CPHS Football: Defense paves the way to 26-21 victory at Yukon
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The Sand Springs Gold Pride marching band set the tone for the Sandites throughout the night. (Photo: Morgan Miller).
CPHS 26 YHS 21
1Q 7-6 YHS
2Q 14-0 CPHS
3Q 7-0 YHS
4Q 7-6 YHS
Passing: CPHS 6-7-58-0, YHS 1-3-8-0.
Rushing: YHS 48-374, CPHS 43-252.
Plays-Offense: YHS 51-382, CPHS 50-310.
First Downs: YHS 19, CPHS 13.
Penalties: CPHS 3-13, YHS 7-76.
Fumbles/Lost: CPHS 3/0, YHS 1/1.
The No. 7 ranked Charles Page High School football team (3-2) won a 26-21 thriller against 6A-I No. 9 Yukon (2-3) to improve to a winning record Friday night on the road. After a slow start and 7-6 first quarter deficit, the Sandites burned up the turf for 14 points in the second quarter and held a comfortable 20-7 halftime lead. The Millers surged back in the second half, however, and the game culminated in a controversial goal-line stand.
Yukon's defense came out sturdy on the opening drive, holding the Sandites to six yards and a punt. The offense was equally effective, marching 63 yards in eleven plays before scoring on a five-yard keeper from senior quarterback Perry Olsen. Cody Watson connected on the point-after kick and the home team led 7-0.
The Sandites wouldn’t be denied on their second possession, however, and went on a twenty-point run from there. They marched 74 yards in eight plays, entirely behind Payton Scott who scored on a two-yard carry. Jaden Weiser’s kick was blocked, however, and the Millers held the lead.
Yukon accrued only sixteen yards on their next possession before being forced to punt at the start of the second quarter. The Millers would manage only three plays in that stanza. Sand Springs ate up nine minutes, marching 76 yards before scoring on a three-yard run from Scott. Once again, Weiser's kick was blocked, but this time the Sandites led 12-7.
Braden Askew hit Antonio Washington for a loss of one on the Miller's first play, then Joel Mackey stripped Bryce Williams and returned the ball 24 yards to the Yukon redzone.
Junior quarterback Caden Pennington found Braden Millican for nine yards and a first down, then recovered a fumbled hike for a three-yard touchdown run. He found the endzone again on a two-point run with 22 seconds left for the 20-7 advantage.
The third quarter belonged wholly to the home team. Yukon got the ball to start the half and marched 57 yards in six plays thanks to big runs from Olsen and Noah Davis. Davis capped the drive with a five yard run, followed by a kick from Watson.
Bryson Denton fumbled the kick at the two-yard line, recovered, and ended up with a 34-yard return. The offense was unable to capitalize, however, and netted only four yards before punting. Yukon marched from their 25 to the Sandites 19 before a 35-yard field goal attempt came up flat. The Sandites' corresponding drive was equally marred by disaster as they traveled 65 yards and made their own field goal attempt from the fifteen. Weiser's kick was blocked for the third time, and Caleb Hernandez returned it to the Yukon 31.
Yukon's next possession was a success as they marched 69 yards in fourteen plays, scoring on a four-yard run from Olsen. Watson's kick returned the Millers to the lead at 21-20.
The Sandites wasted no time on their next drive. Pennington found Kameron Adcock for eighteen yards, then Scott carried for fifteen. Pennington snagged another first down with an eight-yard screen to Millican, then scrambled for a ten-yard gain. From 24 yards out, Scott leaped a pile of bodies, broke a tackle, and took it to the house for the final score of the game. Pennington came up short on a two-point run, and the Millers needed only one touchdown with 2:10 to try for it.
On their first play of the drive, Washington flipped the field, running 53 yards to the Sandite red zone. Olsen took it down to the one-yard line over four runs, but couldn't find the endzone. The Sandites thought they won it once and the whole team stormed the field before a neutral zone infraction prior to the snap gave the Millers one last play with no time on the clock and a half yard to go.
Olsen's O-line went toe-to-toe with the talented Sand Springs defense and once again came up short, giving the Sandites their most down-to-the-wire win of the season.
Pennington improved on his passing percentage for the fifth-straight week, throwing 6-7-58-0, marking his first game of the year without an interception.
The Sandites will return to district play next Friday with a road game against No. 15 Ponca City (1-4, 1-1) who just won their first game of the season with a 14-12 upset of No. 12 Bartlesville (1-4, 0-2)
Sand Springs Individual Statistics
Passing: Pennington 6-7-58-0.
Receiving: McCallie 1-23, Millican 3-17, K. Adcock 1-14, Mock 1-4.
Rushing: Scott 33-185, Nortey 2-34, Pennington 8-33.
PAT: Weiser 0/2.
Field Goals: Weiser 0/1.
Punting: Smith 2-60.
Kicking: Weiser 5-164.
Kick Returns: Denton 3-75, Bratcher 1-15.
Tackles: Cramer 10, Fleischman 7, Edwards 7, Lyons 5, Denton 5, Fain 4, Askew 4, Finch 3, Adcock 2, Mackey 2, Cartwright 1, Wright 1.
Tackles for loss: Lyons 1-5, Askew 1-4, Fain 1-3, Edwards 1-1.
Sacks: Lyons 1-5.
Breakups: Mackey 1.
Forced Fumbles: Mackey 1.
Fumble Recoveries: Mackey 1-24.
Yukon Individual Statistics
Passing: Olsen 1-3-8-0.
Receiving: Williams 1-8.
Rushing: Olsen 18-101, Washington 6-100, Williams 3-62, Kenley 5-39, Burnett 6-35, Davis 5-22, Donoho 5-15.
PAT: Watson 2/2.
Field Goals: Watson 0/1.
Punting: Andraszek 1-28.
Kicking: Humphrey 4-223.
Punt Returns: Hernandez 1-8.
Kick Returns: Kenley 1-15, Andraszek 2-9.
