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Articles by James Poling
UPTOWN FUNK | Esquire | Summer 2019
One day, I was working in the store, sleep-deprived as usual, when Little Man, a hustler who worked for the Harlem boss James “Jack” Jackson, walked in with his girl. Everyone in the place started crowding around her. When I walked over to see what all the commotion was about, the girl held up a small brown leather clutch with a repeating pattern of gold letters—an L overlapping a V. That was the first time I’d seen a Louis Vuitton up close. It was a beautiful bag made with amazing craftsmanship.
Real Monarchs score late, tie Energy at Taft Stadium
--°Register13 NewsOK: Oklahoma City News, Sports, Weather & Entertainment By James Poling For The Oklahoman Published: Sun, May 19, 2019 8:44 PM Advertisement Oklahoma City Energy FC has reinvented its lineup in coach Steve Cooke’s second season with a strong Caribbean influence within the roster. The influx of West Indies-born talent has elevated the Energy into the top-half of the Western Conference standings.
Dancing woman quits her job in the most epic way possible
VIDEO Something tells me this woman isn’t going to have any trouble finding work after producing this masterpiece. Who wouldn’t love to be a fly on the wall when her boss walked in and found this video waiting for him on his desk.
Bixby's Warren Kokott, Owasso's Jordan Riley part of inaugural OCU men's swimming season
Warren Kokott of Bixby swims in heat two of the Boys 100 yard freestyle during the 6A Regional Swim Meet at the Jenks High School Aquatic Center, Saturday February 4, 2017.
Not All of Them Were Merry
bedside murder mystery Hang by Your Neck December 1948 By HENRY KANE fiction Ivan and the Platinum Baby December 1948 By GILBERT SONBERGH personality Young Man with a Problem December 1948 By JAMES POLING fiction Something Special for Miss Brigham December 1948 By F. HUGH HERBERT pictorial features Christmas in New York December 1948 By Gianni-Gilliam fiction How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's Bar December 1948 By BRET HARTE
Shattuck wins another state title, beats Regent Prep
Bralyn Hill was in pain. The pain wasn't anything new for Shattuck's starting running back during Thursday's state title game. But Hill had been playing on a torn right ACL since a late September victory vs. Carnegie. Yet in the decisive moments of the Class B State championship, Hill was in the spotlight making the critical plays, both on offense and defense.
Carey's 5 TDs carry Heritage Hall past Sulphur
Conner Carey was just getting started when Mother Nature delayed his team's early momentum. Upon resumption, he picked right back up where he started. Carey scored five total touchdowns, all in the first half, as Heritage Hall rolled to a 50-14 victory over Sulphur in the Class 3A Championship game at Western Heights High School. Carey, a senior, finished the first half with 148 total yards on 19 touches.
Bethany defeats Weatherford in first round of Class 4A playoffs
BETHANY — Weatherford and Bethany keep meeting in what has become an unlikely recurring matchup in the Class 4A playoffs first round. And unfortunately for Weatherford coach Reagan Roof, his former quarterback Friday kept him winless in the series. Sam Brandt controlled both sides of the ball in the third consecutive playoff meeting between the two schools as Bethany defeated Weatherford 38-13 at Southern Nazarene University on Friday.
High school cross country: Kingfisher captures Class 4A girls title
Kingfisher's Maddie St Cyr, right, Ashtin Witt, left, and other teammates celebrate after winning the girls Class 4A state cross country race Saturday in Shawnee. [Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman] Kingfisher edged out perennial powers Plainview to win the team championship by only six points. Maddie St. Cyr was the top finishing Kingfisher runner in fifth place. Teammates Zoey Evans, Katon Lunsford and Madeline Loosen finished closely behind in 10th, 12th and 13th, respectively.
Oklahoma high school cross country state meet is the mudder of all races
Cameron Craig, left, and Gillian Hart of Community Christian run through mud during the girls Class 3A state cross country race Saturday in Shawnee. [Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman] Water parks may have closed after Labor Day, but Oklahoma high school cross country runners were granted an extra two months on the slip and slide.
