#3 Sandites fall 17-14 to #1 Booker T Washington after last-minute field goal

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor in Chief

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#3 Sand Springs met with the #1 undefeated Booker T Washington Hornets Friday night and lost by a last-second field goal in a rainy knock-down drag-out at S.E. Williams Stadium.

The Sandites emerged to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but then the Hornets dominated the second quarter to tie things up shortly before the half. The rest of the game was a slow mover with lots of defense and very few big plays, and the victor wasn’t decided till there was only 14 seconds left in the game.

Surprisingly enough, it was the Charles Page Sandites who dominated both sides of the ball, despite the loss. Sandite Payton Scott led both teams in rushing yardage with 10 carries for 163 yards, followed by Oklahoma State-commit Justice Hill of the Hornets with 139, and Sandite Lane Lettich with 104. Hill surpassed the 1500 season mark in tonight’s game, while the Sand Springs runningbacks are still shy of 1000, though they’ll likely pass it by the end of the post-season.

The defense excelled for both teams, though Booker T came up with the most tackles-for-loss, sacking Sandite quarterback Hunter Greathouse 4 times for 25 yards. Greathouse didn’t get to do a whole lot of passing in tonight’s rain, but the two times he did connect were for major bombs totaling 91 yards to Trace Fleischman.

The Hornets offense took the field at their 35 after a Kasey Bales punt traveled out of bounds. Justice Hill managed to pick up one first down for the home team, but the Sandites excelled in the first quarter and quickly took possession at their 32.

On their first drive of the night, the Sandites needed only five plays for Greathouse to find Fleischman for a 63-yard touchdown reception. Bales kicked the PAT and the Sandites had a 7-0 lead barely four minutes into the game.

The next Hornet possession fell flat on 4th and 5 at the Sandite 32. Looking to put points on the board, QB Dakari Willis went for the keeper and was brought down at the line of scrimmage by Nathan Simonton and the ball was turned over to the Sandite Offense.

Once again, the visitors had little difficulty moving the ball.

Payton Scott picked up a first down, rushing for 11 yards, then Greathouse connected to Fleischman for a 28 yard bomb. Scott came back in for a single play and made it count, finding a hole and picking up 30 yards to give his team first and goal at the 10. Three plays later it was Lettich’s turn to find the endzone on a 2 yard run. The corresponding Bales PAT gave Sand Springs a 14-0 lead with 1:24 in the quarter.

It was the first time all season that Booker T had trailed by 14 points.

It didn’t take the Hornets long to respond, however, as they used seven plays to move the ball 46 yards, ending with a four yard touchdown run by Justice Hill, his 21st this season. Zachary Haney’s PAT brought the game to 14-7 with 10:14 in the half.

Sand Springs failed to convert on their next drive and punted it away to the Hornet 38. It looked like Booker T was going to score again as they found three first downs in nine plays and confronted Sand Springs at their 28.

The best defense in the state found an ally in Mother Nature, however, as the slippery conditions caused a fumbled hike and an incomplete pass and the Hornets were pushed back to fourth and 23 and had to punt.

The elements then turned on Sand Springs, as Greathouse had to fall on a fumbled hike for the Sandites for second and 17 at their own 7. A handoff to Scott picked the seven back up, but then Jason Harris II found Greathouse for his fourth sack of the season and nearly got a safety as the QB was brought down at the 2. Bales managed a 37 yard punt, but the Hornet offense was thirsty.

With 49.7 seconds left, Justice Hill found the endzone once again, this time on an 11-yard run. A penalty on the point-after had Haney repeating for a long PAT, but it didn’t stop him from tying up the game shortly before the half.

The third quarter belonged to the Sandites who picked up 93 yards on 19 rushes for 6 first-downs. Marching to the Hornet 16, it looked like Sand Springs was about to take the lead again, but a penalty and a sack pushed things back to 4th and 15 and Charles Page decided to try for a field goal. A 31-yard kick by Bales was dead center, but was nullified due to a penalty that pushed it back to the 26. This time the hike was fumbled and Jacob Taber was unable to find a receiver downfield and took a tackle-for-loss at the 40.

