CPHS Football: Sandites finish best season since 2016 with loss at Stillwater

The Class 6A-II No. 7 ranked Charles Page High School football team (7-5) wrapped up its season Friday night with a 49-17 quarterfinal playoff loss to No. 2 Stillwater (9-0) on the road. The Pioneers haven’t lost anything but State Championship games in the past three seasons, and they’re one step closer to yet another finals appearance. Meanwhile, Sand Springs finished the year with its best record since 2016.

Sand Springs only trailed 14-7 after the first quarter, but the home team hit the gas for a 42-7 halftime lead. All-time school-leading rusher Qwontrel Walker put up three touchdowns and 177 yards on ten carries in the first half and didn’t play in the second, while first-year quarterback Caleb Allen had as many touchdowns as he did incompletions, going 13-16-229-0 with three more scores in the first half. The Pioneers scored on all six first-half possessions.

Walker had a 27-yard run on the opening drive to set up his 19-yard score. The next Pioneer score was a fluke as Allen threw the ball straight into Daren Hawkins’s hands, but the Sandite defender deflected it up and over to Steven Brown, who waltzed untouched into the end zone from 20 yards out for the 61-yard score. Sand Springs ran a methodical 13-play 65-yard march to get on the board with a one-yard Ty Pennington sneak.

Tevin Williams made an impressive 37-yard touchdown catch over the top of Hawkins on the opening drive of the second quarter. Walker ran in a 66-yarder for a touchdown, then had a 47-yard run to set up an 18-yard scoring pass from Allen to Donnell Wagner. Walker scored the last points of the half on a one-yard run.

Sand Springs made a methodical 67-yard march to the Pioneer red zone before turning it over on downs, but it wasn’t all for nothing. Three plays later Allen threw a 17-yard pick-six to Ryder Barnes for the Sandites’ first defensive touchdown in 16 games.

The home team added one last score on a one-yard run from Noah Roberts late in the third. Sand Springs had the final score as Zach Heinen capped off his career with a personal best 39-yard field goal.

Pennington finished the game 15-of-22 for 181 yards passing and had 20 carries for another 40 yards. Atkison led the team on the ground with 12 runs for 62 yards. Jacob Blevins was the top receiver with two catches for 83 yards.

Allen finished the game 17-22-282-1 passing with three scores, and had three carries for 26 yards. Brown had a game-best four catches for 97 yards. Holden Thompson led the Pioneers in the second half with nine carries for 37 yards.

The Pioneers will return to action Friday at 7:00 p.m. against No. 4 Choctaw (8-3), who defeated No. 6 Putnam North 20-7 in their quarterfinal. The game will be played on a neutral site, to be determined.