No. 3 Lady Sandites remain undefeated with 62-43 victory over Muskogee

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

CPHS 62 Muskogee 43

1Q Sand Springs 14-13
2Q Sand Springs 12-5
3Q Muskogee 15-11
4Q Sand Springs 25-10

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Kersgieter 14, Johnson 13, Mutiri 13, Pennington 12, McGee 7, Regalado 3. (Muskogee) Mims 20, Virgin 11, Patterson 8, Nash 1.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Mutiri 5, Pennington 1, Regalado 1. 
Defensive Rebounds: Pennington 8, Kersgieter 5, Regalado 3, Johnson 2, McGee 2, Mutiri 2. 
Steals: Johnson 2, Regalado 2, Kersgieter 1, Mutiri 1.
Assists: Pennington 5, Kersgieter 4, Regalado 3, McGee 2, Johnson 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 3, Johnson 1.
Fouls: Kersgieter 5, Johnson 3, McGee 2, Regalado 1, Grant 1.

CPHS 60 Providence 46

1Q Sand Springs 16-9
2Q Sand Springs 16-13
3Q Sand Springs 12-8
4Q Sand Springs 16-16

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Kersgieter 16, Mutiri 12, Johnson 11, McGee 7, Pennington 7, Regalado 5, Collins 2. (Providence) Webb 18, Curry 11, Buivydiate 11, Siemans 3, Kash 3.

The No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School varsity girls basketball team (8-0 overall, 4-0 conference) traveled to unranked Muskogee (3-5, 2-2) and secured their eighth-straight double-digit win Tuesday evening.

Four Lady Sandites doubled in the affair and sophomore Holly Kersgieter led with 14 points and five rebounds. Destiney Johnson and Gloria Mutiri both scored 13 and Sydney Pennington had 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. 

It was a slow starter for the Lady Sandites, who average a 30-15 lead at the half thus far this season. The girls were only ahead by a single point after the first quarter and were only four points ahead by the fourth. 

The Lady Roughers should have been a breeze considering the Sandites' past performances this season, but Trena Mims was unstoppable to start the game, scoring the first nine points for the Roughers to lead the Sandites 9-4. The Sandites finally found their feet late in the first quarter to regain the lead, and pushed it as high as 26-18 in the second before being outscored 15-11 in the third. 

Kersgieter went to work in the fourth quarter, scoring nine straight points, followed by six from Gloria Mutiri. The Lady Sandites dominated 25-10 for a final score more closely resembling the rest of their games.

This was Kersgieter's second team-high in a row as she also scored a career-high 16 points this past weekend. The Lady Sandites won their first round game in the Muskogee Shriner Tournament 60-46 over Providence Academy. The rest of the tournament was cancelled due to weather.

Sand Springs will return to action Friday when they host unranked Bixby (2-4, 0-3). 

Oklahoma Girls High School Basketball: Week Five Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The fourth week of Oklahoma High School basketball has come to an end, still without a consensus number-one team. Five undefeated schools remain and three picked up first-place votes in the latest OSSAA rankings. Last week we picked fifteen games and were 13-2 with an overall accuracy of 85% for the season.

No. 1 Choctaw (1)

The Yellowjackets (7-0) pulled off one of their most powerful wins of the season Friday when they hosted 5A No. 19 Lawton Eisenhower (1-5) and hammered them 78-18. Six of their seven wins this season have been by 30 points or more and their average margin of victory is the best in 6A at 42 points. They also have the number two offense and number one defense. Their schedule has been light, however, with only three ranked opponents and no ranked 6A teams. They received 22 first-place votes this week.

Choctaw will return to action on the 28th at the prestigious Tournament of Champions.

No. 2 Edmond Santa Fe (2)

Edmond Santa Fe (7-0) is tied with Choctaw as the winningest team in 6A. Their wins haven't been as massive as the Yellowjackets', but they've arguably played the tougher schedule. Despite going up against five ranked opponents, they've still held on to the fifth-best margin of victory in the division at 21 points. They hold the No. 6 offense and No. 4 defense in the division and most recently topped No. 11 Norman North (3-2) 55-43. They received two first-place votes this week.

The Wolves will return to action on the 28th at the Sapulpa Girls Tournament. 

