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SEQUOYAH — Travis Weast might be the shortest player on the floor at any given moment, but there was nothing subtle about the way he took control Tuesday night.
The senior guard delivered when it mattered most, scoring 6 of his game-high 25 points during a decisive 10-0 run over the final 3:56 as Class 4A No. 18 Inola closed strong for a 68-62 road victory over Sequoyah in the Rogers County Rivalry at Olan Graham Field House.
“Playing against Sequoyah all these years, it’ll always be that way,” said Inola coach Clyde Barkley, whose first win as a coach came in January 1980 against Sequoyah. “Both teams played really, really well tonight. Every kid contributed in some positive way tonight, and we really needed that. We locked in on the defensive end. They hit a high percentage on us throughout the game.”
Already in rhythm most of the night, Weast elevated his game once more after the Eagles surged ahead 62-58 midway through the fourth quarter.
He buried a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:07 remaining, followed by a driving basket and a late free throw, while Caden Thompson supplied the other 4 points of the game-ending run to seal it.
“The whole game, the biggest worry for me, or concern, was our defense,” Weast said. “Our offense was pretty locked in tonight, and so was theirs, but it was because our defense was lacking. Playing with a group of guys like that, I wasn’t too worried about how much time was on the clock. I knew we’d eventually pull away. God blessed us with a great group of guys, and we just got the job done tonight.”
The win was more survival than separation for the Longhorns [18-3], who had to withstand a high-efficiency night from Sequoyah, particularly from beyond the arc.
The Eagles [9-9] knocked down 10 3-pointers, 7 of them from Witt Callery, who finished with 23 points.
“Everybody told me Witt can shoot it when I got here,” Sequoyah first-year coach Brock Thomas said. “Right before Christmas, he was shooting 21% percent from 3. Now this is his fifth game with 5 or more 3s. He’s come on, and he’s really been able to shoot it.”
Callery’s final make — a deep 3 at the 5:23 mark — gave Sequoyah a 61-56. But after Derick Cole’s free throw extended that edge to 62-58 with 4:11 remaining, the Eagles went silent the rest of the way.
Sequoyah did not score again, and Callery didn’t attempt another shot during the closing stretch.
“We missed three shots at the rim in the last two minutes of the game,” Thomas said. “I think a little of it is experience. The experience for [Inola] paid off down the stretch, and we had guys that were worn out. We leaned on Derick Cole there early in the fourth and in the third, and they couldn’t stop him down low, but he’s also guarding their best player. After the first quarter, he held the Thompson kid to 8 points in the second, third and fourth. I think we were worn out and couldn’t close it out there at the end.
“I don’t want to call them impossible to guard, but it’s really close.”
From the opening tip, it was clear the rivalry would bring the best out of both teams.
The first quarter turned into an entertaining duel between the Eagles' Mason Weeks and Inola’s Thompson. Weeks scored 10 points in the period, repeatedly answering Thompson, who countered with 8 as the teams traded blows possession by possession.
The Longhorns carried a slim 21-19 edge after one in what felt like a heavyweight exchange.
That pace continued into the second quarter, with neither team able to create much separation.
Sequoyah briefly grabbed momentum behind Callery’s shooting, but Inola’s balance kept the Longhorns within reach, and the game went to halftime deadlocked at 35.
The third quarter remained tight, featuring seven lead changes and no margin greater than 6 points.
Jaxon Dark gave Inola a lift with 14 points on the night, including 10 in the third, while Thompson’s steady scoring presence helped Inola keep pace.
The Eagles entered the fourth tied at 52 and looked poised to flip the script from December, when the Longhorns rolled to a 75-46 win. The Eagles’ confidence showed, especially with Callery continuing to stretch the floor.
But when the game tightened late, it was Weast who made the defining plays.
Weast finished with 25 points and 5 rebounds, Thompson added 16 points and 5 rebounds, and Dark chipped in 14 points and 2 boards. Caleb Helling controlled the glass with 9 rebounds to help the Longhorns edge the rebounding battle 26-20.
