CPHS Soccer: Season ends in 2-0 quarterfinal loss to nationally-ranked No. 2 Jenks

The Charles Page High School Boys Soccer Team (13-3) fell short in their quarterfinal playoff match at nationally-ranked No. 2 Jenks High School (17-0) Friday night by a final score of 2-0.

Jenks got on the board five minutes in when University of Tulsa-commit Will Edwards collected a loose ball and got a shot off that skipped past Sandite keeper Ethan Tippit and rolled just inside the far post.

Jenks dominated possession for the majority of the first half and started to piece things together with about eight minutes left in the half. A shot from Luke Jeffus nearly resulted in a goal as the Jenks goalie struggled to handle it, and a Kaiden Cox free kick was tipped just enough to send it off the crossbar.

The second half featured more of the same with Sand Springs dominating possession to start and earning a multitude of corner kicks, but they were unable to find pay dirt.

The Trojans put the game out of reach at the 10:39 mark when Tippit found himself off his line and was forced to bat a ball away outside the box, resulting in a yellow card. Backup goalkeeper Xander Quiroga was able to stop the shot from the impending free kick, but the ricochet fell to the feet of Edwards who laid it off to Eric Quiroz for the final goal.

Jenks went on to notch a 1-0 victory against Westmoore (11-7) in the semifinals and will play the defending State Champions from No. 12 Union (13-2) Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at the University of Tulsa. Both teams are in pursuit of their sixth State title, and the Trojans are looking for their first since 2006.

The Sandites wrapped up a historic season, starting the year on a ten-game win streak with an Edison Green and White Tournament title. They went 5-2 in district action to earn a home playoff game, and beat Enid 1-0 in the first round.

Sand Springs will graduate eleven seniors Saturday, including Santiago Martines, Tippit, Josh Pardue, Cox, Aaron McKnight, Dawson Quinton, Gustavo Saldana, Weslee Calhoun, Kaleb Brooks, Gustavo Franco, and Braden Hart. The Class of 2019 accounted for 18% of the team’s scoring power this season.

Saldana ended his varsity career with seven goals and four penalty kicks. Cox scored two goals and a PK. McKnight and Calhoun had two goals apiece while Quinton, Brooks, and Franco had one goal each.

Sophomore standout Fernando Saldana was the leading scorer on the team this season with fourteen goals and four PKs, including two hat tricks. Next up was Gustavo Saldana with five goals and two PKs, and Jack Bratcher with seven goals.

Season Scoring

Goals
14 Fernando Saldana
7 Bratcher
5 Gustavo Saldana
4 Jeffus
1 Munoz
1 Cox
1 Esparza
1 Franco
1 Quinton
1 Summerton
1 Brooks

PKs
4 Fernando Saldana
3 Fancher
2 Jeffus
2 Gustavo Saldana
1 Cox
1 Summerton

Total Scoring
18 Fernando Saldana
7 Bratcher
7 Gustavo Saldana
6 Jeffus
3 Fancher
2 Cox
2 Summerton
1 Munoz
1 Esparza
1 Franco
1 Quinton
1 Brooks

CPHS Soccer: Sandites edge Enid 1-0 in playoffs

The Charles Page High School boys’ soccer team (13-2) won their first-round playoff game against Enid (9-7) Wednesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The match was their third-straight win and fifth shut out of the season.

A rematch of a non-district 2-1 Sandite overtime win from mid-March, the game was chippy from the very beginning with the Plainsmen earning four yellow cards over the course of the night. Marcos Arambula and David Garcia received one yellow card apiece, and Miguel Garcia received his second in the 62nd minute, leaving his team one man short.

Gustavo Saldana split the uprights 27 minutes in and Fernando Saldana had a shot saved in the 30th. With eight minutes left in the half Angel Esparza took a corner kick and the Plainsmen were called for a handball in the box. Fernando Saldana sank the penalty kick for the only point of the night.

Luke Jeffus took a penalty kick with two minutes left in the half, but Angel Neri made the save. Kaleb Brooks got off a pair of shots in the final two minutes, sending one just over the top of the goal, and one into Neri’s arms.

Jack Bratcher made a pair of quick drives downfield early in the second half, but was beat to the kick by Neri the first time, and was fouled by David Garcia the second time. Gustavo Saldana took a direct free kick from the 18-yard line but split the uprights.

