CPHS Football: Sandites fall 23-20 in OT at Shawnee, Mackey runs for 251

The Class 6A-II No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School football team (1-3, 0-1) took a 12-6 halftime lead into the locker room Friday night in Shawnee, but the No. 15 ranked Wolves (1-3, 1-0) took advantage of key Sand Springs turnovers to force overtime, winning 23-20 before a small crowd of dedicated fans in a relentless chilling drizzle.

Joel Mackey made a statement with an eighty-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game, and racked up a career-high 251 yards and one touchdown on thirty carries. Caden Pennington was held to a 5-11-79-1 passing performance due to the rain, but accumulated 78 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

The Sandites forced a punt on Shawnee’s opening drive, but fumbled the ball away to Elijah Powis at their own 26. Four plays later and Tre’Juan Shaw punched it in from twenty yards out. Their PAT sailed wide and the teams were tied up at 6-6.

The Sandites gave up a turnover on downs at the Shawnee thirteen, but caught a break with a fumble recovery from freshman Kaden Glass. This time they hit pay dirt on a sixteen-yard run from Pennington, but once again the point-after attempt failed. They had one more chance to score before the half, but Demetress Beavers broke up a red zone pass attempt as time expired.

Shawnee tied it up on the opening drive of the third quarter with a 27-yard run from Shaw, but Jerret Haley stopped a two-point run attempt from Trenton Skinner. They took the lead soon after with a five-yard run from Shaw, who also punched in the two-point conversion.

The Sandites tied it on an eighty-yard march and one-yard keeper, with a Pennington two-point conversion as well. Justis Myers made a crucial sack on a fourth-down attempt in the Sandite red zone and the Sandites put together one last push.

Ten plays later the Sandites threatened at the Shawnee 22-yard line, but Kaiden Johnson caught Pennington’s first interception of the season to force overtime.

Both teams got four downs from the ten-yard line in overtime. Shawnee won the toss and elected to play defense first.

The ground game proved fruitless for Sand Springs and they tried a shotgun formation on fourth-and-six. Pennington scrambled out of a collapsed pocket and had a wide open lane to the left, but the weather struck once again as his feet slid out from under him on the soaking turf.

Shawnee made no gains on their first two carries and threw an incompletion, but Kossi Kodoe connected on a 27-yard field goal to secure the upset victory.

Sand Springs will return to action Friday at home with a district bout against No. 6 Muskogee (3-1, 1-0). The Wolves will host No. 16 Ponca City (0-4, 0-1). Muskogee defeated Ponca City 16-7 on Friday.