Alijah Roper Leads Sandites to Senior Night Win over Bartlesville

Alijah Roper has been having a bit of a quiet season offensively, but that changed last Tuesday night as the senior went off for a game-high 21 points in a 66-53 Senior Night win over Bartlesville (3-19).

“We didn’t get the outcome that we wanted,” said Roper. “We wish we could have played our seniors the whole fourth quarter…but we came out with the win and just persevered.”

The No. 13 ranked Sandites (15-8) previously beat Bartlesville 77-50 in January but the Bruins never quite let Sand Springs pull away in the rematch, shooting 12-of-26 from three-point range to keep things close.

“The seniors got to start so I was happy for them,” said head coach Eric Savage. “I wish all of them could have scored or got more playing time, but Bartlesville shot the ball really well tonight.”

“That kept the game close and kept them in striking distance. It seemed like every time we pulled away a little bit they had a three-point answer.”

Despite the hot hands from the Bruins, Roper led all scorers, going 4-of-5 from three-point range in the first half in a duel with Riley Duony, who had 20 for Bartlesville.

“I feel like I got a little more confidence,” said Roper. “I haven’t shot the best this season, so that helps a lot. It was good energy all night, Senior Night, so I had fun.”

Bartlesville jumped out to a 6-3 lead after the Sandites started all their seniors instead of their typical lineup, but after swapping in some of the usual suspects, the Sandites went on a 13-0 run and never trailed again.

The home team took an 18-12 lead into the second quarter but Bartlesville tied it up at 22-22 on a three-pointer from Trae Collins at the 3:12 mark.

From there it was all Sandites, with back-to-back treys from Roper kicking off a 13-2 run to end the half. Roper scored a buzzer-beater through contact from Duony and converted the four-point play to make it 35-24.

Duony and Collins hit a pair of threes to cut it to 37-30 early in the third quarter but the Sandites got hot late in the quarter once again and took a 52-35 advantage into the fourth.

Despite never allowing Bartlesville back within striking distance, the Sandites also never pulled away enough to run their bench till late in the quarter.

“We didn’t play the best in the second half,” said Roper. “We just kept letting them knock down shots and not playing the greatest defense, but we put up a win.”

“They’re well coached,” added Savage. “They play hard and they didn’t give us anything easy, they made us earn our baskets.”

Roper’s 21 points were just a bucket shy of his career-high 23 in last year’s season finale. Joining him in double-digits were juniors Khalil Allen with 15 and Deke Thompson with 12.

“It was fun playing with my best friends, starting with the seniors who I’ve been playing with all these years,” said Roper. “It was a good experience.”

Sand Springs will return to action Thursday at 7:30 p.m. against Southmoore (10-12) in the first round of the Regional playoff at Choctaw.

The Sandites will be looking for their first playoff win since 2021, but thanks to a new postseason format this year, the first game won’t be an elimination game. The winner will play at 7:30 p.m. on Friday while the loser will play at 6:00 p.m. in an elimination game.

CPHS 66 BHS 53

1Q: CPHS 18-12.
2Q: CPHS 17-12.
3Q: CPHS 17-11.
4Q: BHS 18-14.
Free Throws: CPHS 17-of-28, BHS 1-of-6.
Field Goals: CPHS 21-of-44, BHS 20-of-44.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 11, BHS 5.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 17, BHS 12.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 28, BHS 17.
Steals: CPHS 6, BHS 3.
Blocks: CPHS 4, BHS 1.
Fouls: CPHS 13, BHS 20.

