CPHS Football: Sandites roll Ponca City 35-10 in district opener

The Class 6A-II No. 9 ranked Charles Page High School football team is 3-1 for the first time since 2015 after rolling to a 35-10 win over No. 13 Ponca City (1-2) Friday night at Sullins Stadium.

Sandite quarterback Ty Pennington accounted for three touchdowns in the district-opening win. He was 18-of-29 passing for 236 yards and two touchdowns, and ran the ball 16 times for 63 yards and another score.

The Sandites quickly marched to the Ponca one-yard line on their first possession, but Pennington attempted to leap over a Wildcat defender on the fourth-and-one option, and the ball came flying loose into the end zone where Ponca recovered it for a touchback.

The next Sand Springs drive stalled out at their own 36, but Brycen Peterman recovered a muffed punt to give his team new life. Jamon Sisco hauled in a 35-yard pass to enter the red zone and two plays later Pennington ran it in from seven yards out. Zach Heinen kicked the PAT and was a perfect five-for-five on the night.

Micah Calico made a touchdown-saving pass-breakup in the second quarter, wrestling loose a 50/50 ball from Nate Harbeson deep in Sandite territory, and the Sandite defense pitched a shutout in the first half.

Sand Springs had another opportunity to score shortly before the half, but James Godfrey knocked loose a fumble at his team’s 20-yard line and Tabron Stranton recovered it.

Pennington nearly found Keaton Campbell for a 28-yard strike on the opening possession of the second half, but Tyson Dewberry broke it up in the end zone for a turnover on downs. Peterman made another big play and picked off Aiden Wetzel on the Wildcats’ next drive, but Ponca got a three-and-out and blocked Pennington’s punt.

The last four minutes of the third quarter were the most exciting of the whole game. Pennington found Campbell for 26-yards and a score to make it 14-0, but Harbeson found Brett Haney on a 16-yard strike to get his team on the board. The biggest play of the game came on the ensuing kick, which Jamon Sisco returned 93 yards for a touchdown.

Ponca responded with a methodical ten-play 47-yard drive, and Spencer Ball kicked a 39-yard field goal to make it 21-10 early in the fourth quarter. The Sandites needed only six plays to score on their next drive, thanks to Wildcat penalties. Pennington ran for a first down at the Wildcat 42, but they got 30 yards for free after a Ponca player was called for a personal foul, and a protesting coach received a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. He found Ryan Shoemaker for seven yards, then hit Campbell for the five-yard score.

The defense forced a three-and-out, and the punt traveled only 14 yards, giving Sand Springs prime field position. Four plays later Blake Jones ran in a score from eight yards out. Jones missed the previous two games after getting injured in the season opener. Cody Cramer started against Ponca, but went down midway through the second quarter and Jones made his return to the field. Cramer would end up returning late in the fourth.

Ponca threatened on their final possession after Wetzel connected with Sam McKinney for 43 yards, but they never made it past the Sandite 22 thanks to a tackle for loss from Landon Hendricks and a sack from Sango Whitehorn led to a turnover on downs.

Campbell finished with ten catches for 138 yards. Pennington led the Sandites on the ground, followed by Jones with 11 carries for 55 yards. Whitehorn and Drake Fain led the defense with 8 tackles apiece, and Whitehorn had a team-best four tackles for loss and two sacks.

Cameron Jackson was the most productive Wildcat on offense with 22 carries for 167 yards. Harbeson was 5-9-33-0 passing and Wetzel was 2-8-53-1. McKinney was the top receiver with two catches for 52 yards, and also averaged 21 yards on his two kick returns. Dewberry led the Wildcat defense with nine tackles, followed by Godfrey with three tackles for loss and a sack.

Sandite Football will return to action Friday at 7:00 p.m. when they host No. 12 Muskogee (0-3) for Homecoming. Ponca will travel to No. 4 Choctaw (2-2) on Friday.

CPHS 35 POHI 10
First Downs: CPHS 16, POHI 12.
Fumbles/Lost: CPHS 3/2.
Penalties: CPHS 9-90, POHI 10-80.
Passing: CPHS 18-29-236-0, POHI 7-17-86-1.
Rushing: CPHS 40-151, POHI 42-169.
Offense: CPHS 69-387, POHI 59-255.