Sandite goalie Ethan Tippit had several impressive saves in the second half. Neri also stopped shots from Gustavo Saldana and Kaiden Cox.

In the final thirty seconds Ivan Delgadillo sent a shot a hair wide, Brayan Rodriguez sent a corner kick to Fernando Marrufo, and Marrufo’s header missed right as time expired.

The Sandites will return to action Friday at 8:00 p.m. when they travel to nationally-ranked No. 3 Jenks (15-0-1). The Trojans recorded their tenth shutout of the season and fifth-straight shutout with an overtime golden goal penalty kick, 1-0 against Norman (11-4).

Goals
14 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
5 Gustavo Saldana
4 Luke Jeffus
1 Miguel Munoz
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Cameron Summerton
1 Kaleb Brooks

PKs
4 Fernando Saldana
3 David Fancher
2 Luke Jeffus
2 Gustavo Saldana
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Cameron Summerton

Total Scoring
18 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
7 Gustavo Saldana
6 Luke Jeffus
3 David Fancher
2 Kaiden Cox
2 Cameron Summerton
1 Miguel Munoz
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Kaleb Brooks

CPHS Track: Aden Baughman wins Frontier Valley Conference Championship

The Charles Page High School boys’ track and field team took eighth place at the Frontier Valley Conference Championship Thursday at Union with one individual champion.

U.S. Air Force-signee Aden Baughman won his second conference title and seventh gold medal of the season with a 2:00.99 finish in the 800-meter run.

Mitchell Mefford placed second in discus with a distance of 143’02.5”, less than two feet behind the champion. Joel Mackey placed third in the 100-meter dash in 11.11 seconds and fourth in the 200 in 22.7. Titus Wright set a PR of 1:02.91 in the 400.

The boys' relay teams placed fifth in the 4x100, fifth in the 4x400, and sixth in the 4x800.

The Lady Sandites placed tenth, but avoided going scoreless thanks to Mackenzie Rader.

Rader had a great day all around. She placed fifth in the 100 hurdles in 17.52 and set personal records in two other events with a high jump of 4’10” and a long jump of 15’10.5”. Jazmin Lopez had a PR long jump of 12’05.25” and a PR 800 run in 2:58.53.

The top three teams were the same in both men and women’s competition. Broken Arrow won both titles, Union came in runner-up, and Jenks placed third in both. Booker T. Washington placed fourth in men’s and seventh in women’s during their first season in the FVC.

Sand Springs will return to action Saturday, May 4th at the OSSAA 6A Regional Championship at Ponca City High School against Broken Arrow, Enid, Midwest City, Ponca City, Putnam City West, Shawnee, and Stillwater. Events are set to begin at 9:30 a.m.

Sandite Results
4x100 Relay - 5th Place - 44.54
4x400 Relay - 5th Place - 3:32.26
4x800 Relay - 6th Place - 8:55.67
110 Hurdles
10th - Matt Wilkerson - 18.49
12th - Alex Newport - 19.35
13th - Knox Goggins - 20.43
300 Hurdles
14th - Alex Newport - 46.99
17th - Knox Goggins - 54.03
18th - David Rigsby - 58.90
100 Dash
3rd - Joel Mackey - 11.11
12th - Joseph Mattison - 11.92
19th - Morgan Lockhart - 12.17
200 Dash
4th - Joel Mackey - 22.70
20th - Morgan Lockhart - 25.43
24th - Daren Hawkins - 27.30
400 Dash
20th - Dalton Wilcox - 59.91
21st - Titus Wright - 1:02.91
800 Run
1st - Aden Baughman - 2:00.99
1600 Run
8th - Jacob Smith - 4:48.95
16th - Danny Murray - 4:59.99
Long Jump
20th - Knox Goggins - 14’08.50”
21st - Justin Guynn - 13’03.00”
Shot Put
15th - Mitchell Mefford - 40’05.00”
Discus Throw
2nd - Mitchell Mefford - 143’02.50”
7th - Riley Magee - 131’09.00”

