The folks at Oklahoma State did not roll out the red carpet when Justin Gilbert and a few of his Huntsville football teammates visited late last month. But the Cowboys did show the Hornets around Stillwater and made them feel welcome.
That warm greeting was enough to sway Gilbert to make a verbal commitment to Oklahoma State. Last week, Gilbert told Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy he would accept his scholarship offer.
Gilbert wants to be a Cowboy after his senior season at HHS.
“It all started with playing time and how they made me feel. Stillwater felt like a home away from home,” Gilbert said Tuesday. “Our visit to Stillwater helped me out a lot.
“Oklahoma State was not really one of my top schools, so I’m glad I took that visit.”
Along with Huntsville coaches David Cooper and Joseph Granville, plus Hornet teammates Joseph Maxey, Shaquille Ross and Tremaine Ashley, Gilbert made an unofficial visit to Oklahoma State before school let out for the summer. He also made earlier visits to Oklahoma and Baylor.
“I talked to some of the players and I talked to coach Gundy,” Gilbert said of his trip to Oklahoma State. “He told me they had a scholarship for me even if I get hurt or something. Oklahoma State also has the nicest facilities I’ve ever seen.
“I just felt at home there. I could see myself living there even after I get done with school. I can see myself staying there.”
The Hornets’ starting quarterback, who also plays basketball and runs track, chose Oklahoma State over Oklahoma, Miami, Colorado, Texas A&M;, Baylor, SMU, TCU, Houston, Nebraska, Mississippi and North Texas. All of those schools had offered the talented Hornet a football scholarship.
Gilbert said Oklahoma State has left the door open for him to play cornerback, receiver possibly, and also return punts.
It was not easy making a decision, Gilbert admitted, but the talented senior-to-be said he feels pretty solid about his commitment to Oklahoma State, even though letters and e-mails keep coming.
“Oklahoma State and Oklahoma were in the top two, and it really came down to which one made me feel at home,” Gilbert said. “I’m not saying Oklahoma treated me bad, but Oklahoma State was really nice. I think I’m pretty much done with the recruiting business, but you never know what might happen. I’m still getting mail and e-mails from schools showing an interest in me.”
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A verbal commit
With senior year looming, Huntsville football standout accepts offer from Oklahoma State
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OUTGUNNED: First-place Mavericks shoot down Sam Houston, run winning streak to 14
Texas-Arlington had an answer for every Sam Houston run Wednesday night on the way to a 75-63 victory over the Bearkats. It was the Mavericks’ 14th consecutive win and improved their Southland Conference record to 10-0.
The last team to start league action with such perfection was Sam Houston in 2010, a team which won the conference’s regular season as well as the postseason tournament championship. -
Championship salute
The Southland Conference champs from Sam Houston State received special recognition on Wednesday night for the most successful football season in school history.
Huntsville Mayor Mac Woodward, SHSU President Dana Gibson and Walker County Judge Danny Pierce were among those who honored the Bearkats during halftime of the Bearkats’ basketball game against Texas-Arlington.
Woodward declared Feb. 8 Bearkat Pride Day. -
Bearkat women win again, 61-45
Britni Martin scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead Sam Houston State to a 61-45 Southland Conference women’s basketball victory over UT-Arlington on Wednesday at the new UTA College Park Center in Arlington.
All four of Martin’s field goals were 3-pointers and the junior forward from Conroe went 6-of-6 from the foul line to post her 17th double-figure scoring performance of the season. -
Alive and kicking
For the third consecutive game, the Hornets played like a team that does not want basketball season to end anytime soon.
Desperate to notch another victory over Willis, the Huntsville boys jumped on the Wildkats early. The Hornets used their muscle and started pulling away in the second half, then when Willis made a late rally, Huntsville’s hungry bunch had enough energy left to hold off the Wildkats in a wild 76-63 victory at the Paul Bohan Hornet Gym. -
Lady Hornets roll through district undefeated again
The Lady Hornets did it again. For the second consecutive season, the Huntsville girls basketball team rolled through District 18-4A play without a loss.
On Tuesday night in Willis, the Lady Hornets closed out another perfect 14-0 district campaign with an 86-33 win over the LadyKats. -
New Waverly seniors close out regular season in style
In their final game of the regular season, the Lady Bulldogs just enjoyed themselves in a 60-46 win over Anderson-Shiro.
This was a team New Waverly beat on the road earlier in the season and a win in “Bulldog Country” would be the appropriate way to send out seniors Myeisha Williams, Morgan Eastland, Whitney McCullough and Alex Abbott. -
Streak stoppers?
The hottest team in the Southland Conference visits Johnson Coliseum tonight, riding a 13-game winning streak and sporting a perfect 9-0 league record.
Sam Houston State has a difficult task on its hands facing Texas-Arlington, a team which had its way with the Bearkats on Jan. 11 at Texas Hall. The Mavericks rolled to a 66-40 that night in what was Sam Houston’s worst loss in conference action all season. -
Bearkats to hold celebration befitting a championship team
A championship celebration unlike any in Bearkat history will take place tonight at Johnson Coliseum as part of the festivities for the Bearkats’ basketball game against Texas-Arlingon.
Walker County, the city of Huntsville and university officials will join with SHSU alumni, students, faculty-staff and fans in saluting the 2011 Southland Conference champion and NCAA Division I football national finalist Bearkat football team. -
Big week ahead for Bulldogs, Lady Bulldogs
To say that this is an important week for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs basketball team would be a big understatement. With the regular season winding down, much is at stake for the New Waverly boys and girls.
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Bulldog lifters gain experience at Shepherd meet
Looking back on his lifters’ performance at last Saturday’s meet in Shepherd, New Waverly powerlifting coach Mike Carolan lauded his team’s efforts. Senior Tucker Saxton won the 220-pound classification and freshman Dillon Silvis took fifth in the 114-pound division.
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