Zander Grigsby Wins Mid America Nationals, Sandites Beat Claremore in Dual

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The No. 9 ranked Charles Page High School boys’ wrestling team improved to 3-0 on the season Tuesday evening with a 40-24 win over 5A No. 6 Claremore (3-2) at Clyde Boyd Middle School.

The Sandites trailed through the first six matches before Jesse Moore (3-0) pinned Alex Miller at 144 pounds to tie it up at 15-15.

Claremore jumped out to a 6-0 lead with a forfeit at 106. Ayreson Reiss (3-0) got the Sandites on the board with a 6-1 decision over Paul Perez, but the visitors won the next three matches.

Kale Shultz won 5-3 in overtime against Caden Rodriguez and returning State qualifier Mason Gillispie won 12-5 against Hunter Spencer. Both Sandites were making their varsity debuts.

Jaxon Grigsby (7-3) suffered a 6-3 decision at the hands of returning State qualifier Maddox Jackson for the Zebras’ biggest lead at 15-3.

Kasen McAffrey made his freshman debut with a pin of Mikey Robertson to kick off the rally at 138.

Preston Reyna (8-2) followed up Moore’s pin with a 14-5 major decision against Kaiden Soaz and the Sandites held the lead from then on.

Isaac Sensintaffar (5-2) pinned Jackson Roach in 1:52 to make it 25-15, but Brody Ensten (6-3) was pinned by returning State placer Cooper Zigafues to keep things close.

Finally, Jaxon Trotter (9-2) pinned Silas Taylor in 57 seconds and Peyton Callis (9-2) pinned Micah Duncan in five seconds to clinch the dual victory.

Claremore won one last match in a 3-1 decision by returning State qualifier Cameron Braswell against Ali McCoy (5-5) but Mason Harris (9-1) capped the night off with a 2-0 defeat of Josh Feliciano.

Next up on the Sandites’ schedule is a Highway 97 Rivalry match at 5A No. 14 Sapulpa (0-1) Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Sand Springs wrestled its first tournament over the weekend and Zander Grigsby (9-0) led the Sandites to a seventh place finish at the Mid America Nationals in Enid.

Grigsby pinned his first pool opponent, then won a 9-0 major decision against returning State qualifier Walker Johnson of Harrah.

In the championship bracket he pinned his first opponent before eking out a 3-0 decision against Marlow State Champion Cade Gilbert.

In the semifinals he won an 11-0 major decision against Texas State Champion Tanner Casaubon and in the finals he won a 5-1 decision against Guthrie State qualifier Bryson Hall.

Grigsby outscored his opponents 42-2 over the tournament.

Harris was runner-up at heavyweight, pinning his first four opponents in the first period. He won a 2-0 decision over Guthrie State qualifier Nic Herendeen and a 1-0 decision against Piedmont State qualifier Jesse Knapp before falling to Kansas State Champion Brett Carroll.

Kase Skaggs (9-1) took fifth place at 120 pounds with wins over three State qualifiers. His only loss came to two-time Texas State Champion Isaak Arevalo in the quarterfinals and he bounced back with three straight decisions. In the placement round he won 4-3 against USAWKS State Champion Talon Verbeck.

Callis placed fifth at 190, only losing two matches to a pair of State qualifiers. In the placement round he won a 7-3 decision against Texas State placer Ryan Rainey from Arlington-Martin.

Trotter placed ninth at 175, pinning his first five opponents before falling 10-3 and 4-3 to a pair of State finalists. He bounced back with a 18-1 technical fall against Salina State qualifier Jyce Glass and a 35-second pin of Collinsville’s Sean Ross.

Matthew Moore (7-4) placed 10th at 132 with a 5-4 record. He won his first three matches before falling to a pair of State finalists. He won two matches in the Championship bracket, losing only to returning State qualifiers.

Jayden Pait (6-0) placed 12th at 138, winning his first four matches before medical forfeiting the rest of the tournament. He pinned his first two opponents before winning a pair of decisions against two State qualifiers.

Hudson Sheppard (5-2) placed 12th at 175, easily winning his pool before falling 7-2 to Harrah’s Zylan Johnson. He won his next match 7-3 against Texas State qualifier Boede Gibson but medical forfeited his remaining matches.

McCoy placed 15th at 215 pounds with three pins. In the placement round he pinned Jay’s Bryce McGhee in 1:40.

Jaxon Grigsby placed 17th at 126, going 5-2 with four pins, beating Marlow’s Harris Brennan 8-0 in the placement match. Both of his losses came to returning State qualifiers during pool play, relegating him to the consolation bracket where he dominated the field, outscoring his opponents 34-1.

