No. 1 CPHS Wrestling leads State Championship after first round with 8 semifinalists

Top-ranked 220 pound senior Delvin Jordan pinned his first-round opponent at the OSSAA State Championship. (Photo: Scott Emigh)

6A Top-Ten Team Scores:

1. No. 1 Sand Springs (25)
2. No. 2 Choctaw (21.5)
3. No. 3 Broken Arrow (21)
4. No. 13 Norman North (11)
5. Midwest City (10)
   No. 8 Stillwater (10)
6. No. 4 Edmond North (9)
7. No. 6 Ponca City (8)
   No. 5 Yukon (8)
8. No. 11 Edmond Memorial (6)
   Owasso (6)

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 1 ranked Charles Page High School wrestling team got off to a solid start at the OSSAA 6A State Championship Friday afternoon at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. Eight of the eleven State Qualifiers won their first round matches, and the Sandites had the top team score by a narrow margin over the defending State Champions from No. 2 Choctaw. 

It's a three-way race for the top with Choctaw and No. 3 Broken Arrow right behind the Sandites. The Yellowjackets and Tigers each have six wrestlers remaining in the championship bracket.

106-pound sophomore Riley Weir (39-6 season, 60-18 career) met Edmond North freshman Nate Becker (22-13) in his quarterfinal. Weir took a 5-1 lead into the second period and started on bottom, then quickly reversed in the first twenty seconds. He did it again to start the third period and held on for a 9-1 major decision. He will face Choctaw freshman Gabe Johnson (34-6) in the semifinals.

113 senior Tanner Ward (33-10, 109-22) took on Mustang sophomore Cameron Picklo (29-8) and recorded a takedown in the first twenty seconds, then cut his foe loose soon after. He snagged another score midway through the first period, added a pair of back points, cut his opponent loose, then took him down again to end the first period 8-3. Picklo started the second period on top and Ward easily got the escape, then added a takedown soon after. Picklo got a reversal and nearly put the Sandite in danger, but Ward managed to stay off his back and recovered for a reversal and 14-5 third period lead. The final stretch started neutral and Ward picked up a couple more takedowns for a 16-5 major decision. He will face Westmoore senior Canon Randall (36-4) in the semifinals.

120 senior Michael Ritchey (36-10, 65-34) and Choctaw junior Andy Schlaepfer (27-16) hit the mat early and struggled for control, ending up in a stalemate before the Sandite finally came out on top with seven seconds left. They started the second period neutral and it went the same as the first, hotly contested with one stalemate, and one Sandite takedown, once again in the final ten seconds. Ritchey started the final period on bottom and escaped thirty seconds in, then took control with a minute left and held on for the 7-0 decision. He will face Edmond North senior Paxton Rosen (36-2) in the semifinals.

126 junior Blake Sargent (37-10, 89-24) battled Choctaw junior Connor Holman (35-6) and gave up a takedown late in the first period. He started the second period on top and cut his opponent loose early on, then Holman added another pair of points towards the end and took a 5-0 lead into the final stretch. Sargent started the third period on the defensive end and escaped in the first few seconds, but was unable to score. Holman added another takedown, Sargent cut loose, and the Yellowjacket won by 7-2 decision. He will face Ponca City sophomore Spencer Schickram (37-9) in the consolationquarterfinal.

132 Oklahoma State University-signed senior Daton Fix (45-0, 163-0) easily handled Midwest City senior Marquez Edwards (24-8), scoring a takedown for nearfall points in the first thirty seconds. He cut his foe loose, scored, cut him loose again, scored again, and continued to run up the score to 11-3 at the end of the first period. He started the second with a reversal and secured the pin in 2:43. He will face Ponca City junior Dylan Schickram (38-12) in the semis.

138 senior Jack Karstetter (30-1, 103-16) had a scrappy competitor in Edmond Memorial junior Connor Simpson (21-8). The Sandite handily prevailed, however, taking a 7-0 lead into the second period with two sets of back points. He started on bottom and immediately escaped five seconds in, then added a second takedown for a 10-1 third period advantage. He reversed to start the final stretch and cut Simpson loose to look for bonus points, but the two remained neutral and Karstetter got the 12-2 major decision. He will face Ponca City senior Dawson Hunt (29-14) in the semifinals.