No. 3 Sand Springs (tied 3)

The Lady Sandites (6-0) are off to their best start in years, pummeling their way through the Bishop Kelley Tournament, and making short work of No. 10 Broken Arrow (2-2). The Lady Tigers trailed by more than 30 points before scoring the final 12 against the Sand Springs bench to make it 66-45. Four Lady Sandites doubled in the affair, led by sophomore Isabella Regalado with 15. They picked up one first-place vote this week.

Sand Springs holds the No. 5 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in 6A. They will return to action after the new year at the Bedouin Shrine Tournament in Muskogee.

No. 4 Putnam City West (tied 3)

Putnam West (6-0) is just a point behind Choctaw in margin-of-victory and took down their first ranked opponent this past week, topping 5A No. 15 Bishop McGuinness (2-2) 86-37 on the road. The Lady Patriots are currently in the middle of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas where they will resume action on Monday. On Friday they beat Mullen, Colorado (2-5) 53-31, then beat undefeated Liberty, Nevada (6-1) 64-22 on Saturday. They received two first-place votes this week.

West holds the No. 1 offense in the state at 74 points per game and is tied for the No. 2 defense, holding their opponents to 33. 

No. 5 Deer Creek (5)

Deer Creek (6-1) notched their biggest win of the season this week at No. 16 Edmond North (3-3), hammering the Huskies 64-33. The Lady Antlers hold the No. 8 offense, No. 14 defense, and No. 8 margin of victory in 6A. They will return to action after the new year when they host No. 17 Yukon (4-3). 

No. 6 Booker T. Washington (7)

The undefeated Lady Hornets (5-0) dominated 5A No. 18 Tulsa Memorial (3-6) 73-27 on Tuesday, then spent the weekend in Arkansas, defeating Ft. Smith Northside (4-5) 61-54. Booker T. holds the No. 10 offense, No. 5 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in 6A. The Hornets will take on 5A unranked McClain (2-0) on Tuesday.

The pick: BTW 65 McClain 42

No. 7 Westmoore (6)

Westmoore (6-1) picked up their first ranked win of the season Friday when they topped in-town rival No. 20 Moore (3-4). The Lady Jags rolled to a 69-38 win on their home turf to close the year with their second win of thirty points or more. Westmoore holds the No. 4 offense, No. 12 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in 6A. They will return to action after the new year when they travel to No. 14 Norman North (3-2). 

No. 8 Owasso (8) 

Owasso (4-2) rebounded from a 52-30 loss to 5A No. 2 Collinsville (6-0) with a 48-32 Friday night win over 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (3-4). Rylie Booner scored a team high 15, followed by Leiloni Culley with 13 and Terryn Milton with 11. The Lady Rams will return to action on the 28th at the Tournament of Champions.

No. 9 Bartlesville (9)

Bartlesville (3-3) took a bye week after falling 54-49 to No. 4 Deer Creek (6-1). The Lady Bruins won't play again until after the new year at the Skiatook Tournament.

No. 10 Edmond Memorial (13)

Edmond Memorial (4-3) played only one game this past week and topped No. 17 Yukon (4-3) 42-28. Taking the rest of 2016 off, the Bulldogs will return to action after the new year when they host unranked Stillwater (1-6). 

No. 11 Norman (12)

Norman (5-1) has won four-straight since a close loss to No. 6 Westmoore (6-1) in week one. The Tigers took a bye week after sweeping the Southern Oklahoma Invitational, but will return to action on the 27th at the Ardmore Tournament. They hold the No. 7 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in 6A.

No. 12 Midwest City (14)

Midwest City (5-2) picked up a pair of wins last week, dominating unranked Putnam North (1-6) 57-32, then coming out on top of 5A No. 15 Bishop McGuinness (2-3) 47-39. The Lady Bombers hold the No. 11 offense in 6A and will competed at the Sapulpa Holiday Classic on the 28th.

No. 13 Norman North (11)

The Timberwolves (3-2) dropped a 55-43 loss to No. 2 Edmond Santa Fe (7-0) Friday and had their Saturday game against No. 17 Edmond North (3-3) postponed. They will return to action on the 29th at the Enid Holiday Classic. They hold the No. 10 offense and No. 12 margin of victory in 6A.