Reyna placed 17th at 144, losing his first two matches before bouncing back with a technical fall and five consecutive wins to top the consolation bracket. Over his final five matches he outscored his opponents 38-0 with three pins, including a 26-second victory in the finals.

Sensintaffar placed 17th at 150, losing his first two matches before winning his next four, including three pins with a 36-second finals victory.

Ensten placed 17th at 157, going 1-2 in pool play before winning out in the consolation bracket with three total pins in the tournament.

Jaden Allen (4-4) placed 22nd at 190 with four pins.

The Sandites finished in seventh place with 320 points despite voiding the 106 and 113 weight classes.

As a non-scoring wrestler, Colt Hood took 13th place at 120 with a 4-3 record and four pins, winning his placement match by fall against Watonga’s Dakota Cox. Two of his three losses came to defending State Champions.

Sandite Wrestling Opens Season with Double-Header Beatdowns of Glenpool & Skiatook

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Kase Skaggs had the signature win of the night, defeating a returning State Finalist. (Photo by Scott Emigh).

The Charles Page High School boys’ wrestling team opened the dual season with a bang Thursday night in Skiatook, dominating 5A No. 15 Glenpool 72-0 and 4A No. 13 Skiatook 73-6.

The Sandites didn’t lose a single match, with Skiatook’s only points coming on a forfeit at 106 in the second dual of the night.

“Those are traditionally good wrestling teams,” said head coach Ty Bowling. “We thought it’d be good to start the season off against some traditional wrestling powers, so it was a good start for us.”

Sand Springs opened the season against Glenpool (1-3), Bowling’s former program.

106 was double forfeited, then Ayreson Reiss received a forfeit at 113. The next six matches were all decided by fall.

Kase Skaggs pinned Talan Williamson in 1:45, Jaxon Grigsby pinned Kamm Hart in 1:21, Matthew Moore pinned his foe in 2:27, Jayden Pait pinned Jacoby Constant in 1:52, Jesse Moore pinned Tyler Kent in 0:46, and Preston Reyna pinned Michael Lohr in 2:27.

Brody Ensten won a 13-2 major decision against Liam Saville, and Zander Grigsby had the biggest win of the night in 7-1 decision over returning State qualifier Trent Cole.

Jaxon Trotter won a 17-0 technical fall, Peyton Callis pinned Kaden Witzel in 0:45, Ali McCoy pinned Landon Pangle in 1:17, and Mason Harris pinned his opponent in 0:47 to complete the shutout.

The victory marked the second shutout and fourth 70-point margin of victory in the Ty Bowling era.

In the second dual the Sandites trailed 6-0 after forfeiting at 106, but Reiss tied it up immediately with a pin of Andrew Havens in 2:07.

The top victory of the night went to Skaggs at 120 with a 5-3 decision over returning State finalist Jagen Jones.

Jaxon Grigsby pinned Caleb Thompson in 0:43, Matthew Moore pinned Dominick King in 2:06, Pait pinned Landon Dodd in 0:28, and Jesse Moore pinned Maddox Tucker in 0:53.

Reyna got an 8-0 major decision against Ian Long, then the Sandites won the final six consecutive matches by fall to end the night.

Ensten pinned Johnny Leonard in 0:52, Zander Grigsby pinned Luke Sutton in 2:30, Hudson Sheppard pinned Eli Sutton in 1:00, Callis pinned Isaac Sherril in 0:43, McCoy pinned State qualifier Jackson Bailey in 4:53, and Harris pinned State qualifier Biggs Havens in 4:01.

The Sandites appear to have a loaded roster this season after returning 12 out of 14 starters from last year with some talented underclassmen vying for mat time.

“Guys are battling to make the lineup,” said Bowling. “We’ve got State qualifiers that are right now on the outside looking in.”

Next up on the dual schedule is a bout with 5A No. 5 Claremore (3-1) Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at Clyde Boyd Middle School.

Sandites Throttle U.S. Grant 56-0, Finish Regular Season 7-3

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Bobby Klinck told his team to envision Thursday night’s trip to Oklahoma City as a playoff road game.

“Hopefully if we can keep going into the playoffs we’re going to have to do this at some point, so envision that and use it as a dress rehearsal.”

That task may have stretched the imaginations of the Sandites as it’s unlikely they’ll get to bench their starters after one quarter at any point in the playoffs.

6A-II No. 5 Charles Page High School (7-3, 5-2) won a lopsided 56-0 shutout against U.S. Grant (2-8, 0-7) to spoil Senior Night at Taft Stadium.

The Sandites finished the regular season with a one-win improvement over last year and their best district mark since 2015. Meanwhile Grant ended the year on an eight-game losing streak with six consecutive shutouts.

The Generals’ first-half possessions ended in punt, pick six, punt, pick six, fumble, turnover on downs, punt, and punt.