Sand Springs got the ball back four plays later at the BTW45, and used six plays spanning over into the fourth quarter to march to the Hornet 4 yard-line where Lettich gave the Sandites 1st and goal at the 1 yard-line.

The Hornet defense showed up, however, and Sand Springs found themselves 4th and 4 after three failed runs. Instead of kicking a field goal, the Sandites decided to try for a pass to Fleischman, but it was broken up by Daxton Hill.

Neither team scored on their next possessions and the home team ended up with the ball at the SS20. With 14 seconds left, Haney connected on a 35-yard field goal to give the Hornets the lead for the first time. Then, Haney found his first touchback of the night on kickoff, preventing the Sandites from a last-second touchdown return.

Sand Springs went down swinging, attempting a deep pass to Fleischman that fell short, then Greathouse was sacked to end the game 17-14.

It was a bit of déjà vu for both teams. Two weeks prior, Haney connected on a late field goal for a 17-14 win over Bartlesville. Last year in week 10 Sand Springs lost by a field goal at the #1 Bixby Spartans’ home field in a down-to-the-wire battle royale.

While Booker T may have succeeded in clinching the district title, the Sandites were far from losers. This was only Sand Springs’s second true loss of the season and both were away games to the #2 and #1 teams. The boys from the Springs proved that they could stand toe-to-toe with the best in the state and give them a run for their money. With the post-season now a certainty, Sand Springs still has a very legitimate possibility of making a major run at the state title.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

  • 7:52 63 yard pass to Fleischman from Greathouse. Bales PAT. 7-0 SS
  • 1:24 2 yard carry by Lettich. Bales PAT 14-0 SS

2nd Quarter

  • 10:14 4 yard carry by Justice Hill. Haney PAT. 14-7 SS
  • 0:49.7 11 yard run by Justice Hill. Haney PAT 14-14

3rd Quarter

  • No scores

4th Quarter

  • 0:14 Haney 35yd field goal. 17-14, BTW

Stats

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How Jenks and Bixby got snubbed

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

There’s been a few big surprises this football season, but two of the biggest came in week 8 in the top two tiers of High School Football.

#1 Jenks looked to be wrapping up another solid win on their way to a 16th state title as they led #3 Broken Arrow 34-21 in the third quarter. With two more-or-less assured wins ahead of them, the Trojans were on the path to a perfect season headed into the playoffs. Instead, they suffered their first home loss in 9 years, and they lost their #1 ranking along with it.

What happened? Devon Johnson happened. Jenks was threatening at the BA 5 yard line when the Tiger safety sacked Cooper Nunley, forcing the Trojans to settle for a field goal. Then, Johnson brought back the ensuing kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown with 39 seconds in the quarter. Gage Kaiser intercepted a Trojan pass on their next possession and the Tigers capitalized on it with a 6 yard pass from Cade Yeager to Devin Clayton for a touchdown. Chandler Saied’s PAT gave BA the lead and the home team was unable to find their legs for a fourth quarter score.

This is not to take anything away from Broken Arrow. They’re an incredible team and what they did was no small feat. But here are the facts. Jenks completed more first downs than BA. They had more total yardage, less penalties, never lost a fumble. This loss came down to a handful of plays.

Sammy Akem had already had one kickoff touchdown-return for BA, and after that Jenks should have been looking for touchbacks. Offensively, Jenks dominated the game with 5 of their 6 scores coming from offensive drives. It was the Broken Arrow defense and special teams that won it with two interceptions, two kickoff returns for TDs, and two forced field goals.

In a world where Broken Arrow was undefeated, it would be cut-and-dry. BA would take the #1 spot, Jenks would take #2. I mean, it was only a one-point loss. But instead it became a love-triangle for first place, as BA had already lost a match to Union, who had in-turn lost a game to Jenks. Head-to-head records wouldn’t help in this decision.

