National Signing Day takeaways: Record day for Deer Creek, OU signs Tuttle’s Landry Allen & more
Deer Creek sets school record for number of athletes at one signing ceremony
An array of colorful balloons and tables spanned the length of the basketball court at Deer Creek High School.
Sixteen Deer Creek students signed with college programs, representing baseball, cross country, soccer, softball, volleyball and cheer. Athletic director Bill Bays said this is the school's largest number of students who have signed national letters of intent in one day. Previously, the biggest group included 14 athletes, he said.
Addison Roberts was one of the students who made her college decision official Wednesday. Roberts signed with Oklahoma State soccer, carrying on a family legacy. She is the daughter of former Cowboy basketball star Chianti Roberts and the granddaughter of Charlie Meyers, who played baseball at OSU.
“I feel like my entire life was kind of just centered around going there,” Addison Roberts said. “I’ve been going to their (soccer) camp since I was six years old. It just always felt like a place that I could call home, and I love it.”
Roberts and her father said the amenities at Neal Patterson Stadium show them how OSU treats women's sports as a priority.
"The transformation is incredible, and the commitment that they're making to women's athletics is incredible," Chianti Roberts said.
Other signees are traveling farther from home. Taylor Tomlin inked his letter to play baseball at the University of Houston. The senior said he fell in love with the program and the city.
“I’m very blessed with this opportunity,” Tomlin said. “I wouldn’t be here without my family taking me to endless showcases and games and practices and my teammates pushing me to be better and better.”
More:The Oklahoman's Class 6A to C high school football rankings for Week 11
Heritage Hall's Austin Lemon signs with Oklahoma State
Austin Lemon sat next to his peers as they were looked on by a crowd at Heritage Hall.
The McClendon Athletic Center gym was filled with parents and students as the Chargers were putting on a small event for their athletes. Just on the outside of the gymnasium stood balloons, pictures of the signees and snacks for those in attendance. And on the inside, a big screen featured videos involving the athletes and their coaches.
The festivities were worthy of the occasion.
Heritage Hall had four athletes sign Division-I national letters of intent on Wednesday morning. Baseball player Austin Lemon (Oklahoma State) and wrestlers KJ Evans (Oklahoma), Davis Park (Navy) and EJ Beloncik (Air Force).
“It feels amazing,” Lemon said after signing. “I can’t wait to step on campus to get a chance to play for such a high program and compete for a national championship, it’s really exciting.”
The Chargers' most dangerous hitter this season, Lemon helped lead Heritage Hall to the Class 3A state tournament. Lemon batted .584 with six home runs and 39 RBIs. He also had a team-high 68 runs to earn Heritage Hall’s Most Valuable Player Award.
“It was a really good season,” Lemon said. “I set the batting average and runs (school records) obviously looking to set more this year. So I’m really looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”
More:Del City star Brandon Garrison a great fit to lead Oklahoma State's 2023 signing class
Norman basketball star Aaliyah Henderson signs with SMU
Aaliyah Henderson won’t play basketball for Norman High again.
A torn anterior cruciate ligament she suffered in her last AAU summer game in August ended her chance to compete for the Tigers during her senior season.
But thankfully, Henderson’s basketball career is far from finished.
The 5-foot-7 guard signed with SMU on Wednesday inside Norman’s gymnasium.
Coming off a strong junior season in which she was named to The Oklahoman’s Big All-City second team, Henderson had high hopes for her senior year.
A lefty, she helped keep Norman a state title contender last year as some of the Tigers’ biggest stars dealt with injuries.
“I was kind of by myself and had to play that leadership role more,” Henderson said. “My junior year, I had a good year. I accomplished some stuff. I got some awards.”
Henderson, who averaged 13.3 points per game last year, announced her commitment to SMU on Aug. 12.
“They came to the last couple of games of my AAU (season), so they were kind of late,” she said. “But right when I started talking to the coaches, I felt like this is where I wanted to be at. It felt like home. It was close enough for my family to come visit me.”
Norman coach Frankie Parks is disappointed he won’t have his star player this year, but he has faith she’ll bounce back.
“I’ve coached Aaliyah since she was a fifth-grader,” Parks said. “All through middle school from the club standpoint and then high school — just one of the toughest, competitive, hard-nosed kids that I know.”
More:Where are Oklahoma high school athletes going to college? Here's the 2023 college signing list
Tuttle’s Landry Allen signs with OU women’s basketball
Tuttle had eight athletes sign with colleges Wednesday.
The Tigers had four softball and three baseball players sign, but their most high-profile athlete who made things official came from their girls basketball squad.
Landry Allen, one of the top players in the state, signed with OU after committing to the Sooners in June 2021.
Allen has starred for Tuttle since she was a freshman and helped the Class 4A Tigers win their first-ever girls basketball state title in 2021.
Last season, the 6-foot-3 Allen averaged 13.4 points per game, helped Tuttle reach the state finals and was named to The Oklahoman’s Super 5 first team.
"Landry is 'Sooner Born, Sooner Bred'," OU coach Jennie Baranczyk said in a release. "It will always be a goal of ours to keep the best players in the Sooner State here at home. Landry has won a state championship here in Oklahoma and has won many championships including a national championship with Southwest Elite.
"She has great length and athleticism with incredible hands and great footwork. We love the way she can run the floor and her passing ability. We are so excited that Landry is now officially a Sooner!"
The other Tuttle athletes who signed Wednesday were softball standouts Jentry Henderson (Southern Nazarene), Elyssa Kaniatobe (Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa), Melissa Wasinger (Northern Oklahoma College Enid) and Kya Watson (University of Central Oklahoma) and baseball players Ashton Bennight, Alex Conover and Carsen Moore, who are all headed to Cowley College.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: National Signing Day: Tuttle’s Landry Allen signs with OU basketball
