Sapulpa tops Sand Springs 10-6 in Alumni Rivalry Game; Thayer scores lone touchdown

Terrance Dixon ran for 22 yards in the Sandites' Sunday night defeat in Sapulpa. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

For the past 87 years, Sapulpa and Sand Springs students have met in one of the most bitter football rivalries in Oklahoma. And for the past four years, alumni from the two schools have duked it out on the gridiron in a fundraiser for the students.

Sapulpa leads the high school series 45-41-5, and tied the alumni series 2-2 Sunday night. The two teams split the ticket sales, with the host team keeping concessions.

The first alumni game was held at George F. Collins Stadium in 2014 and was a resounding 20-7 Sapulpa victory, but for the past two seasons the Sandites have both hosted and won the game.

Total Offense: Sapulpa 31-169, Sand Springs 39-135.
Passing: Sapulpa 4-11-74-1, Sand Springs 5-16-64-2. 
Rushing: Sapulpa 20-95, Sand Springs 23-71.
Penalties: Sapulpa 6-40. Sand Springs 0-0. 
First Downs: Sand Springs 9, Sapulpa 6.

Passing: (Sapulpa) Romine 4-11-74-1. (Sand Springs) Riggs 3-5-50-0, Michael Brown 2-7-15-0, T. Millikin 0-3-0-1, Smallwood 0-1-0-1.

Receiving: (Sapulpa) Meacham 2-64, Rolland 1-9, Swift 1-1. (Sand Springs) N. Millikin 2-43, T. Dixon 2-15, Parker Taylor 1-7.

Rushing: (Sapulpa) Broom 13-79, Cashon 3-16, Romine 3-16, Swift 1-(-4). (Sand Springs) Thayer 8-39, T. Dixon 6-22, Mitchell Brown 3-10, C. Dixon 3-9, Michael Brown 1-4, T. Millikin 2-(-5) Riggs 2-(-21).

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Click here for 2016 story.

Sand Springs won 35-0 in 2015 and 20-14 last year while Collins Stadium was undergoing renovation. In 2016, Cody Hilderbrant, Cody Hale, Znick Ferrell, and Davey Thayer got in on the scoring action for Sand Springs, while J.R. Romine and Jason Broom found the endzone for the Chieftains.

This year, the dynamic Sapulpa duo returned to wreak havoc on the small Sandite team. Romine completed only four passes, but totaled 74 yards. Meanwhile, the Sandites went through four QBs and failed to establish an offensive rhythm.

The first quarter went scoreless for both teams, but the Sandites hit paydirt early in the second with a 62-yard march, capped by a half-yard scoring run from the Class of 2015's Davey Thayer. A two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, however, and Sapulpa took the lead shortly before halftime after Michael Cashon scored on a six-yard run and Romine drilled the point-after.

The first half ended with a flair of excitement as Taylor Lewis and Cruz Desjarlais picked off back-to-back interceptions. Lewis snagged another later in the game. 

The third quarter was plagued by fumbled hikes on the part of the Sandites, and Sapulpa got the ball back on the second play of the half. On their first possession they marched 19 yards in five plays before Romine connected on a 35-yard field goal for the final score of the game.

Five possession changes later, and neither team had found the endzone again. The Sandites put together an impressive, but ultimately unsuccessful, last-ditch effort in the final three minutes - picking up three first downs before running out of time in Sapulpa territory.

Sapulpa Head Coach Robert Borgstadt previously spent five years as defensive coordinator in Sand Springs, while Wide-Receivers Coach Tim Beacham spent two years as Head Coach at Charles Page from 2001-2002. This marked Borgstadt's first victory against his old team, a feat he will aim to repeat for Sapulpa Homecoming on September 22nd.

Sapulpa:
Dalton Wilson (2016)
Braden Watkins (2015)
Mason Dossman (2014)
Chase Willis (2014)
Julian Rolland (2014)
J.T. Rains (2014)
Cory Mondier (2014)
Darien Inks (2013)
Devin Swift (2013)
Corbin Steeples (2013)
Noah Berryhill (2013)
Trevor Tolliver (2011)
Matt Pulley (2010)
Chache Ward (2009)
Steven Crawford (2008)
Aaron Petty (2007)
Michael Cashon (2006)
Josh Hardee (2005)
Randall Hardee (2004)
Caleb Meacham (2002)
J.R. Romine (1998)
Jason Broom (1998)
Chris Playford (1998)
Will Sinder
Taylor Lewis
Brian Hurt
Tyler Doane
Bradley Akin
Keagan Fox
Jeffrey Melchor

Sand Springs:
Cody Motes (2017)
Malachi Walton (2016)
Parker Taylor (2016)
Ty Fain (2016)
Cole Dixon (2016)
Cruz Desjarlais (2016)
Andrew Biggs (2016)
Davey Thayer (2015)
Marcus Crawford (2015)
Travis MIllikin (2014)
Junior Cole (2014)
Nick Millikin (2011)
Lane Freeman (2011)
Terrance Dixon (2010)
Richard Hopper (2010)
Ben Riggs (2007)
Mitchell Brown (2003)
Ryan Smallwood (1993)
Mike Edwards (1992)
Michael Brown
Andrew Brown
Logan Miller
Brian Bonton
Michael Mason
Blake Wheeler
Theshaud Hawkins