Male Champions
4x100 Relay - Broken Arrow - 41.77
4x200 Relay - Union - 1:26.70
4x400 Relay - Broken Arrow - 3:24.13
4x800 Relay - Bartlesville - 8:13.03
110 Hurdles - Luis Abad - 15.41
300 Hurdles - Henry Falls - 40.07
100 Dash - AJ Green - 10.83
200 Dash - AJ Green - 21.90
400 Dash - Gentry Williams - 47.91
800 Run - Aden Baughman - 2:00.99
1600 Run - Hudson Mazzei - 4:38.92
3200 Run - Andres Chapa - 10:13.72
High Jump - Jack Jansen - 6’02.00”
Long Jump - Brennan Presley - 22’06.50”
Pole Vault - Brandon Hanoch - 15’03.00”
Shot Put - Hunter Wright - 52’06.00”
Discus Throw - Earnest Grayson - 145’01.00”

Male Team Scores
168.5 Broken Arrow
144.5 Union
95.0 Jenks
45.5 Booker T. Washington
44.5 Bartlesville
43.0 Bixby
42.5 Owasso
38.0 Sand Springs
21.0 Sapulpa
8.5 Muskogee

Lady Sandite Results
100 Hurdles
5th - Mackenzie Rader - 17.52
12th - Elizabeth Watts - 18.80
300 Hurdles
14th - Elizabeth Watts - 55.54
100 Dash
21st - Davina Green - 14.76
24th - Kristen Fields - 15.81
26th - Joselyn Schinnerer - 16.23
200 Dash
16th - Davina Green - 30.44
19th - Joselyn Shinnerer - 33.93
21st - Kaitlyn Converse - 34.97
400 Dash
15th - Wanageeska Williams - 1:12.16
800 Run
14th - Jazmin Lopez - 2:58.53
3200 Run
17th - Erika Baker - 14:30.00
High Jump
8th - Mackenzie Rader - 4’10.00”
Long Jump
10th - Mackenzie Rader - 15’10.50”
22nd - Jazmin Lopez - 12’05.25”
Discus Throw
13th - Ayden Meade - 83’00.00”

Female Champions
4x100 Relay - Broken Arrow - 49.14
4x200 Relay - Broken Arrow - 1:43.72
4x400 Relay - Broken Arrow - 4:03.89
4x800 Relay - Broken Arrow - 9:39.26
100 Hurdles - Danielle Shaw - 16.82
300 Hurdles - Brianna Hays - 47.13
100 Dash - Mikah Ferrying - 13.13
200 Dash - Danielle Shaw - 26.81
400 Dash - Kanisius Harding - 58.65
800 Run - Brianna Hays - 2:18.90
1600 Run - Avery Mazzei - 5:21.68
3200 Run - Avery Mazzei - 11:22.00
High Jump - Takyla Pitts - 5’00.00”
Long Jump - Takyla Pitts - 17’05.50”
Pole Vault - Sedona Emde - 10’09.00”
Shot Put - Dymon Murdock - 38’07.00”
Discus Throw - Bailey Tilley - 124’08.00”

Female Team Scores
180.3 Broken Arrow
145.0 Union
123.3 Jenks
84.3 Owasso
32.0 Bartlesville
31.0 Bixby
28.0 Booker T. Washington
21.0 Sapulpa
4.0 Muskogee
2.0 Sand Springs

OSSAA Soccer: Sandites finish as District Runners-Up, will host Enid in playoffs

Not only is the Charles Page High School boys’ soccer team headed to the playoffs for the first time in recent memory, they also get to host their first round game after finishing as the District 6A-4 Runners-Up.

The Sandites (12-2) concluded the regular season last week with a 4-2 road win against Capitol Hill, putting them at a 5-2 district record. Also 5-2 is Owasso, who the Sandites defeated 5-4 last Tuesday for the tie-breaker win. Securing the district crown was the defending State Champions from Union (10-2, 7-0).

Sand Springs will host Enid (9-6) Tuesday, April 30th, at 7:00 p.m. The quarterfinals will be held Friday, May 3rd on the home field of the winner of Jenks vs. Norman. Semifinals are set for Tuesday, May 7th. The Championship round will be played either May 10th or 11th.

Sand Springs is having a historic season, winning their first nine matches and the Edison Green and White Tournament. They are 6-2 against 6A opponents, have won their last two matches, own four shutouts, and win by an average score of 3-1.

Enid is 7-4 against 6A foes and is coming off a win with an average score of 2-1. Neither team qualified for last year’s playoffs.

