Sapulpa varsity basketball season begins
Posted on 12/02/2025
(SPS) -- Sapulpa Varsity Basketball officially begins its 6A-II season on Tuesday, December 2, at an away game at Southmoore.
(pictured: Senior Braden Pelky)
With Sapulpa as the school in District II not in the Oklahoma City metro area, the Chieftains will head down the turnpike often this season, with district games in Yukon (12/9), Piedmont (1/6), Edmond North (1/13) and U.S. Grant (1/20).
The varsity basketball home opener will be Tuesday, December 16, versus Piedmont at Chieftain Center.
Boys' varsity will be led by coach Chris Wallace in his first year at Sapulpa. Wallace was most recently at Broken Arrow Public Schools, where he served as an assistant coach for six years. Prior to that, he was the assistant women's basketball coach at Oral Roberts University.
Head girls varsity coach Darlean Calip, an Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Famer, is in her 20th year of coaching at Sapulpa. She will be joined by her daughter Brice (SHS '16), now part of the Lady Chieftains' coaching staff alongside Nikki Cooper and Josh Littlebear.
Above, Head girls' varsity coach Darlean Calip and daughter Brice (SHS '16), who is an assistant coach at Sapulpa. Photo credit: Sapulpa Herald.
Brice Calip, a 2022 graduate of Missouri State, wrapped her college basketball career with the most wins in Missouri State's women's basketball history at the time, at 122. She went to play professionally in Switzerland where she was named Guard of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-Swiss SBL First Team. She served as an assistant coach at Tarleton State before coming back to Sapulpa in August.
Darlean Calip coached the girls' team to victory as 6A state champions in 2007, and 5A state champions in 2021 and 2023, with a state finals appearance in 2024.
Here's a look at the upcoming varsity basketball schedule:
Dec. 2 - at Southmoore
Dec. 4-6 - (girls) Bixby Tournament
Dec. 9 - at Yukon
Dec. 11 - 13 - Tahlequah-Sequoyah Tournament
Dec. 16 - vs. Piedmont at Chieftain Center
Jan. 6 - vs. Deer Creek at Chieftain Center
Jan. 8 - 10 - Lincoln Christian Tournament
Jan. 13 - at Edmond North
Jan. 16 - vs. Southmoore at Chieftain Center
Jan. 20 - at U.S. Grant
Jan. 27 - vs. Norman at Chieftain Center
Jan. 30 - vs. Yukon at Chieftain Center (Mid-Winter Court)
Feb. 3 - at Piedmont
Feb. 10 - at Deer Creek
Feb. 13 - vs. Edmond North at Chieftain Center (Teachers of the Year recognition)
Feb. 17 - vs. U.S. Grant at Chieftain Center (Senior Night)
Chieftain Center has a clear bag policy for all athletic events. Please visit sapulpaathletics.org for more information about our athletic events.