CPHS Football: Sandites survive Deer Creek 34-29 in first-round playoff

In the first ever meeting between the Charles Page and Edmond Deer Creek high school football teams, the Class 6A-II No. 7 ranked Sandites (7-4) secured a 34-29 win over the No. 9 Antlers (4-6) Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. It marked their first playoff victory since 2016, and gave them their first seven-win season since that year as well.

The game almost didn’t happen after contact tracing from the Antlers’ previous game resulted in enough quarantines that they were forced to cancel. The Oklahoma City County Health Department reversed its initial decision, however, and cleared the team to play - resulting in a one-day postponement.

Sand Springs, however, was short 27 players due to contact tracing, which helped the Antlers to keep the game fairly close. Despite never taking the lead, Deer Creek scored ten unanswered points in the fourth quarter after trailing by as much as 17 early in the game.

“We had a bunch of kids out,” said first-year Head Coach Bobby Klinck. “We had three of our starting D-line out so we had to adjust some kids and move some guys inside and move a linebacker down. Gabe Brown did an unbelievable job and was just unselfish with doing that for us.”

Sand Springs took the lead on their second possession and never relinquished it. Ty Pennington scored on a two-yard touchdown run, but was stopped short on the PAT run. On their next possession Blake Jones took a handoff from the 9-yard line and fumbled it at the one, where it rolled into the end zone and was recovered by Ryan Shoemaker for the score. Zach Heinen’s PAT kick made it 13-0 to end the first quarter.

The Antlers came charging back in the second period, however, and turned an 11-play 67-yard drive into a 31-yard field goal from Logan Ward. Sand Springs responded with an eight-play 80-yard drive capped by a 36-yard touchdown pass from Pennington to Jacob Blevins for the 20-3 lead.

Sand Springs forced a three-and-out and was driving the field again, threatening from the Antler 38-yard line when Reed Eden forced and recovered a fumble to set up a two-play 43-yard drive. Brett Pense threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Ward, then Ward took a wildcat snap on the two-point play and pitched it to Taylor Tomlin who connected with Pense to make it 20-11.

Sand Springs once again drove the field and got as close as the three-yard line, but Cyrus Scheihing sacked Pennington to drain the clock and avert the score.

Jones made up for his earlier fumble with a 14-yard scoring run on the opening drive of the second half, but Deer Creek was quick to respond. Pense hit Hunter Holley on a go-route for a 68-yard score, then ran in the two-point play to make it 27-19.

Jones picked up a first-down on a seven-yard run to enter the red zone, but was injured on the play and didn’t reenter the game. Pennington scored the Sandites’ final touchdown on an 18-yard scamper and Heinen’s kick made it 34-19.

Then came the Antlers. Eden strip-sacked Pennington on third-and-17 and Andre Bruner scooped up the fumble and returned it two yards for the score. Deer Creek defense came up strong again with a three-and-out, then the offense marched 55 yards and Ward kicked a 25-yard field goal with 5:49 on the clock and three timeouts remaining.

Sand Springs picked up two first downs before stalling out at midfield, and the Antlers had one last shot to rally for the upset. Pense had a run for no gain, then threw two deep incompletions before Landon Hendricks sacked him for the turnover on downs. Tyyee Atkison picked up a first down at the Antler 8-yard line and the Sandites assumed victory formation for the win.

“It’s playoff football,” said Klinck. “That’s a well-coached football team. We’ve got to learn to put people away, but we’ll take it. It’s kind of a different type of playoff win, but any time you can keep advancing into the playoffs it’s a good deal. These kids handled it great.”

Pennington had yet another career night on the ground, running 27 times for 174 yards and two scores, and was 14-of-26 passing for 166 yards and another touchdown. Blevins was his top receiver with five catches for 102 yards and the score. Jones finished the night with 10 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown.

Pense was 17-of-36 passing for 227 yards and two touchdowns and Will Hinton led the Antlers on the ground with 14 carries for 59 yards. Berkley Dalton was the top receiver with six catches for 65 yards.

Sandite Football will return to action Friday at 7:30 p.m. at No. 2 Stillwater (8-0) in their first playoff quarterfinal appearance since 2017. The last time they played the Pioneers was 2015 when the Sandites dominated 49-14 in a first-round playoff road game. Since then the Pioneers have become a powerhouse, losing only twice in three years, both times in the State Championship finals.