CPHS Football Halftime Report: Sandites lead Sapulpa 27-14, presented by YellowHouse Market & Boutique

The Sapulpa Student Section shows their support for CPHS Head Coach Dustin Kinard and his battle with pancreatic cancer. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

The Class 6A No. 11 ranked Charles Page High School football team (2-6, 1-4) took a 27-14 first half lead in their rivalry game against the No. 7 Sapulpa Chieftains (6-2, 3-2) Friday on Senior Night at Memorial Stadium.

The Sandites jumped out to a 20-0 lead with a 13-0 first quarter shutout before letting the  Chieftains back into the game with a 14-14 second quarter tie.

The visitors tried to get fancy on their opening drive with a punt fake, but the Sandite defense broke up the pass play for a turnover on downs and a scoring drive. Senior quarterback Caden Pennington hit Luke Bratcher for a 27-yard pass, then ran for eighteen yards on the next play before punching it in from one-yard out. Jaden Weiser kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The stellar Sandite defense forced a quick three-and-out and the offense put together a thirteen-play 59-yard drive capped by a three-yard Pennington run. This time the point-after fell apart due to a bad snap.

Cameron Smith recovered a fumbled kick on the next play, but the Chieftains made their first defensive stop with a pass break-up at the end zone and forced a punt.

Sapulpa punted it away soon after and Pennington stole the show again, setting up a first-and-goal after a career-long 61-yard run, then scored from two yards out soon after. Weiser capped the 20-0 run with 6:25 in the half.

Then Sapulpa came alive.

Marcus Esparza scored on an eighteen-yard run after a six-play 62-yard drive to get the visitors on the board. The Sandites retaliated with a five-play 72-yard drive, featuring a spectacular 53-yard pass to Daren Hawkins, and three-yard touchdown run from Pennington.

Chieftain quarterback Elijah Williams was next in the endzone on a 26-yard run for the final points of the half.