Oklahoma State Associate Director Mike Noteware confirmed for me on Thursday night that Katie Asher had decided to leave the Oklahoma State softball team.

“It’s my understanding from talking to coach Rich Wieligman that Katie decided to go back to Arizona and not play softball anymore,” said Noteware via phone interview.

Asher was the offensive power behind the powerhouse program at Canyon del Oro that was built by head coaches Kelly Fowler and Amy Swiderski over the last half of the decade.

Often overlooked by the best softball player to suit up in Arizona and, according to all published reports, best friend in Kenzie Fowler, Asher could have been the player of the year in her own right.

She hit an incredible 34 home runs in her career, leading the state of Arizona with 14 homeruns in 2008.

Her power at the plate and ability to win a game with her bat earned her the “Smasher Asher” nickname from the Dorado student section at games.

Katie has no plans to play softball at this point but, when the dust settles, we will have a PAC 12 worthy talent with two years of eligibility left without a team:

“I’m feeling great! I have been trying to relax a little bit this summer while getting excited about school in the fall. I decided to leave Oklahoma State after the season ended because I realized that although softball has been the love of my life for 14 years, I knew in my heart that my academic career was more important. My major is difficult to accomplish as a student-athlete and although I knew I could do it, I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to give both my 100% attention.

As for your question if softball is in the future for me, I do not see it at this point, but the game will always be in my heart and important to me. There’s a point in time where everyone stops playing and mine just happened to come sooner than myself and others thought it would. While this was a hard decision, I am happy and excited to see what my future brings. I know after playing softball my entire life at the level I was fortunate enough to play at, that I am mentally prepared to handle anything that comes my way!”

She was so good in her junior year that I always felt she could have played for the University of Arizona right then much like fellow CDO athlete and running back Ka’Deem Carey could have played for Arizona his junior year.

Asher played in 15 games for the Cowgirls and started in eight of them as a freshman. She went a respectable 6-27 with a double and seven RBIs. Her RBI to at bat ratio was one of the highest on the team.

Oklahoma State finished the year 44-16 and made an appearance at the NCAA Regional held at Arizona where they were eliminated by Hofstra 5-2.

Canyon del Oro missed a state championship game in 2010 for the first time since 2004.  Look for them to return and win it next year with Kayla Bonstrom and Kayla Henry leading the way.

FILE:

Lettered four years at CDO.
34 home runs in her high school career.
Named to the EA Sports All-American second team and Louisville Slugger/NFCA all-west region first team in 2009.
Batted .479 with 14 home runs her junior year.
Three 4A state championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Named second-team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and first-team all-state in 2008.
Led the state of Arizona for home runs in a season with 14 in 2008.

From a Press Release:

CBS, through their high school sports mega-site Maxpreps, has announced their five finalists for the National Player of the Year award to be handed out in early January.

According to Jason Hickman of Maxpreps, Dillon Baxter of San Diego leads the field with Michael Brewer of Austin, Kevin Parks of North Carolina, Gavin Webster of Louisiana and Ka’Deem Carey of Canyon del Oro filling out the list of finalists.

Here is how Maxpreps has set the field:

Dillon Baxter, Mission Bay (San Diego, Calif.)
6-0, 205, Sr., All-Purpose
USC verbal commitment
Team record: 11-0, San Diego Section Division IV playoffs
Key statistics: 4,053 passing and rushing yards, 64 touchdowns
Pro: Baxter is having a year for the ages and has already tied the California record for most combined touchdowns in a season. The future USC Trojan has also helped turn a team that went just 6-5-1 last year into a dominant force in the San Diego Section.
Con: A loss in the section playoffs could hurt Baxter’s push for POY honors.

Michael Brewer, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
6-0, 170, Jr., QB
Team record: 13-0, Class 4A state playoffs
Key statistics: 219-308 passing (71 percent), 3,792 yards, 37 touchdown passes, four interceptions
Pro: Brewer is putting up huge and extremely efficient numbers for a Lake Travis team that has won 43 straight games and could be making a case as the best team in Texas.
Con: Could the best high school football player in America really be at Austin’s Lake Travis High School for the second straight year? Current University of Texas freshman Garrett Gilbert claimed the honor last season after guiding the Cavaliers to a state title.

