(from the Daily Ardmoreite - which is Sherri's original "local newspaper")
By David Wolman
Posted Jun. 12, 2016 at 8:00 AM
Former Healdton resident and current coach of the University of Oklahoma women’s basketball team, Sherri Coale was one of six members enshrined into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday evening in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Coale wrapped up her 20th season as OU head coach in March, leading the Sooners to another successful season under her watch, which included the team’s 17th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Before Coale was leading the Sooners to annual appearances in the NCAA Tournament, she was a standout guard for Healdton High School.
Coale as well as a couple of her former coaches and teachers recently sat down with The Ardmoreite to discuss her playing days at Healdton.
A leader:
Mary Patton knew that she had a great team leader in Coale, even when Coale was a freshman at Healdton. Patton was Coale’s basketball coach from the fifth grade through 11th grade
“She was always ready,” Patton said. “She did whatever you asked her to do. She knew basketball. She practiced, practiced and practiced. She wanted the ball on the court. She knew what to do with the ball when she got it.”
Coale’s leadership was on display, front and center, during one playoff game.
“It was either her sophomore season or junior season and we were in the playoffs in either the regional or area tournament,” Patton said. “We were not doing what we wanted to do. She sort of took over and did a lot of scoring. At halftime, we were ahead by 10 points.”
There was one shot, in particular that got the Lady Bulldogs’ supporters to jump out of their seats.
“I remember that she was way out, before there was the three-point line, and just hit a jumper,” Patton said. “I looked at her and said, ‘Why are you shooting that?’ It was just a great shot. I remember everyone standing up and yelling.”
In 1983 *— Coale’s senior year at Healdton— she set a school record, scoring 80 points against rival Ringling then broke the record a few games later with 86 points against Marietta.
Coale went on to earn all-state honors her senior season.
A standout in both basketball and track and field, which included a state championship, she was named the Most Athletic Bulldog in her senior class.
Schoolwork was just as important to (Buben) Coale.
