Sandite Football looking for new leaders to step up in 2022 season

Senior linebacker Drake Fain is expected to have a big impact in the 2022 Sandite football season.

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

For the first time since 2016, the Sand Springs quarterback won’t be named Pennington when the Sandites take to the field this fall. 

After five years of being guided by brothers Caden and Ty Pennington, the Sandites will have a new set of hands under center, and it won’t be those of last year’s backup, Brody Rutledge, either.

“We’re pretty close” to naming the starter, said third-year head coach Bobby Klinck. 

“Brody has done such a good job at wide receiver. We talked to him, talked to his dad, and that’s kind of the position that he feels comfortable at and the position that we feel he has the best shot at going to the next level. We’ve kind of let him concentrate on that.”

The talented receiver ended last season with 697 yards and six touchdowns, but he’ll be relying on a fresh set of hands to get him the ball this fall.

Right now, the battle is between a senior and a freshman.

6’2” 215-pound transfer Marek Matheson comes to Sand Springs with an impressive resume as a two-year starter at Kiefer, where he guided the Trojans to a 12-10 record, including their first winning season since 2015.

“He’s done a good job of getting to know the guys and understanding the culture and working out,” said Klinck. “He’s doing a good job in terms of meeting our expectations.”

Matheson put up prolific numbers as a sophomore, throwing for 2,713 yards and 30 touchdowns with 11 interceptions, while running for 208 yards and five scores.

As a junior he put up 1,213 passing yards and 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions, while running for 305 yards and 11 scores. 

His father, Mark Matheson, played four years at quarterback for the University of Tulsa from 1989 to 1992. 

Then there’s the freshman. It’s rare to see a freshman starter at the 6A level, but Easton Webb has a resume of success. The 6’4” multi-sport star led the eighth grade Sandites to an undefeated season last year and conquered the INFC’s top division in seventh grade.

“He’s got all the tools that you want a quarterback to have. Size, athletic ability. He’s got a great arm and a really good demeanor. The physical part - he’s more than capable. It’s just the processing, the decision making, and all that stuff.”

“You can see he’s getting better with each week, with each opportunity. He’s going to be a really good football player here at Sand Springs. We’re just going to challenge him and keep encouraging him, but there’s no doubt that he’s going to be an unbelievable football player.”

“We’ve split reps coming up here just to see if anyone’s going to take the lead,” said Klinck. “The guys have done a really good job of just competing and getting after it. We’re going to take the competition into fall camp and hopefully make a decision pretty quick.”

The two have gotten plenty of reps the last two weeks after competing at a passing camp at Sapulpa, and 7-on-7 tournaments at Bixby and Owasso. 

After winning last year’s silver bracket at the two-day Owasso tournament, the Sandites actually made it to the gold bracket this time around. 

“Kind of the evolution of how we’re doing,” said Klinck. “Seems to be that we’re improving.”

The passing game isn’t all that’s been improving. The team has also been investing in its linemen - sending two dozen players to a Bixby camp for the first time.

“Coach (Jason) Medrano and Coach (Kevin) Avey got a bunch of guys together and it’s an opportunity for those guys to get more work in. It’s kind of the evolution of our program.”

“I think we’re definitely headed in that direction” of being more physical up front, said Klinck. “Coach Medrano has done a good job of really building that culture of being a big, strong, nasty human being. It’s kind of fun to see that take shape.”

Klinck also expects sophomore Kenneth Page to have a big impact after rushing for 183 yards and a touchdown as a backup last season.

“He can be one of those breakout tailbacks. We feel that’s just going to add on to our linemen and make them feel more confident.”

Webb isn’t the only highly anticipated freshman joining the Sandite ranks. Hudson Sheppard is expected to get some minutes in relief of Page, and Ryley Kester has already earned a starting spot.

“Ryley Kester is going to end up starting at offensive line for us,” said Klinck. “With his physicality and demeanor and everything - just cemented himself in that offensive line. Then we go to team camp and as a freshman he’s just a man amongst boys. He’s definitely a tone setter and we’re very excited to get his career going here.”

Another name Klinck expects fans to hear more of this fall is Blaine Phillips. 

“He’s really stepped up. He’s always been a hard worker. Some opportunities came up and he stepped in and has done a really good job. He’s kind of worked himself in to where we’ve got no choice but to give him some playing time. He’s one of those program kids who you root for. He just works hard, he’s a good athlete and he’s finally kind of found his niche to get some playing time.”

Klinck is entering his third year at the helm after guiding Sand Springs to a 7-5 mark in 2020 and an 8-4 record last season. They made the 6A-II quarterfinals in his first season and the semifinals in 2021.

The 2022 season will open on August 26th at Sapulpa in the 96th installment of Highway 97 Rivalry. Last year the Sandites evened the record at 45-45-5 and will now look to take the lead for the first time since 1944.

Ty Pennington is one of Oklahoma's top under-recruited football players

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A version of this story was originally published in the Sand Springs Leader.

