Sandite All-Stars: Your leaders in Defense

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It's been a tremendous season for the Sandites. While they're technically 5-4, on the field they're 7-2, not even including the Guthrie game that we were leading 18-7 when it was called off due to lightning. Two of our losses come from forfeitures (due to an ineligible player) that were actually wins of 61-8 and 33-7. So while the books say otherwise--we all know that realistically Sand Springs is 8-2, which (were it official) would make it our best record since 1997.

Not to mention we beat Booker T in total yardage of 232-217 and we're the only team to score first on them all season. We're also one of only two teams to lead them at any point all season. We also dealt Bixby their first shut out in seven years.

It's well known that Sand Springs has the best secondary in the state, but just how good are they? This season, our defense has 60 tackles for loss totaling 282 yards and 11 interceptions for 223 yards!

Our opponents only average 72 rushing yards and 113 passing yards per game for an average of 11 points!

So who are the incredible players that have made all this impossible?

The following stats include both forfeitures and the Guthrie game. Whether officially recognized or not, they did happen.

Total Tackles

Senior Cole Dixon leads the team with 70 tackles, followed closely by junior Delvin Jordan with 60, and senior Jacob Taber with 59.

Here's where the rest of the team sits:

  • Jaxon Starling, 33
  • Parker Taylor, 31
  • Jason Cooper, 27
  • Nathan Simonton, 25
  • Cruz Desjarlais, 25
  • Brett Freeman, 21
  • Gage Fain, 20
  • Treyce Tolbert, 18
  • Malachi Walton, 11
  • Dalton Morgan, 11
  • Kris Edwards, 6
  • Danny Ropp, 5
  • Cody Motes, 3
  • Josh Taber, 3
  • Kameron Carpenter, 2
  • Tyler Delozier, 2
  • Hunter Willis, 1
  • Jacob Fortune, 1
  • Gino Lopez, 1
  • Austin McNatt, 1
  • Tyler Brown, 1
  • Jerry Lyons, 1
  • Jake Ward, 1
  • Chase Burris, 1
  • Miron Krotzer, 1
  • Lydon Lundy, 1
  • Jeffrey Whinery, 1
  • Ben Norte, 1

Tackles For Loss/Sacks

Senior Jaxon Starling leads the team with 16 tackles-for-loss in 8 games totaling 97 yards. He had a season-high 5 TFLs against Enid for 18 yards, but drove back Bixby 41 yards with 4. 7 of those were sacks totaling 71 yards.

Other Sandites with tackles for loss are:

  • Cole Dixon 13-49 (2-10 sacks)
  • Delvin Jordan 10-45 (7-31)
  • Jacob Taber 8-33 (1-1)
  • Gage Fain 5-12 (1-5)
  • Brett Freeman 2-15 (1-12)
  • Kris Edwards 2-10 (2-10)
  • Nathan Simonton 1-10 (1-10)
  • Treyce Tolbert 1-6 (1-6)
  • Cruz Desjarlais 1-3
  • Dalton Morgan 1-2 (1-2)

Pass Defense

Jason Cooper leads the Sandite secondary on interceptions with 4 catches and 28 return yards, as well as 3 breakups. 

  • Cole Dixon, 2 interceptions for 11 yards and 1 touchdown, as well as 2 breakups
  • Treyce Tolbert, 2-42
  • Tyler Delozier, 1-52, 1 BU
  • Kameron Carpenter, 1-65
  • Austin McNatt, 1-25 
  • Cruz Desjarlais, 6 BU
  • Paker Taylor, 5 BU
  • Malachi Walton, 2 BU
  • Brett Freeman, 1 BU
  • Delvin Jordan, 1 BU

Fumbles

Delvin Jordan has been the most effective Sandite when it comes to fumbles, recovering 3 for 23 yards and 1 touchdown.

  • Cole Dixon has 1 forced fumble, and 1 recovery for 1 yard
  • Treyce Tolbert has 1 forced, and 1 recovery
  • Jason Cooper has 1 forced
  • Gage Fain has 1 recovery for 8 yards
  • Brett Freeman has 1 recovery for 7 yards
  • Nathan Simonton has 1 recovery for 5 yards
  • Dalton Morgan has 1 recovery for 3 yards
  • Parker Taylor has 1 recovery

#3 Sand Springs (5-4, 5-2) will enter the playoffs for the fourth-consecutive season tonight at #8 Stillwater (5-5, 3-3) and is the favorite to win.