No. 14 Union (18)

Union (4-2) picked up a pair of notable wins this past week, dominating unranked Jenks (2-4) 61-34 and topping No. 10 Broken Arrow (2-2) 41-36 for their fourth-straight victory. Taylor Malhalm led her team in both games with 37 total points. The Lady Redskins will return to action after the new year at the Putnam City Invitational. They hold the No. 9 defense and No. 14 margin of victory in 6A

No. 15 Sapulpa (15)

Sapulpa (2-1) went 1-1 this past week, falling 51-44 to 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (3-4), but topping unranked Muskogee (2-4) 53-51. Rayveen Osborn led her team in both games, averaging 15, while Hailey Morrison tied Osborn with 13 points against Muskogee. They will return to action at the Holiday Classic on the 28th.

No. 16 Broken Arrow (10)

Broken Arrow (2-2) had a tough week with some strong competitors and fell 66-45 to No. 3 Sand Springs (6-0) and 41-36 to No. 18 Union (4-2). Jalise Smallwood was the only Lady Tiger to double in either game and averaged 24 points between the two. They will return to action at the Sapulpa Tournament on the 28th. 

No. 17 Edmond North (16)

The Huskies (3-3) suffered a 64-33 loss at the hands of No. 5 Deer Creek (6-1) Friday and had their Saturday game against No. 13 Norman North (3-2) postponed. They will return to action at the Duncan Holiday Shootout.

No. 18 Mustang (19)

Mustang (3-2) took a bye week after sweeping the Plainview Tournament and won't return to action till the new year at the Skiatook Tournament. 

No. 19 Yukon (17)

The Millerettes (4-3) split last week's games, trumping unranked Southmoore (1-5) 51-40, but falling 42-28 to No. 13 Edmond Memorial (4-3). Yukon holds the No. 11 defense in 6A and will return to action after the new year when they travel to No. 5 Deer Creek (6-1).

No. 20 Moore (20)

Moore (3-4) lost their lone game last week, 69-38 to No. 6 Westmoore (6-1). The Lionesses are done for the year and will resume the season at the Weatherford Tournament. 

Conference Strength

1. Central Oklahoma (50)
2. Frontier Valley (45.5)
3. Big Ten (38.7)
4. Green Country (26.5)
5. All-City (9.4)

CPHS JV Dance takes First Place at TSF Championship

The CPHS Dance team gives a stellar halftime performance at the Highway 97 Rivalry game. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Eighth Grade, Ninth Grade, and Junior Varsity Dance Teams competed at the 12th Annual TSF Dance Championship this past weekend and the JV/Ninth Grade team took first place in Hip Hop and second place in Pom.

The Tulsa State Fair Cheer and Dance Championship is the second largest dance competition in Oklahoma and has four categories of competition.

The Ninth Grade and JV teams competed together in Hip Hop and took first place over Booker T. Washington. They also competed together in Pom and took second place. Jenks took first place and Broken Arrow claimed third. The Eighth Grade team competed in Pom but did not place.

In the Pom competition, poms must be used for at least 80% of the routine and props are not allowed. A pom routine focuses on synchronization and visual effects. The Hip-Hop competition focuses on creativity, body isolations, jumps, stalls, and floor work. Judges score on overall effect, choreography, group execution, and dance technique. 

Cheyenne Walden wins fourth State Title in Cross Country by 41 second margin

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School senior and Oklahoma State University-commit Cheyenne Walden is not only the most heavily decorated high-school athlete in town history, she accounts for a third of all track and field medals in city history, and that's including all three high schools. Already holding three Spring Track State Championships, Walden added her fourth Fall Cross Country State Title Saturday at Edmond Santa Fe High School. Her seven total State Titles radically outpace any other Sandite in history, and she still has half of her senior year left to compete.

Only one other Sandite in town history has accounted for four State Championships; Shawn Gilton. Gilton won four medals in three years in various Track and Field competitions. She won the Long Jump in 1980 and 1982, the 220 yard dash in 1981, and the 440 yard dash in 1982. We also have two three-time State Champions in Wrestling: David McGuire and Daton Fix. Fix has the opportunity to win a fourth State Title this Winter.

Walden's seven State Titles account for a third of all track and field Championships in town history, but if you limit it to running only, it's nearly half. Sand Springs has fifteen State Championships in running competitions, and Walden is the only Sandite to ever win a Cross Country Title. Her achievements are not only remarkable among Sand Springs athletes, but even on the State-wide level. 