Union (6-2, 5-0) took an early 28-0 lead against Broken Arrow (7-1, 5-0) in week 3 before finishing 42-18.

Jenks (6-1, 4-1) hammered Union 45-27 in the Backyard Bowl in week 2. The Trojans gave up 30 more yards in penalties, threw two interceptions, and still managed to beat Union by 18 points, 10 more first downs, and 517 yards to 308.

So in a 3-way tie, how did Jenks get the snub? The Oklahoman bumped the Trojans to #3, MaxPreps to #2, OKPreps to #3, and Tulsa World to #3. Union took #1 in all of those ranking. Sandite Pride only ranks 6A-II, but if I did rank 6A-I, Jenks would still be #1 in my book.

When Union and Jenks play at their best, Jenks comes out on top. When Union and BA play at their best, Union comes out on top. Jenks played sloppy. BA wanted it more. But that doesn’t make Jenks a worse team as a whole.

Looking back at 2014, Jenks lost to both Owasso and Union in the regular season, then solidly defeated both in the post-season….when they were playing their best. If Union brings home the gold this year, then I’ll be more than happy to eat my words. But if I were a betting man, I’d be putting all my money on a fourth-consecutive Trojan Title.

 I’d also like to make a plea on behalf of Bixby in 6A-II. Booker T Washington has the top spot secured—hands down. I won’t debate that. The Hornets are killer. But how does Lawton rank second in Tulsa World and third in OKPreps and the Oklahoman? Lawton is doing a great job this season, but they haven’t played any really tough teams to earn that ranking. They have a loss to a 5A team, allowed a 3-5 unranked Kansas team score 35 points on them, and allowed the bottom two teams in 6A score a combined 33 points. Lawton is solid, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they do beat Sand Springs or Bixby in the playoffs. But until it happens, I can’t justifiably rank them ahead when their only experience is against the worst teams in the division. 

Payton Scott rushes for 200 yards in dominating defeat of Ponca Wildcats

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

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The Sand Springs varsity football team defeated Ponca City last Thursday in a 44-21 home-field beat down. Sandite QB Hunter Greathouse connected on more than half of his 15 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns—one to Kasey Bales and one to Lane Lettich. Sophomore Payton Scott was the star of the show, rushing for a season-high 200 yards and 2 touchdowns, the most of any player on the team in a single game this year.

Sand Springs Senior Jacob Fortune started the game with a 50 yard kick off, the first of five kickoffs inside the Wildcat 20. Blane Locke returned the ball to the 21 where he was brought down by Jason Cooper. The first possessions for each team set the pace for the entirety of the game, as Ponca picked up only 4 yards before Mitchell Wilson punted it away less than two minutes into the game.

Sand Springs began clicking offensively immediately and needed only 11 plays to travel 50 yards for a touchdown. On third down, Greathouse connected to Bales in heavy coverage for a gain of 17, then found him again to pick up another 5. Lettich punched in the first down on a 14 yard rush, then on third and 12, Greathouse found Ty Fain for a 12 yard pass for first and goal at the six. Lettich was the first to draw blood, finding the endzone on a four yard carry.  

Kasey Bales kicked the point-after, and was five of six for the night.

Ponca returned the kickoff to their 31, but once again failed to convert and Sand Springs got the ball back at the Ponca 44. Fleischman picked up two first downs rushing, then Scott broke contact twice to find the endzone on a 19-yard touchdown with 2:43 in the first and a 14-0 lead.

While the Wildcat offense was unable to convert in the first quarter, the defense finally held off Sand Springs, forcing three incompletions and Bales punted for a touchback.

The Wildcats found themselves in dangerous territory when Delvin Jordan blocked a punt to start the Sandites out at the Ponca 15. Lettich set the home team up for first and goal, but a fumbled hike nearly handed the ball back to Ponca. Greathouse managed to get on top of it at the 18, however, and after a brief timeout, screened to Lettich for an 18-yard touchdown and a 20-0 lead after a missed PAT into a powerful headwind.