145 senior Beau Bratcher (43-7, 134-30) battled Westmoore sophomore Zach Johnson (25-7) and scored his first takedown at the minute mark. He started the second period on defense and scored an early escape and held on for a 3-0 lead in the third. Johnson selected defense, and remained there for the duration, giving Bratcher a 3-0 decision. He will face Yukon senior and defending State Champion Jaxen Gilmore (27-2) in the semifinals.

152 junior Payton Scott (37-3, 58-11) took on Choctaw junior Jeff Speer (16-8) and scored a takedown in the first thirty seconds, and cut his foe loose immediately. He added two more by the end of the first and entered the second stretch 6-2. He started with an immediate escape, then took Speer down for a fall at 2:19. He will take on Midwest City senior Rober Walker (28-6) in the semifinals.

160 sophomore Noah Almy (24-18) took on Choctaw junior and defending State Champion Jaryn Curry (35-3) and gave up an early takedown, but escaped soon after. Curry added another score and cut the Sandite loose, then repeated for a 6-3 lead. Almy started the second period on top, but Curry broke free and scored another trio of takedowns in the first minute and entered the third period with a 15-6 lead. They started neutral and Curry scored a takedown and a pair of back points before securing the 22-7 tech fall in 4:58 after a stalling penalty on Almy. The Sandite will return to action against Edmond Santa Fe junior Williams Depona (16-13) in the consolation quarterfinals.

170 senior Zane Basma (26-4, 88-29) gave up an early takedown to Edmond Memorial junior Sam Hensley (36-7), but quickly escaped and scored his own takedown for a trio of nearfall points. The Sandite started the second period neutral with a 6-2 lead, but gave up another takedown at the end of the period. Basma started the final stanza on bottom and quickly escaped, but Hensley scored a last second takedown for back points for the 9-7 decision. Basma will take on Ponca City junior Lane Newlin (31-14) in the consolation quarterfinal.

220 senior Delvin Jordan (43-2, 74-14) took on Westmoore senior Jonathan Martinez (15-8) and the two were evenly matched through the first. Jordan took a 1-0 lead with a second period escape then added a takedown soon after. Slow and steady won the race and Jordan worked his foe into a cradle at 3:42. He will take on Choctaw junior Caulin Poole (25-10) in the semifinals.

The first round of consolations will begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by the semifinals at 7:15 p.m.

Savage and Keener combine for 46 in close loss at No. 8 Broken Arrow

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

BAHS 63 CPHS 57

1Q Broken Arrow 21-16
2Q Broken Arrow 15-5
3Q Sand Springs 16-7
4Q All 20-20

Free Throws: CPHS 15-of-22 BAHS 12-of-24
Field Goals: CPHS 19-of-45 BAHS 21-of-43
Fouls: CPHS 18, BAHS 20

Scoring: (CPHS) Colt Savage 24, Keener 22, Garbey 9, Taber 2. (BAHS) Huffman 14, Dennis 13, Hall 9, Lane 8, Smith 6, Everette 4, Boyer 4, Ensminger 3, Gonzales 2.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 6, Colt Savage 1, Price 1, Garbey 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Keener 8, Colt Savage 2, Price 2, Cale Savage 1, Garbey 1, Golightly 1.
Steals: Keener 3, Taber 1, Cale Savage 1.
Assists: Taber 1.
Blocks: Keener 3. 
Fouls: Price 5, Keener 4, Taber 3, Colt Savage 2, Garbey 2, Wash 1, Golightly 1.

Sand Springs won the second half, but they couldn't win the war. No. 8 ranked Broken Arrow (15-5) hosted the unranked Sandites (9-11) Tuesday afternoon, and were nearly caught sleeping. After rolling to a 36-21 halftime advantage, they barely stayed above water in the final stretch.

The Sandites tried to hang tight with their foes throughout the first quarter, but trailed by seven multiple times before a two-point shot from Josh Taber cut it to 21-16 at the end of the period.

