ALL STATE BASKETBALL - KEITON PAGE - ROTNEI CLARKE

Another last minute idea this Thursday: let's go to the Oklahoma All State Basketball Game at Carl Albert High School in Midwest City OK and see the final high school game of Pawnee's Keiton Page and Verdigris' Rotnei Clarke, playing together on the Small East team. Keiton will play this season for Oklahoma State University, Rotnei for the University of Arkansas. Rotnei finished high school as the Oklahoma career scoring leader; Keiton finished as the single season scoring leader, second in career scoring and first in state championship scoring. Keiton and Rotnei played together in middle school.

The Daily Oklahoman reported that 2,000 fans attended the small school game, but that only 1,000 remained for the large school game. I wonder who the fans were there to see play?

















As I've gotten older, I've discovered I would rather watch "the kids" play an NAIA soccer game, JV volleyball game, girls' softball game, high school basketball game, or minor league baseball game than watch a bunch of arrogant millionaires who have lost touch with the game and the fans (Manny Ramirez, Brett Favre, Pacman Jones, steriod cheaters).

I think one reason I have followed Keiton's career in the local newspaper and on-line is that he is from small-town Oklahoma, the experts have questioned his ability to play Division I basketball due to his size, it appears he's a respectful young man, and he has chosen to stay home and play for my school.

Then one day when I had to make a business trip northeast of Oklahoma City, on the way home we drove through Pawnee (I like to photograph courthouses, high school athletic facilities and historical sites). As we drove by the high school, we saw Keiton and his father and high school coach, David Page, outside the gym. Coach Page was very kind to speak with us for quite awhile about Keiton and his future at OSU. We told Coach Page that we had seen him lead Pawnee to the Oklahoma State Championship when Keiton scored 54 points in the state final at the Big House in OKC.

After the All State game, KAN and I spoke briefly with Rotnei, Keiton and David Page. Keiton and Rotnei are very polite and humble young men, despite their accomplishments to date. It is very refreshing to speak with such genuine young men. And after speaking with Coach Page, you realize where these values originate. Coach Page even said he had read the earlier posts about Keiton on this blog!!

I am confident that whether Keiton scores 2 points a game or 40 points for OK State, he will not embarrass his family, his home town, his fans or his university and alums, as another college athlete recently did. I have a feeling we will be proud to have him wear the orange and black. I hope Coach Page knows how proud we all are of him and his family.


Oh, by the way, Coach Page was named the Oklahoma basketball Coach of the Year, and Keiton was named the Player of the Year.