Better late than never, the visiting offense finally managed to find some first downs. QB Conner Larson and RB Dexter Arita combined for 35 yard rushing, aided by an offsides penalty against the Sandites and a 7 yard rush from Riley Dilbeck. Then Larson teamed up with the younger Arita brother, Darrell, handing it off four times for 18 yards before finally putting points on the board with a 5 yard keeper. Wilson’s PAT brought things to 20-7 with 4:54 in the half.

Sand Springs was jamming on the next drive. Bales picked up a 20 yard punt return, and Scott single-handedly rushed from the SS30 to the Ponca15. The incredible 9-play drive came to a disappointing end, however. A lateral to Scott came up dead at the line of scrimmage. Next, Greathouse was flushed from the pocket, unable to find a receiver, and barely picked up three for third and 7. Scott had another impressive rush, but fell just short of a first down and Ponca took over possession at their 6 with half a minute in the half.

Sand Springs came out of the half firing as Fleischman picked up 21 yards on a kickoff return. Lettich rushed for three and Greathouse found Jake Ward for four on a screen. Lettich broke through the line for 7 yards and a first down.

Greathouse tried to take to the air on the next play, but instead of a receiver it was Wildcat Austin Fry who swooped in for a 48 yard pick-six to close the gap to 20-14 less than two minutes into the half.

Sand Springs didn’t give their guests long to celebrate, however. Fleischman brought the kickoff back to the 35 and four plays later, Scott found an opening for a 45 yard touchdown. The Bales’ PAT brought it back to a two-touchdown game with 8:27 in the half.

The infamous Sandite D was next to show off. Jaxon Starling tackled Dexter Arita for a loss of 6 on the first play of the drive. The secondary was bloodthirstily ravaging the Ponca line on the next play and as the pocket began to collapse, Larson attempted a screen. Delvin Jordan collided with the receiver like an asteroid, knocking the ball loose for a Sandite recovery. The pass was officially ruled incomplete, but the Sandites had made their statement.

Sand Springs received the punt at their 13 and converted immediately as Andrew Biggs and Harold Dodson created a hole for Lettich to pick up 12 yards.

Lettich found another 13 on the next play, then Scott snagged 2 before Greathouse took to the air and connected with Bales for a 46-yard touchdown and a 34-14 lead.

The secondary gave up only two yards on the next Ponca drive and the runningbacks were back to work. Lettich rushed for three first downs, aided by some big blocks from Lincoln Adams and the rest of the O-Line, a 7 yard reception by Josh Taber, and a 6 yard run by Scott. The offense used the last six minutes of the quarter to march 44 yards to the Ponca 31 as the clock expired.

The first play of the final period, Fleischman picked up 31 yards for a touchdown and Bales tacked on the PAT for a 41-14 lead.

Darrell Arita had a rough time on the next Ponca possession. Cruz Desjarlais broke up a long deep pass intended for the wide receiver, then Brett Freeman laid him out at the line of scrimmage on the next play. A third pass attempt fell incomplete and 33 seconds after scoring, the Sandites would get yet another opportunity.

By this point in the game, Sand Springs was beginning to shuffle in the JV squad and Sophomore Ben Norte began running up some solid yardage. His first rush picked up 11 before the ball came loose and Fain managed to recover it at the 41 for an extra 5.

Scott continued to dominate on the ground, taking the ball on the next 5 plays for 29 yards, setting up Bales to kick a 22 yard field goal. Sand Springs had reached the same amount of points they scored the week before against Sapulpa, Payton Scott had surpassed 200 rushing yards in the game, and Kinard brought the majority of the varsity crew home to check off another dominating Sandite win.

Ponca finally made some headway now that they were playing the Sandite JV, but they would only manage one more score, a 6 yard pass to Darrell Arita for a touchdown and from there the game ground to a halt.

