Alva Review-Courier -

The Freedom High School boys earned a spot the Class B Area I Regionals last Friday night as the Eagles held on to a 60-53 win over Deer Creek-Lamont in the opening round of district play. The win secured the Eagles a regional spot for the first time in more than 15 years.

On Saturday, the Freedom boys had an opportunity to bring home the district crown, but ran into a buzz saw in the host school Cimarron Trailblazers in the district championship, losing to the home team 85-43.

The loss against Cimarron moved the Eagles into the losers bracket of the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association playoffs. They take the court again this afternoon with a date against Taloga at 3 p.m. in Leedey.

Freedom is 2-0 this season against Taloga, defeating them on Dec. 7 at home 66-44 and a late season 70-42 outcome on the road on Jan. 1.

A loss for the Eagles would end their season, while a win could keep them alive in the double-elimination playoffs, as they would advance to face the loser between Waynoka and Erick at 8 p.m. on Friday. If they were to win to continue the tournament run on Friday, the Eagles would play for the regional consolation title at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Kristopher Fargo helped the Eagles jump out to a 15-5 lead after the first quarter on Friday as he scored all 15 points in the period. In fact, the Eagles held DCLA scoreless through the first four minutes while Fargo hit two three-pointers and had another three-point play to make it 15-0 with 3:38 remaining.

After scoring the last five points in the first, DCLA went on a 10-2 run to get back into the ball game. Lance Bolar had the basket for the Eagles in the midst of the DCLA run.

At the 3:52 mark of the second quarter with the Eagles holding on to a two-point lead, Myles Nixon put in a put back layup to slow the opponents. However, DCLA continued to push back, as they took the lead into halftime, 22-20.

The offenses for both teams picked up the scoring in the second half. Freedom trailed DCLA by as many as seven points with 3:38 to go in the third quarter, but the Eagles began to claw back to the top side of the scoreboard with a 12-2 run to close the third.

Nixon started the stretch with a turnaround jumper on the block as he received a pass from Angel Cardenas. A few minutes later, Lance Bolar cut the DCLA to one with a layup and Fargo gave Freedom the lead on its next possession with a floater in the lane. As time came to close in the third, Cardenas came up with a steal and found Fargo on a fast break for an easy layup to make it 43-39 Freedom after three.

In the final period, each time the Eagles looked to stretch their lead, DCLA would return the favor to keep the game close. Freedom stretched its lead to its biggest advantage of the final period with 4:44 to go in the game as Cardenas hooked up with Cameron Denham for a layup to make it 53-45.

DCLA cut back into the lead the deficit was cut back to just two, 55-53. But Fargo stepped up with 1:50 to go as he came up with a steal and made a spin move in the lane to stop the DCLA surge. Fargo hit three free-throws in the final minute to seal the victory and earn the regional spot for the Eagles.

Eagles Run Out of Gas

As the second game of the weekend got started, the Eagles battled to give themselves an opportunity for a potential district championship as they kept the with home team through the first four minutes of the game. The early minutes were highlighted by a pair of back-to-back floating jumpers in the paint from Cardenas.

Eric Scott

Kristopher Fargo (21) goes up for a layup during district play at Cimarron on Friday against DCLA. The Eagles fought to a 60-53 win over opponents to earn a spot in regional action this weekend.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, the Trailblazers quickly took the win out of the sails for Freedom. After Cardenas' second basket to make it 8-7 Cimarron at the 4:02, the Trailblazers drove their way to a 22-11 advantage after the first quarter.

The final two baskets of the first for the Eagles came on a fast-break layup by Nixon off a Fargo steal on the defensive end, and Lance Bolar found Will Jessup for a layup late in the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Trailblazers quickly extended their lead to 28-11 before Lance Bolar hit a solid turnaround jumper off the glass. That would be all the scoring the Eagles had in them from the floor in the second, adding just two more points in the final minute on a pair of free-throws by Nixon.

There wasn't much defense in the second half of the game by either team as Cimarron outscored Freedom 45-38 in the final two periods.