Broken Arrow brought the rain to start the second quarter, as Braden Boyer, Camryn Dennis, Cory Lane, and Taylor Gonzales all hit field goals to make it 30-16 before Colt Savage broke the streak with a pair of free throws. Jacob Garbey scored the only other Sandite points of the quarter on a three pointer, and the Tigers took a 36-22 advantage into the locker room.

Whatever Coach Savage said to his boys at halftime worked and they came out to score the first seven points of the second half. Tony Hall regained the double digit lead with a three-pointer, Keener hit a two, Boyer hit a pair from the free throw line, then the Sandites went on another seven-point run. Caleb Huffman hit a pair of free throws to end the quarter, but Sand Springs won the third 16-7.

Huffman started off the final stanza with a three, but Savage scored six-straight to make it 46-43. Huffman posted another three, followed by a pair of free throws from Garbey, then Dennis hit a two. Keener scored five-straight and the Sandites were officially within a point.

Then came the foul war. Keener committed two fouls in a row. Dennis sank both of his. Boyer missed his fortunately, but the Tigers went right back to the line on a foul from Savage. Dennis missed his 1-1, but Huffman rebounded for two. Keener was next to go to the line but missed his second shot, rebounded, and missed the field goal.

Dennis hit a layup on the next possession, then Taber sent Major Smith to the line for two.

With 48.6 left, Savage scored a layup to cut it to 59-53, then Keener blocked a shot on the Tigers' corresponding possession and returned it for two. Price fouled Smith, who made one, then Huffman rebounded the second and sent it to Lane for a bucket.

By this point both teams were in the double and Huffman was next to the line and made one. Savage rebounded the second, but it was too late in the game, and his deep three fell short and the home team prevailed 63-57 after tying 20-20 in the fourth.

Savage led all scorers with 26, followed by Keener with 22. Keener's 22 tied his career-high, and he also pulled in 14 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Huffman and Dennis were the only Tigers in double digits, but nine players got on the board for Broken Arrow, as compared to four for Sand Springs.

The Sandites will return to action Friday when they host No. 18 Bartlesville (9-9), who has already beaten them 53-39 and 63-53 this season. The Tigers will host No. 1 Union (20-0), who defeated them 60-56 in December. 

No. 3 Sand Springs rolls over No. 15 Broken Arrow 54-32 behind Kersgieter's 16

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

CPHS 54 BAHS 32

1Q Sand Springs 11-6
2Q Sand Springs 11-5
3Q Sand Springs 16-7
4Q Sand Springs 16-14

Free Throws: CPHS 11-of-16 BAHS 5-of-6
Field Goals: CPHS 19-of-46 BAHS 10-of-42
Penalties: CPHS 7 BAHS 12

Scoring: (CPHS) Kersgieter 16, Johnson 7, Regalado 7, Pennington 7, Mutiri 7, McGee 6, Collins 4. (BAHS) Cuellar 9, Smallwood 7, Callen 6, Moore 4, Bowker 3, West 3.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Mutiri 7, Pennington 1, Kersgieter 1, Johnson 1, McGee 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Pennington 7, Kersgieter 5, Johnson 5, Mutiri 3, McGee 2, Taber 2, Collins 1. 
Steals: Johnson 2, Pennington 1, Kersgieter 1, McGee 1, Collins 1.
Assists: Pennington 4, Kersgieter 1, McGee 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 2, Kersgieter 1.
Fouls: Taber 3, Regalado 1, McGee 1, Mutiri 1, Johnson 1.
 

The No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (17-1) visited the No. 15 Broken Arrow Lady Tigers (11-9) and dealt the home team a twenty-point loss for the second time this season. Sophomore standout Holly Kersgieter led all scorers with 16 points, and four Lady Sandites scored seven-apiece. None of the Lady Tigers broke double digits. 

It took the Sandites a few possessions before they found their offensive mojo, leading only 11-6 after the first quarter while shooting 30% on field goals. Jalise Smallwood hit a three for the Lady Tigers to start the second period, followed by a two-point response from Kierra McGee.