Sand Springs Stats

Points: Roper 21, Allen 15, Thompson 12, Evans 9, Mitchell 3, Kelly 2, Johnson 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Evans 3, Johnson 2, Allen 2, Roper 1, Thompson 1, Kelly 1, Fueshko 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Thompson 3, Allen 3, Evans 3, Roper 2, Kelly 2, Mitchell 1, Collins 1, Johnson 1, Fueshko 1.
Total Rebounds: Evans 6, Allen 5, Thompson 4, Roper 3, Kelly 3, Johnson 3, Fueshko 2, Mitchell 1, Collins 1.
Steals: Thompson 3, Evans 2, Allen 1.
Assists: Roper 3, Allen 2, Mitchell 1, Thompson 1.
Blocks: Thompson 2, Kelly 1, Evans 1.
Fouls: Mitchell 3, Johnson 3, Allen 2, Evans 2, Fueshko 2, Collins 1.

Bartlesville Stats

Points: Duony 20, Collins 13, Clark 12, Veit 6, Robertson 2.
Fouls: Veit 4, Robertson 3, Wilson 3, Collins 3, Clark 2, Duony 2, Duncan 2, Zervus 1.

Lady Sandites Rout Bartlesville, Will Travel to Broken Arrow for Regionals

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Bartlesville didn’t contest the tip off and didn’t bring any pressure on the opening possession as Sakauri Wilson took the ball down the court and passed it off to Kiaryn Taylor.

The senior Ranger College commit tapped in the easy bucket and immediately burst into tears after making her final appearance in black and gold.

Taylor tore her ACL in a December 8th matchup with Bishop Kelley but got to suit up one last time in Tuesday’s 55-39 Senior Night rout of Bartlesville (11-11) at the Ed Dubie Field House.

It was the regular season finale for both teams, but for the Sandites it was a tune-up game with nothing to win or lose after already clinching the three-seed in the district.

“I think we did a fair job tonight, we kind of executed against the zone,” said head coach Josh Berry. “We’ve got to do a better job of finishing some plays that we’re leaving out there, but we can figure that out going forward and defensively we need to get some things tied up.”

After giving Kennedy Nubel an uncontested basket to tie it at 2-2, the Sandites went on an 8-0 run and ended the first quarter up 22-6.

Bartlesville actually won the second quarter 6-4 after the Sandites only went 2-of-14 from the field, but the lid on the basket was lifted for both teams in the third quarter, which Sand Springs won 15-13.

The Bruins never got back within 11 points of the home team after the first quarter, with Sand Springs taking its biggest lead at 37-17 late in the third.

It was the Sandites’ tenth consecutive win against Bartlesville in a streak dating back to 2018.

Sand Springs is now 17-6 overall for its tenth consecutive regular season with a winning record. The girls went undefeated at home for the first time since the 2018-2019 season.

“Great season for the seniors,” said Berry. “The seniors have been a great group for me - they’ve been here four years, been a part of a lot of winning and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Sand Springs celebrated Taylor, Wilson, Taiona Morris, and Patience Pearce in between the boys and girls games. Taylor, Wilson, and Morris will each continue their basketball careers at the next level.

Wilson led all scorers with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 8 assists. Hope Bump added 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals while Morris had 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Mikka Chambers was the only Bruin in double digits with 10 points.

Last week the No. 6 ranked Lady Sandites went 2-1, falling 59-44 on the road to No. 4 Edmond Memorial (20-3) in Thursday’s district championship game.

The girls previously defeated Memorial 41-33 in the season opener and 58-54 at the Carl Albert tournament, but couldn’t pull off the threepeat despite leading 28-26 at halftime.

Bump scored 12 points in the first half but was held scoreless in the second as the Sandites were outscored 33-16. Wilson also scored 12 and Morris had 9 in the loss.

They bounced back on Friday with a trip to U.S. Grant (4-17) where they easily won 64-25 behind 20 points from Bump, 19 from Morris, and 10 from Tianna Butler.

Sand Springs will return to action Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Broken Arrow Regional against Ponca City (7-16). On the other side of the bracket is No. 9 Broken Arrow (16-7) against Enid (8-14).

Bartlesville will play No. 8 Bixby (17-6) in the first round of the Owasso Regional.

Unlike past years, the loser of the first-round matchups will not be eliminated from the postseason and will instead advance to a Regional consolation bracket.