Edmond Santa Fe pulls away to beat Westmoore
MOORE — When Edmond Santa Fe receiver Trace Ford scored on a 22-yard pass from Kanan Hansen early in the second quarter, nothing at that time seemed out of the ordinary. An otherwise ugly first half in the red zone made that simple scoring play look outlandish. Edmond Santa Fe finally began converting its red zone chances in the second half, and its balanced offense took control with at 24-6 victory at Westmoore on Thursday.
Millwood hangs tough in the end, beats Washington
After losing to Millwood in the 2017 Class 2A state championship, Washington had revenge on its mind as it jumped to a 17-point halftime lead Friday night. Yet Friday night's loss might hurt even more than that state final. Millwood scored 22 unanswered points and made a goal-line stand on the final play as it defeated Washington 22-17 to conclude a wild Millwood homecoming game. With the improbable comeback, Millwood extended its state-best winning streak to 34 games.
Edmond Santa Fe shows efficiency in 42-7 win
EDMOND — Efficiency was the key for Edmond Santa Fe in its rivalry game against crosstown Edmond Memorial. All three phases of the team provided that immediately. Santa Fe quarterback Kanan Hansen threw four first-half touchdown passes as his team defeated Edmond Memorial 42-7 at Edmond North stadium on Thursday. The dream start for Santa Fe started with it forcing Memorial into a three-and-out on the game's opening possession.
Butler's 4 TDs lead Yukon to rout of Moore
Yukon improved to 3-0 and finished non-district play undefeated in coach Jeremy Reed's second season with the Class 6A school. Butler scored four touchdowns, two on kickoffs including the opening play, as Yukon defeated Moore 49-27 at Miller Stadium. No bother for Yukon's Isaiah Butler. He had a clear vision to the end zone. YUKON — Steady rain made visibility difficult in the opening quarter of Friday's game between Yukon and Moore.
Energy FC drops eighth straight and held scoreless again
Jose Barril sulked toward the opposite side of the pitch, furious about being subbed off before halftime. As Barril walked off he took an angry, swift kick at one of the temporary advertisement boards. It's been that type of frustration for this year's OKC Energy squad. League-leading Phoenix Rising FC scored two first-half goals, both headed in from set pieces, as it defeated the Energy FC 3-0 at Taft Stadium on Wednesday night.
Struggling Energy loses to Saint Louis
A wet, cold night felt like an eternity to those at Taft Stadium watching OKC Energy FC lose its fifth-straight match. To Energy coach Steve Cooke, it wasn't long enough. Saint Louis scored in the 20th minute and killed off the remaining time as it defeated OKC Energy 1-0 in a rainy Saturday evening match. Christian Volesky scored the match's only goal after he intercepted an Energy pass just in front of the midline.
OKC Energy shuts out Tulsa Roughnecks in season opener
Francis Atuahene's stay in Oklahoma City is looking fleeting. But his impact in the Black Gold Derby will remain in the rivalry's lore. Atuahene scored the opening goal in the sixth minute as OKC Energy defeated the Tulsa Roughnecks 1-0 in Saturday's season-opening match. A FC Dallas loanee, Atuahene earned the start for his professional debut.
Wright City holds off Luther
YUKON — Once again, the late fourth quarter clock was Wright City's ally. But unlike its previous Class 2A boys playoff games, the clock did not spring forward so easily. The class' top-ranked team was pushed and tested for the first time this season, but Wright City pulled away late to defeat Luther 48-41 in Friday night's semifinal.
Class 2A boys state tournament: Latta survives Crossings in OT
YUKON — New players, same results for the defending Class 2A boys champions. Latta struggled but ultimately pulled out a 58-56 overtime victory over Crossings Christian during Thursday afternoon's quarterfinal game. The defending champion lost nine seniors from its title squad, and the lack of experience in this year's squad showed during the closing stretch as it had missed free throws, turnovers and inopportune fouls that gave life to Crossings in the fourth quarter.
Class 2A boys basketball: Trent Smith leads Latta rally with potent second half
YUKON — An animated Trent Smith sat most of the entire second quarter on the bench. Latta's leading scorer was visibly frustrated at himself, reaching around to pound his arm against the back of his chair as Hooker slowly pulled away. Upon finally checking back into the game, Smith was not returning to the sidelines. And he wasn't leaving the arena without a victory. Smith scored a game-high 25 points — 21 in the second half — as Latta defeated Hooker 42-41 in Friday's Class 2A boys semifinal.