Kenneth Page scored on an 11-yard touchdown run, Alex Dudley had a 51-yard pick six, and Ali McCoy scored on a 9-yard forward pitch from Jace Arnold for a 21-0 lead by the 4:53 mark of the first quarter.

The Generals’ next possession ended in a 30-yard interception return by Hunter Wilson, who handed the ball off to lineman Marcum Sims at the 1-yard line for the touchdown.

A fumble recovery by Hudson Sheppard set up a 1-yard touchdown run from Easton Webb to make it 35-0 at the end of the first.

Grant tried for a gutsy fourth-and-three in their own territory and was made to pay for it as Isaac Sensintaffar, Jakobe Vann, Jonathan Rowe, and Jaden Allen all combined for a sack.

After a pair of would-be touchdown passes to Dom Forbes were nullified for penalties, Webb finally connected with Kayden Campbell for a 14-yard touchdown.

Forbes wouldn’t be kept out of the end zone for long, scoring on a 3-yard pitch from Arnold to make it 49-0 at halftime.

“It’s big for the program moving forward that some of the younger guys could get in and get meaningful snaps,” said Klinck.

The Generals forced their first three-and-out to open the second half, though they gave the ball back on fourth down at midfield.

Brock O’Dell scored the final touchdown of the night on a two-yard run late in the third.

A running clock and their only semi-successful drive of the night helped the Generals eat the entire fourth quarter without letting the Sandite offense on the field.

JaMere Martin was able to find some running room against the Sandite reserves, earning 65 yards on three carries to help march his team to the 7-yard line. His hopes of getting to the end zone were quashed, however, when Gage Gunn recovered a fumbled snap for the final play of the game.

Even with the running clock, the Sandites had plenty of time to give plenty of backups plenty of snaps.

Eight Sandites recorded receptions, seven had carries, 27 made defensive plays, and the Sandites even got to see the backup kicker in action when Tanner Copeland took over for a 7-for-7 Dawson Puckett and connected on the final PAT of the night.

“It’s always neat to see guys that are program guys, scout teamers, and they’re younger and they get an opportunity to shine on Thursday night,” said Klinck. “That’s really fun.”

Webb finished the night 4-of-5 passing for 46 yards with two carries for 11 yards and two total touchdowns. Arnold was 7-of-8 for 57 yards with four carries for 26 yards and two total touchdowns.

Defensively the Sandites held the Generals to only 8 yards through the first three quarters without surrendering a single first down.

“Guys being in the right places and making the plays they need to make,” said Klinck. “We’re going to have to play well defensively to make a run at this thing, so I’m glad that we were able to do that.”

The defense was led by Kambren Foster with 9 tackles, followed by Rowe with 6 and Gunn with 5. The Sandites totaled 10 tackles for loss, including three sacks, with four takeaways.

Despite the total domination, the Generals showed improvement over last year’s 83-0 shutout at Memorial Stadium in which they only suited up 19 players. This time around, the Generals had about 40 players in a turnaround season that saw the end of a 13-game losing streak.

“It’s a testament to what coach (Alex) Levescy is doing,” said Klinck. “I’ve coached at Tulsa Public Schools in the inner city and that’s a really great job that he’s doing over there.”

“The victories aren’t counted in wins and losses sometimes.”

Sand Springs will return to action next Friday with a home playoff game against Lawton (2-7).

It will be only the second meeting ever between the Sandites and Wolverines, who last played each other in a 5A semifinal playoff game that Lawton won 14-10 in 1987.

“I’m hopeful that we’re going to play our best football moving forward and hopefully try to make a run at this thing,” said Klinck.

CPHS 56 Grant 0

First Downs: CPHS 7, Grant 4.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 11-13-103-0, Grant 4-12-6-2.
Rushing: CPHS 14-123, Grant 28-78.
Offense: CPHS 27-226, Grant 40-90.
Fumbles/Lost: CPHS 2/0, Grant 2/2.
Penalties: CPHS 4-45, Grant 2-20.

Scoring Summary

1Q (9:12) - Page 11-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 7-0.
1Q (7:14) - Dudley 51-yard Interception Return, Puckett Kick, CPHS 14-0.
1Q (4:53) - McCoy 9-yard Pass from Arnold, Puckett Kick, CPHS 21-0.
1Q (4:16) - Sims 1-yard Interception Return, Puckett Kick, CPHS 28-0.
1Q (0:49) - Webb 1-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 35-0.
2Q (9:13) - Campbell 14-yard Pass from Webb, CPHS 42-0.
2Q (3:01) - Forbes 3-yard Pass from Arnold, Puckett Kick, CPHS 49-0.
3Q (1:45) - O’Dell 2-yard Run, Copeland Kick, CPHS 56-0.