The Sandites previously beat the Plainsmen 2-1 in a non-district overtime shootout. Gustavo Saldana made a regulation penalty kick to tie the match and send it to overtime. Then Kaiden Cox, David Fancher, Fernando Saldana, and Gustavo Saldana all made PKs to win the shootout 4-3. Ethan Tippit got the win in the net with three saves.

Fernando Saldana, a sophomore, has been the bread and butter for the Sandite offense this season with fourteen goals. No Sandite but Saldana has scored a hat trick, and Saldana has two. He also has two braces and a four-point performance against Shawnee.

Sand Springs isn’t a one-hit wonder, however. Twelve players have scored and eleven have goals. Senior Gustavo Saldana and sophomore Jack Bratcher both have braces and are tied for second on the team in total scoring.

CPHS Season Stats

Goals
14 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
5 Gustavo Saldana
4 Luke Jeffus
1 Miguez Munoz
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Cameron Summerton
1 Kaleb Brooks

PKs
3 Fernando Saldana
3 David Fancher
2 Luke Jeffus
2 Gustavo Saldana
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Cameron Summerton

Total Scoring
17 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
7 Gustavo Saldana
6 Luke Jeffus
3 David Fancher
2 Kaiden Cox
2 Cameron Summerton
1 Miguel Munoz
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Kaleb Brooks

First Round Pairings

Southmoore (7-7) at U.S. Grant (12-2).

• Grant went 6-1 for the District 1 title, with their only 6A loss coming 5-1 to Deer Creek. They win by an average score of 3-1, have recorded six shutouts and one mercy rule victory, and have won their last five matches. They are ranked 23rd in the nation by MaxPreps with wins over Putnam City, Westmoore, and Edmond North. Grant was eliminated in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

• Southmoore is 4-7 against 6A opponents and is riding a three-match losing streak. They win by an average score of 3-2, have five shutouts this season with one mercy rule win. Southmoore did not qualify for the post season last year.

Deer Creek (10-3-1) at Mustang (12-3).

• Mustang is ranked 23rd in the country by USA Today, and holds an 8-3 record against 6A opponents. They win by an average score of 4-1, have seven shutouts, one mercy-rule win, and are coming off a loss in the de facto district title game. They have wins over Southmoore and Putnam City.

• Deer Creek is 8-3-1 against 6A opponents with three shutouts, and is on a three-game win streak. They win by an average score of 3-2 and have victories over Southmoore, U.S. Grant, and Edmond North.

• The Broncos previously defeated Deer Creek 3-1 in the second game of the season. Last year Deer Creek upset Mustang 5-1 in the first round of the playoffs.

Bixby (8-7) at Union (10-2).

• Union went undefeated in District 4 and their only in-state loss was 2-1 to Jenks in the season opener. They win by an average score of 3-1, have six shutouts, and are on a four-match win streak. The defending State Champions are ranked 14th in the nation by MaxPreps and have wins over Broken Arrow, Norman North, Norman, Owasso, and Sand Springs.

• Bixby is 5-5 in 6A action, with an average score of 3-1. They’ve won five shutouts and are on a three-game win streak. Bixby did not qualify for last year’s playoffs.

Owasso (9-6) at Broken Arrow (9-3).

• Broken Arrow is 7-2 against 6A opponents with their only losses coming to Union and Jenks. They’ve won four shutouts, beat Enid and Bixby, and are on a five-match win streak with an average score of 3-1.

• Owasso is 6-5 against 6A foes and is coming off a win. They own five shutouts this season, winning by an average score of 3-1, and have victories against Bixby and Norman.

• Broken Arrow previously beat the Rams 2-0 in their third match of the season, and beat them 4-0 in last season’s first round playoff.

Norman (10-3-1) at Jenks (15-0-1).

• The Trojans are one of only two undefeated teams left in the state, ranked 3rd in the nation by USA Today and 9th by Max Preps. They have a division-best nine shutouts and two mercy-rule wins, an average score of 4-0, with wins over Union, Broken Arrow, Bixby, and Enid. They are the returning State Runners-Up.

• Norman is 9-3-1 against 6A opponents with six shutouts and wins over Southmoore, Norman North, Westmoore, and Sand Springs. They win by an average score of 3-1 are returning State qualifiers.

Enid (9-6) at Sand Springs (12-2).

Edmond North (9-5) at Norman North (10-5).