Frontier sinks Rattan in thriller
Frontier thought it had already won the game. Rattan's Toche Taylor couldn't believe he was still playing in it. And Connor Norman was not going to let a missed free throw stop him from making the state final, even if he had to replicate the redemption feat. Norman hit a game-tying shot in the fourth quarter and game-winning shot in overtime, both buzzer-beaters, as Frontier defeated Rattan 65-63 in a wild Class A boys semifinal at State Fair Arena.
Fort Cobb-Broxton holds off Cyril
A second-quarter stalling tactic had fans, in particular the Fort Cobb-Broxton side, screaming “boring” at the Cyril players as they stood motionless with the ball just past midcourt. The final two minutes of the Class A boys' semifinal game was anything but that. Kesston Mowdy hit the go-ahead shot with 38 seconds remaining as Fort-Cobb Broxton defeated Cyril, its Caddo County rival, 50-49 on Friday night to advance to the Class A state championship game.
Calumet pulls out OT victory over Duke
BETHANY — Matt Milner drove to the basket, floated his layup off the backboard and violently collided with a Calumet defender. The shot fell through the net, whistles blew and pandemonium rang through the arena with 6.1 seconds remaining in overtime. A fleeting moment of joy for Duke, the climax of an improbable comeback, would rush through the team as they appeared on the verge of victory. And then that moment of elation abruptly ended a minute later.
Parity rules in Class 5A state swim meet
EDMOND — Last season's Class 5A boys swimming championship featured an enthralling ending with six teams in contention entering the final individual event. If Friday's state championship preliminary swims at Mitch Park YMCA indicated anything, this year's finals might make last season's finish look like a mild appetizer. Parity rules in Class 5A boys once again, a division that has seen five schools win the state championship the past seven years.
Millwood starts slow, then rolls past Dibble
With a margin of victory 26 or more points all season, Millwood had not faced the adversity that Dibble presented to it in the first quarter. Yet the defending Class 2A champion channeled its experience handling difficult opposition — its scout team. Millwood overcame its unsteady first quarter with four consecutive second-quarter touchdowns as it overwhelmed Dibble with a 42-0 victory Friday night.
Battle-tested Bombers cruise past Sand Springs
MIDWEST CITY — Despite earning a district title, Midwest City‘s final two regular season opponents made games difficult as they applied pressured and kept the games close. Battle-tested from these opponents, Midwest City quickly made Friday's opening playoff seem like a walk in the park. Midwest City scored touchdowns on its first five possessions and held Sand Springs scoreless in the first half as it comfortably won its Class 6A-II quarterfinal 47-12.
Hill runs for 339, five TDs as OCA drills Crossings Christian
Strong southern winds significantly altered strategies as Crossings Christian and Oklahoma Christian Academy resisted attempting throws into Friday night's headwinds. With OCA's offense surprisingly unable to move on its first two drives, its defense needed a stop or face the prospect falling behind two scores with limited opportunities to throw. The defense delivered, forcing a turnover on downs.
Newcastle holds off Clinton on final play
NEWCASTLE — In a high-scoring shootout with no margin of error on offense, both Newcastle and Clinton each capitalized on late-half turnover to seize momentum. But Newcastle's defense made the most important play on the final one. Newcastle stuffed Clinton quarterback Conor Wyer on a two-point conversion attempt to hang on for a wild 49-48 victory Thursday. Clinton had a chance to win after recovering a Newcastle fumble with 2:03 remaining.
High School Baseball: Oktaha downs Latta for Class A title
MUSTANG — Latta was trailing in the fourth inning with the bases loaded when it called the riskiest plays in baseball — the suicide squeeze. But when Daejon Jordan's bunt attempt did not make contact, Randis Gray was trapped between third base and home. As the Oktaha third baseman reached to tag Gray in the rundown, the Latta runner dodged it by taking steps off the base path and was ruled safe.
Latta powers into final against Oktaha
MUSTANG — When Dawson Dansby hit his two-run homer in the second inning, he jumped toward home yelling, pumping his fists in a wild celebration. The thrill of hitting his first state tournament home run was obviously a primary factor, but his coach Ed Collins' reaction gave him the pure emotion leading to his wild celebration. “It was a blur on the bases, but I remember looking over and seeing coach's face — he was excited,” Dansby said.