Sandites Snap 7 Year Losing Streak to Booker T. Washington, 24-14 on Senior Night

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Kenneth Page (Pictured against Tahlequah) ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns against Booker T. on Senior Night. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

Class 6A-II No. 5 Charles Page High School (6-3, 4-2) snapped a seven-year losing streak against Booker T. Washington Friday night at Memorial Stadium, winning 24-14 on Senior Night against the No. 10 Hornets (2-8, 1-6) behind a powerful run game.

Senior Kenneth Page scored two touchdowns and ended the night with 17 carries for 130 yards to lead all players in his third triple-digit performance of the season.

“It feels great,” said Page. “This morning we found out it had been seven years, so I was like ‘Wow. We’ve got to get the job done, we’ve got to change the program and get it done tonight.’”

Sand Springs never trailed after jumping out to a 10-0 first quarter lead, but was never able to pull away from the pesky Hornets.

The Sandites forced a turnover on downs on the opening drive and cashed in six plays later on a career-long 42-yard field goal by Dawson Puckett.

The visiting Hornets marched as far as the Sand Springs 25-yard line before Hudson Sheppard, Gatlin Gunn, and Joseph Farmer combined to stuff Kuhron Ross on fourth-and-one.

The teams traded punts from there, but Page made it a two-score game with a 44-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.

“That play we had a fake sprint out and I’m coming back, I’m getting the ball, and I just see Tank (Tyler Smith) pull, wide open,” said Page. “Then I had to make sure the corner didn’t get me, so I had to run zig zags, but it was a great moment.”

Washington’s next trip to Sandite territory ended in a 26-yard interception return by Gunn, but the visitors got the ball back two plays later on a fumble recovery from Koreon Williams.

That turnover resulted in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Levi Brooks to Daylinn Overstreet to open the second quarter.

Three punts later, the Hornets threatened again, but Landyn Barnes picked off Brooks in the Sandite red zone and the home team took a knee to enter halftime.

“It was huge,” said head coach Bobby Klinck. “We give our guys opportunities to make plays and for the most part they made them tonight.”

Ali McCoy lost two fumbles last week against Bartlesville, but his hands were glue traps on Friday after receiving the Darnell Jefferson treatment.

“If anyone else brings this ball back to me, you’ll wish you were never born,” Klinck told McCoy on Monday, tasking him with babysitting a football all day in the spirit of the 1993 cult classic “The Program.”

The ploy worked as McCoy ended the night with 12 carries for 53 yards and a one-yard touchdown plunge to open the second half.

“I had to teach them about the movie,” said Klinck. “They didn’t know about it yet, so that was kind of fun. He brought it back, he was sweating, it was great.”

Washington tried to convert on fourth down to open the fourth quarter but Keagan Gilman lit up Brooks as he threw and the ball darted harmlessly into the turf.

This time it was Page’s turn to cash in, scoring on a six-yard run to go up 24-7 with 7:49 to play.

But, the Hornets would not go gentle into that good night.

Stefon Williams recovered a muffed punt deep in Sandite territory and Brooks scored on a two-yard draw for the final touchdown of the game.

Sand Springs successfully fielded an onside kick attempt and ate the final 5:20 of clock on the ground, picking up a trio of first downs to enter the Hornet red zone behind the legs of wildcat quarterback Jace Arnold before assuming victory formation.

“It’s hard soaking it all in, but coming out with a dub - that’s all we want on senior night,” said Arnold, who had nine carries for 39 yards in the second half.

The trio of McCoy, Arnold, and Page combined for 229 yards behind an offensive line that has been fairly dominant against most teams it has faced this year.

“Those guys have an attitude,” Klinck said of his o-line. “I like that they’re getting into it…Our offensive line has been a strength for us all year and our tailbacks are just feeding off that.”

Defensively the Sandites were led by Owen Floyd with eight tackles, followed by Dallas Elifrits and Gunn with seven apiece. Elifrits had three tackles for loss and Waylon Jeffers had two sacks.

The win cemented a third-place finish in the district for the Sandites after finishing fourth the past three years.

“We’re slowly moving up in the right direction,” said Klinck. “I really feel this program’s in a great place. It just depends. I think we are going to be pretty dang successful around here. We’ve just got see how quickly we want to do it and if this senior class wants to be the group that breaks through.”

The Hornets are fighting through their worst season since 1997 but they can still make the postseason with a win against No. 9 Putnam City West (4-5, 1-5) next week.

“Booker T. will be back,” said Klinck. “Coach (Jonathan) Brown’s an unbelievable coach. They’re too good, but we’ll take it this year.”