“We’ve fought adversity our whole lives,” Weast said. “We’re not the biggest team, but we learned to fight. We play hard no matter what, whether we’re up 10 or down 10. Being able to play through adversity and fight the whole entire game until the last buzzer is key, and that’s helped us a lot.
“This was definitely a playoff atmosphere — the crowd was packed, it was loud and we couldn’t hear each other out there,” he added. “Getting in a game like this, a close game, definitely helps us a lot. Going into a big playoff game, that could mean ending our season if we lose, so playing a game like this was definitely awesome. It’ll definitely help us in the long run.”
Weast's older sister, Miller, helped lead Inola’s girls program to its first state-tournament appearance in 28 years during her senior season in 2024, ending a drought that had lingered since 1996.
Now a senior himself, Weast has a chance to mirror that achievement on the boys side, as the Longhorns continue their push to snap their own 28-year state tournament absence.
It is a goal that feels increasingly attainable with each late-game moment he commands.
“That would be a dream come true,” Weast said. “I’ve always dreamed about playing in the Big House with these guys, so that would be a dream come true.”
For Sequoyah, Derick Cole scored 17 points and 4 rebounds, and Weeks finished with 16 and 2.
Despite the loss, the Eagles' performance marked a notable step forward after the lopsided December loss.
Sequoyah has now dropped three of their past four games, but two of those defeats have come by single digits — including Tuesday’s — a promising sign heading into the season’s final month. Inola entered the night with an average margin of victory of 17.2 points per game.
“I think our kids, game-by-game, are gaining more confidence,” Thomas said. “And this is when you want to play your best. We want to play our best right now, leading up into the playoffs and in the playoffs. If we were doing this in December, we might have run out of gas. Hopefully we can stay on that upward trajectory.”
The Longhorns travel to Salina for a 7:30 p.m. tip Friday, while Sequoyah returns home to host Jay at 7:30 p.m. Friday before welcoming Wagoner at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
“We’ve been up-and-down, and we’ve played some really good teams this year,” Barkley said. “We’ve been tested, but they’ve come out on the positive side. I’m really proud of this group right now.”
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The senior guard delivered when it mattered most, scoring 6 of his game-high 25 points during a decisive 10-0 run over the final 3:56 as Class 4A No. 18 Inola closed strong for a 68-62 road victory over Sequoyah in the Rogers County Rivalry at Olan Graham Field House.
“Playing against Sequoyah all these years, it’ll always be that way,” said Inola coach Clyde Barkley, whose first win as a coach came in January 1980 against Sequoyah. “Both teams played really, really well tonight. Every kid contributed in some positive way tonight, and we really needed that. We locked in on the defensive end. They hit a high percentage on us throughout the game.”
Already in rhythm most of the night, Weast elevated his game once more after the Eagles surged ahead 62-58 midway through the fourth quarter.
He buried a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:07 remaining, followed by a driving basket and a late free throw, while Caden Thompson supplied the other 4 points of the game-ending run to seal it.
“The whole game, the biggest worry for me, or concern, was our defense,” Weast said. “Our offense was pretty locked in tonight, and so was theirs, but it was because our defense was lacking. Playing with a group of guys like that, I wasn’t too worried about how much time was on the clock. I knew we’d eventually pull away. God blessed us with a great group of guys, and we just got the job done tonight.”
The win was more survival than separation for the Longhorns [18-3], who had to withstand a high-efficiency night from Sequoyah, particularly from beyond the arc.
The Eagles [9-9] knocked down 10 3-pointers, 7 of them from Witt Callery, who finished with 23 points.
“Everybody told me Witt can shoot it when I got here,” Sequoyah first-year coach Brock Thomas said. “Right before Christmas, he was shooting 21% percent from 3. Now this is his fifth game with 5 or more 3s. He’s come on, and he’s really been able to shoot it.”
Callery’s final make — a deep 3 at the 5:23 mark — gave Sequoyah a 61-56. But after Derick Cole’s free throw extended that edge to 62-58 with 4:11 remaining, the Eagles went silent the rest of the way.