Only five other runners have ever won Cross Country titles in all four years of their high school careers. Natalie Gray of Cascia Hall accomplished the feat from 1990-1993, followed by Amanda Jordan of Bishop McGuinness from 1997-2000. Plainview High School holds a special place in history; they had two four-time State Champions, and both were at the same time. From 1998-2001, Jesse Gordon won it for the girls and Patrick McGuire won it for the boys. The last time anyone pulled it off was in 2004 when Brooke Edsall of Lomega won her fourth Title. 

At Friday's meet, Walden finished with the fifth-best time of her career, but her fastest State Championship performance. In 2013 she won the State Title in a 3200 meter run by eleven seconds with a time of 11:19.50. In 2014 she won the State Title in a 5K run by fifteen seconds over teammate Morgan Long with a time of 17:56.3. Long is a two-time State Champion in Track. In 2015 she won the 5K run by 53 seconds with a time of 17:57.9. This time she finished the 5K in 17:55.6, 41 seconds ahead of Bartlesville's Shay Stayton. 

Walden and teammate Alexis Davis are the only two Sandites in school history to qualify for the State meet all four years. The two helped bring their team with them three of those four years, and qualified as individuals last year. Davis tied her previous-best at State with a 21st place finish. As a freshman she finished in 59th place with a time of 13:01.48 in the 3200 meter run. She took 21st place in 2014 with a career-best 19:53.6. Last season she came in 45th place with a time of 21:02.5. This year she finished in 20:21.0.

Junior transfer Tiqvah Soap, formerly of Jenks, came in 25th place with a time of 20:29.5. This was her first State appearance, and she was only three seconds away from beating her previous personal-record of 20:27.93. Sophomore Sara Abbet came in 88th place with a time of 23:01.5. Sophomore Elizabeth Watts placed 95th with a time of 23:25.6. Freshman Chezney Kelley placed 96th with a time of 23:29.2. Freshman Kaitlyn Walden, Cheyenne's sister, finished in 106th with a time of 26:28.2. 

As a team, the Lady Sandites finished in eighth place of fourteen teams with an average time of 21:02.7. They also placed eighth in 2014, and tenth in 2013. 

Sophomore Aden Baughman is working on qualifying for State all for years as well, and posted his fifth-best performance with a time of 17:36.7 for 44th place. Last year he came in 69th place with a time of 17:53.5. He was the only Sandite boy to qualify. 

3X Sandite of the Week: Cheyenne Walden wins fourth Regional Title

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By: Virgil Noah, Staff Writer

Cheyenne Walden refuses to relinquish her throne as the queen of Cross Country in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma State-commit set a new personal record, finishing with a time of 17:32 in her 5K, en route to her fourth Regional Title. The time was a three-second improvement over her Regional time from last year. Walden won by an incredible margin of 53 seconds over the second-place finisher from Bartlesville, Shay Stayton. She was 1:08 ahead of the number three runner. The victory gave Walden her sixth first-place finish this year and 26th for her career.  

Along with Alexis Davis, Walden is one of only two runners in the history of Sand Springs Cross Country to qualify for State all four years. 

Walden is a three-time Cross Country State Champion and three-time Track State Champion, and will look to build on that when she runs in the State Championship on October 29th. This is Cheyenne's third time being named Sandite of The Week. 

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Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. The award is not given to anyone in consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of the Sandite Pride Editorial Board.

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.

No. 1 Sandites fall 17-12 to No. 4 Booker T. Washington after late fumble

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 1 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (5-3, 3-1) lost a heart-breaker Thursday night at Memorial Stadium, giving up a 12-10 lead in the fourth quarter to the No. 4 Booker T. Washington Hornets (5-3, 3-1). Sand Springs's stout defense had utterly shut down the Hornets all night, while the offense more than doubled their foes, but a fumble at the Sandites' three-yard line undid their hard work and allowed the Hornets to take the final lead.

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The Hornets averaged more than 350 yards per game going into Thursday night's matchup, and the Sandites held them to 124. They gave up nine first downs and only two yards in the air, while racking up twenty yards on six tackles for loss.