Sand Springs will look to finish the regular season on a four-game win streak next Thursday when it travels to U.S. Grant (2-7, 0-6). The Generals were the victims of an 83-0 defeat last season in Sandites’ biggest win in school history.

“I think we’re going to be playing our best football coming into the playoffs and that’s all we really want,” said Klinck.

CPHS 24 BTW 14

First Downs: CPHS 15, BTW 10.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 8-14-63-0, BTW 11-21-132-2.
Rushing: CPHS 45-223, BTW 27-87.
Total Offense: CPHS 59-286, BTW 48-219.
Fumbles/Lost: CPHS 4/2, BTW 2/0.
Penalties: CPHS 8-95, BTW 6-51.
Punts-AVG: CPHS 4-37.8, BTW 4-31.

Scoring Summary

1Q (9:18) Puckett 42-yard Field Goal, CPHS 3-0.
1Q (1:40) Page 44-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 10-0.
2Q (10:43) Overstreet 33-yard Pass from Brooks, Carpenter Kick, CPHS 10-7.
3Q (7:01) McCoy 1-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 17-7.
4Q (7:49) Page 6-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 24-7.
4Q (5:20) Brooks 2-yard Run, Carpenter Kick, CPHS 24-14.

Senior Night

Sandite Dance celebrated four seniors: Aubri Castillo, Kylie Colbert, Briley O’Dell, and Emma Warwick.

Cheer celebrated four seniors: Camrie Chatham, Abbigail Elder, Gabrielle Grubb, and Lillie Keim.

Football celebrated three senior trainers (Abby Bryant, Ava Durham, and Kiara Williams) and 17 senior players: Jace Arnold, Kayden Campbell, Jonathan Cruz, Dallas Elifrits, Owen Floyd, Keagan Gilman, Gatlin Gunn, Mason Harris, Kenneth Page Jr., Easton Pritchard, Wyatt Rutledge, Marcum Sims, Marcus Sims, Greer Simmons, Tyler “Tank” Smith, Evan Williams, and Hunter Wilson.

Band celebrated 19 seniors: Logan Baugher, Macy Beard, Mykaela Cole, Ava Duncan, Carsten Englestead, Thomas Fahland, Emily Gregory, Isabelle Hester, Byron Jarrett, Dillon Jones, Kaylah Morgan, Devyn Pearson, Caitlin Shipman, Joshua Simpson, Ty Sims, Garrett Sorenson, Miriam Wilbanks, Tatum Wright, and Shelby Young.

Sandites Survive Wildcats 27-14 Behind Strong Secondary and Sturdy Backup QB

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Caleb Goodman hauled in 6 catches for 88 yards and a TD against Ponca City. (Photo by Charity Emigh).

After rallying from a 21-0 halftime deficit with two third-quarter touchdowns, momentum was on the side of the Ponca City Wildcats.

But Sand Springs had an answer. After rushing the ball for only 64 yards through the first three quarters, the Sandites finally put together a methodical 15-play, 95-yard march to chew up more than seven minutes of clock in the fourth quarter.

The three-pronged attack of Ali McCoy, Kenneth Page, and Jace Arnold combined for 63 yards on the ground, capped by a four-yard plunge from Page to restore the two-score lead with only 2:12 remaining.

Then it was time for the defense to do what it had been doing all night.

Wildcat star quarterback Tay Moore juked and jived his way as far as the Sand Springs 22-yard line before the magic ran out. Owen Floyd and Hudson Sheppard combined on one sack, then Waylon Jeffers wrapped up another.

Moore tried to dump a pass off on Brody Wicker, but Dallas Elifrits drilled the senior receiver to make it 4th and 13. Finally, under pressure from Sheppard and Marcum Sims with nowhere to go but Elifrits’s open arms, he chucked the ball out of bounds for the turnover on downs and the game was secure.

Final score 27-13 - the Sandites earned their fourth consecutive win against the Wildcats (0-3).

6A-II No. 5 Sand Springs (2-1) entered the game on uncertain footing after losing starting quarterback Easton Webb to a shoulder injury last week against Bixby, but senior backup Jace Arnold showed his moxie, going 9-of-10 for 153 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

“I felt pretty good,” said Arnold. “I wasn’t nervous coming in. I felt way more prepared this week. We got a good game plan - couldn’t have done it without the coaches’ game plan and everything worked out how we wanted it to work out.”

Arnold, an Allen County Community College baseball commit, ended the night 13-of-23 for 207 yards with another 17 yards on four carries.

“That’s a young man that played as a freshman, quit as a sophomore to concentrate on baseball, but decided he missed it too much and came back,” said head coach Bobby Klinck.

“And now he’s able to come out here and help us win a football game. That kid’s an outstanding young man - I’m so proud of that kid.”