• Edmond North is 8-4 against 6A opponents and has several impressive showings in their resume. They have wins over Mustang and Westmoore and only lost by a single goal to both Grant and Deer Creek. They have five shutouts, are coming off a victory, and win by an average score of 3-2.

• Norman North is 9-3 against 6A foes, riding a three-match win streak with a 3-2 win over Mustang to clinch the District 2 title. They win by an average score of 3-2 and own four shutouts, with wins over Westmoore, Putnam, and Southmoore.

• Both teams are returning State Semifinalists, and Norman North beat the Huskies 3-2 in the third match of the season.

Putnam City (9-5) at Westmoore (9-6).

• Putnam is 7-4 against 6A opponents and coming off a win over Southmoore. They have six shutouts and one mercy-rule win, beating their foes by an average score of 3-1.

• Westmoore is 9-5 against 6A opponents and have won their past two matches. They have four shutouts, lead the division with four overtime wins, and have beaten Mustang, Southmoore, Deer Creek, and Owasso.

CPHS Baseball: Sandites split district games with Jenks, Banker remains undefeated on the mound

The Charles Page High School varsity baseball team (17-6, 6-2) split a district home-and-home this week against Jenks (17-10, 8-2). They defeated the Trojans 5-1 Monday on the road, but fell 11-3 Tuesday on their home turf.

The teams managed ten hits apiece on Monday. Both gave up a mess of walks and reaches-on-errors. Sand Springs stranded nine and the Trojans stranded eleven.

Cal Watkins scored the opening run on an RBI double from Cale Savage in the top of the first. Kiefer Massey stole home in the second, then Jenks stranded loaded bases in the third and fourth innings.

Malachi Burks and Brycen Peterman hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the sixth, scoring runs from Massey and Burks for a 4-0 lead before the home team averted the shutout. Jake Lamar reached on an error and scored on a single from Bryson Diener to get Jenks on the board, then Keaton Campbell scored the final run on a ground ball from Massey.

Undefeated senior Ben Banker (6-0, 7-0) got the win on the mound, throwing nine hits, three strikeouts, and three walks in five innings. John Miller (2-1, 7-2) pitched relief and recorded his first save of the year, throwing one hit and one walk in two innings.

Four Sandites saw pitching duty on Tuesday, and none managed to find their rhythm. The Trojans already lead 7-2 before recording their best inning in the seventh. They outhit the Sandites twelve to eight and benefited from four Sandite errors and seven walks.

Oklahoma State University-commit Bryce Osmond scored the first run of the game on a double from Geo Blackshaw in the top of the first. Osmond had an exception night for Jenks. He went four-for-four at the plate with three runs and three RBI. He also got the win on the mound, throwing five hits, two walks, and nine strikeouts.

Lamar scored on a sacrifice fly in the second inning, then Osmond hit an RBI single to bring in Eli Bilgrien. Osmond scored Jack Harding with a double in the fourth, then scored on a passed ball for a 5-1 lead. Bilgrien and Diener scored on an error in the fifth. Jenks loaded the bases and Bilgrien scored on another Osmond single in the seventh. Josh Cozzoni and Diener scored on a single from Blackshaw, then Osmond scored the final Trojan run on an error.

Savage scored on a fielder’s choice in the second inning, Seth Villines batted in Jacob Snodgrass with a single in the fifth, and Ryan Seabolt hit a double to score Massey in the seventh.

Sebastian Cassity (3-2) got the start and the loss on the mound, throwing three hits and three walks. Preston Berg (0-1) took over midway through the second, throwing four hits and a walk. Peterman (0-1) was sent to the mound in the fourth and threw one hit, two strikeouts, and a walk. Finally, Michael Miller pitched the final two innings and threw four hits, two strikeouts, and two walks.

The District Title is still wide open, with Jenks, Broken Arrow, and Sand Springs all holding two losses. The Sandites will host Union (10-15) Friday at 7:00 p.m. and will travel to Sapulpa (16-14) Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in a break from district action.