Wade, Lane lead Mount St. Mary past Centennial
Contrary to the lopsided final score, Mount St. Mary struggled to move the ball in its opening possessions during Friday's homecoming game vs. Centennial. Instead of using big plays to kick-start what would be a 42-0 victory, Mount St. Mary played into its opponent's aggressive pursuit. Mount St. Mary's offense drew Centennial offside four times in the first half with hard counts.
Freshman QB leads Carl Albert to rout of Guthrie
GUTHRIE — Making his first road district start, Ben Harris did not look like the backup quarterback. Carl Albert's freshman threw for four touchdowns in the first half as Carl Albert overwhelmed Guthrie with a 55-19 victory on Friday night at Jelsma Stadium. The visitor scored touchdowns on two of its first three offensive plays. Harris was 15 of 21 for 244 yards.
High school football: Running back duo has Bethany offense rolling
BETHANY -- Nursing a 16-13 lead late in the fourth quarter, Bethany needed three yards on fourth down inside Kingfisher's red zone. But when quarterback Sam Brandt took the snap, he saw five Kingfisher defenders swarming him. And his coach, Jon Arthur, had already moved on to what he thought needed to happen on the next play. “I was already thinking about how our defense was going to have to stop them driving 80 yards in three minutes,” Arthur said.
Dixon duo gives Energy playoff boost in win
IRVINE, Calif. - Oklahoma City Energy made a significant lineup change at the end of June that put both Richard and Alex Dixon in the starting lineup. The Dixon connection has paid dividends, and Friday it moved the club closer to playoff certainty. Alex Dixon scored the opening goal in the 35th minute from a Richard Dixon breakaway pass, and the Energy held on for a 2-1 victory at Orange County on Friday night.
Energy, San Antonio drudge along in scoreless draw
To the fans watching Saturday's match at Taft Stadium, the scoreless draw was uneventful with any glimmer of a scoring chance few and far between. For the Oklahoma City Energy and San Antonio players within the match, it was an enthralling midfield chess match, possibly the most exciting 90 minutes of the season. Scoring opportunities were minimal for the Energy and San Antonio during Saturday's 0-0 draw.
Sam Fink stabilizing Energy
When Alex Dixon received Sam Fink's 11th minute pass during last week's match at Tulsa Roughnecks, he turned on a dime and sprinted straight toward goal. Because Dixon was able to change direction quickly from Fink's precise pass, he was able to beat the Roughnecks right cornerback by one step and fire an open shot, which would have been a goal if Jose Angulo, who tapped Dixon's shot in on the far post, was not called offside.
Energy signs Welsh forward
Jonathan Brown, a forward from Abahani Limited Dhaka in Bangladesh, will sign with the club upon the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Brown joins midfielder Chad Bond, who signed with Oklahoma City in June, as Welsh players on the Energy's roster. Brown played with Welsh stars Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) and Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) as part of the Wales National U-21, U-19 and U-17 teams.
Football & Futbol: FIFA World Cup sites and Ezekiel Elliott
Welcome to the home of our Football & Futbol podcast, featuring conversations about both american football and association football (soccer). Below is our list of episodes (click the link to listen). Football & Futbol: FIFA World Cup sites and Ezekiel Elliott: James Poling and Joe Buettner discuss potential North American sites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and pick which sites have the best shot at hosting from a long list of candidates (0:00-37:10).
Energy fuming after referee removes Wojcik from lineup
TULSA — Oklahoma City Energy were upset with Saturday's officiating crew, but it was not because of a call made during the match. The Energy are in the process of filing a complaint to the United Soccer League after match referee Ismir Pekmic removed forward Wojciech Wojcik from its lineup card before Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Roughnecks. The Energy was told that Wojcik was ineligible to play because he was not properly registered to the team selection sheet turned in before the match.
USL playoff chase intensifies in Energy loss to Roughnecks
TULSA — The United Soccer League playoffs are two months away, but its intensity has arrived already for Oklahoma's two clubs. Ian Svantesson headed in his team-best 10th league goal in the 55th minute as the Tulsa Roughnecks defeated Oklahoma City Energy 2-1 on Saturday night with 4,037 in attendance at ONEOK Field. Svantesson scored on a cross as he beat Energy defender Mickey Daly point-blank on right post.