It was a defensive showdown from both teams from the very beginning. Booker T. received the ball to start the game, but Sand Springs held them to fourth and twelve to take possession without giving up a first down. The Sandite offense drove a mere sixteen yards on seven plays before punting it back to their foes. The Hornets picked up a first down on a ten-yard run from Rylan McQuarters, but were then pushed back to fourth and sixteen and punted away their second possession. 

Sand Springs's second possession wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. Senior quarterback Hunter Greathouse took a reverse and was ran out for an eight-yard loss. After a handoff to Payton Scott gained only one yard and a deep pass attempt intended for Kasey Bales was broken up by Daxton Hill, the Sandites were forced to punt. The punt was called back for an unsportsmanlike penalty that gave the Sandites renewed hope on fourth and two. 

Payton Scott picked up the first down to keep the drive alive. After being pushed back to third and fifteen, Greathouse found Mack Thompson for nineteen yards, then hit Bales for 22. Bales finished off the drive with a nineteen-yard reception to draw first blood. A two-point pass attempt fell incomplete and the Sandites led 6-0 with 1:45 in the first half.

Booker T.'s next drive was methodical and effective, using more than seven minutes to drive 61 yards over seventeen plays for a one-yard run by quarterback DJ Jones. With 6:22 in the half, the visitors took a 7-6 lead.

Both teams' next possessions fell flat, but the Sandites got one last shot at a march downfield before halftime. Greathouse connected with tight-end Dash Fleischman for twelve yards, then hit Thompson for 44 to park the offense at the Hornet six-yard line. That's where the magic ran out. Scott took a handoff for no gain. An endzone pass attempt was nearly intercepted. Greathouse was flushed from the pocket and had to scramble to avoid negative yardage on third down. At fourth and six Alex Hernandez attempted a 24-yard field goal but bounced the kick off one of his teammates and Greathouse managed to fall on it and end the half. 

Bales started off the second half with a bang, returning the opening kickoff 56 yards to the Hornet 22, but the offense was unable to capitalize and turned over the ball on downs at the sixteen. 

Booker T. had an equally difficult time making a play happen and punted away possession to the Sandite 45. This time the home team hit pay dirt. 

Scott picked up twelve yards in two runs, then Greathouse hit Thompson for ten. Greathouse hooked up with Scott for a 28-yard pass to roll up to the Hornet two-yard line. On third and short, the Sandites stuffed Greathouse into the endzone for the score. Once again the two-point conversion failed, but the boys held a 12-7 lead with 4:53 in the third.

 The visitors' next drive was held to a 36-yard field goal to cut the Sandite lead to 12-10 barely into the fourth quarter. That's when things began to fall apart.

The Sandites returned the kickoff to their 35, then Dalton Morgan fumbled it away to Isaiah Johnson. The defense was able to prevent Booker T. from moving the ball, but for the second possession in a row, the Sandites' gave up another fumble on the first play. This time Greathouse was unable to haul in a high snap and the Hornets got the ball at the Sand Springs two-yard line. After a pair of five-yard penalties for twelve men on the field, the Hornets finally found the endzone on a ten-yard run from McQuarters to take the 17-12 advantage.

Both teams had short possessions from there, and Sand Springs got another crack at it with 5:18 left. Greathouse hit Bales for thirty yards, then found Scott for 18 to enter the redzone. The drive ran out of juice, however, and three incomplete passes and a tackle for loss gave Booker T. possession at their 10. 

The Sandites had one last shot with 1:07 left, but Greathouse was sacked, then called for intentional grounding. A third pass attempt fell incomplete and McQuarters picked off the fourth to end the game.

Greathouse finished the game 13-26-237-1 with one touchdown by air and one on the ground. Scott's streak of seven-straight games with hundred-plus-yard performances came to an end with 21 carries for 52 yards. Bales was the leading receiver with six receptions for 97 yards and a score. Delvin Jordan led the defense with eight unassisted tackles, including one for a loss of three yards. Nathan Simonton was next up with six unassisted and one assisted tackle for a loss of one yard. 

Despite the loss, the Sandites are still third in district standings with two games left in the regular season. They will return to action next Friday at No. 13 Bartlesville (4-4, 3-2), who just lost 63-14 to No. 3 Bixby (5-3, 3-1). Booker T. will host Bixby next week.