Oklahoma

Oklahoma State football signee and ‘spitfire’ Luke Webb motivated by brothers’ challenge

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2024

Oklahoma State football signee and ‘spitfire’ Luke Webb motivated by brothers’ challenge

HOUSTON — The youngest of three brothers, Luke Webb constantly heard from the older ones that he was destined to be an offensive lineman.

But Webb’s passion was on the defensive side, so as he grew into his 6-foot-4, 275-pound body, he bucked his brothers’ projections.

“You’re gonna be an O-lineman,” they’d tell him. “You’ll never make it in college as a D-lineman.”

Partly because he loved it, and partly to prove his brothers wrong, Webb stuck with his defensive dreams.

“Next thing you know, I was the only brother to get scholarship offers to play college football,” Webb said with a hint of a smile. “That was pretty fulfilling, I guess you could say.”

More: Oklahoma State football recruiting became a speedy process for Idabel’s Matrail Lopez

Webb, who starred as an interior defensive lineman at Deer Park (Texas) High School, signed with Oklahoma State in December and will be on campus in June. He picked OSU over offers from Houston, Kansas, SMU, Arizona, Washington State, Cal and a few others.

He could’ve stayed close to home. Deer Park is a suburb on the east side of Houston. He could’ve gone far. He took a visit to Berkeley, California, but decided that wasn’t his type of town.

Stillwater, on the other hand, absolutely was.

“It’s more my style up there,” Webb told The Oklahoman. “It’s spread out and it’s more of a country town.

“Going on campus, getting there, it felt like family from the beginning. It just felt right.”

Determining where Webb fits on the Cowboys’ defensive line is a question for another day.

He played on the interior at Deer Park, but recruiting conversations centered around the possibility of an outside spot in OSU’s three-man front, which uses bigger defensive ends than a traditional four-man alignment.

And the Cowboys have shown a desire for versatility with a big end even before Bryan Nardo brought his 3-3-5 scheme to town. Guys like Tyler Lacy, Nathan Latu and Anthony Goodlow have moved in and out, depending on the situation.

On top of all that, OSU coach Mike Gundy hired a new defensive line coach, Paul Randolph, in January to replace Greg Richmond, who had recruited Webb and the other defensive line signees.

More: Oklahoma State football stadium upgrades will be something fans can ‘take great pride in’

So the specifics of Webb’s role will be determined in the summer and fall.

Meanwhile, his mother, Laurie Freeman, is counting the days until Oct. 26.

That’s when Baylor hosts OSU at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas, about a three-hour trip north from her home. A junior-high teacher and coach, Freeman finished her doctorate at Baylor last year.

“I’m already trying to plan flights and days off, so we can get to as many games as we can, but I just don’t know what I’m gonna do when they play Baylor,” Freeman said with a laugh. “I’m probably gonna be in all orange with a Baylor hat on or something. But we’re excited. This is so much fun for us.”

Thanks to Webb’s older brothers, Freeman is confident her son can handle the physicality he’ll face in making the jump to college football.

“Luke has always been a spitfire, always been a go-getter,” she said. “My older two are amazing men, and Luke had good examples in that. But he had to be tough a lot. When he was younger, he was a little squirrely, but we’ve watched him blossom into the most amazing young man.

“One thing I admire about him is his work ethic, and he’s even helped his brothers learn that more now.”

With a couple games in central Texas on the schedule next year, plus regular visits to Houston in the future, Freeman is excited to have her son in the Big 12. And just like Webb, she sensed OSU was the ideal destination for him.

“Even though he’s gonna be eight or nine hours away, I feel comfortable that he’s gonna be there with that coaching staff,” Freeman said. “Education is big to us, and I was very impressed with their school of business.

“I know he’s gonna get a good education and have fun while he’s doing it.”

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma tornado: At least four killed and dozens injured as severe storms ravage state – Washington Examiner

Published

6 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Press Room

Oklahoma tornado: At least four killed and dozens injured as severe storms ravage state – Washington Examiner

At least four people have died and dozens have been injured after a tornado swept through Oklahoma overnight into Sunday.

Officials in Holdenville reported two deaths, and the cities of Sulphur and Marietta each reported one death. There have been about 100 injuries as well, according to hospitals across the state.

This image taken from video provided by KOCO shows a crew working on clearing debris caused by a tornado in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. (KOCO via AP)

The storms left thousands without power, and Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) issued a state of emergency for 12 counties. The governor implied during a news conference Sunday that Sulphur had been hit the hardest.

