TOC: The Ultimate Champion: Midwest City
In the championship game at the premier tournament for high school basketball in the state of Oklahoma Carl Albert and Midwest City had a slugfest. The game lived up to all the hype that had been built around it as Midwest City jumped out to a huge lead and led by as much as 18 at one point. Then Carl Albert started chipping away. Carl Albert even took the lead back in the second half. Midwest City responded well and finished on the high side beating Carl Albert 70-64.
Mason Harrell 2018 Carl Albert Guard
Mason Harrell finished the title game with 30 points after dropping 20 points in the first half. Harrell was a constant threat and Midwest City keyed on him. Harrell hit some big shots time and time again. In the second half, Harrell was slowed down by Midwest City shooting 25%. He showed his ability to finish at the rim throughout the game. Although Harrell and the Titans did not come out on top he made a great run at MVP of the tournament and nearly pulled off winning the TOC. Harrell is the top unsigned prospect in the state and will look to bounce back after suffering his first loss of the season with Carl Albert.
Midwest City Team Effort
This Midwest City team lacks a true star. They make up for that in playing like a family. They always have each other’s backs and are unselfish. The play great defense in every game which is a custom of Midwest City. Tonight they forced Carl Albert to turn the ball over 21 times in a sloppy performance from the Titans. They even made Harrell struggle in the second half. They limited his performance and held him to two made baskets on the night. If Midwest City plays defense like they did against Carl Albert, they will be making it deep into March.
J.D. Ray 2019 Midwest City Guard
J.D. Ray had a big game in the championship at the Tournament of Champions. He started the game strong scoring the first seven points of the game. He was the constant throughout the game and hit tough shots. He got his teammates involved and was very unselfish on a night where he was hot. Ray finished the game with 18 points and 5 assists.
Derrick Walter Jr. 2018 Midwest City Wing
Derrick Walter Jr. was quiet in the first half. He has bought into the team basketball mentality that Midwest City wants to play. He plays great defense and played it throughout the tournament. The Oklahoma Christian signee has shown why they recruited him so hard. He is an athletic wing that will excel at the next level with the Eagles. He picked up his offensive play in the second half and came away with some good numbers. He is the leader of this Midwest City team that has lost some great talent that they expected to have this year. He stepped up in the big moments where Midwest City needed him most. He finished the game with 17 points.
The Other Side of the Comeback
Yesterday was a completely different story. Carl Albert had the big lead and almost blew it to Booker T. Washington. Today, Carl Albert was on the other side of that. They fell down 18 points early and worked the rest of the game to get back into the game. They chipped away at the lead and even took it back in the third quarter. However, it did not last long as Midwest City recovered well and took the lead right back. Carl Albert could not finish the comeback and fell 70-64 due to some late turnovers by the Titans.