CPHS 55 BHS 39

1Q: CPHS 22-6.
2Q: BHS 6-4.
3Q: CPHS 15-13.
4Q: Tied 14-14.
Free Throws: CPHS 9-of-12, BHS 9-of-15.
Field Goals: CPHS 21-of-54, BHS 13-of-42.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 9, BHS 7.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 20, BHS 14.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 29, BHS 21.
Steals: CPHS 12, BHS 4.
Blocks: CPHS 3, BHS 2.
Fouls: CPHS 15, BHS 12.

Sand Springs Stats

Points: Wilson 14, Bump 13, Morris 11, Simone 7, Pearce 4, Ti. Butler 4, Taylor 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Bump 3, Morris 2, Ti. Butler 2, Wilson 1, Simone 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Wilson 5, Morris 5, Ti. Butler 5, Bump 2, Crain 2, Pearce 1.
Total Rebounds: Morris 7, Ti. Butler 7, Wilson 6, Bump 5, Crain 2, Pearce 1, Simone 1.
Steals: Bump 4, Wilson 3, Morris 3, Ti. Butler 1, Simone 1.
Assists: Wilson 8, Ti. Butler 1.
Blocks: Bump 1, Pearce 1, Simone 1.
Fouls: Bump 4, Simone 4, Wilson 3, Ti. Butler 2, Morris 1, Ta. Butler 1.

Hot Streak Continues for Sandite Boys Basketball

A 61-49 victory over Raymore-Peculiar (6-8) in the Jenks-Union Invitational opener Thursday evening gave the Charles Page High School boys’ basketball team its ninth consecutive victory, their longest win streak since the 2019-2020 season.

That streak came to a close on Friday in a close 76-72 loss to No. 4 Union (13-2) in the semifinals, but the boys bounced back with a 60-37 upset of No. 12 Jenks (10-5) for third place.

After opening the season 0-3, Sand Springs is now 10-4 and ranked for the first time this year at No. 14. Next up for the Sandites is a rematch with Union Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. at the UMAC, this time in district play.

Winter weather postponed two of the Sandites’ recent games. A January 9th home game against U.S. Grant (0-10, 0-6) was rescheduled for February 3rd and a January 16th road game at No. 5 Edmond Memorial (10-4, 5-2) will be rescheduled for a later date.

In between the two, Sand Springs improved to 2-3 in district play with a 77-50 romp at Bartlesville (2-9, 1-6) on Friday the 12th.

Deke Thompson III led the Sandites for the tenth time this season with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals.

Kason Evans scored 16 points with 9 rebounds and Khalil Allen matched his career high with 14 points, shooting 6-of-7 from the field.

Against Raymore-Peculiar on Thursday the Sanditse had four in double-digits: Thompson with 16, Allen with 12, Evans with 11, and Alijah Roper with 10.

It was the Deke Thompson show against Union on Friday with the junior going off for a career-high 33 points, followed by Evans with a double-double 13 points and 10 rebounds.

On Saturday the team took a more balanced approach with Evans scoring 12, Roper and Kooper Kelly scoring 11 apiece, and Thompson scoring 10 to defeat the Trojans.

Shorthanded Sandites Fall 63-58 at Enid

The continued loss of Blake Johnson, out on concussion protocol, is wearing on the Sandites.

Sand Springs went on the road to No. 19 Enid (1-1) Tuesday and fell 63-58.

Despite a talented roster with more size and physicality than they’ve had in many years, the Charles Page High School boys basketball team is 0-3 after coming up a hair short in three well-fought games.

After falling into an early 8-2 hole on Tuesday, the Sandites used a timeout to settle down and got into a scoring rhythm but still trailed 24-20 to end the first quarter shootout.

Deke Thompson and Kason Evans scored 7 apiece in a quarter that saw five different Sandites enter the scorebook to keep up with Enid’s Tre Davis with 10.

Things slowed down in the second stanza and the Sandites took their first lead since the opening basket on a pair of free throws from Alijah Roper to go up 29-28 at the 2:48 mark.

