CPHS Football Preview: Bixby at Sand Springs, home playoff game on the line
/
Payton Scott (34) posts a block for 2016 quarterback Hunter Greathouse (5) in a Semifinal Playoff game against Bixby. Scott ran for 86 yards and a touchdown in the 35-21 loss while Greathouse passed for 125 yards and two touchdowns. (Photo: Morgan Miller).
The No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School football team (5-4, 3-2) will host the three-time defending State Champions from No. 5 Bixby (5-4, 4-1) in their regular season finale Friday night at Memorial Stadium. Both teams have already clinched playoff appearances, but their seeding is very much undecided.
The Spartans and Sandites are second and fourth, respectively, in their district. With a loss, the Sandites will take on the District One Champions, likely No. 2 Midwest City (8-1, 6-0). With a win and a Ponca City upset of Muskogee, the Sandites will be the District Runners-Up and get to host a playoff game. If both Sand Springs and Muskogee win their games, it will come down to point differential and the Sandites will be guaranteed third place. If the Sandites beat Bixby by more than ten points, they can take second.
Both teams have the same record overall, but the Spartans have pulled off one more district win than the Sandites. Sand Springs went 2-2 in non-district play to the Spartans' 1-3, but the Spartans played a tougher schedule.
Bixby defeated 6A-I Jenks (5-4) 35-18, but the Trojans weren't quite themselves at the time, starting the year 0-4 for the first time since 1968. Since then they have rattled off five-straight victories in dominant fashion. From there the Spartans fell 47-28 to Bentonville (7-2), 37-35 to No. 6 Putnam City (6-3) and 34-22 to 6A-I Westmoore (7-2). All competitive losses to quality programs.
Sand Springs dropped their season opener 59-21 to Pulaski Academy (9-0), then gave up a 21-20 come-from-behind loss to No. 9 Choctaw (5-4) after leading for the entire game. They rebounded with a 28-14 win over No. 12 Putnam City West (1-8). The Sandites won a district bout with Sapulpa then won 26-21 over 6A-I Yukon (4-5).
Looking at mutual opponents:
- No. 14 Sapulpa (1-8, 1-5). Sand Springs beat their biggest rivals 31-16. Bixby pummeled the Chieftains 48-10. It's tough to compare scores in a rivalry game.
- No. 15 Ponca City (1-8, 1-4). Sand Springs wrecked the Wildcats 41-7, but once again Bixby had the better performance with a 68-7 beat down.
- No. 7 Muskogee (4-4, 3-2). Bixby handily defeated the Roughers 38-23 while the Sandites fell 40-34. It's worth noting that the Sandites came back from a 30-13 deficit to a 34-30 lead before giving up a 96-yard kick return. Even then, they picked up a first down at the Muskogee thirteen-yard line before time ran out.
- No. 1 Booker T. Washington (8-1, 5-0). Both teams were shut out by the top-ranked Hornets. Sand Springs fell 40-0, Bixby fell 21-0.
- No. 13 Bartlesville (1-7, 1-4). The Spartans had one of their worst games of the season two weeks ago, only defeating the Bruins 37-21. The Sandites had their biggest win of the year last Friday and murdered Bartlesville 55-13.
If both teams play their best performances of the season, the Spartans will likely be the victors. But in a year plagued by turnovers and poor execution, they could easily be upended by the Sandites who have played a relatively clean season.
Bixby leads the series 15-12 and 8-2 in the last seven years. The Spartans won the first meeting in 1922 when Sand Springs High School was coached by A.R. Bateman. The Sandites won back-to-back from 1926-1927 and the teams didn't meet again until the 1980s when they split the series 3-3. The Sandites won the 1990s series 5-3, but the most recent saga has been rather one-sided on the part of the Spartan program.
The Spartans are led by CPHS graduate Loren Montgomery, who was an All-State offensive lineman under Head Coach L.D. Bains. Montgomery joined Bixby in 2010 and has a coaching record of 56-34 in his eighth season. He is 8-2 against his Alma Mater and has led his team to three consecutive State Championships since the 6A split. Sandite coach Dustin Kinard is 60-58 in his eleventh year leading the program. This will be their sixth-straight year making the playoffs, which is a town record.
Bixby Average Box
Scored: 35
First Downs: 21
Fumbles/Lost: 2/1
Penalties: 7-58
Passing: 13-24-200-1
Rushing: 38-191
Plays-Offense: 62-391
Allowed: 24
First Downs: 18
Fumbles/Lost: 2/1
Penalties: 7-56
Passing: 17-29-237-1
Rushing: 30-117
Plays-Offense: 59-354
CPHS Average Box
Scored: 29
First Downs: 14
Fumbles/Lost: 1/1
Penalties: 3-28
Passing: 5-10-68-0
Rushing: 45-283
Plays-Offense: 55-350
Allowed: 26
First Downs: 16
Fumbles/Lost: 2/1
Penalties: 6-49
Passing: 15-25-184-1
Rushing: 35-188
Plays-Offense: 60-371
Sand Springs vs. Bixby History
2016: Bixby 35-21 (State Semifinals)
2016: Bixby 35-19 (A)
2015: Bixby 38-28 (State Championship)
2015: CPHS 20-0 (H)
2014: Bixby 41-14 (State Semifinals)
2014: Bixby 34-31 (A)
2013: Bixby 35-21 (A)
2012: CPHS 21-7 (H)
2011: Bixby 43-23 (A)
2010: Bixby 48-35 (H)
1999: Bixby 23-7 (H)
1998: CPHS 30-6
1997: CPHS 19-0
1996: CPHS 28-7
1995: Bixby 17-10
1994: CPHS 33-7
1993: CPHS 26-20
1992: Bixby 20-17 OT
1985: CPHS 14-3
1984: CPHS 5-3
1983: Bixby 21-4
1982: Bixby 28-7
1981: Bixby 14-12
1980: CPHS 10-7
1927: CPHS 20-6
1926: CPHS 30-12
1922: Bixby 19-14
Sand Springs Season Statistic Leaders
Passing
44-92-565-4 Pennington, 5TD
1-2-45-0 Foster, 1TD
Receiving
9-144 Scott, 1TD
8-129 McCallie, 1TD
11-88 Millican
2-61 Hawkins
2-47 Fleischman, 1TD
Rushing
285-2160 Scott, 28TD
26-239 Nortey, 2TD
59-58 Pennington, 1TD
13-31 Jones
5-27 Edwards
Point-After Kicks
30/34 Weiser
Field Goals
1/2 Weiser, Long 25
Punting-Avg
31-31 Smith
1-48 Pennington
Kicking-Avg
26-35 Weiser
19-40 Cox
1-51 Smith
Punt Return
Kick Return
9-172 Denton
3-91 Scott
5-62 Bratcher
4-38 Millican
1-14 Mackey
Tackles
79 Cramer
48 Fleischman
43 Edwards
36 Fain
30 Lyons
For Loss
10-31 Finch
9-26 Fain
7-35 Edwards
6-32 Lyons
5-23 Cramer
Sacks
4-30 Lyons
3-31 Edwards
3-15 Fain
3-11 Finch
1-12 Fleischman
1-12 Cramer
Interceptions
4-31 Askew
1-6 Cramer
1 Cartwright
1 Lyons
Breakups
5 Cramer
4 Bratcher
4 Mackey
3 Denton
2 Lyons
Fumble Recoveries
3-2 Edwards
2 Askew
1-24 Mackey
1 Bratcher
1 Cramer
Forced Fumbles
1 K. Adcock
1 Cartwright
1 Denton
1 Finch
1 Lyons
1 Mackey