“It seems like every business downtown has been destroyed now here in Sulphur,” Stitt said. “It’s definitely the most damage since I’ve been governor that I’ve seen. I’ve seen a lot of damage. I’ve been around the state for, this is my sixth year, but what I saw in downtown Sulphur is unbelievable.”

A man walks past tornado damage in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024, after severe storms hit the area the night before. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)

The city hosted a mass feeding effort with 200 meals provided by Oklahoma Southern Baptist Disaster Relief for those in need. The town, located in Murray County, is also among the hardest hit with power outages.

White House officials said President Joe Biden spoke with Stitt and promised federal support to Oklahoma.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“We’ll build back stronger than ever before— that’s my promise to Sulphur, Holdenville, and every Oklahoma community facing loss today,” Stitt wrote on X. “The Oklahoma Standard is alive and well.”

This tornado has since moved south to Louisiana. The National Weather Service predicts it will remain active through Monday but only result in marginal risk.

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Oklahoma

At least 2 dead, catastrophic damage reported after tornadoes tear across Oklahoma

Published

13 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Press Room

At least 2 dead, catastrophic damage reported after tornadoes tear across Oklahoma

HOLDENVILLE, Okla. – At least two people were killed, and several others were injured Saturday when devastating tornadoes tore through several Oklahoma cities during a severe weather outbreak that caused catastrophic damage to numerous homes and buildings and knocked out power to tens of thousands of utility customers.

The two deaths were reported in the city of Holdenville, and FOX 25 in Oklahoma City reports an infant is among the dead.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) said 14 homes were damaged or destroyed in Holdenville, and Highway 9 had been blocked due to debris in the roadway.

In addition, Oklahoma City Task Force One was responding to the area on Sunday to provide search and rescue support.

Significant damage was reported across the region, including in Marietta, where damage was reported to Marietta Hospital.

The OEM said hospital patients took shelter during the extreme weather, and no injuries had been reported there.

The storms also forced the closure of Interstate 35 North at the Texas state line because of overturned vehicles and power lines that were thrown across the roadway.

The OEM said the Chickasaw Nation was providing support for the storm response in Marietta.

Murray County Emergency Management said significant damage was also found in the town of Sulphur, and numerous injuries have been reported.

The OEM said search and rescue operations were ongoing there, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) was responding to apartments on Woodruff Blvd, where tornado damage was reported.

At least four structures were damaged northwest of Newkirk in Kay County, with numerous trees and power lines being brought down due to the effects of the storms.

Two weather-related crashes were also reported, and heavy rain led to flooding on several roads in the area.

Cotton County was also hit hard by the severe weather, and the OEM said three to five homes were damaged there.

About 43,000 customers were left without power as a result of the storms, with the highest number of outages being reported in Tulsa, Carter, Murray, Love, Hughes, Pontotoc and Seminole counties, according to the OEM.

State of emergency declared in 12 Oklahoma counties

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order on Sunday morning declaring a state of emergency in Carter, Cotton, Garfield, Hughes, Kay, Lincoln, Love, Murray, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Payne and Pontotoc counties because of the damage left behind in the wake of the severe weather on Saturday.

“There is hereby a declared a disaster emergency caused by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, hail and flooding in the State of Oklahoma that threatens the lives and property of the people of this State and the public’s peace, health and safety,” the executive order read.

The executive order will remain in effect for the next 30 days.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said she was in contact with Gov. Stitt and said the department stands ready to support the affected region if necessary.

Hospital, nursing home damaged in Marietta, Oklahoma

The Love County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that a tornado was reported in the Marietta area that destroyed several buildings and brought down power lines “everywhere.”

“Please stay home and off the roads as it’s causing severe congestion and issues for responders working this disaster,” the sheriff’s office pleaded. “Again, please stay home and off the roadways.”

The sheriff’s office said significant damage was reported to a Dollar Tree warehouse, Homeland, Dollar General, a nursing home and part of a hospital.

“There is heavy damage to our town and we have every responder out checking homes, businesses, etc.,” the sheriff’s office said. “Please be patient as this is a natural disaster and will take time to restore power and get things in some sort of order before cleanup.”

The sheriff’s department said all hospital patients were moved from the area, and crews were working to remove the last few people from the nursing home that was damaged.

Survey teams investigating damage

The National Weather Service office in Norman said it appeared as though at least 20 tornadoes were reported in its forecast area on Saturday.

Forecasters said that number is preliminary and could be higher or lower than 20.

Four teams have been sent out across the area to investigate damage in communities such as Marietta, Ardmore and Sulphur, as well as Holdenville, Dibble and Norman.

The NWS said on X, formerly Twitter, that additional areas would be surveyed soon in communities to the west of Oklahoma City, as well as locations to the southwest into portions of Texas.

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