CPHS Football: Sandites fall 49-13 to defending Arkansas State Champs

Senior QB Caden Pennington racked up career yardage on the ground Friday night in Greenwood, Arkansas.

The Charles Page High School varsity football team (1-2) bit off more than they could chew Friday night in Greenwood, Arkansas, falling to the defending Class 6A State Champions (2-1), a team that has only lost three games in the past four seasons.

Senior quarterback Caden Pennington was held to a season low 45 passing yards after averaging over 180 in the first two games. He made up for it on the ground, however, running up a career-high of 95 yards with his second career touchdown. Joel Mackey contributed 82 yards and a score on the ground, while Trey Wilkerson had fifty.

The Bulldogs scored on the first offensive play of the game with senior quarterback Peyton Holt running it fourteen yards after Max Vickery recovered a fumbled kickoff return.

Greenwood’s special teams continued to shine with Luke Leonard returning a punt for a 57 yard touchdown after the Sandites were held to a quick three-and-out. Less than three minutes into the game and they led 14-0 with two extra points from kicker Grant Ennis.

The Sandite offense managed a slow and steady eleven-play sixty-yard march to the Bulldog redzone. After taking a six yard sack, Pennington tried to make up for it with a double-reverse endzone pass that was dropped by the receiver. A false start and two pass breakups later and the Bulldogs got the ball back for a score.

Greenwood catapulted 67 yards in three plays, highlighted by a 54-yard keeper. Marc Jones took a handoff from two yards out and Ennis made it 21-0. They scored again on the opening play of the second quarter with an eighteen yard pass from Holt to Leonard.

Holt found Treyton Dawson from 31 yards out and Dawson broke two tackles for the 35-0 lead. Sand Springs marched 65 yards in thirteen plays, including a fourth down conversion, but turned the ball over with an incomplete pass at the Greenwood fifteen.

The Bulldogs scored on the opening possession of the second half when Holt made the most of a broken play and ran it in from ten. With a 42-0 lead, the Dogs finally sent in the second string.

The Sandites scored on an eighty-yard drive with a twenty-yard run from Mackey. Jaden Weiser’s kick missed, but the Sandites had averted the shutout.

Second-string quarterback Jace Presley led the Bulldogs in a 66-yard scoring march capped by an eighteen yard Aydin Chatfield touchdown run and Jackson Stewart kicked the extra point shortly before the end of the third quarter.

Sand Springs struck again to start the fourth quarter off. They traveled seventy yards in twelve plays before Pennington scrambled in from ten yards out after the pass play fell apart. This time Weiser’s PAT rang true for the final point of the game.

Timothy Earnhardt took over at quarterback and brought his team to the Sandites’ six before taking a knee to end the game.

Sand Springs will travel to Shawnee (0-3) next Friday at 7:00 p.m. to kick off district action.

GHS 49 CPHS 13
1Q: GHS 21-0
2Q: GHS 14-0
3Q: GHS 14-6
4Q: CPHS 7-0
First Downs: CPHS 16, GHS 15.
Fumbles/Lost: CPHS 1/1.
Penalties: CPHS 5-45, GHS 5-70.
C/A/Y/I: GHS 23-27-244-0, CPHS 12-21,45-0.
Rushes-Yards: CPHS 40-234, GHS 16-60.
Plays-Offense: GHS 43-304, CPHS 61-279.

(Sand Springs only)
Passing: Pennington 12-21-45-0.
Receiving: Snodgrass 3-19, Hawkins 4-16, Roberts 1-8, Foster 1-5, Mackey 1-0, Wilkerson 1-(-3).
Rushing: Pennington 15-95, Mackey 13-82, Wilkerson 11-50, Jones 2-6.
Kick-Avg: Weiser 3-26.
Punt-Avg: Smith 3-34.
PAT: Weiser 1/2.
Kick Return: Snodgrass 2-21.