Baseball
Southmoore is ready to swing for the fences this 2025 baseball season. Head coach Hunter Aguirre, now in his second year, looks to carry over last season’s momentum.
“We played in a lot of close ball games last year which is all we can ask for,” said Aguirre. “It came down to a pitch here or a pitch there, but by the end of the year, I truly felt like we were playing our best baseball.
We made it to the regional championship against Choctaw who was stacked and just ran out of bullets against them.”
Aguirre’s first season was spent moving pieces around and that effort paid off. This season brings more certainty, which is something the Sabercats have been missing. Aguirre’s team has set a few goals for the season and believes they can achieve it due to their preparation.
“They really want to go above .500, push to 20 plus wins and make a run at State,” said Aguirre. “I just want them to be proud of the product they’re putting on the field – guys with energy and executing what’s being called.”
Some of the boys who will be looking to make these goals a reality are seniors Kasen Rineheart, Evan Primrose and Jake Koweno. As of right now, fans can expect Rineheart and Primrose to lead the way on the mound.
Aguirre is also excited to see what kind of season junior Christian Deloera has. Deloera led the team in home runs and RBIs last season and Southmoore will surely be leaning on his hitting prowess and talents behind the dish.
Sabercats’ fans should also be on the lookout for sophomore Preston Kutej. The speedy sophomore can really tear up the base paths and is far from being a sure out if the ball is hit on the ground.
Aguirre is excited about every opponent his Sabercats face this season but would love for fans to show their support on Senior Night when Southmoore takes on Putnam City on May, 2.
Golf
The Sabercats look to hit the course for the 2025 season with the intention of going to State. Head coach Brad Black is excited about the group at his disposal but acknowledges it will be an uphill battle. “We’re hoping that we qualify as a team on the boys’ side for State,” said Black. “On the girls’ side, we lost six seniors two years ago and have been in rebuild mode since.”
One of the things both the boys and girls struggled with last season was the ability to see the big picture.
“Our course management wasn’t as good as it should’ve been,” said Black. “As kids get older, they mature. They start realizing where they are on the course and learn to make the smart move.”
Boys
The Sabercats are in good shape on the boys’ side and have everyone they need to put together a solid season. Senior Gavin Elmore is expected to lead the way for the boys at the No. 1 bag.
“He qualified for State and was all-conference as a junior last year,” said Black.
At the No. 2 bag, sophomore Gavin Scheibmeir has impressed as he nearly qualified for State as a freshman. The No. 3 bag will be handled by junior Nick Cowan, but bags No. 4 and No. 5 are in a tight battle between senior Isaiah Smith and sophomore Justin Wiley.
Black is excited to see how the team competes at the Southmoore Invitational at Westwood Park.
Girls
On the girl’s side, there are a few unknowns that need to be figured out before the season begins. Without the luxury of depth, Black will have to push the right buttons to ensure a successful season.
“We’ve had qualifying rounds and almost every time the order changes,” said Black. “They’re all pretty close to each other talent wise, but we haven’t had a clear lineup.”
The five girls on the roster are: juniors Camryn Rodriquez-Stone and Bella Taylor, sophomores D’Lisa Burris and Aubrey Conley and freshman Katharina Cox.
Black is eager to take the girls to Edmond North’s tournament at the Oak Tree Country Club on March 10. The invitational is set to tee off at 8:30 a.m.
Slow-pitch Softball
Southmoore is set to power its way through the 2025 slow-pitch softball season after a fantastic 2024 campaign, which saw the Sabercats losing in the state championship game against Mustang. Head coach James Lingo will be looking to have another great season despite losing key contributors to graduation.
“I think we lost six seniors from last year and they all played a little bit for us last year,” said Lingo. “We’ve got some kids that have been in the lineup for a couple of years who are back and a bunch of newcomers that are trying to get a spot in the lineup.”
Reloading is nothing new to Lingo and the Sabercats.
“The expectation for Southmoore is to win championships, and that’s not going to change,” said Lingo.
Southmoore only has three seniors on the roster – Bree Gomez, Olivia Smith and Gracelyn Weaver, but they collectively bring the experience needed for a strong season.
“Bree has been in the lineup for several years, and so has Olivia,” said Lingo. “Gracelyn Weaver is trying to crack the lineup now, and she has really been practicing well.”
Fans can expect to see a familiar face in junior Kandace Burnett who has been in the mix since her freshman year. Karissa Reddout is another junior to keep tabs on. Doing damage at the plate is crucial in slow pitch, and that is Reddout’s specialty.
Sophomore Ryen Bullock played as a freshman and is an exceptional power hitter. Sophomore Kate Seaton played as a freshman and will get a lot of time in the lineup again this year.
Lingo has a few talented freshmen, but there is one in particular that fans should follow. Lucely Kutz is an uber-talented freshman and was the starting shortstop on the fast-pitch team.
The Sabercats have a stout schedule, but there are a couple of games circled on the calendar. Southmoore faces Choctaw on March 24 and Mustang on April 1, both at home.
Boys Soccer
Southmoore enters the 2025 soccer season laser focused after a 2024 campaign, which left many in the program wanting more. Head coach Kit Stephenson had a talented bunch last year but acknowledges the team underperformed.
“I don’t think it’s any secret, or anyone’s feelings would be hurt, but last season was a disappointment,” said Stephenson.
The Sabercats had the stars aligned perfectly regarding a push to State, but the team was unable to get out of their own way. This season, fans can expect a completely different mindset from their Sabercats.
“This offseason, we’ve spent as much time in the locker room working on our culture as we have on the field,” said Stephenson. “We’ve sacrificed a lot of time in the fall where we could’ve been getting fit focused on being a better team.”
The boys put together lofty goals of winning district, conference, city and state championships.