The Sandites had definitely out-athleted, but did they execute? This Friday they will take on the Muskogee Roughers at home in a game with major playoff implications. If the Sandites fail to beat the Roughers, it will take nothing short of a miracle for them to make it to the post season. To overcome Muskogee, they’ll definitely need to clean things up. The Roughers won’t fail to capitalize on three fumbles the way Ponca did. Sand Springs is the favorite in this matchup, but both teams are riding three-straight wins. The action goes down at 7:00PM at Memorial Field in Sand Springs—you won’t want to miss it!

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Week 8 Predictions

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

#1 Booker T Washington (6-0, 4-0) District 1

#3 Bixby (5-2, 3-1) District 1

Bixby may have fallen down the rankings a little bit after being upset by Bartlesville, but only a fool would count them out of the race for the state title. BTW barely held off Bville for a 3-point win last week to remain perfect, but this late in the season all eyes are focused in on the gold and anything can happen. Booker T wins by an average of 36 points this season, but knock out the pushovers from that lineup and things have been a lot closer. The only real challenges they've had have been #8 Midwest City whom they beat 28-16 in week one and #2 Bartlesville last week. Bixby, meanwhile, opened the season by running up 24 points against the top team in the state, the number 12 team in the nation. The only team to score more points against Jenks this season was Union who only outdid the Spartans by a field goal. This is the game to watch this week and while I'm picking BTW, if I had to pick an upset, this would be it.

I say Bixby scores first, BTW gets the run of things, Bixby surges late in the fourth for the last two TDs of the game with conversions on each but ultimately falls short.

The pick: BTW 35, Bixby 30

#2 Bartlesville (6-1, 3-1) District 1

#13 Sapulpa (1-5, 0-4) District 1

Get ready for another beat-down, Sapulpa, the Bruins are leaving ruins in their wake. The Chieftains are putting up decent points on everyone, but they're allowing far too many to stand a chance against this double headed offense. Expect Colton Penrod to clear 2000 season-passing yards this game while running-back Jarron Hilger should easily drum up another 100 yards rushing. Sapulpa is not without its stars, however. Keep your eyes on Dae Williams who just passed 1000 yards rushing for the season in last week's loss to Bixby. 

After last week's loss to BTW, Bartlesville will be looking to prove themselves before the playoffs. They should have no problem riding a 3-0 streak into the post season, but how they get those wins will be the true judge of their playoff-potential.

The pick: Bartlesville 47, Sapulpa 20.

#4 Charles Page (3-3, 3-1) District 1

#6 Muskogee (3-4, 3-1) District 1

The second-biggest game of the week will be in Sand Springs, and while the Bixby vs BTW game will be the most exciting, this game will have the most playoff implications. Unless something crazy happens, it looks like BTW, Bville, and Bixby have the top three spots locked up, so the Sandites and Roughers will be battling it out for the bottom-seed. The Sandites have one of the top ranked defenses in the state and get the home-field advantage. While Sand Springs has won 47% of games under Dustin Kinard, they've won 57% of home games.

Both teams tend to keep a pretty even pass-rush split. Sandite QB Hunter Greathouse should surpass 1000 season-passing yards this game while runningbacks Payton Scott and Lane Lettich will both likely pass 500 rushing yards.

The pick: CPHS 35, Muskogee 21

#5 Lawton (5-1, 4-0) District 2

TX #754 Triple A Academy (4-4)

The Wolverines get a bye week not just from district play, but from challenging play, as they travel to Texas to take on Triple A Academy.

The pick: Lawton 61, Triple A 7.

#7 Stillwater (3-4, 2-1) District 2

#9 Putnam City West (3-4, 1-2) District 2

This is another either-or game with the potential to throw things around in District 2. The West side of the state is a lot less settled than the Tulsa Metro and Lawton is the only clear top dog. Three weeks ago I would have picked PCW hands down. Now I'm not so sure either way. PCW had the more decisive victory over Choctaw, but Stillwater pulled off an upset over Midwest City, while PCW was floored. PCW lost by more points to Lawton, but Stillwater was shut out. 