Jonathan Reed briefly gave the Plainsmen the lead on the ensuing possession but Thompson took a steal coast to coast and dunked for the advantage and added another bucket soon after to take a 33-30 lead into the locker room.

Davis tied things up with a trey to open the second half. The teams took turns exchanging leads but a layup from Roper with a 1:28 in the quarter gave the Sandites their final advantage at 43-42.

A trey from Tegan Winn put the Plainsmen up 45-43 to enter the fourth and Branden Sears added a three-pointer to open the final stanza.

The Sandites did their best to play catchup but Khalil Allen drew his fourth foul early in the third and Evans picked up his fourth in the fourth, leaving both players unable to play physical in the paint.

Kooper Kelly hit a trio of free throws with 3.3 seconds to play to cut it to 62-58 but Reed hit a free throw for the home team to secure the victory.

Thompson led the Sandites with 14 points and 7 rebounds while Evans had 13 points and 6 boards.

Davis led all scorers with 21 points, followed by Sears with 13 and Reed with 10.

Sand Springs won’t return to action till a district home game on Tuesday against Putnam City (1-1, 1-1) and will hopefully have their 6’5” power forward back in the lineup by then. Enid will host Bartlesville (1-1) on Tuesday.

Enid 63 CPHS 58

1Q: Enid 24-20.
2Q: CPHS 13-6.
3Q: Enid 15-10.
4Q: Enid 18-15.
Free Throws: Enid 7-of-9, CPHS 16-of-19.
Field Goals: Enid 25-of-59, CPHS 20-of-52.
Offensive Rebounds: Enid 7, CPHS 8.
Defensive Rebounds: Enid 19, CPHS 21.
Total Rebounds: Enid 26, CPHS 29.
Steals: Enid 4, CPHS 4.
Blocks: Enid 4, CPHS 2.
Fouls: Enid 18, CPHS 15.

Sand Springs Statistics

Points: Thompson 14, Evans 13, Kelly 9, Roper 8, Allen 8, Fueshko 6.
Offensive Rebounds: Thompson 2, Evans 2, Roper 1, Kelly 1, Allen 1, Mitchell 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Thompson 5, Evans 4, Fueshko 4, Kelly 3, Roper 2, Allen 1, Mitchell 1, Smith 1.
Total Rebounds: Thompson 7, Evans 6, Fueshko 4, Kelly 4, Roper 3, Allen 2, Mitchell 2, Smith 1.
Steals: Thompson 2, Kelly 1, Smith 1.
Assists: Roper 1, Kelly 1, Thompson 1, Allen 1, Evans 1.
Blocks: Thompson 1, Allen 1.
Fouls: Roper 4, Allen 4, Evans 4, Thompson 2, Mitchell 1.

Enid Statistics

Points: Davis 21, Sears 13, Reed 10, Winn 6, Porter 5, Zyire 4, Cotarelo 4.
Fouls: Davis 4, Porter 4, Sears 3, Allen 2, Reed 2, Winn 2, Cotarelo 1.

Postseason Preview: Sandites Host Lawton Friday

Charles Page High School is four-for-four in qualifying for the playoffs in the Bobby Klinck era and under the new playoff expansion implemented in 2022, they’ll get to host a first-round game for the second season in a row.

6A-II No. 5 Sand Springs (7-3) is set to host Lawton (3-7) Friday in only their second meeting ever. The first and only meeting was a 5A semifinal playoff game that Lawton won 14-10 in 1987.

The Bracket

The winner of Sand Springs vs. Lawton will advance to play No. 3 Choctaw (7-2), who gets a first-round bye. On the same side of the bracket is No. 8 Tahlequah (3-7) at Putnam City (4-6), with the winner playing No. 1 Stillwater (8-2).

On the other side of the bracket is No. 10 Putnam City North (4-6) at No. 6 Bartlesville (4-6), with the winner playing No. 2 Edmond Deer Creek (8-2), and No. 9 Putnam City West (5-5) at No. 7 Ponca City (5-5), with the winner playing No. 4 Muskogee (8-2).

