CPHS Football: Sand Springs to host Shiloh Christian Friday

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The Class 6A-II No. 10 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (1-1) will look to get back to a winning record Friday at 7:00 p.m. when they host Arkansas 4A No. 1 Shiloh Christian (2-0) from Springdale. Both teams are coming off bye weeks.

Sand Springs has a lot to prove this season - its first under Head Coach Bobby Klinck. They missed the playoffs two years in a row, suffered losing records three years in a row, and those down years resulted in a complete overhaul of the coaching staff. They got off to a great start by beating 5A No. 6 rival Sapulpa (2-1) and led 5A No. 2 Bishop Kelley (3-0) until the final minute of the game.

Shiloh Christian is coming from the other side of the success spectrum. The Saints are 28-3 over the past three seasons and their only loss last year came in the State Championship game. They own seven State Titles, most recently in 2009, while the Sandites only have one from 1966.

Shiloh is 5-2 against Oklahoma teams in the past decade, but they have yet to play anyone above a 4A classification. They beat Poteau 34-28 in their second game this year. They beat Beggs the past two years, lost to Victory Christian in 2014, split games with Broken Bow in 2012 and 2013, and beat Webster in 2011.

Saint quarterback Eli Wisdom is already receiving attention from D1 recruiters this season. In the first two games he was 21-of-35 passing for 236 yards and two touchdowns, 22-212 rushing for three touchdowns, and he had an 85-yard kick return for a touchdown. Both Auburn and Memphis have expressed interest in the sophomore.

The Sandites also have a young star under center in 6’3” junior Ty Pennington, who is 20-of-47 passing for 500 yards and three touchdowns, with another 98 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. Pennington has started only eleven games in his career, and will likely surpass the 2,000 yard passing mark on Friday.

The receiving corps has been a bright spot for the Sandites, led by Jamon Sisco with eight catches for 219 yards and a touchdown, and Keaton Campbell with eight catches for 167 yards and two scores. Jacob Blevins only has two catches and has already racked up 97 yards.

The run game has been through a rough patch, losing two backs in the first two games. Blake Jones was injured in the season opener and missed week two, while Tyyee Atkison is out for the season after an injury against Bishop Kelley required surgery. Thankfully the Sandites have a dual threat quarterback, and a promising backup RB in 5’10” 190-pound sophomore Codey Cramer, who was 5-28 against Bishop Kelley.

The Sandite defense and special teams have seen remarkable improvement over last season, with 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, four fumble recoveries, and three blocked kicks. Sango Whitehorn, Landon Hendricks, and Drake Fain have led the defense in tackles and Bryson Chase leads the team in pass deflections.

The game will kick off at 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Stadium and fans are required to wear masks. Prior to the game the Church That Matters Tailgate Crew will be grilling hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken as a fundraiser for the football team. That event kicks off outside the stadium at 6:00 p.m. and tickets are $6.00.