I'm calling this game a shootout with Stillwater pulling it off by a late-fourth field goal for the win, but I'm prepared to be wrong.

The pick: Stillwater 38, PCW 36

#8 Midwest City (5-2, 3-1) District 2

#12 Choctaw (4-3, 2-2) District 2

MWC pretty much has playoffs locked in, despite an upset by Stillwater. But if they let a game go to the Pioneers then I wouldn't be surprised at all if whatever went wrong there continues to go wrong this week. Stillwater barely held off a last minute surge by Choctaw last week and I think after this game we'll see that the Bombers loss to the Pioneers was just a fluke. Or we could see Choctaw rallying for a late-season attempt at the playoffs.

The pick: MWC 27, Choctaw 13.

#10 Ponca City (1-5, 0-4) District 1

#11 Claremore (2-5, 0-4) District 1

Its the battle for the bottom spot in District 1. The only reason I have Ponca ahead of Claremore is because so many of Claremore's starters are injured, including their starting quarterback. While Noah Grimett has been a great fill-in for the Zebras, ultimately I see this one going to the Wildcats.

The pick: Ponca 44, Claremore 30

#14 Enid (1-6, 0-3) District 2

#15 Eisenhower (0-7, 0-3) District 2

These two teams will be battling it out to see who gets stuck with the title of "worst team in 6A." It may sound harsh, but it's a position somebody has to occupy. Not everybody gets a trophy in this sport--not yet anyway. 

The pick: Enid 27, Ike 16. 

My Record

  • Week 1: 10-2 (.833)
  • Week 2: 12-2 (.857)
  • Week 3: 6-3 (.666)
  • Week 4: 6-2 (.750)
  • Week 5: 5-3 (.625)
  • Week 6: 8-0 (1.00)
  • Week 7: 8-0 (1.00)
  • Overall: 55-12 (.820)

 

Week 7 Roundup

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

#1 Booker T Washington (6-0, 4-0) District 1

#2 Bartlesville (6-1, 3-1) District 1

The biggest match-up of the season thus-far came down to a field goal. Bartlesville took to the air, completing 11 of 17 for 194 against Booker T's 7 of 15 for 91. The Hornet ground game amassed a stellar 215 against Bartlesville's 84. Washington gave up 23 more yards to penalties than the Bruins, but Bville gave up a key fumble on the Hornet 7 yard line with less than three minutes remaining--and it would end up costing them the game as Booker T sank a field goal with 7 seconds left.

The pick: Booker T 21, Bartlesville 14

Results: Booker T 17, Bartlesville 14.

#3 Bixby (5-2, 3-1) District 1

#13 Sapulpa (1-5, 0-4) District 1

Bixby's missing several starters who were suspended for underage drinking a few weeks ago, and Nic Roller, their stud runningback, continues to be hampered by recent surgery. He was recovered enough to play, but he didn't amass nearly the yardage he normally does. Believe it or not, 116 yards on 11 carries is subpar for this beast. All of that combined, and this incredible Bixby team still scored the second-most points against Sapulpa of any team this season. QB Tanner Griffin passed for 296 yards as the Spartans "dined in Hell" against Sapulpa. 

The pick: Bixby 53, Sapulpa 7

Results: Bixby 53, Sapulpa 17.

#4 Charles Page (3-3, 3-1) District 1

#10 Ponca City (1-5, 0-4) District 1

I made it to 18-straight Sandite games before I finally had to miss this one because our Lady Softballers were at State. Apparently it was a hell of a game to miss. Greathouse was solid passing, as always, connecting on 10 of 16 for 128. The real show was in the rush game. Payton Scott carried for 200 yards and two touchdowns, followed by Lane Lettich with 117 and one TD. Overall the Sandites had a massive 528 yards-total-offense and the D gave up a stingy 149 for only two touchdowns. 