CPHS Season Stats

Batting Avg.
(Min. 20 AB)
.397 Burks
.395 Watkins
.344 Copeland
.339 Snodgrass
.333 Massey
.323 Savage
.323 Murray
.278 Sartin
.276 Villines
.212 Ash
.190 Peterman

Slugging Avg.
.500 Watkins
.475 Snodgrass
.466 Burks
.452 Murray
.391 Copeland
.387 Savage
.333 Massey
.310 Villines
.306 Sartin
.250 Ash
.214 Peterman

On-Base %
.520 Burks
.486 Massey
.469 Sartin
.453 Watkins
.444 Savage
.432 Copeland
.418 Snodgrass
.417 Murray
.400 Villines
.354 Ash
.286 Peterman

Hits
30 Watkins
23 Burks
22 Copeland
20 Snodgrass
20 Savage
11 Ash
10 Sartin
10 Murray
9 Massey
8 Villines
8 Peterman
5 Campbell
4 Seabolt
2 Berg
1 J. Miller
1 M. Miller
1 Blair

Singles
21 Watkins
19 Burks
19 Copeland
15 Snodgrass
14 Savage
9 Ash
9 Massey
7 Peterman
7 Murray
7 Villines
6 Sartin
5 Campbell
2 Seabolt
2 Berg
1 J. Miller
1 Blair

Doubles
9 Watkins
5 Savage
4 Sartin
4 Burks
3 Snodgrass
3 Copeland
2 Murray
2 Ash
2 Seabolt
1 Villines
1 M. Miller
1 Peterman

Triples
1 Murray
1 Snodgrass
1 Savage

Home Runs
1 Snodgrass

Sacrifices
5 Peterman
5 Murray
3 Burks
3 Savage
3 Copeland
2 Ash
1 Watkins
1 Snodgrass
1 Massey

Runs
22 Watkins
19 Murray
18 Burks
18 Savage
14 Ash
12 Snodgrass
10 Peterman
10 Campbell
10 Massey
8 Villines
7 Sartin
5 M. Miller
3 J. Miller
1 Seabolt

RBI
27 Watkins
14 Savage
14 Snodgrass
10 Peterman
8 Sartin
7 Ash
7 Burks
6 Copeland
6 Massey
5 Murray
5 Seabolt
4 Campbell
3 J. Miller
2 Villines
1 Blair
1 Cassity
1 B. Banker

Stolen Bases
18 Watkins
15 Burks
7 Snodgrass
7 Savage
5 Peterman
4 Murray
4 Ash
3 Sartin
3 Campbell
3 Massey
1 M. Miller
1 Seabolt
1 J. Miller
1 Villines

Double Plays
13 Savage
9 Watkins
8 Villines
3 Campbell
1 M. Miller
1 Sartin
1 Peterman

ERA
*Minimum 15 IP
1.20 B. Banker
1.54 Villines
1.95 J. Miller
3.79 Cassity
4.57 Skaggs

Win-Loss Record
6-0 B. Banker
3-0 Villines
3-2 Cassity
2-1 J. Miller
2-1 Skaggs
1-0 Watkins
0-1 Peterman
0-1 Berg

Saves
2 M. Miller
2 Watkins
1 Peterman
1 J. Miller

WHIP
1.37 Villines
1.38 Cassity
1.40 B. Banker
1.63 Skaggs
1.67 J. Miller

Strike %
65.3 Skaggs
63.4 Villines
63.4 B. Banker
61.8 Cassity
61.5 J. Miller

Strikeouts
30 B. Banker
22 J. Miller
21 Cassity
16 Villines
13 Skaggs
8 Peterman
4 Ash
4 M. Miller
3 Watkins
3 Berg
2 Massey
1 J. Banker

Average Team Box Score

CPHS
Batting: .316
Runs: 7
Hits: 8
Slugging: .382
BB: 4
HBP: 2
Strikeouts: 5
OBP: .428
Stolen Bases: 3
Errors: 1
ERA: 2.96
WHIP: 1.65
K: 62%

Opponents
Batting: .263
Runs: 3
Hits: 7
Slugging: .337
BB: 3
HBP: 1
Strikeouts: 6
OBP: .364
Stolen Bases: 0
Errors: 2
ERA: 4.90
WHIP: 2.07
K: 59%

CPHS Volleyball drops seven-straight matches against top-ten foes

The Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team (2-7) is riding a rough streak of seven-straight losses following a 2-0 start to the season. After opening the year with straight-set victories against Bartlesville (0-4) and 5A No. 13 Booker T. Washington (3-5), they suffered their first defeat 3-1 at No. 8 Union (5-4). They returned to Union for a tournament this past weekend and lost all five matches, then fell to No. 7 Jenks (7-7) on Tuesday.

