CPHS Football Preview: Sandites travel to No. 2 Stillwater Friday in playoffs

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It has been a successful year for the Class 6A-II No. 7 ranked Charles Page High School football team (7-4), who already has more wins this season than the past two years combined. The Sandites are coming off a 34-29 playoff victory over No. 9 Edmond Deer Creek, and on Friday they will look to extend that success against No. 2 Stillwater (8-0). It won’t be an easy task.

The last time the two teams met was also a quarterfinal playoff at Pioneer Stadium, and Sand Springs won that game 49-14. However, despite being the No. 3 seed in their district, the Sandites were also the No. 3 ranked team in the division that year, and went on to finish as State Runners-Up.

Since their last meeting, Sand Springs is 25-31 overall and 2-2 in the playoffs, while Stillwater is 45-11 overall and 4-4 in the playoffs. Stillwater’s last two seasons were both 12-1, with back-to-back State Runner-Up finishes. First-year Sandite Head Coach Bobby Klinck is 20-16 in his career (including a stint at East Central), while Tucker Barnard is 70-39 in his ten seasons with the Pioneers.

Sand Springs currently has the No. 8 ranked offense in Class 6A-II, and the No. 9 defense in points allowed. Stillwater ranks No. 2 in offense, No. 7 in points allowed, and No. 3 in defensive scoring.

Sand Springs fans have only been allotted 400 tickets due to social distancing requirements. They are available for purchase at the Ed Dubie Field House at 600 North Adams Road Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cost is $7.00 each and the department is taking cash only.

The game will kick off Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Pioneer Stadium, at 1223 North Husband Street in Stillwater.

The Sandites

Junior dual threat quarterback Ty Pennington is 131-of-256 passing this season for 2,089 yards and 14 touchdowns, with only four interceptions. He leads the team on the ground with 177 carries for 675 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Blake Jones has 97 carries for 483 yards and seven touchdowns, and Tyyee Atkison has 36 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown as Jones’s backup.

Keaton Campbell leads the receiving corps with 47 catches for 613 yards and seven touchdowns, followed by Jamon Sisco with 32 catches for 611 yards and three touchdowns, and Jacob Blevins with 26 catches for 606 yards and three touchdowns.

Zach Heinen is 30-for-30 on PATs this season and 2-of-3 on field goals with a long of 36. He averages 33 yards per punt, and Greg Reed averages 45 yards per kick.

Sango Whitehorn leads the team in tackles with 78, followed by Landon Hendricks (77), Brooks Dudley (69), and Drake Fain (68). Hendricks (18.5), Whitehorn (18), and Lane Webster (14) lead the team in tackles for loss. Hendricks (5), Whitehorn (4.5), and Webster (2) also lead the team in sacks.

Brycen Peterman (2), Fain (1), Sallis (1), Bryson Chase (1), Caden Harris (1), Dudley (1), and Micah Calico (1) all have interceptions. Hendricks (5), Peterman (4), Fain (1), Chase (1), Daren Hawkins (1), Brody Rutledge (1), Dominic Ornelas (1), Trevor Stone (1), Braylon Flores (1), and Conner Light (1) all have fumble recoveries.

The Pioneers

First-year starting quarterback Caleb Allen hasn’t missed a beat after taking over for Gunner Gundy. The senior is 108-of-158 passing for 1,612 yards and 16 touchdowns, with only three interceptions. He also has 22 carries for 122 yards and three rushing touchdowns.

Steven Brown leads the receiving team with 28 catches for 490 yards and seven touchdowns, followed by Donnell Wagner with 24 catches for 305 yards and two touchdowns. Ty Smithton has 14 catches for 195 yards and a score, and three-star Baylor-commit Tevin Williams has eight catches for 265 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior standout Qwontrel Walker is wrapping up a historic career. Walker ranks 10th in the all-time Oklahoma career rushing list with 7,112 yards, and has 1,546 yards and 26 touchdowns on 181 carries this year. He has yet to run for under 100 yards in a game this season.

Gabe Brown leads the team with 74 tackles, followed by Carter Barnard with 47 and Braeden Bennett with 42. Brown has six tackles for loss, followed by Eyuel Abame (4), Bennett (3), Zac Tyson (3), Luke McEndoo (3), and Williams (3). Brown has five sacks, followed by Tyson, Abame, and McEndoo with two each.

Eli Williams (3), Brown (2), Travoris McFadden (1), Bennett (1), Abame (1), and Tevin Williams (1) all have interceptions. McEndoo (1), Brown (1), Brady Osborn (1), and Barnard (1) all have fumble recoveries.

The Series

Stillwater leads the series 30-12-1. The first meeting was a 14-6 Sandite win in 1934. The Pioneers won ten in a row from 1960 to 1980. Sand Springs has won the past three meetings, which is their longest streak in the series.

Stillwater’s biggest win was 70-6 in 1961 and the Sandites’ biggest win was in 2015. The highest-scoring game in the series was a 45-41 shootout in 2008, with Sand Springs coming out on top. The lowest-scoring game was a 0-0 tie in 1936.

Sand Springs is 3-1 against the Pioneers under Tucker Barnard. He defeated the Sandites 38-37 in his first year, but lost 41-27 in 2012, and 44-41 in 2013.

The two are tied 1-1 in the postseason, with Stillwater spoiling an otherwise perfect season for the Sandites in 1977.

In 2015 the Sandites dominated the Pioneers on all fronts. Hunter Greathouse was 11-of-11 passing for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Trace Fleischman had five receptions for 120 yards and two scores, and added a third on the ground. Lane Lettich had 22 carries for 123 yards and three touchdowns, and Payton Scott had 13 carries for 111 yards and another score.