Sequoyah did not score again, and Callery didn’t attempt another shot during the closing stretch.
“We missed three shots at the rim in the last two minutes of the game,” Thomas said. “I think a little of it is experience. The experience for [Inola] paid off down the stretch, and we had guys that were worn out. We leaned on Derick Cole there early in the fourth and in the third, and they couldn’t stop him down low, but he’s also guarding their best player. After the first quarter, he held the Thompson kid to 8 points in the second, third and fourth. I think we were worn out and couldn’t close it out there at the end.
“I don’t want to call them impossible to guard, but it’s really close.”
From the opening tip, it was clear the rivalry would bring the best out of both teams.
The first quarter turned into an entertaining duel between the Eagles' Mason Weeks and Inola’s Thompson. Weeks scored 10 points in the period, repeatedly answering Thompson, who countered with 8 as the teams traded blows possession by possession.
The Longhorns carried a slim 21-19 edge after one in what felt like a heavyweight exchange.
That pace continued into the second quarter, with neither team able to create much separation.
Sequoyah briefly grabbed momentum behind Callery’s shooting, but Inola’s balance kept the Longhorns within reach, and the game went to halftime deadlocked at 35.
The third quarter remained tight, featuring seven lead changes and no margin greater than 6 points.
Jaxon Dark gave Inola a lift with 14 points on the night, including 10 in the third, while Thompson’s steady scoring presence helped Inola keep pace.
The Eagles entered the fourth tied at 52 and looked poised to flip the script from December, when the Longhorns rolled to a 75-46 win. The Eagles’ confidence showed, especially with Callery continuing to stretch the floor.
But when the game tightened late, it was Weast who made the defining plays.
Weast finished with 25 points and 5 rebounds, Thompson added 16 points and 5 rebounds, and Dark chipped in 14 points and 2 boards. Caleb Helling controlled the glass with 9 rebounds to help the Longhorns edge the rebounding battle 26-20.
“We’ve fought adversity our whole lives,” Weast said. “We’re not the biggest team, but we learned to fight. We play hard no matter what, whether we’re up 10 or down 10. Being able to play through adversity and fight the whole entire game until the last buzzer is key, and that’s helped us a lot.
“This was definitely a playoff atmosphere — the crowd was packed, it was loud and we couldn’t hear each other out there,” he added. “Getting in a game like this, a close game, definitely helps us a lot. Going into a big playoff game, that could mean ending our season if we lose, so playing a game like this was definitely awesome. It’ll definitely help us in the long run.”
Weast's older sister, Miller, helped lead Inola’s girls program to its first state-tournament appearance in 28 years during her senior season in 2024, ending a drought that had lingered since 1996.
Now a senior himself, Weast has a chance to mirror that achievement on the boys side, as the Longhorns continue their push to snap their own 28-year state tournament absence.
It is a goal that feels increasingly attainable with each late-game moment he commands.
“That would be a dream come true,” Weast said. “I’ve always dreamed about playing in the Big House with these guys, so that would be a dream come true.”
For Sequoyah, Derick Cole scored 17 points and 4 rebounds, and Weeks finished with 16 and 2.
Despite the loss, the Eagles' performance marked a notable step forward after the lopsided December loss.
Sequoyah has now dropped three of their past four games, but two of those defeats have come by single digits — including Tuesday’s — a promising sign heading into the season’s final month. Inola entered the night with an average margin of victory of 17.2 points per game.
“I think our kids, game-by-game, are gaining more confidence,” Thomas said. “And this is when you want to play your best. We want to play our best right now, leading up into the playoffs and in the playoffs. If we were doing this in December, we might have run out of gas. Hopefully we can stay on that upward trajectory.”
The Longhorns travel to Salina for a 7:30 p.m. tip Friday, while Sequoyah returns home to host Jay at 7:30 p.m. Friday before welcoming Wagoner at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
“We’ve been up-and-down, and we’ve played some really good teams this year,” Barkley said. “We’ve been tested, but they’ve come out on the positive side. I’m really proud of this group right now.”
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