OKC Energy vibrant ahead of Black Gold Derby in Tulsa
TULSA — As the Tulsa Roughnecks celebrated ending their four-match Black Gold Derby losing streak in July, the OKC Energy locker room was quite the somber place. The 2-1 margin of defeat did not indicate how thoroughly the Energy was outplayed, especially in the second half. In the midst of a four-match winless streak, the club sensed the season could be easily slipping away. “We did not bring our A-game that night, and it left a (bad) taste in our mouth,” Energy coach Jimmy Nielsen said.
Oklahomans at the PGA Championship - Day 1
The former Oklahoma State golfer could have finished Thursday in the lead if not four a triple bogey at the par-4 fifth, but six birdies helped him finish as one of 24 golfers under par. Fowler begins his second round at 8:25 a.m. Friday from 10th tee with Rory McIlory and Jon Rahm. The former Oklahoma State golfer had a rough stretch with bogeys on holes No. 4 through No. 6, but he otherwise had a steady day during difficult playing conditions.
Football & Futbol: USL expansion and NFL quarterbacks
Welcome to the home of our Football & Futbol podcast, featuring conversations about both american football and association football (soccer). Below is our list of episodes (click the link to listen). Football & Futbol: USL expansion and NFL QB storylines – James Poling hosts the inaugural Football & Futbol podcast, which features a conversation with SocTakes’ Nipun Chopra about the ongoing promotion/relegation litigation, USL expansion and FC Cincinnati.
Fortune back on Alex Dixon's side
Alex Dixon had enough of near misses. The Oklahoma City midfielder scored twice, including a screamer across the face on goal in the 26th minute, as the Energy's defeated league-leading Real Monarchs 2-0 on Saturday at Taft Stadium. Dixon had already seen three shots ricochet off either the crossbar or post this season, part of the club's league-leading 13 shots that hit woodwork.
Sooners, Cowboys lead Big 12 in coaches poll
Five Big 12 teams made the top 25 of the first Amway Coaches Poll of the 2017, which was released Thursday. Oklahoma is the highest-ranked Big 12 team at No. 8. Oklahoma State is No. 11, which is coincidentally where the Cowboys finished in last season's poll. Kansas State (No. 19) and West Virginia (No. 20) also made the initial top 25. Texas (No. 23) is the only team with a losing record last season to make the top 25. Alabama is first after receiving 49 of the 65 first-place votes.
OKC Energy adapts in midweek win
In a season where injuries have limited tactical options, Oklahoma City Energy finally found a way to adapt. Jose Angulo scored the match's only goal in the 62nd minute as the Energy defeated Reno 1868, 1-0 Wednesday at Taft Stadium. The goal occurred after Reno, playing a man-down after Fatai Alashe's red card in the 28th minute, significantly altered its strategy at halftime with forward Brian Brown as its only attacking player pressing forward.
USL to keep two-conference format for 2018
United Soccer League will keep its two-conference format for the 2018 season, the league confirmed Thursday. The 2018 season will also feature 34 regular season matches played during a 31-week season, an addition of two matches. The 16-team playoff format will remain the same. The decisions were finalized at the USL owners meetings Tuesday in Chicago.
OKC Energy adapts in midweek win
In a season of frustrations and injuries that have limited tactical options, Oklahoma City Energy finally found a way to adapt. Jose Angulo scored the match's only goal in the 62nd minute as the Energy defeated Reno 1868 1-0 Wednesday at Taft Stadium. The goal occurred after Reno, playing a man-down after Fatai Alashe's red card in the 28th minute, significantly altered its strategy at halftime with forward Brian Brown as the only attacking player pressing forward.
Game of the Week features first OKC-Reno match
Oklahoma City Energy has played its best soccer this season during the United Soccer League Game of the Week. It has the opportunity to play in two more feature matches, both against an opponent it is chasing in the USL standings. Both of the Energy's matches against Reno 1868 will be broadcast on WatchESPN.com as the Game of the Week. The Energy hosts Reno at Taft Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, and Reno hosts the return leg on Sept. 20.
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