"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Sequoyah Teams Advance to State Finals

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - They call it, “The Big House.” Sequoyah just calls it, “home away from home.” It’s the State Fair Arena and the site of the Class 3A Oklahoma State basketball tournament.

For the sixth year in a row, the Sequoyah boys’ basketball team has graced the floor of one of the largest basketball venues in the state with hopes of bringing home a gold ball. Tonight, the team is one step closer to making that happen. The Indians beat Kingfisher 50 to 41 to seal their spot in the finals.

Earlier in the day, he girls’ basketball team survived their toughest game of the year, as the Lady Indians managed to beat the Bethel Lady Wildcats 44 to 36. The Lady Indians entered the tournament as the number one seed with an undefeated regular season and hopes for their third gold ball.

“We have good luck on odd years,” said Larry Grigg, Sequoyah boys’ head coach who claims to be a superstitious man. “I told the boys we were guaranteed to be in the finals. We won it in 2003 and won silver in 2005, we were going to make the finals in 2007.”

2007 could be the year that Sequoyah brings home, not one, but two championship trophies with the boys and girls teams both advancing to the final round of tournament play. The girls will square off tomorrow morning at 10:45 a.m. against Adair and the boys play at 5:45 against the winner of the Verdigris and Millwood game.