Arnold’s first touchdown pass of the season came on a 40-yard wheel route by Page on the Sandites’ opening drive.

Early in the second quarter he connected on a 56-yard toss to Caleb Goodman to set up a 1-yard dive from McCoy. Then he added a 22-yard dime to Goodman to go up 21-0 with 1:05 in the half.

“I played (quarterback) fairly often when I was younger, so I know a lot of these guys on the starting lineup,” said Arnold. “We’ve had that (connection) for a while, so I feel pretty good getting out there again and throwing it around.”

His primary target was Goodman, who had six catches for 88 yards, followed by Page with four catches for 66 yards. Wyatt Rutledge had 41 yards on a single reception.

Page also had 76 rushing yards on 21 carries.

While the effectiveness of the offense with a new general was a pleasant surprise, it was the defense that often stole the show, coming away with eight tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions, and six pass deflections.

Moore ended the night 15-of-26 passing for only 151 yards after throwing for over 250 last year against the Sandites.

The Sandite secondary effectively shut down his passing game with three picks in the first half, including two from sophomore Alex Dudley, who was elected as a defensive captain by his team this year.

“I’m glad that the team can count on me,” said Dudley. “As a sophomore, it really means a lot.”

Dudley made his first interception at the Sandites’ 7-yard line to prevent a potential game-tying drive early in the second quarter. His second came in the endzone and he returned that as far as the 30-yard line before being tackled.

“Coach Klinck calls great plays and puts me in a great position to make plays,” said Dudley. “When it comes to me, I’m going to try and make a play, no matter what.”

Dudley wasn’t the only playmaker in the Sandite secondary. Landyn Barnes broke up a fourth-down pass attempt early in the second quarter and Gatlin Gunn picked off Moore to end the half.

“It’s easy to play with those guys,” said Dudley. “It’s like a brotherhood. It’s amazing. I think we just click so well it makes everything easy.”

“They stepped up today,” said Klinck. “They were playing with a bunch of confidence…they’ve been working their tails off and it’s starting to show.”

The dual-threat Moore punished the Sandites with his legs, however, carrying the ball 15 times for 143 yards.

On a fourth-and-three early in the second half he got loose for a 44-yard touchdown run, then connected on a 15-yard touchdown toss to Wicker with 3:18 in the third.

The Wildcat defense was highly effective in the third, with Teegan Hodgson getting an interception and Hudson Haas breaking up a fourth-down pass attempt.

Penalties also derailed the Sandites throughout the night. Sand Springs totaled 135 yards on 13 penalties, though Ponca didn’t fare much better with 10 penalties for 80 yards.

“We’ve got to do a much better job of not killing ourselves as a team,” said Klinck. “We’ve been making that a priority. We’ve just got to figure that out.”

“But with Coach (Scott) Harmon, it’s always going to be a difficult game, especially here. These guys aren’t going to quit. They’re well coached, they’ve got good football players. That quarterback’s outstanding.”

“I was proud of our kids for handling adversity. When it got down to 21-14, that was a big-time championship drive at the end of the game.”

Defensively the Sandites were led by Gunn and Sheppard with seven tackles apiece, followed by Jeffers, Christian Freitus, and Floyd with six each. Gunn, Jeffers, and Sheppard had two tackles for loss apiece and Barnes had a team-high three pass deflections.

Sand Springs will really be put to the test next week as it travels to No. 1 Muskogee (2-1) to open district action at Rougher Village.

Last year’s meeting was a wild one as the Roughers took a 27-0 first quarter lead. Sand Springs rallied to 27-26 before Muskogee pulled away to win 48-26.

Jamarian Ficklin passed for 235 yards and six touchdowns in that game while Ondraye Beasley ran for 103 yards and another score. Both of those two are back this year as juniors.

Whether or not Webb will return to lead the Sandites is uncertain as he continues to work through an AC joint sprain, but if Arnold is called back up, he’s ready.

“I’m feeling really comfortable,” said Arnold. “We had a good game this week.”

The defense is also ready to prove itself on an even bigger stage.

“We’re ready,” said Dudley. “We want that. Everyone’s doubting us, don’t think we’re going to win. I’m ready for it. We all are.”

Box Score

CPHS 27 Ponca 14
1Q: CPHS 7-0.
2Q: CPHS 14-0.
3Q: Ponca 14-0.
4Q: CPHS 7-0.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 13-23-207-1, Ponca 15-26-151-3.
Rushing: CPHS 35-129, Ponca 26-183.
Offense: CPHS 58-336, Ponca 52-334.
First Downs: CPHS 14, Ponca 13.
Fumbles-Lost: CPHS 1-0, Ponca 3-0.
Penalties: CPHS 13-135, Ponca 10-80.

