Dale Pirates Win Back-to-Back-to-Back State Title

  • Dale senior Dayton Forsythe goes up for a shot but is blocked by a Pocola player during the Class 2A State Tournament Finals, held at the State Fair Arena on March 9. Teammate Jett Higdon got the rebound. The Pirates are State Champs for the third year in a row. They beat Warner, 87-50; Hennessey, 67-44; and Pocola, 63-38, and they end the season with a record of 30-2. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
    Dale senior Dayton Forsythe goes up for a shot but is blocked by a Pocola player during the Class 2A State Tournament Finals, held at the State Fair Arena on March 9. Teammate Jett Higdon got the rebound. The Pirates are State Champs for the third year in a row. They beat Warner, 87-50; Hennessey, 67-44; and Pocola, 63-38, and they end the season with a record of 30-2. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
  • Dale’s Tray Chambers, Jett Higdon and Deken Jones rally the crowd as senior Dayton Forsythe gets his medal after the Pirates won the Class 2A State Basketball Tournament Finals on March 9. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
    Dale’s Tray Chambers, Jett Higdon and Deken Jones rally the crowd as senior Dayton Forsythe gets his medal after the Pirates won the Class 2A State Basketball Tournament Finals on March 9. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
  • Dale senior Deken Jones guards the ball before passing during the Class 2A State Tournament Finals. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
    Dale senior Deken Jones guards the ball before passing during the Class 2A State Tournament Finals. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
  • Dale senior Deken Jones gets a hug from Coach Jeff Edmonson, and classmate Dayton Forsythe gets a handshake and hug from Assistant Coach Reed Johnson as they come off the court for the last time in their high school careers. Their last game was the Class 2A State Basketball Tournament Finals, in which they won for the third straight year, March 9. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
    Dale senior Deken Jones gets a hug from Coach Jeff Edmonson, and classmate Dayton Forsythe gets a handshake and hug from Assistant Coach Reed Johnson as they come off the court for the last time in their high school careers. Their last game was the Class 2A State Basketball Tournament Finals, in which they won for the third straight year, March 9. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
  • Dale seniors and best friends Deken Jones (#23) and Dayton Forsythe (#33) support each other as teammate Levi Kelly (#10) gets his medal after the Pirates won the Class 2A State Basketball Tournament Finals for the third straight year on March 9. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
    Dale seniors and best friends Deken Jones (#23) and Dayton Forsythe (#33) support each other as teammate Levi Kelly (#10) gets his medal after the Pirates won the Class 2A State Basketball Tournament Finals for the third straight year on March 9. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
  • Dale senior Dayton Forsythe makes a jump pass, faking out the Pocola defender, during the Class 2A State Tournament Finals, held at the State Fair Arena on March 9. The Pirates are State Champs for the third year in a row. They beat Warner, 87-50; Hennessey, 67-44; and Pocola, 63-38, and they end the season with a record of 30-2. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
    Dale senior Dayton Forsythe makes a jump pass, faking out the Pocola defender, during the Class 2A State Tournament Finals, held at the State Fair Arena on March 9. The Pirates are State Champs for the third year in a row. They beat Warner, 87-50; Hennessey, 67-44; and Pocola, 63-38, and they end the season with a record of 30-2. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
  • Dale senior Dayton Forsythe launches a jump shot as his younger brother Denton Forsythe (#3) watches during the Class 2A State Tournament Finals against Pocola, held at the State Fair Arena on March 9. The Pirates are State Champs for the third year in a row. They beat Warner, 87-50; Hennessey, 67-44; and Pocola, 63-38, and they end the season with a record of 30-2. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
    Dale senior Dayton Forsythe launches a jump shot as his younger brother Denton Forsythe (#3) watches during the Class 2A State Tournament Finals against Pocola, held at the State Fair Arena on March 9. The Pirates are State Champs for the third year in a row. They beat Warner, 87-50; Hennessey, 67-44; and Pocola, 63-38, and they end the season with a record of 30-2. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
  • Dale senior Deken Jones tries for a layup during the Class 2A State Tournament Finals against Pocola, held at the State Fair Arena on March 9. The Pirates are State Champs for the third year in a row. They beat Warner, 87-50; Hennessey, 67-44; and Pocola, 63-38, and they end the season with a record of 30-2. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
    Dale senior Deken Jones tries for a layup during the Class 2A State Tournament Finals against Pocola, held at the State Fair Arena on March 9. The Pirates are State Champs for the third year in a row. They beat Warner, 87-50; Hennessey, 67-44; and Pocola, 63-38, and they end the season with a record of 30-2. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
  • The Dale Pirates and their coaches Reed Johnson, far left, and Jeff Edmonson, far right, pose with their golden trophy after winning the Class 2A Boys State Basketball Tournament Finals for the third straight year on March 9. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
    The Dale Pirates and their coaches Reed Johnson, far left, and Jeff Edmonson, far right, pose with their golden trophy after winning the Class 2A Boys State Basketball Tournament Finals for the third straight year on March 9. Countywide & Sun/Natasha Dunagan
“ It’s an exciting time! It’s not everyone that gets a chance to 3-peat, and I’m blessed to be a part of it,” Dale Head Coach Jeff Edmonson said about his Pirates taking their third straight gold basketball.As it turns out, their third straight title wasn’t all that tough for a team whose coach says they don’t look so tough in warmups. “It’s a special team because they don’t look very tough when…

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