Ka’Deem Carey, Canyon del Oro (Tucson, Ariz.)
5-9, 185, Jr., RB
Team record: 13-0, Class 4A Division I state playoffs
Key statistics: 197 carries, 2,471 yards, 38 touchdowns
Pro: Carey has rushed less than 10 times on three occasions this season due to lopsided scores and hasn’t seen much action in the fourth quarter all year. As incredible as the numbers are, they could be even better. When needed, the junior back has really produced. Two weeks ago in a 63-35 win over Glendale Apollo, Carey piled up 427 yards and six touchdowns on 28 carries.
Con: Just a junior and playing in a non-traditional football power state, Carey may need another year to show the nation he is for real.

Kevin (K.P.) Parks, West Rowan (Mt. Ulla, N.C.)
5-8, 195, Sr., RB
Virginia verbal commitment
Team record: 14-0, Class 3A state playoffs
Key statistics: 3,275 rushing yards, 50 touchdowns
Pro: Based on statistics submitted to MaxPreps, Parks is No. 2 nationally in rushing yards and should take over the top spot this week as the season is over for No. 1 T.J. Stinde of Lexington, Ill. Parks is averaging over 10 yards per carry and has topped the 200-yard mark in seven straight games.
Con: Like all the players on this list, we are nit-picking to find a hole in Parks’ season. The fact that West Rowan doesn’t have to go through some of North Carolina’s traditional powers en route to a state title is about the only thing we can come up with.

Gavin Webster, Lutcher (La.)
5-10, 200, Sr., QB
Team record: 13-0, Class 4A state playoffs
Key statistics: 2,948 passing yards, 37 touchdown passes (five interceptions), 1,238 rushing yards, 26 touchdown runs
Pro: Webster has been putting up PlayStation numbers all year and has the Bulldogs in the favorite role in Louisiana’s Class 4A.
Con: Tough to find any, but like Baxter, team success will be vital to Webster’s bid for POY honors.

Images from the AIA 4A I & II State Championship Press Conference Yesterday:

(Santa Rita did not attend but Jeff Scurran was available via telephone)

CDO was losing 14-21 to Apollo with 4:30 left in the first half. Ka’Deem Carey “only” had 118 yards at that point with 50 of it coming off of a touchdown run in the second quarter.

The Dorados would punt the ball away with 3:06 left and Apollo would give the ball back after LB Jake Middleton recovered a fumble at the 25 yard-line.

A penalty pushed CDO back and then a snap would fly over the head of QB Mike Lewis and, instead of falling on the ball, Lewis attempted to pick it up but Apollo fell on the loose ball.

Apollo got the ball back with 2:00 left, riding a 7 point lead at their own 37 yard-line. CDO looked like they were missing something. They looked normal.

Apollo smelled blood and they attempted to move the ball again. A late score probably would have caused CDO to panic. Instead, a short running play, an incomplete pass and a short pass to the sideline left them with a 4-2 with 1:11 left.

Apollo had failed to run the clock out or score. And, for a few moments, Apollo was going to go for it on the fourth down play at their own 45 much like the New England Patriots attempted a few nights before. They wisely decided to punt the ball away after a timeout.

It was the right thing to do. Play the odds that your defense can stop CDO and go into the locker room with a 21-14 lead.

CDO took the punt and began at their own 19. A penalty moved it back to the 14 with 1:04 left. They looked satisfied being down by 7. Carey would rip off a 15 yard run on the next play. 52.8 seconds left. His next run went for 71 yards.

21-21 with 30 seconds left. And things went down hill from there for Apollo.

Apollo QB Jon Brown had complete control of the game at that point. He had already thrown for over 160 yards in the first half. Rather than getting under center and taking a knee, Apollo remained in attack mode.

They had their own bad snap and the Dorado defense crushed him at the 14 for a big loss and they sent him out of the game.

To the beginning:

CDO scored on their first drive on a 12 yard run by Lewis. It looked good early. But then Apollo started to pass at will with an open receiver coming from the double wide-out position, utilizing picks and screens. Apollo tied the score on a 4 yard run set up by a pass interference penalty in the end zone.

