Patriot Athlete of the Week: Nowata battler brings well-rounded game
Nowata High School’s boys basketball team has written one of the happier area stories of the season, at least through 18 games.
The Ironmen have blitzed to an 13-5 record, after overcoming a tepid 4-4 start to the season.
One of the primary component of Nowata’s success has been Yahmarion Cole.
Cole wears No. 13 — which has been an omen of good luck for the Ironmen.
The wiry junior warrior — listed at 6-foot-3, 150 pounds — put Nowata partly on his shoulders in a major victory this week at Ketchum, 56-50.
Cole yanked down 19 rebounds and score 17 points in the “upset win.”
For his prodigious performance, Cole is this week’s Patriot Auto E-E Athlete of the Week.
Ketchum came into the game ranked No. 9 in the state in Class 2A. Nowata possessed the No. 16 ranking.
But, Cole and his teammates refused to be denied a victory that should have captured the attention of the rest of the Class 2A observers.
“He can jump out of the gym,” said Nowata head coach about the transfer from Detroit, Mich. “He has great athleticism. He finishes well around the rim. He’s got a great three-point shot. He’s a great all-around player.”
Cole can excel at multiple positions, which enhances his value and his matchup woes for other teams, Smith added.
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Along with a strong lineup that includes Skylar Stevens, Kaleb Bashford and others, Cole played an important role in last week’s heard-earned championship at the NEO Tournament.
Smith recalled another game in which Cole made a seismic impact when he pulled down 17 boards in a spotlight win against Oklahoma Union.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Patriot Auto Athlete of the Week is Nowata's Yahmarion Cole