The Sandites finally turned up the heat midway through the quarter and shot 50%. Sydney Pennington snagged a steal, was fouled on a layup, and made the free throw. Holly Kersgieter scored on back-to-back possessions and the visitors held a 20-9 lead. Smallwood put an end to the streak, but Pennington got the final say of the half, rebounding a free throw from Mutiri for the final points, then rebounded Kinsey Callen on the opposite end of the court to carry the 22-11 advantage into the locker room.

Sand Springs came out pumped after halftime and scored the first points of the half on a free throw from Mutiri and a layup from Pennington. Angelica Cuellar hit a two, then Kersgieter, Cuellar, and Bella Regalado all sank threes. Danyell Moore hit a pair from the charity stripe on a foul from Regalado, then sent Regalado to the stripe for a pair. Johnson closed out the period with two field goals and a penalty shot for the 38-18 lead.

The fourth quarter started out even better for the Sandites. Mutiri hit a two and Kersgieter added a three before Brook Bowker hit a three for the Tigers. The Sandites went on a seven-point run from there and finally subbed in the second string with 3:00 remaining and a 50-21 advantage. Jessica Collins got into the scoring action for Sand Springs and finished with four points as the home team outscored the visitors 8-4 in the final minutes to end the game 54-32.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Friday when they host No. 14 Bartlesville (11-7), who they have already defeated 51-34 earlier this season. Broken Arrow will host No. 17 Union (10-9), who they lost to 41-36 earlier this year.

Frontier Valley Conference Men's Basketball Standings, Week Nine

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The 2016-2017 season is well under way and the Frontier Valley Conference is as competitive as ever. Eight out of ten FVC teams are ranked within their divisions and the Union Redskins are currently the undefeated unanimous pick as the No. 1 team in the state. They are also the only remaining team undefeated in conference play. The FVC is currently ranked third out of the five 6A conferences in overall strength.

No. 1 Union (12-0, 6-0) holds the best defense in the whole state, allowing only 48 points per game, on average. They have the third-ranked offense in the conference and win by an average of 15.8 points. In the last two weeks they have topped Bishop Kelley 65-42, Owasso 62-39, and Muskogee 78-42. SMU-commit Ethan Chargois scored 22 against both Kelley and Muskogee, but sat out Owasso with a hand injury. In that game Mo Garcia stepped up to lead the team with 20 points. 

No. 9 Muskogee (8-2, 5-1) holds the second-best offense in the conference and the fourth-highest margin of victory. In the last two weeks they have topped Sand Springs 47-42 and Jenks 85-59, but were just hammered 78-42 by Union in what was expected to be a somewhat close match. Brooks Haddock has been the consistent top dog this season and posted 27 against Jenks, but could only muster a team-best 12 against the Redskins. Tyreece Berry has been back in action since the new year and led the team with 18 against Sand Springs. 

No. 13 Sapulpa (7-2, 4-1) has the top-rated offense in the conference, averaging more than 68 points per game. Both of their conference games this year have been close ones, 59-57 over Broken Arrow and 72-68 over Sand Springs. Keenan Balance led the Chieftains to a come-from-behind victory over their archrivals from Sand Springs with 23 points, closely followed by Keenan Balance with 21. Balance also posted a team-best 20 points against Broken Arrow.

No. 11 Broken Arrow (8-4, 4-2) holds the second-best offense in the conference, third in the state, allowing only 49.1 points per game for the third-best margin of victory in the FVC. The Tigers have had a tough start to 2017, falling 59-57 to Sapulpa and only topping Jenks 46-38 in a game that saw the entire starting line benched by a frustrated head coach. Make no mistake, the powerhouse program is still a solid contender for the conference title if they can over come Muskogee next week. 

No. 19 Bartlesville (6-5, 3-2) is middle of the pack both offensively and defensively, but has still managed to come out on top more often than not. The Bruins fell 76-68 to Bixby in triple overtime last week and had their game against Sapulpa canceled due to weather, but got back in the win column Tuesday with a 64-57 victory over Bishop Kelley. Barron Tanner has been the top dog in both of the last two games, scoring 23 against Bixby and 28 against Kelley. 