Scoring Summary

1Q - Page 40-yard Reception from Arnold, Puckett Kick (7:59).
2Q - McCoy 1-yard Run, Puckett Kick (7:52).
2Q - Goodman 22-yard Reception from Arnold, Puckett Kick (1:05).
3Q - Moore 44-yard Run, Perez Kick (7:06).
3Q - Wicker 15-yard Reception from Moore, Perez Kick (3:18).
4Q - Page 4-yard Run, Kick Blocked (2:12).

Sandites Survive Sapulpa in Wild 64-54 Shootout, RB Duo Page/McCoy Excels

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Ali McCoy rushed for 154 yard and three touchdowns in the win over sapulpa. (Photo: Charity Emigh),

For only the second time in series history, Sapulpa hung half a hundred on Sand Springs. But unlike that 60-19 game in 2002, this time around it wasn’t enough.

It was only fitting that the 97th installment of Highway 97 Rivalry would be the wildest spectacle in the history of the series.

At 11:36 p.m., a shootout totaling 118 points and 894 yards finally came to a close. Sand Springs secured its fourth consecutive win against Sapulpa and its ninth in the past decade, 64-54 after trailing 40-28 by halftime.

It was a close three-way tie for the game’s MVP. Kenneth Page carried the ball 23 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Ali McCoy carried it 22 times for 154 yards and three touchdowns. And the 100-degree heat index sent Chieftain after Chieftain to the turf with cramps that derailed their would-be win.

“Our strategy obviously worked, not to tackle wide receivers and not tackle the quarterback to the point that they cramped so we could win the game,” quipped head coach Bobby Klinck, who improved to 4-0 against the Chieftains since arriving in Sand Springs.

“That is an unbelievable football team. Number seven (Colton Howard) is an unbelievable quarterback. Number one (Kylen Edwards) is an unbelievable receiver. Coach (Tim) Holt is an unbelievable coach. We’re lucky to come out on top.”

Howard lit up the first half to the tune of 215 yards passing and six total touchdowns before cramps repeatedly sent him to the ground in the second half. Even so, he ended the night 15-of-32 passing for 374 yards and seven TDs.

His top connection, Edwards, had seven catches for 167 yards and four scores.

Although the heat hampered the Chieftains, it was just as hot on the Sand Springs side of the field, but the Sandites’ second half ground-and-pound offense seemed unstoppable.

Kenneth Page (Left) and Ali McCoy (right) celebrate after the game. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

“We leaned on our offensive line and our two tailbacks, and they got it done,” said Klinck.

Last year, Page bore the brunt of the Sandites offense, rushing for 205 yards and five touchdowns to beat the Chieftains, but this year he didn’t have to go it alone.

After Page scored on a 12-yard run to cut the Sandite deficit to 46-43 early in the third, McCoy followed it up with a 13-yard bruising run on the next possession, bullying past three would-be tacklers to regain the lead for the first time since midway through the first quarter.

“He can go and then I can go,” said Page. “We can rest, go out there and pound them, rest, then pound them again. We just kept going back and forth.”

“When I’m gassed out and tired, I know Kenny can come in, press the defense, and I’m back fresh and can do the same thing for him,” said McCoy.

Sapulpa threatened to regain its lead, marching to the Sand Springs’ 36-yard line before a devastating miscommunication between Howard and his center resulted in the ball being unexpectedly snapped right to the quarterback’s face as he looked toward the sideline.

Keagan Gilman recovered it and five plays later McCoy got loose on a 45-yard run, scoring behind a big downfield block from Wyatt Rutledge to pad the lead.

A sack from Waylon Jeffers forced a quick three-and-out and this time it was Page’s turn to score on a one-yard plunge, giving the home team a 64-46 advantage.

Sapulpa put two more scores on the board - a 36-yard completion to Carter Calvert, followed by a two-point bullet to Jaylen Friday. But those would be the last points of the game.

Jordan Reider wrapped up an onside kick attempt and the Sandites were able to drain three minutes off the clock before the two teams traded turnovers on downs. For the final possession McCoy bullied his way to the Sapulpa 22 before the Sandites assumed victory formation.

While the Sandite offense was lethal in the second half, it barely saw the field in the first quarter.

Caleb Goodman had 143 yards receiving and two total touchdowns. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

Both teams forced punts on their opening drives, but Sapulpa never got theirs off. A bad snap was scooped up by Caleb Goodman deep in the backfield and returned 20 yards for a touchdown.

Sapulpa soon tied it on a 7-yard pass from Howard to Edwards and the Sandites’ corresponding drive ended on a bad pitch that was recovered by Sapulpa. Two plays later and Edwards cashed in on an 8-yard completion.