The Contenders

Stillwater is the defending State Champion, though they’ve spent most of the season at the No. 4 spot after a head coach change and the graduation of many starters resulted in an 0-2 start. Since then, the Pioneers are 8-0 with a statement 30-20 win over Muskogee in the district title game. Last year was their second championship overall and their third finals appearance in the past five years.

Deer Creek is looking for its first State title since 2000 when the Antlers were still 3A. They made the finals in 2021 but were outmatched 63-14 by juggernaut Bixby. Deer Creek started the season 1-2, playing up a division against a trio of 6A-I schools. They closed the season on a 7-0 streak with a signature 25-20 win against Choctaw in Week 6.

Choctaw finished the year with four wins in a row after the close loss at Deer Creek. The Yellowjackets have made the finals in two of the past three years but are still looking for their first title since a Class B championship in 1960. They outscored fellow playoff teams Lawton, Putnam City, and Ponca City by a combined 171 to 39 in the final three games.

Muskogee has returned to its blue blood form the past two years in pursuit of its first title since 1986 and fifth overall. The Roughers are 4-0 in championship games but 0-6 in the semis since their last gold ball and looking to take that next step forward after getting stopped in the semis last year.

Sand Springs is in pursuit of its first State title since 1966 and first finals appearance since 2015. The Sandites have been turned away in the semis twice since then. The Sandites’ only losses this season have come to 6A-I No. 1 Bixby, then-No. 1 Muskogee, and current No. 1 Stillwater.

The Dark Horse

Bartlesville is undoubtedly the best team in the playoffs with a losing record. In three consecutive losses to Stillwater, Muskogee, and Sand Springs, the combined score was only 64 to 54. There was also a season-opening one-point loss to 5A No. 6 Claremore (9-1). The Bruins got back in the win column with a 51-20 domination of Tahlequah to close the regular season.

The Bruins have never made it to a State finals game and they haven’t made it past the quarterfinals since 2015.

The Hopefuls

Ponca City won a first-round playoff game last year for the first time since 1986 and is looking to take another step forward this season. The Wildcats have never won the gold ball and last played for it in 1965.

Tahlequah has qualified for the playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons, but they haven’t gotten past the first round since 2020 when they were still 5A. They have never won a State title, falling in the 4A finals in 1989.

Putnam City West is making its first postseason appearance since 2016 and looking for its first win since 1994. The Patriots won their lone title in 1981 in Class 4A and haven’t made it to the finals since then.

Putnam City North won a playoff game as recently as 2020 but missed out on the postseason last year. The Panthers won their only gold ball in 1991 in Class 5A and made their last finals appearance in 2001 in 6A.

Putnam City is looking to win its first playoff game since 2007. The Pirates won three titles in four years from 1974 to 1977 but haven’t made the finals since that 4A run.

Lawton was an early 6A-II power, making finals appearances in 2014 and 2016 after the 6A split. They lost both of those games to Bixby. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2017, however. The Wolverines own two gold balls, last winning a 5A title in 1987.

Football Preview: Sandites Host No. 10 Booker T. Washington for Senior Night

Kenneth Page and Easton Webb celebrate after Page scores a touchdown against Tahlequah. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

The Class 6A-II No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School football team (5-3, 3-2) is set to host No. 10 Booker T. Washington (2-6, 1-4) Friday evening at Memorial Stadium for Senior Night.

Sand Springs is coming off a 20-17 overtime win against No. 6 Bartlesville and looking to clinch third place in the district while the Hornets are coming off a 63-20 loss to No. 1 Muskogee and looking to stop the bleeding on their worst season since 1997.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. The Church That Matters Tailgate Party will start at 6:00 outside of the stadium. Tickets are $6 and include your choice of a hamburger, grilled chicken sandwich, or hot dog with chips and a drink. Proceeds will benefit the Sandite Baseball program.