5A No. 14 Bishop Kelley (4-6, 2-4) has done a good job keeping up with the 6A public school competitors, but dropped both of their last two conference games. The Comets hold the fourth-best defense in the FVC, but fell 65-42 to Union and 64-57 to Bartlesville. Ryan Gendron posted 18 against Bartlesville, closely followed by Alex Woodruff with 17. 

No. 16 Owasso (7-5, 2-4) got off to a rough start with four straight losses to start the season, but have been making a solid comeback since the new year. After topping 5A No. 6 East Central (8-5) and No. 8 Booker T. Washington (9-3) to sweep the Skiatook Invitational, the Rams returned to conference play with a bang. They defeated Jenks 66-52 and Bixby 62-50, but fell 62-39 to Union. Jake Thompson posted 10 against both Jenks and Union, with 15 against Bixby. Josh Proctor led the team with 16 against Jenks and 13 against Bixby. Courtre led against Bixby with 17 and also had 12 against Jenks. 

Bixby (5-7, 2-4) won a 76-68 triple-overtime shootout with Bartlesville, but fell 76-71 to Sand Springs and 62-50 to Owasso. Will Fiser scored 17 against Bartlesville, 22 against Sand Springs, and 11 against Owasso. 

No. 18 Sand Springs (6-6, 1-5) notched their first conference win with a 76-71 performance against Bixby, but fell 47-42 to Muskogee and 72-68 to Sapulpa after leading for most of the game. The Sandites have the fourth-best offense and third-best defense in the conference. Colt Savage posted 20 against Muskogee and Sapulpa and 34 against Bixby. Jacob Garbey had 21 against Bixby and Kyle Keener had 21 against Sapulpa. 

Jenks (1-9, 0-6) is still looking for their first conference win, despite a 21-point performance from Cole Surrett against Owasso and a 17-point performance from Eli Harris against Broken Arrow. The Trojans fell 66-52 to Owasso, 85-59 to Muskogee, and 46-38 to Broken Arrow. 

Conference Strength:

1. Big Ten (51.5)
2. Central Oklahoma (48)
3. Frontier Valley (45.4)
4. Green Country (43.1)
5. All-City 32.09

FVC Leading Scorers (points-per-game)

1. Colt Savage (Sand Springs) 21.2
2. Brooks Haddock (Muskogee) 20.7
3. Keenan Balance (Sapulpa) 19.9
4. Eli Harris (Jenks) 19.7
5. Caleb Huffman (Broken Arrow) 18.9
6. Julian Smith (Sapulpa) 17.1
7. Ethan Chargois (Union) 17.1
8. Kyle Keener (Sand Springs) 16.6
9. TyReece Berry (Muskogee) 16.3
10. Josh Proctor (Owasso) 15.8

January conference schedule:
1/24 Union @ Sand Springs
1/24 Bartlesville @ Muskogee
1/24 Broken Arrow @ Owasso
1/24 Bixby @ Sapulpa
1/24 Bishop Kelley @ Jenks
1/27 Sapulpa @ Union
1/27 Muskogee @ Broken Arrow
1/27 Sand Springs @ Owasso
1/27 Jenks @ Bartlesville
1/27 Bishop Kelley @ Bixby
1/31 Bixby @ Union
1/31 Muskogee @ Bishop Kelley
1/31 Broken Arrow @ Bartlesville
1/31 Owasso @ Sapulpa
1/31 Sand Springs @ Jenks
 

Frontier Valley Conference Mens' Basketball standings

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The 2016-2017 High School basketball season is well under way, and is shaping up to be a good one for the Frontier Valley Conference. Seven out of ten FVC teams are ranked within their divisions. Union and Muskogee currently lead the pack with each being undefeated both within the conference and overall. 

The FVC is currently fourth out of the five 6A conferences in strength of schedule, but the season is still young and they could easily move up a few spots as the season progresses. 

No. 3 Union (3-0, 3-0) holds the best defense in the conference, allowing only 47 points-per-game on average. They have the fourth-best offense and the second-best margin of victory. They started their season with a 50-46 victory over Bartlesville, smoked Jenks 66-40, then topped Broken Arrow 60-56. 6'7" Southern Methodist University committed senior Ethan Chargois leads the Redskins with 15 points per game, including a season-high 23 against Jenks.