The pick: CPHS 35, Ponca 13

Results: CPHS 44, Ponca 21.

#5 Lawton (5-1, 4-0) District 2

#15 Eisenhower (0-7, 0-3) District 2

It started as a close game between the two in-town rivals, but eventually the Wolverines pulled ahead for a blowout. Ike struck first on a two yard run, and only trailed 15-7 going into the half, but the dominant team found their feet in the second half.

The pick: Lawton 49, Ike 13.

Restults: Lawton 43, Ike 7. 

#6 Muskogee (3-4, 3-1) District 1

#11 Claremore (2-5, 0-4) District 1

The Roughers are finally finding their feet under second-year coach Rafe Watkins, winning 3 of their last 4 games. Unless they pull off an upset against Sand Springs this week, they'll likely finish the season with the same record as last year. The losses have all been a lot closer, however, and the wins have been more punishing. Muskogee got nearly twice the yards-per-carry as Claremore, and despite completing less than half of all passes, they still gained just under 200 yards-by-air. 

The pick: Muskogee 17, Claremore 14

Results: Muskogee 38, Claremore 8

#7 Stillwater (3-4, 2-1) District 2

#12 Choctaw (4-3, 2-2) District 2

This game came down to the wire, and nobody saw it coming. With a 30-13 lead and only two minutes left, it seemed like the Pioneers had it all wrapped up. Choctaw wasn't done fighting, however, and marched 80 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown, then recovered the ensuing onside kick. The next play was a touchdown followed by a conversion. Stillwater barely held on as the next onside kick traveled out of bounds and they were able to assume victory formation.

The pick: Stillwater 35, Choctaw 13

Results: Stillwater 30, Choctaw 27

#8 Midwest City (5-2, 3-1) District 2

#9 Putnam City West (3-4, 1-2) District 2

The Bombers pretty much locked in another playoff appearance in knocking down PCW.

The pick: MWC 14, PCW 13.

Results: MWC 33, PCW 14.

#14 Enid (1-6, 0-3) District 2

The Plainsmen just can't catch a break. With a bye-week from district play, Enid took on 5A unranked Tahlequah and were easily handed. The only win for Enid comes from a forfeiture-by-technicality. 

The pick: Tahlequah 28, Enid 14

Results: Tahlequah 44, Enid 21.

My Record

  • Week 1: 10-2 (.833)
  • Week 2: 12-2 (.857)
  • Week 3: 6-3 (.666)
  • Week 4: 6-2 (.750)
  • Week 5: 5-3 (.625)
  • Week 6: 8-0 (1.00)
  • Week 7: 8-0 (1.00)
  • Overall: 55-12 (.820)

 

Week 4 Sandite Pride Rankings and Predictions

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Photo by: Morgan Miller

Week 3 was heavily disrupted by severe weather systems across the state that lead to more cancellations than actual games.

#1 Charles Page (2-0, 0-0) District 1

The Sandites were one of few teams to actually start a game Friday night, but it was cancelled shortly before halftime and will thus not count towards their record or stats. However, their performance on the field still plays into my rankings. They lead 5A unranked Guthrie 18-7 with 6 minutes in the half, and QB Hunter Greathouse was 4-5-129 in that short amount of time. Guthrie may not be the team they've been in recent memory, but they're far from pushovers. 

#5 Bartlesville (3-0, 0-0) District 1

The Bruins were far enough North that they had plenty of time to put a 42-20 beat down on Enid before the weather reached them. Enid is an 0-3 pushover this year and the 20 points they scored on Bartlesville is the most they've mustered all season. I expect Bartlesville to come hot at the Sandites with their offense, but be unable to put up any stops of their own against double-threat Hunter Greathouse. I'm expecting a shootout with the Sandites coming on top by a pair of touchdowns, minus a few blocked/missed PATs.

