CASH MCALVAIN
Tahlequah Tigers Basketball
Written by Byron Beers
Cash McAlvain has already had an impressive start to his final year at Tahlequah High School.
Now, he will be looking to carry his momentum to the hardwood for the Tigers, who will be guided by first-year head coach Matt Qualls.
McAlvain passed for a school single-season record 1,674 yards in 2024 as quarterback for Tahlequah and holds the lowest career interception rate at 0.028 percent. He closed his career with 3,155 passing yards, good for second all-time. He finished with 1,910 all-purpose yards, 21 touchdowns and completed 60 percent of his passes this past season. McAlvain was also honored as Bob Hurley RV Tulsa Area Athlete of the Week after completing 23 of 36 passes for 335 and three TDs in Tahlequah’s 31-30 win over Pryor.
“Breaking the single-season record in passing yards was a big achievement, which reflects on not only personal skill and dedication, but also the hard work and energy of the entire team,” McAlvain said.
McAlvain is just as crafty as a point guard on the basketball court. Entering his fourth season as on the varsity level, he averaged a team-best 15 points, to go along with 2.5 assists as junior and helped the Tigers to a 13-13 overall record under former head coach Duane Jones.
“Cash led the team in scoring last year. He can shoot the ball at a very high level, and he can also pass the ball well when doubled,” Qualls said.
McAlvain, the younger brother of former Tahlequah standout athletes Kooper McAlvain and Lydia McAlvain, has a number of things he wants to be better at this season. He says he has gotten much stronger since last year.
“I want us to improve our team defense, increase team shooting percentage, reduce turnovers, communicate better on the court, and make it to the playoffs,” said McAlvain, who relies heavily on his ball handling and shooting abilities.
McAlvain, who says making the state tournament during his sophomore season is his proudest moment on the court, models his game after Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
His plan following his high school career is to play sports on the collegiate level where he has around 10 schools showing interest in football.