Jenks 3 CPHS 0
(25-7, 25-22, 25-21)

Kills: Mutiri 12, Youngblood 5, Burris 2, Bradshaw 1, Madison Ward 1.
Assists: MaKenzie Ward 8, Burris 7, Bradshaw 1, Mutiri 1. 
Aces: Mutiri 1, Taylor 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 2.
Digs: Taylor 4, Madison Ward 3, Burris 1, Mutiri 1. 

The Lady Sandites won only two of seventeen sets in the tournament, but Head Coach Janna Green wasn't too disappointed with the results. "This last tournament was rough, but we got a lot better and played some very competitive teams even though we went 0-5."

"Very competitive" may have been an understatement. All five teams are ranked in the top-ten of their division, and three are ranked in the top five. Sand Springs, meanwhile, just cracked the rankings at No. 19 in Class 6A.

Despite a winning 24-14 record last season, the Lady Sandites are still considered underdogs in the eyes of traditional powerhouse programs. They lost Holly Kersgieter who decided to focus exclusively on basketball, for which she has received seven NCAA Division I offers. However, they still boast a senior-heavy squad of experienced players led by Ohio State University-commit Gloria Mutiri.

On Friday the girls fell 3-0 to 5A No. 3 Bishop Kelley (4-3) who were the State Runners-Up last season. The Lady Comets defeated Sand Springs 25-15, 25-12, and 25-20. Then Sand Springs took on No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (7-0) who made the State Semi-Finals last season. The Lady Wolves prevailed 25-17, 25-16, and 25-14. Finally, the closest round of the tournament was a rematch with Union. The Redskins won 3-0, but each set was highly contested at 25-21, 25-23, and 25-21. 

Saturday was another day of close losses to highly skilled competitors, and the Sandites notched set wins against each of their opponents. Against No. 4 Stillwater (8-3) they won the third set 28-26, but lost the other three 25-19, 25-13, and 28-26. Against 5A No. 7 Victory Christian they won the second set 25-18, but fell 25-22, 25-20, and 25-20 in the other games.

On Tuesday the girls took on another tough opponent in No. 7 Jenks (6-6), who was undefeated against Oklahoma teams. All of their losses came at the John Turner Invitational in Houston, Texas. Jenks was also coming off a State Semifinals appearance.

The Lady Sandites got off to a rough start, falling in a 4-0 hole before receiving a point off a Trojan error. All of the Sandites' early points came from Jenks's mistakes, and the home team worked up a 15-5 lead before Devree Youngblood scored the first Sandite kill of the game. Youngblood's two kills, both with assists from Madison Burris, were the only kills of the set for the Sandites, who lost game one 25-7.

The second game was a whole different story. Mutiri came alive with a kill, a block, and an ace en route to a 7-3 lead. Youngblood added a kill, Burris and Chelsea Neely combined for a block, and in just a few minutes the Sandites had outscored their entire first set. 

Sand Springs held on to the lead till 10-10 when Jenks went on a six-point run, but the visitors retaliated with a seven-point streak including five points from Mutiri and a kill from Kenzie Bradshaw. 

Things continued to stay all knotted up, but Jenks didn't take the lead again till 22-21 when Ally Stoner served an ace. Unfortunately for the Sandites, they would only score one more point on a campfire kill from Youngblood. Despite trailing for most of the set, Jenks rallied in the end for a 25-22 win. 

The third set was another close one with eight tied scores, though Sand Springs led for the majority. Jenks took the lead out of the gate, but MaKenzie Ward set up Mutiri and Madison Ward for back-to-back kills and an 11-9 advantage. The game tied a few times, but Jenks didn't lead again till 19-18 when they surged ahead in the final moments for a 25-21 win.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Friday at the Broken Arrow Tournament at Centennial Middle School. They will play on Court #2 against No. 5 Edmond Memorial (1-0) at 11:00 a.m., against No. 9 Edmond North (4-3) at 2:00 p.m., and against No. 11 Owasso (2-1) at 3:30 p.m. Bracketed matches will be played on Saturday beginning at 9:00 a.m. Other teams participating in the tournament include No. 3 Norman North (6-1), No. 10 Broken Arrow (2-2), No. 16 Southmoore (1-2), and Bartlesville.