No. 11 Muskogee (6-0, 3-0) leads the conference in offense, averaging 69 points per game, and is seventh in defense, allowing 56 for the best margin of victory in the FVC. They edged out Owasso 65-64 in overtime during their season opener, topped Bixby 65-63, and beat Sapulpa 58-50. 6'2" junior Brooks Haddock has led the team in the last five games, averaging 20.3 points. TyReece Berry scored 25 in the season opener but has been out of commission since then. Berry is expected to return after the new year, setting up the Roughers for one of the top offenses in the division.

No. 10 Broken Arrow (5-2, 3-1) holds the No. 5 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in the conference. They edged out Bishop Kelley 44-41, topped Bixby 53-35, and came from behind to beat Sand Springs 55-54. In their last game they narrowly fell 60-56 to the Redskins. 6'2" point guard Caleb Huffman has led the Tigers in six out of seven games this season with an average score of 21. 

No. 13 Sapulpa (4-2, 2-1) holds the No. 2 offense, No. 9 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in the conference. They topped Jenks 78-70 in the highest-scoring conference game of the year, then beat Bishop Kelley 60-50 before falling 58-50 to Muskogee. Three Chieftains are averaging in double digits, led by Keenan Ballance with 19 points per game.

No. 17 Bartlesville (3-3, 2-1) is ninth in offense, fifth in defense, and sixth in margin of victory. They topped Sand Springs 53-39 and Owasso 47-42 before falling 50-46 to Union. Four different players have led the team and two are averaging in the double. AJ Archambo leads the team with 13 points per game.

5A No. 16 Bishop Kelley (4-3, 2-2) is eighth in the conference in offense, fifth in defense, and seventh in margin of victory. They lost their season opener 44-41 to Broken Arrow, defeated Sand Springs 45-42, fell 60-50 to Sapulpa, and edged out Owasso 59-57. Three Comets have led the team in scoring and two are averaging double digits. Ryan Gendron leads the team with 15 points per game.

No. 18 Bixby (3-3, 1-2) is seventh in offense, sixth in defense, and eighth in margin of victory. They defeated Jenks 49-36, but fell 53-35 to Broken Arrow and 65-63 to Muskogee. The Spartans are led by Joey Homan with 16 points per game.

Sand Springs (3-3, 0-3) is third in offense, second in defense, and third in margin of victory. They have yet to secure a conference win, falling 53-39 to Bartlesville, 45-42 to Bishop Kelley, and 55-54 to Broken Arrow. They led the Tigers though the entire fourth before a late turnover gave BA the win. Junior Colt Savage has led his team in five of six games this season and averages 21 points per game.

Owasso (0-3, 0-3) is sixth in offense, eighth in defense, and is still looking for their first win this season. They fell 47-42 to Bartlesville, 65-64 to Muskogee, and 59-57 to Bishop Kelley. They're led by Josh Proctor with 17 points per game, including 27 against Muskogee. 

Jenks (0-7, 0-3) is ninth in offense, tenth in defense, and is still looking for a win. They fell 78-70 to Sapulpa, 66-40 to Union, and 49-36 to Bixby. 

Conference Strength:

1. Central Oklahoma (51)
2. Big Ten (49.7)
3. Green Country (48)
4. Frontier Valley (40.8)
5. All-City (32.5)

FVC Leading Scorers (points-per-game):

1. TyReece Berry (Muskogee) 25.0
2. Caleb Huffman (Broken Arrow) 21.1
3. Colt Savage (Sand Springs) 21.0
4. Brooks Haddock (Muskogee) 20.3
5. Keenan Ballance (Sapulpa) 19.6
6. Josh Proctor (Owasso) 17.7
7. Julian Smith (Sapulpa) 17.0
8. Joey Homan (Bixby) 16.3
9. Ryan Gendron (Bishop Kelley) 15.9
10. Kyle Keener (Sand Springs) 15.5

---

Editor's Note: We are currently missing individual scoring results for several games. Please forward results to SanditePrideNews@gmail.com.