The Pick: CPHS 46, Bartlesville 35.

#2 Bixby (2-1, 0-0) District 1

Despite nearly 700 yards of total offense, the Spartans didn't put up nearly the points I expected them to against Springdale, AR (0-3). It looks like the defending State Champions have their offense in good order between QB Tanner Griffin and RB Nic Roller but are going to need to whip their defense in shape quickly if they want to hold up against BTW and CPHS. The Spartans won 57-38, which is more points than they allowed anyone but Jenks to score last season.

#10 Claremore (2-1, 0-0) District 1

The Red Zebras held up to a 10 point loss to Siloam Springs, 22-12, only 3 points worse than I expected. Their passing game was abysmal and they won't stand much of a chance rushing against Bixby. If they manage to score at all it will be due more to Bixby's slacking defense than Claremore's capabilities. 

The Pick: Bixby 52, Claremore 3

#3 Booker T Washington (2-0, 0-0) District 1

The Hornets game against East Central was cancelled Friday, though it's safe to say it would have been a slaughter considering the 62-6 they put on Tulsa Central in week 2. 

#9 Ponca City (1-1, 0-0) District 1

The Wildcats' game against Shawnee was also cancelled, but not before they were outscored 10-6 in the first quarter. It's hard to judge a team off less than a quarter so I didn't drop them in my rankings, but I had expected Ponca to easily defeat the unranked 5A team. 

The Pick: BTW 42, Ponca City 13.

#4 Midwest City (2-1, 0-0) District 2

The Bombers pulled off a big upset over the top ranked 5A Del City, 37-14, and are my favorite to win the District 2 title. They lost to BTW in the season opener, but when it comes to Eisenhower, they're going to bring the thunder.

#14 Eisenhower (0-3, 0-0) District 2

Lawton Ike scored a lot more against 5A #2 MacArthur than anybody expected them to, but were still handed a solid 57-34 beat down. 

The Pick: MWC 28, Ike 6

#6 Choctaw (2-1, 0-0) District 2

Choctaw suffered their first loss of the season in a close 25-23 to Putnam North. 

#12 Enid (0-3, 0-0) District 2

The Plainsmen have been getting their butts handed to them left and right this year, and I don't expect things to change in district play.

The Pick: Choctaw 38, Enid 12.

#7 Muskogee (0-3, 0-0) District 1

The Roughers have definitely not lived up to expectation these past two season under new Head Coach Rafe Watkins, but in their defense, they've only played really solid teams thus far. 33-22 to 5A #5 McAlester, 34-25 to 6A #5 Owasso, and 56-21 to undefeated #3 Fayetteville, AR. If they were in District 2 I could see them making a run at the district title, but in the talent-crowded Tulsa district I see them winning 3 games at most. 

#13 Sapulpa (1-1, 0-0) District 1

Lawton may not be the team they were last year, but the Chieftains got off lucky that their game was cancelled. Unfortunately for them, there's no rain in the forecast for this Friday.

The Pick: Muskogee 35, Sapulpa 12.

#8 Putnam City West (1-2, 0-0) District 2

I was so impressed with PCW after their 5 point loss to Del City and their 29-6 win over PCN, then they had to go and blow it, getting slaughtered 49-17 by PC. 

#11 Lawton (1-1, 0-0) District 2

I'm a lot less confident in PCW for this matchup than I was last week, and it's really anybody's game in my book. 

The Pick: PCW 31, Lawton 28

#15 Stillwater (0-3, 0-0) District 2

Stillwater lost 26-14 to Edmond North Friday, and is the only team not starting District play this upcoming weekend. As District 2 is only 7 teams, the Pioneers will be battling with U.S. Grant as both teams look for their first win of the season. 

The Pick: Stillwater 29, Grant 14.

 

My Record

  • Week 1: 10-2 83%
  • Week 2: 12-2 85%
  • Week 3: 6-3 66%
  • Overall: 28-7 80%