Tickets are sold out for the Varsity Club, which includes dinner from Nieve’s Mexican Grill and indoor seating to view the game from the CPHS Fine Arts Building in the south end zone. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Senior Night festivities start at 6:30 p.m. and kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors 65+. General admission is $8. Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and other concessions are available inside the gate with proceeds benefiting the Gold Pride marching band.

The History

Booker T. Washington leads the series 19-7 all-time and has won seven consecutive meetings in the longest-such streak of the rivalry.

The two programs first met in 1986 when the Hornets prevailed 42-21. The Sandites’ three touchdowns were the most anyone scored on Washington all season as the Hornets finished as State Runners-Up.

Sand Springs paid it back the next year 15-12 en route to a rare ten-win season, district title, and State Semifinal appearance.

The Hornets won three in a row from 1988 to 1990 before Brett Pennington’s two-way performance snapped the streak 15-14 in a lightning-delayed upset. Pennington ran for one touchdown, passed for another, ran in a two-point conversion, and sealed the game with a late interception.

Washington won the next three meetings before a strong defensive battle went the Sandites’ way in a 14-10 road upset in 1995.

Washington won 34-7 in 1996 but Kevin King’s two interceptions in 1997 helped the Sandites complete a perfect 10-0 regular season with a 23-15 win on Senior Night.

The two programs wouldn’t meet again till 2006-07 when the Hornets briefly joined 6A and bullied the Sandites 62-28 and 23-7 before dropping down a division.

The series renewed in 2012 when Cody Hale passed for 171 yards and scored two total touchdowns in a 21-7 win to improve to 4-0.

2013 marked the only time the Sandites won back-to-back meetings with the Hornets, prevailing 42-38 in a Homecoming shootout. Hale passed for 387 yards and scored five total touchdowns.

Washington wouldn’t allow a three-peat, however, spoiling Senior Night 42-35 in 2014.

2015 is the only time the two programs have played twice in one year, with the top-ranked Hornets winning 17-14 on a last-second field goal in the regular season before the Sandites prevailed 30-23 in the State Semifinals to punch their ticket to the ‘ship for the first time since 1966.

Since then, the Hornets have won seven in a row, though that streak will be in high jeopardy tonight.

The most lopsided game in series history was a 49-0 Hornet shutout in 2020 while the Sandites’ biggest win was 21-7 in 2012. The highest-scoring game was the 62-28 Hornet win in 2014. The Sandites have been shut out thrice in the series and have never shut out the Hornets.

The Sandites

Sand Springs has established itself as a dominant team in the trenches, averaging 181 rushing yards per game while passing for 116.

The passing game took a big step forward last week against Bartlesville and sophomore quarterback Easton Webb will look to continue building cohesion with his receiving corps as the playoffs loom ever closer.

Webb was 11-of-19 last week, throwing for 127 yards. Caleb Goodman had six receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. Kenneth Page led the ground game with 19 carries for 91 yards and a score.

Hunter Wilson, Gatlin Gunn, and Dallas Elifrits led the defense with 9 tackles apiece, closely followed by Owen Floyd with 8. Alex Dudley had 6 tackles, two pass deflections, and forced a fumble. Gunn recovered a fumble and Christian Freitus scored a safety.

Dawson Puckett kicked a 30-yard field goal in overtime for the win.

On the Season:

Webb is 57-of-88 for 724 yards, 5 TDs, and 6 INTs with 1 rushing TD. Caleb Goodman has 34 catches for 456 yards and 4 TDs.

Kenneth Page has 138 carries for 718 yards and 9 TDs plus 2 TD receptions. Ali McCoy has 80 carries for 678 yards and 8 TDs.

Dawson Puckett is 25-of-28 on PATs and 2-of-3 on field goals, connecting twice from 30 yards.

The defense is led by Floyd with 61 tackles, Gunn with 49 tackles, and Dudley with 45 tackles. Dudley and Gunn each have two interceptions.