Missing:

• 12/6 Jenks vs Sapulpa
• 12/8 Jenks vs Edmond North
• 12/9 Jenks vs Edmond Memorial
• 12/9 Muskogee vs Enid
• 12/10 Jenks vs Casady
• 12/10 Bixby vs East Central
• 12/13 Jenks vs Union
• 12/16 Bixby vs Jenks

No. 10 Broken Arrow scores 55-54 come-from-behind win at Sand Springs; Savage scores 22

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The unranked Charles Page High School varsity basketball team (0-3) was a minute away from wrapping up their first win of the season, leading 54-53 over No. 10 Broken Arrow (5-1). With 1:05 to play, all they had to do was drain the clock. Instead, sophomore Cale Savage saw an opening and passed the ball to Kyle Keener who appeared to make the two point basket. The goal was called off on a travel, however, and the Tigers got the ball to score and held on for the win.

1Q Broken Arrow 16-13
2Q Sand Springs 14-12
3Q Sand Springs 16-13
4Q Broken Arrow 14-11

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 22, Keener 19, Durkee 8, Cale Savage 2, Taber 2, Wash 1. (Broken Arrow) Huffman 29, Hall 11, Boyer 11, Smith 2, Hughes 2.

(Sand Springs Only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 3, Garbey 1, Colt Savage 1. 
Defensive Rebounds: Garbey 4, Keener 2, Colt Savage 2, Durkee 2, Wash 1, Cale Savage 1.
Assists: Taber 2, Colt Savage 1, Garbey 1, Durkee 1, Wash 1.
Blocks: Keener 4.

In the first two games of the season, the Sandites led going into the half and gave up the wins after falling apart in the third quarter. Only four players scored in either of the first two games as the mostly young and inexperienced team had difficulty in sharing the workload. Things were far different this time around as six Sandites got on the scoreboard, two doubled, and the boys led the Tigers through the entire fourth quarter before giving up the final basket of the game.

University of Central Oklahoma-signed senior Kyle Keener posted 19 points in the game and junior Colt Savage led his team with 22, but the remaining 13 points were equally impressive for the Sandites as they finally proved what their fans knew all along, that this was a team that could execute and win. Sophomore Cole Durkee posted a career-high 8 points, and Caleb Wash, Cale Savage, and Josh Taber also got on the board in the back-and-forth thriller.

Though the Sandites are still searching for a win, they have effectively competed against a top-ten team and very nearly won. They were outstanding on offense, shooting eight-of-ten from the charity stripe and 21-of-36 on field goals in their best performance of the season.

The game was back and forth from the beginning. The home team took a 4-0 lead off of layups by Keener and Savage, and the Tigers responded with two pointers from Major Smith and Caleb Huffman. Huffman was the game's leading scorer with 29 points. Colt Savage and Huffman were locked in a shootout in the first quarter with Savage scoring nine and Huffman scoring fourteen to give the Tigers a 16-13 lead.

Durkee started off the second quarter with his first goal of the season, followed by a free throw from Wash and a two by Colt Savage. The Sandites outscored their opponents 14-12 in the second quarter as the two teams exchanged the lead six times and the Tigers ended up with a 28-27 halftime advantage.

The third quarter was equally contested as the lead changed six more times before settling on the Sandites. The home team led by as much as 43-38 before Huffman drilled a three to end the period down 43-41. The Sandites never relinquished the lead in the fourth quarter until the traveling call on Keener. They were up 54-48 after a three from Durkee, then the Tigers went to work.

Tony Hall hit a two. Colt Savage had the opportunity to make a free throw, but missed and ended up fouling Huffman on a two. The Broken Arrow junior sank his free throw to make it a one-point game. After the turnover from Keener, the Tigers went full offense and rebounded four times before finally connecting on the go-ahead score from Braden Boyer. 

With three seconds left, senior Jacob Garbey launched a three that bounced back and fourth within the rim before being ejected into the waiting arms of the nearest Tiger.

The Sandites will return to action this weekend at the Tulsa Memorial High School festival. They will play the Wichita Defenders Thursday at 8:00 p.m., the OKC Storm Friday at 6:30 p.m., and the Northwest Arkansas Hornets Saturday at 1:00 p.m.