CDO would punt and Apollo marched down the field again and scored on a 2 yard run, again set up by a pass interference penalty in the end zone.

Carey would then score on the 50 yard run.

I can’t imagine what Apollo could have been saying in their locker room. They dominated yet Carey pulled off two long touchdowns to go with 207 yards in the first half. CDO, on the other hand, did not panic.

“We stuck to the basics. We wanted to come out and have some fun and play some football,” Dorado WR/S Jared Tevis would later say.

And, so the fun began.

CDO would score on the first drive of the second half on a 14 yard run by Carey. Lewis hooked up with WR Kelton Beattie for 27 yards on the drive to set up Carey.

Apollo got the ball back and it was clear Brown was still feeling the effects of being hit hard. They were forced to punt after an incomplete pass and a sack and CDO took the ball again after the 24 yard punt.

8:55 left in the third.

Lewis would score again on a 10 yard run with 8:09 left. The score was now 35-21 CDO.

More fun.

CDO lineman David Studer would knock down Brown’s third down pass attempt and he would then break through the line to block the punt. CDO took over at the 13 yard line with 7:12 left.

Carey would score again two plays later. 42-21. 6:32 left.

Apollo was still falling apart and their fake punt at midfield resulted in excellent field position for CDO again with 3:40 left.

Carey would score again, this time from 25 yards out. 49-21 1:10 left.

Apollo would have to punt again with 18.9 seconds left in the third.

Carey would take the direct snap and scamper 57 yards to score again on the next play. 56-21 End of third quarter.

Tevis intercepted Brown on his next pass and would return it to the 13. Lewis would run it in again from the one yard line. 63-21 CDO.

Apollo would score on the second and third team defense to cut the lead to 63-27 with a failed 2 point conversion and then they would pull off an onside kick.

They would add another score and 2 point conversion to make the final 63-35.

Carey would finish with 427 yards with 6 touchdowns. CDO scored an incredible 6 times in the third period.

Brown, to his credit would throw for 250 yards in the loss. That would be enough to win against any other team – but not tonight.

Tonight belonged to Southern Arizona.

“Tucson teams are for real. I’m happy for Cienega and Sabino…we are representing,” Carey.

Cienega beat Bradshaw Mountain 50-7 and Sabino beat 2 seed Cactus Shadows 63-42 in other 4A I games.

Scottsdale Saguaro is the lone Phoenix area team left.

CDO will play Cienega next Friday at Tucson High and Saguaro hosts Sabino at Paradise Valley High School.

The championship game will be at Arizona stadium on Saturday, December 5 at 6 pm. We are now guaranteed a Tucson team will be in it.

To his credit, Carey thanked his blockers and said he just followed their blocks.

Dorados coach Dustin Peace told his team that they played “devastating” football, “That’s how we do it at CDO.”

FROM THE NOTEBOOK

Former Arizona stars Ricky Hunley, Julius Holt and Randy Robbins watched the game from the end zone. Randy’s son Josh plays for CDO.

That’s big time star power for Arizona at a night when Oregon could have shown up to show interest in Carey. They did not.

CDO announcer and former Arizona tight end Bill Nettling joined Hunley, Holt and Robbins at halftime.

Apollo had 40 fans at kickoff. Their fan and band bus was late. Their stands were full by the time Carey had 200 yards.

Tevis is the real deal. He may lack size but he is one of Arizona’s best defenders.

4A II

Santa Rita beat Amphi 48-0 and will now play top seed Mingus at North Canyon High School next Friday night.

Palo Verde beat Liberty 40-17 and Douglas lost to 2 seed Cactus 70-21 on the other side of the bracket.

Palo Verde will now face Cactus at Paradise Valley High School at 3 pm next Friday.

The 4A II championship game is also at Arizona Stadium.

5A II

Sunnyside lost 34-24 to Marcos de Niza.

2A

Willcox plays Yuma Catholic at 5 pm tonight at North Canyon High School. The winner goes to the state championship game to be played at NAU.