn

By Rosalynne Harty

Copley News Service

Just when it seems winter will last forever, grass greens up almost overnight. It won’t be long until homeowners will be firing up the lawn mowers again — and wondering what to do with those increasingly expensive-to-dispose of grass clippings.

It isn’t really necessary to bag grass most of the time, says extension horticulture educator Dave Robson.

“If you only mow a third of the blade each time, there’s no need to bag,” Robson said.

If you mow the top one-third of the grass blade, you’re unlikely to get any of the stems, crowns or roots, which can contribute to thatch, Robson said. The uppermost part of the grass blade is 90 percent water and doesn’t contribute to thatch buildup, he said.

However, there are a couple of times when people might consider bagging their grass, Robson said.

“One is if you have a compost pile. Early in the spring, grass clippings are high in nitrogen content and will help break down the leaves from last fall,” Robson said.

“The other time is if you’ve let the grass get too tall,” and more than one-third of the blade needs to be removed, he said.

A mulching mower is not a must if a homeowner can mow as needed, leaving no more than one-third of the blade (the top inch on 3inch-high grass, typically), Robson said.

“If you can’t mow every two or three days, when it’s needed, and you don’t want to pay the cost of bagging the grass, and you don’t have a compost pile, then a mulching mower will break that grass down,” he said.

One of the most common lawn care errors happens right about now, in Robson’s view: putting fertilizer on too early.

“Don’t fertilize until May 15, Robson suggested.

It’s a good time to apply crab grass killer, but too early fertilization “promotes top growth and what you want to promote now is deep growth,” he said. Grass with deep roots will be better able to withstand the high heat and dry spells of summer better than grass with shallow roots.

For lawn enthusiasts eager to get started right this spring, Robson suggests having mower blades sharpened.

Most people have a bad tendency “to relegate a $200 to $300 lawn mower to the back of the garage and do very little maintenance on it,” he said.

There are places that will sharpen mower blades for $3 to $5, Robson says.

“It takes five or 10 minutes — you can go and have a Big Mac while it’s done — and you’ve done something really worthwhile.”

If money were no object, Robson said, on his wish list for lawn care would be a lawn aerator — ”a gizmo that can be had for $1,500.” An aerator removes hundreds of soil plugs from the lawn, which helps lawns in many ways, Robson said.

On his own lawn, Robson says, “I have it aerated once a year, if I owned one, I’d probably do it twice a year myself. It cuts down on soil compaction, promotes root growth and better top growth, keeps grass lush and dense so you don’t have to use as much weedkiller and maybe get by with watering less frequently.”

New lawn care products on the market that are more affordable are the new polymer fertilizers. Coated with a type of plastic that breaks down, these slow-release fertilizers “tend to give a nice, even distribution of nitrogen over a longer period of time,” Robson said. “That way, you get a nicer, greener lawn if you put it on in the spring. “

SPORTS

Lady Cats 2nd
Wildcat Classic Schedule
Little Gymnasts Finish Strong
NOC Player Named No. 1

Lady Cats 2nd

Nimmo Nets Title

BLACKWELL — Blackwell’s girls topped Ponca City for the team title in the Blackwell Girls Golf Invitational Wednesday but Lady Wildcat Jenni Nimmo won the medalist honors in a playoff by beating three Lady Maroons, two of whom were from Blackwell.

Blackwell posted a 378 total at the Blackwell Municipal Golf Course with Ponca City coming in with a 386. Woodward was a distant third at 404 while Lavern had a 412 and Perkins 427.

Nimmo, along with Chantelle Summers and Dayna Sheets of Blackwell along with Jaymi Justus of Perry all finished regulation play with 88s. Nimmo won the playoff with teammate Courtney Fredricks finishing fifth in the individual competition with an 89.

Christi Rutledge followed Nimmo and Fredricks for the Poncans with a 97 while Jessica Hubbard had a 112 and Jennifer Correll a 119.

Following Sheets and Summers for Blackwell were Jessica Hudson with a 99, Lori Hillhouse 103 and Amber Backus 107 .

Justus was one of two Perry girls to compete in the tournament.

The Lady Cats were scheduled to be on the road again today, traveling to the Edmond Tournament at Oak Tree.

The Blackwell girls were slated to play in the Perry Tournament today and join the boys in a triangular meet with Woodland and Pawnee at Fairfax Friday.

Wildcat Classic Schedule

The Ponca City Wildcat baseballers will begin play Thursday in the 1999 Wildcat Classic, taking on Oklahoma City Northwest at 3:30. The Cats will also play Tulsa Webster, starting at 6. Blackwell and Tulsa Webster will play Thursday at 1.

Friday, the Poncans will play Blackwell, at 6. Blackwell and OC Northwest will play at 1, with Tulsa Webster and Northwest playing at 3:30.

The third place game will be Saturday at 2, with the finals at 4:30.

All games will be played at the Po-Hi field.

Little Gymnasts Finish Strong

Ponca City gymnasts Carrie Blumert and Amanda Lewis recently concluded a busy year of gymnastics, competing in the Kansas State Women’s Gymnastics Championships in Wichita, March 27.

Blumert, an 11-year old who attends Trout elementary, placed fifth on the vault in her age-group, with a score of 8.9. Lewis, who is 14 and home schooled, placed seventh on the beam with an 8.0, in the 13-and-up age group. Both girls compete at Level 5.

Blumert and Lewis, who compete with the Folgers Gymnastics Club from Wichita, do most of their training in Arkansas City.

NOC Player Named No. 1

Though they didn’t quite live up to post-season expectations, the Northern Oklahoma men’s basketball team did leave their mark in several statistical categories in the national Division I junior college standings.

Freshman Tyler Barnard finished No. 1 in the country in 3-point percentage, with 54.4 percent. Though the Fairfax native played most of the season as a back-up guard, he did manage 56 attempts from long range — six more than the 50 needed for consideration.

Jeff Newby came in fourth in that category, at 49.1 percent, with 116 shots at the goal. As a team, the Mavs were sixth in 3-point percentage, at 38.8 percent.

Sophomore Ron Banks finished 11th in field goal percentage, at 63.9 percent.

The Mavs, who finished with an impressive 23-8 record, but fell out of contention in the first round of the Region II Tournament, came in ninth on defense, giving up just 68.1 points per game. Seminole, which conquered the Mavs for the Bi-State West crown, was tenth.

The Mavericks also finished eighth in free throw percentage, at 70 percent. Northark was first, at 75.9 percent, while Carl Albert was third, at 72.4.

Thanks to superfan Joe Barnard for downloading this information from the Internet and forwarding it to the News.