Hadley Periman and Landry Allen continue Tuttles’ winning tradition
TUTTLE, Okla. (BVM) — High school basketball season is only a couple of months away. And as the season draws near, two of Oklahoma’s top players, Hadley Periman and Landry Allen, are preparing for their final season as teammates at Tuttle High School.
Both players didn’t grow up playing basketball together. But they did find themselves competing with each other after they both moved to Tuttle.
“I came from a small school where I didn’t have much competition,” Allen said. “So, when I moved here and started playing high school ball with her, we really pushed each other to be our best, because we [knew] when we go to college, there’s going to be [tougher competition]. [Our chemistry really grew] this summer [when] she played on my travel ball team.”
“This year we got really close,” Periman said. “We both [are] returning starters and we both had to take on that role as leaders, so this year we got really close and that really helped our chemistry together on [and off] the court. [When] you have a close bond with someone outside of basketball [it makes the game easier] and I’m excited for this year.”
No matter how you compete, it builds character, and competing at Tuttle, it is all about bringing home state titles. And that was what the girls basketball program did this past season, capturing the school’s first-ever girls basketball state championship.
“Tuttle’s a really special town because we have a great community and our athletics are [great],” Periman said. “We just have winners here, the amount of state championships we have is crazy. We have great coaches and it’s a tradition to win in Tuttle.”
“We put so much work into it, that when we finally [won], it [felt like] so much more. It was us proving to [the people of] Tuttle that we could do it, Allen said. “Everyone from Tuttle is [excellent at what they do]. So being able to say, ‘Oh yeah we have one too’ pushed us more into believing in ourselves.”
But not only did capturing the state title mean a lot for the players themselves, it meant so much more to the future of the girls basketball program at Tuttle.
“The turnaround in our program has a lot to do with kids like Hadley and Landry,” head coach Brian Lester said.
“It means a lot. [Especially] to all the younger kids, Periman said. “We show them what it’s like to win and show them how exciting it is.”
Hadley Periman was one of those younger players who saw the first-ever girls basketball team reach the state tournament. And seeing the team do that instilled the drive in her to win a state championship for Tuttle.
“I‘ve been at Tuttle since sixth grade,” Periman said. {During] my eighth-grade year was the first year that Tuttle made it to state. They ended up losing in the first round and that made me eager to take the [team] further. We ended [the season] one game short my freshman year, but [in my] sophomore year we made it [to the state tournament], but COVID-19 canceled it.”
As luck would have it, Hadley and Landry would have a chance to win a state title again. Leading Tuttle all the way to the state title game, the Tigers defeated Fort Gibson 53-38 in the Class 4A state title game.
Woke up feeling like a state champ🥇 pic.twitter.com/1MXKjODYmb
— Hadley Periman (@hadleyperiman21) March 14, 2021
Now with a state title, Periman and Allen are hoping to lead the Tigers back to the state championship and win back-to-back titles. Only the wrestling and cheerleading teams have won back-to-back state titles for Tuttle.
Along with the focus on winning another state title, Periman and Allen have already decided on their future for their athletic and academic careers.
Both will be staying in Oklahoma, but they will be playing for two different schools. Allen will be attending the University of Oklahoma and Periman will be heading to the University of Tulsa.
“Growing up in Oklahoma, OU has always been a dream school of mine,” Allen said. “My mom wanted to play at OU and my dad wanted to play [there], but they never got the chance to. So, when Sherri Cole was head coach and finally called, she was like, ‘Hey, I’ve been watching you.’ So, when she finally offered [me a scholarship] I [thought to myself], ‘okay I think I know where I’m going to go.’ I still talked to some [other Big 12 schools] but I always knew in my heart, OU was going to be the place no matter what.”
But OU wasn’t always the clear-cut destination that Allen thought it would be. Sherri Cole decided to retire before she could officially commit, so Allen was worried she may not be able to attend her dream school.
“When she [Sherri Cole] left I got a little nervous because the new coach [Jennie Baranczyk] hadn’t talked to me yet,” Allen said. “[But] we went to one of her camps with my high school team and she came up to me and she was like, ‘Listen, you don’t have to worry, you’re all good. You can come next [for a visit].’ So, on the visit, I was like, ‘I’m not going to waste any time, I’m going to commit [to OU].”’
staying home ❤️❤️ #committed #allglorytogod pic.twitter.com/OdCcncJTNM
— Landry Allen (@landrymallen) June 25, 2021
“The reason I chose Tulsa is not only because I’m really excited about the new coach [Angie Nelp], but … taking the visit there and seeing the campus and knowing how good of a school it is, and how great the academics are, I just know that getting a degree from Tulsa will help me in the future with a job … Also, I love her [Coach Nelp] vision for the future of Tulsa basketball. I know she wants to turn the program around and I really trust her vision.”
Committed. Thankful. All because of God!!!!! pic.twitter.com/xddyZDkHxz
— Hadley Periman (@hadleyperiman21) August 16, 2021
Not only are they both staying in Oklahoma to continue their academic and athletic careers, but they both could wind up being teachers in the future after college.
“I really want to do something in education,” Allen said. “I want to be a teacher or a coach, something that helps others. I’ve always wanted to do that, so I’m going to stick to that plan.”
“I really want to be a teacher, Periman said. “That’s probably what I’ll end up doing.”
Some of the best basketball at Tuttle has been played with Hadley and Landry on the court. Hadley will aim to go on out on top following her senior year, but Landry will have one more go-round following the 2021-22 season. But no matter what happens this season or the next, they’ll always be remembered for capturing the first-ever girls basketball state championship.
“We’re going to try to win another state championship. That’s always going to be a goal for [us],” Allen said. “[When we] know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and using that on and off the court, [we can win another championship].
And Coach Lester agrees. If his squad, led by Periman and Allen, can continue to do things the right way, they’ll be one of the two teams at the end playing for a state title once again.
“[We have to] do things right every day, no matter who you’re playing against,” Lester said. If we can do that, we’ll have as good a shot as anybody to play for that gold ball again.”