“Pennington” and “Quarterback” have become synonymous in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. 

Brett Pennington led the Charles Page High School Sandites from 1989 to 1991. His daughter, Sydney, played quarterback on the powder-puff team from 2016 to 2017. His oldest son, Caden, led the varsity squad from 2017 to 2018, and now it’s Ty Pennington’s time to shine.

“It’s been great,” says Ty about his family tradition. “My dad gives me all the confidence in the world. He tells me he’s proud of me every day. Him just being a great leader for this town gives me a lot of confidence.”

He also has a strong bond with his brother. 

“He just enlisted in the Army, he’s going to be an Army Ranger. He’s really been my hero and even though we’ve butted heads our whole lives, I love that dude to death. He’s always been my hero.”

The Penningtons are a family that oozes excellence. Both Brett and Caden took their teams to the playoffs, as did Ty last season. Ty’s mom, Amy, was an All-State and collegiate basketball player. Brett was a wrestling State Champion and collegiate baseball player. Caden played collegiate football at Northeastern State University before enlisting in the Army, and Sydney is a starter on the Oklahoma State softball team.

Ty hopes to continue that tradition at the next level too.

“I hope to play in college. I’ve been to several camps this year just trying to get my name out there. I just hope to have a big year and get on the radar of some guys.

Ty is also a starter on the varsity baseball team, and he hasn’t ruled out a future in that sport either. “It’s not set in stone right now. I love them both so we’ll just see from here.”

Some D2 and D3 colleges have been recruiting him for football, but he’s hoping to get some bigger looks once the season starts. “I’ve just got to stick to it and keep grinding each week and they’ll come eventually. I think I have what it takes to go D1. My talent’s there and I know I work hard.”

After winning the starting spot in week two of 2019, Ty is now a senior veteran with a lot to prove. He has seen his team go 2-8, suffering their worst loss in 75 years, and he’s led his team two rounds deep in the playoffs. Now his eyes are on nothing short of a gold ball.

I don’t really have a lot of individual goals - just chasing that state championship,” says Ty. “That’s all I really want. We’re all in.” 

It wasn’t long ago that the Sandites were only two scores away from a state title, falling 38-28 to perennial powerhouse Bixby in the 2015 Class 6A-II State Finals. Ty’s old enough to remember that year, but it’s the 2-8 season he led his team through that motivates him the most.

“I feel like a lot of people just gave up hope on us. Last season we came out pretty good and had a pretty successful season. We’re just trying to build on that and keep it rolling.”

When asked if Sand Springs could hang with teams like Bixby and Booker T. Washington, Pennington wasn’t fazed. “The confidence is through the roof with this group,” he said. “We think we can do big things this year. Everyone’s bonded and excited for it, for sure.”

Pennington will need a lot of help if he wants to overthrow the blue blood programs like Bixby and Booker T. Washington. Fortunately he’s got most of his receiving corps back, and his young offensive line seems promising.

“They’re really looking good through this fall camp,” he says of his O-line. “I’m excited for them. They’re the most important part of the team. Whatever our success is depends on how good they do. This is the closest team I’ve ever been a part of. We all just have a super close friendship and brotherhood we’ve created. The O-Line, they’re my guys. I love them to death.”

If the O-line is as good as last year’s, then Pennington should be poised to put up some big numbers this season. He already ranks fifth in school history in passing yards, sixth in passing TDs, third in rushing yards by a QB, and third in rushing TDs by a QB. 

In his past two seasons as a starter, Pennington is 257 of 489 passing for 3624 yards and 27 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. He also has 230 carries for 744 yards and 14 TDs. After finishing his sophomore season with only 80 yards on the ground, he emerged as one of the state’s top double-threats last year and led the team rushing.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have room for improvement, however. 

“I’ve really been trying to work on my speed this year, my strength of course. Just throwing the ball, making sure all my receivers are on the same page. I could definitely improve on my speed, that’s what I’ve worked on a lot this year. Throwing on the run, stuff like that. I always have room to improve.”

But his ceiling is very, very high. As a pocket passer, he can go deep and accurate with ease, and his ability to read the defense is one of his best features. 

“Our quarterback’s a two-sport star,” says Head Coach Bobby Klinck. “College recruiters need to start waking up a little bit. My quarterback, he’s the best dang quarterback in the state. But he plays baseball so he doesn’t get to do all the camps and everything so nobody notices him. All that guy does is win and throw dimes every single day. That guy’s an unbelievable football player.”

If the rest of the season goes the way of the Sandites’ Friday-night scrimmage against Collinsville, Pennington should get the recruiters’ attention quickly. In only two quarters of action, the young stud went 7-of-11 passing for 192 yards and two touchdowns.

The quarterback couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to showcase his talents than what he’ll have Friday night, as the Sandites’ season-opening game against Sapulpa will be broadcast statewide on Yurview.