Conehatta secures 20th stickball title

By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
July 14, 2003
CHOCTAW Conehatta continued its dominance in the sport of stickball at the 54th-annual Choctaw Indian Fair.
The Conehatta men won their unprecedented 20th championship in the 45 years of the World Series of Stickball with a 2-0 victory over Bok Cito in Saturday night's finals.
Conehatta scored both of its goals in the first quarter. Vincent Smith scored from close range with 9:15 remaining in the opening period.
Eric Billy added an insurance score with 1:21 to go in the first quarter.
Neither team was able to score over the final 45 minutes.
The game was called by the officials with 24.2 seconds remaining after a pair of altercations inside the final 30 seconds.
Conehatta defeated the Warriors 2-1 and Beaver Dam 3-2 to reach the championship game.
Bok Cito beat Oka Homma 3-1 and Pearl River 3-2 to advance to the men's finals.
Conehatta's Clifton Willis Jr. was chosen the Most Valuable Player.
Melinda Ben was named women's MVP.
In the men's 35 and older division, Cedric Williams was selected MVP.
In other men's games:
Conehatta 3
Beaver Dam 2
Jay Shumake scored six minutes into sudden death to carry Conehatta past Beaver Dam in Friday night's semifinal.
Roddy Nickey put Conehatta up 1-0 just 26 seconds into the game.
Beaver Dam led 2-1 at the end of the first quarter behind a goal from Anka Joe at the 5:43 mark and another by Clint Farve with 3:18 left in the opening period.
Shumake tied the contest at 2-2 with 13:17 remaining in the second quarter.
Neither team was able to score in the third or fourth quarters.
Bok Cito 3
Pearl River 2
Jason Bell's score with 9:55 left in the fourth quarter snapped a 2-2 stalemate in Thursday night's semifinal.
Joey Morris put Bok Cito up 1-0 with 5:55 showing in the first quarter.
Neither team scored in the second period.
Damian Jimmie tied the game with 9:35 left in the third quarter.
Bok Cito reclaimed the lead at 2-1 on a goal by Cain Chickaway with 45 seconds to play in the third period.
Delanie Hickman scored for Pearl River with 12:32 to go in the fourth quarter for a 2-2 tie.
Youth Divisions
Beaver Dam defeated Pearl River in the finals of the Pushmataha Division (10-13 year-olds). Jerrod Edwards was the MVP.
Conehatta defeated Bok Cito in the finals of the Tali Okchi Ishko Division (14-17 year-olds). Deleon Phillips was the MVP.
In the Bohpoli Division (7-9 year-olds), the 8 year-old winner for distance, accuracy, and catching was Tobiah Ben. The 9 year-old winner was Kaitlyn Wilson.