2009 was a year to remember for Guthrie

Every year you can find lots of accomplishments and achievements in a calendar year for many high schools, but 2009 was a special year for Guthrie High School athletics.

Guthrie brought home three state championships in 2009 with the boys track and field team, boys basketball team, and the boys cross country team. Both the cross country and basketball teams won their school's sixth state title for their sport respectively. The track and field championship was Guthrie's first in that sport.

In addition to the state championships, Guthrie had 14 athlete's to All State and was topped by Donte' Foster in three different sports.

The Jays basketball team capped off a 27-2 season by winning back-to-back state titles by making their fourth consecutive trip to the big dance, won their last 10 games, and were 24-0 when they held their opponents to 48-points or less.

Donte' Foster and Keaton Callins were handed many awards, but none higher then being selected to the West All-State team, where head coach Pete Papahronis served as an assistant coach.

Papahronis became the second Guthrie coach to win back-to-back state championships. In those two seasons, Papahronis led the Jays to a 49-6 overall record.

	2009 Class 5A State Champions

The track and field team not only won their first ever state championship, but did it in dominating fashion with a 38-point win at state. The state championship also represented the third time in Guthrie history that two sports have won state championships in the same school year (boys basketball and boys track).

Clay Tarter

Emmanuel Robinson took gold in the 110 hurdles while teammate Tel Junghannas finished .08 behind for second place. Donte' Foster, who won eight titles in his high school career (including one AAU championship), won the high jump for the third consecutive year.

Guthrie coaches Clay Tarter and Gary Boxley were named coaches of the year from many outlets for their accomplishments.

Tarter, who is in the Guthrie High School Hall of Fame, added his eighth state championship to his resume when the Jays Cross Country team dominated the field by winning every single race they participated in 2009.

Jason Ogan finished his final race with a second place finish in the state run and his twin brother Jared Ogan finished fourth to earn All-State status.

BlueJay Wrestling qualified Ryan Bilyeu, who was also an All-State selection, and John Kane for the state tournament and were back in the rankings for the first time in a long time. The same season, the grapplers won their first tournament since winning the 1982 Carl Albert Tournament by winning the Putnam City Tournament last December. 

The Lady Jays golf team did not win a championship, but returned back to state and finished seventh overall this past spring. Many of the golfers are returning after being a pretty young team a season ago and are expected to go back in 2010.

The Guthrie tennis squads qualified for the state tournament with both of their girls and boys doubles teams along with Brittany Berryman in singles play. Berryman then signed and played her first season at Cowley County.

The Lady Jays soccer team were back in the playoffs and landed two more All-Staters in Morgan Swink and Brittany Ensign. For the BlueJays that also had two All-Staters in Andy Blank and Manny Luevano.

The Guthrie BlueJay football team overcame an 0-2 start to the '09 season to surprise many around the state with a trip to the state semi-finals. In the process, Dustin Bohanan became the 30th BlueJay to All State and continues the string of a Jay making the list to five years in a row and junior Kentrell Brothers became Guthrie's first receiver to collect 1,000 yards receiving in a single season.

Prior to the start of the 2009 football season, Guthrie had three players and two coaches picked to participate in the annual Oil Bowl game that features the best in Oklahoma against the best in Texas. Foster, Callins, Skyler Smith, Rafe Watkins, and Kelly Beeby were the Guthrie representaives.

Unfortunately, it was not all good in 2009 as Guthrie lost a member of the coaching and teaching family with the sudden passing of Jared Pearce just before the start of the school year. Pearce contributed immensely with the football and wrestling junior high programs and is being honored in the 2009-2010 school year.

It's special to win state championships and earn honors and accolades that we got to see from all of these student athlete's, but it was fun and enjoyable for all of us to watch the success on and off the field of play in 2009.

If you would like to add to the list or give us your Top 10 visit my blog page and leave a comment. Chris Evans Blog Page

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