“This year, they are firmly of the opinion that it’s a no-holds-barred type of season,” said Stephenson. “It’s not my style, it’s a little cocky, but our training tops this year have the coordinates for the center spot of the field where the State championship will be played.”
It’s safe to say the boys are locked in and willing to do what it takes to achieve their goals. Seniors Kaden Locke and Sean Alabi have made great strides this off-season.
Sabercats’ faithful should follow seniors Grayson Schmidt and Caden Anderson as they have impressed the coaching staff their entire careers. Others to watch are juniors Gavin Miller and Luswin Rivera. Freshmen Zach Schmidt and Xavier Rivera are battling to be the team’s goalkeeper.
Stephenson is eager to face talented competition but has his eyes on one team, an extremely talented Norman North team. That game will be played on April 11 at home.
Girls Soccer
Southmoore enters the 2025 girls soccer season with the intention of carrying over the momentum from last year, where they earned a spot at State. The Sabercats graduated several of their key players from last season, but head coach Kathryn Swartzendruber is confident in the group coming in.
“We got back in the playoffs last year and had a pretty good team,” said Swartzendruber. “We graduated a lot of good seniors, but we had a really good freshmen class come in and kind of picked up where we left off last year.”
If the Sabercats are going to have a good season, they must improve defensively and increase the control time.
“We’ve put more emphasis on defending and transitioning back to defense and getting numbers behind the ball,” said Swartzendruber. “Also, we want to keep possession of the ball more and maybe not play as direct as we have in the past.”
Swartzendruber always has confidence in her teams, but this year’s bunch has already given her reason to believe. During Southmoore’s “Champions Week”, which is a week of two-a-days filled with competing against teammates, Swartzendruber knew her girls were ready for the season.
“There would be setbacks and adversity that could come up in a game, and I would call it out,” said Swartzendruber. “They would come back in the afternoon, and it would be fixed. They’re starting to see how everything works and not getting stuck on things we can’t control.”
Leading the way for the Sabercats is senior forward/midfielder Makenzie Weddle who is committed to playing at the next level. Weddle will continue her career at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. Fans can expect a big season from senior midfielder Makala Johnson who will also be playing college soccer for UCO.
Other Sabercats to keep track of this season are juniors Janelle Fleischer and Lelu Lamb.
Swartzendruber is eager to see how the team performs and urges fans to show their support at any home game.
Tennis
The Sabercats put together a pretty good run last year and look to ace the 2025 season. Head coach Kelly Johnson had two girls qualify for State last year and hopes to serve up similar results.
“Last season went well, but we are still sort of in a rebuilding phase,” said Johnson.
Johnson used the offseason as a time to get back to the fundamentals to ensure the team is finely tuned.
“We have focused a lot on consistency in serving,” said Johnson. “We want to work smarter, not harder, and the offseason allows us the opportunity to focus on the basics so we can take those skills and start working more on strategy in both singles and doubles play.”
Girls
Southmoore is strong on the girl’s side and should be followed closely this year. The Sabercats have two seniors – Samantha Nguyen and Mia Johnson – who will be looking to finish their fantastic careers with a deep run at State. Nguyen has impressed her entire career and will continue to do so as the No. 1 singles player. The Sabercats have seen Nguyen qualify for State every year, so anything less would undoubtedly be a disappointment.
Mia Johnson has qualified for State at both singles and doubles. At the moment, it is unclear if Johnson will be the No. 2 singles player or partner up on the No. 1 doubles.
Boys
Johnson has optimism for the boys team and hopes to have a couple qualify for State. Johnson believes senior Kevin Luu has the potential to make State and will be the No. 1 singles player for the Sabercats. Sophomore Caden Belcher is the No. 2 singles player. Johnson believes Belcher can accomplish whatever he sets his mind to.
“I’m looking forward to (a great season for) both of these boys,” said Johnson. “I want them to achieve their personal goals and see them qualify for State.”
The remaining positions will be tinkered with as the season progresses.
“I still have not determined who will be playing which positions,” said Johnson. “Several of our players are very close skill-wise, so it’s going to be a tough decision week-to-week.”
Johnson is excited to see how her Sabercats compete in two tournaments this year – the Ponca City and Deer Creek tournaments.
“Both of these tournaments host many of the teams who placed in the top five in 6A tennis last season,” explained Johnson.
Southmoore will head to Ponca City on March 11 and will be at Deer Creek on March 25 and 26.
Track & Field
The Sabercats look to hit the 2025 track and field season full sprint after putting together a solid campaign last year. TJ Lovejoy, now in his second year as the head coach for both the boys and girls, admits the previous season was difficult, yet productive.
“All-in-all, it was a good year,” said Lovejoy. “(We) didn’t have the results we would’ve liked, but we got better.”
Southmoore brings back three State-qualifiers from last season and Lovejoy is hoping to get those three back and more. This could be a difficult task as the Sabercats lost several athletes to graduation.
“I think we graduated 11 seniors last year,” said Lovejoy. “Four of those went to State last year.”
Lovejoy said the team is focused on preparing the upperclassmen to qualify.
Boys
Sabercats’ faithful should keep an eye on senior Ty Simms and junior Alex Ngo. Fans can cheer on both Simms and Ngo as they compete in the 100 and 200 m races.
Another Sabercat to watch is senior Madden Merwin, who is competing in the pole vault.
Girls
Fans can expect junior Latesha Theirry to have a strong year as she aims to qualify for State again and bring back a medal or two. Other strong contenders are sophomores Makayla Reynolds and Kendall Williams. Reynolds competes primarily in 400 m, and Williams in the 100-200 m and long jump.
Lovejoy is eager to see how the team competes at Regionals. – SMS
By T. J. Turner