Then came Alex Dudley with an 84-yard kick return to tie it back up.

Sapulpa would still end up on top to end the first quarter, however, scoring on a 57-yard catch by Edwards as time expired.

Sand Springs’ next possession ended in a fumble recovery by Christian Sonich after a bad hike sailed over Easton Webb’s head, and Future Ledbetter made the Sandites pay with a five-yard reception on the next play.

Continuing the shootout was Goodman with a 90-yard reception on the very next play, and McCoy tied it on the next possession with a 7-yard run.

Two plays later and Edwards Mossed a Sandite defender for a 59-yard score. Howard gave the visitors their final points of the half on a 4-yard scramble with 28 seconds left, though the PATs for both touchdowns were blocked.

While the one-two punch of Page and McCoy was the talk of the second half, it was an opening-play 49-yard pick six by Hunter Wilson that first disrupted the Chieftain momentum.

Wilson sniffed the play out immediately and jumped the route, going untouched till he shrugged off a cramping Howard near the end zone and waltzed over the goal line.

“That was huge,” said Klinck. “That was big time…Coach (Shane) Ingram came up with a great scheme…we changed some things up and that helped us right there.”

American Heritage Bank presented two checks for $5,000 to the Sand Springs and Sapulpa Athletic Departments as the Title Sponsor of the Highway 97 Rivalry. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

Sapulpa had an answer two plays later on a 70-yard toss to David Richardson, but a two-point pass attempt was broken up by Kehlan Corbbrey.

Soon after came the debilitating hammering by Page and McCoy, and the rest is history.

“I love those running backs,” said Klinck. “They’re super competitive. They want the ball in their hands, but they understand they’re better together than just one.”

“Without the O-line, the job wouldn’t get done, so you’ve got to thank the O-line for what they’re doing,” said Page. “It feels amazing to beat them four years in a row and just keep that legacy going for the next generation.”

“It feels great,” said McCoy. “We all work hard together so it feels really deserving to have this victory.”

While the running backs did most of the scoring this week, Webb and Goodman gave a preview of what will likely be another dynamic duo over the course of the season, connecting for 143 yards, despite there only being two pass attempts in the entire second half.

Sandites Hoist the trophy high after winning their fourth consecutive highway 97 rivalry. (photo: Charity Emigh).

Special teams were a strong point for the Sandites, who averaged 30.5 yards per return. Dawson Puckett was perfect on PATs, going 8-for-8 on the night, while Jace Arnold added a two-point wildcat run early in the third quarter.

Defensively, the Sandites were led by Owen Floyd, Hudson Sheppard, Marcum Sims, Gilman, Corbbrey, Gatlin Gunn, and Dudley.

Sand Springs will get a bye week before taking on defending 6A-I State Champion Bixby (1-0), who steamrolled Owasso 42-16 in its season opener on Thursday.

Sapulpa will play its home opener next Friday against Tahlequah in the Tigers’ season opener.

Box Score

CPHS 64 Sapulpa 54
1Q: Sapulpa 21-14.
2Q: Sapulpa 19-14.
3Q: CPHS 22-6.
4Q: CPHS 14-8.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 6-12-149-1, Sapulpa 15-32-374-1.
Rushing: CPHS 49-304, Sapulpa 31-67.
Offense: CPHS 61-453, Sapulpa 63-441.
Fumbles-Lost: CPHS 3-2, Sapulpa 4-2.
Penalties: CPHS 12-103, Sapulpa 10-73.

Scoring Summary

1Q (7:24): Goodman 20-yard Fumble Recovery, Puckett Kick, 7-0.
1Q (3:38): Edwards 7-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 7-7.
1Q (3:05): Edwards 8-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 7-14.
1Q (2:52): Dudley 84-yard Kick Return, Puckett Kick, 14-14.
1Q (0:00): Edwards 57-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 14-21.
2Q (10:26): Ledbetter 5-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 14-28.
2Q (10:12): Goodman 90-yard Pass from Webb, Puckett Kick, 21-28.
2Q (7:39): McCoy 7-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 28-28.
2Q (6:51): Edwards 59-yard Pass from Howard, Kick Failed, 28-34.
2Q (0:28): Howard 4-yard Run, Kick Failed, 28-40.
3Q (11:46): Wilson 49-yard Interception, Puckett Kick, 35-40.
3Q (11:10): Richardson 70-yard Pass, Pass Failed, 35-46.
3Q (8:02): Page 12-yard Run, Arnold Run, 43-46.
3Q (2:01): McCoy 13-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 50-46.
4Q (10:57): McCoy 45-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 57-46.
4Q (6:44): Page 1-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 64-46.
4Q (5:17): Calvert 64-yard Pass from Howard, Friday Pass from Howard, 64-54.