Coach: Bobby Allison

21-22 Record: 27-1

The Memorial Chargers are THE standard of success in Oklahoma High School basketball. Head coach Bobby Allison graduated in 2002, the year before the Chargers won a state title in 2003. Allison won one as an assistant for his head coach Eric Savage and now has five gold balls of his own after taking over for Savage in 2014. It’s trite, but true. Memorial doesn’t rebuild. The Chargers reload. “I make a list every year of all the production we lost. I tell the kids, those minutes, those points and rebounds. They are all there for someone to grab.”

Five seniors from last year’s 27-1 state championship team are now playing collegiately, so opportunities abound. Seth Pratt is the top returning scorer at 13 points per game. He and guard Montae Collins have been starters for the past two seasons. Allison says 6-foot-8 Jarreth Ingram was the top sixth man in the state last season and will be ready for his spot in the starting five. “Our seniors relish the opportunities to be leaders. You only have one senior season, and our kids look forward to their turn. They do not shy away from that challenge.”

Ty Jamerson fits that mold. He’s worked his way up the depth chart and has earned his chance to contribute. Sophomore Jalil Cotton and senior Ben Radford will bring length to the lineup. At 6-feet-5 inches, Cotton has a chance to make a big impact early in his career.

Class 5A is once again loaded at the top. The Chargers and Del City have developed quite a rivalry in the last few years. The Eagles defeated Memorial in the prestigious Tournament of Champions final last year with the Chargers getting the last laugh in the Class 5A title game a year ago. Memorial also defeated the Eagles in the 2019 State Championship game. Memorial will once again participate in the Tournament of Champions with fellow defending champions Edmond North, Kingfisher and Dale in the field. A trip to the Lawton Tournament and the rigorous Tulsa Public Schools schedule will offer plenty of competition with Del City and Oklahoma State commit Brandon Garrison waiting on the other side of the state for a potential third showdown.

Can the Chargers win their fifth title in the last six state tournaments? Some may say that too much talent is gone from last year’s squad. Memorial doesn’t see it that way. There is nothing but opportunities in front of these Chargers. Coach Allison wouldn’t want it any other way.