CPHS Football: Sandites end season 47-12 at No. 2 Midwest City

The No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School football team (5-6) saw their season come to an end Friday night in Midwest City as the No. 2 Bombers (10-1) secured their first semifinal berth since before the Class 6A split. The home team dominated with a 47-12 win that was nearly a shutout.

MWC 47 CPHS 12

1Q MWC 13-0
2Q MWC 21-0
3Q CPHS 12-6
4Q MWC 7-0

Passing: MWC 14-22-228-0, CPHS 3-8-20-2.
Rushing: CPHS 39-151, MWC 39-148.
Plays-Offense: MWC 61-376, CPHS 47-171.
First Downs: MWC 14, CPHS 9.
Penalties: 9-90.
Fumbles-Lost: CPHS 4-0, MWC 3-1.
 

This was the third quarterfinal meeting in four years between the two teams. The Sandites topped their higher-seeded hosts the first two times, but this time their record of three-straight semifinal appearances came to a close at the hands of the powerful District One Champions. This was also their first losing record since 2011, though it was a break-even regular season. The Sandites are currently on a school-record six-season streak of making the playoffs.

Things started out ugly for the Sandites who committed two false starts before ever running a play. Payton Scott had a nice fifteen yard run, but it wasn’t enough for a first down after the penalties and they punted away the opening possession. The Bombers scored on their first two possessions with a fourteen-yard pass from Preston Colbert to Dajon Sealey and a 42 yard run by Omari Johns. Elliot Janish’s first point-after kick was good, the second was blocked, and the home team held a 13-0 lead after the first quarter.

On the first drive of the second quarter the Bombers scored on a 25-yard pass from Colbert to Juwan Walker. The Sandites were held to a three-and-out, and the Bombers scored on the first play of the corresponding drive with a 44-yard endzone pass to Walker for the 27-0 advantage. Walker hauled in a twelve-yarder on the next drive to make it 34-0.

The Sandites finally got close to the red zone late in the first half thanks to a 31-yard kick return by Scott and an eleven-yard pass from Caden Pennington to Daren Hawkins, but Tramon Jackson beat out a Sandite receiver for an endzone interception on the next play. The Bombers ran the clock and took a knee for the first-half shutout.

The Sandites got their first defensive stand on the opening possession of the second half, forcing a punt from their 36. The offense picked up a pair of first downs from Scott, but a sack, forced fumble, and recovery from Elijah Manuel led to a one-yard touchdown run by Astin Anderson just five plays later. The visitors got a slight moral victory with a blocked point-after kick by Joel Mackey, but the Bombers were still up 40-0 with more than a quarter to play.

The Sandites finally hit paydirt on their next play with a fifty-yard march by Scott, capped by a two-yard run. The two point play fell apart, but at last the visitors were on the board.

Then came the defensive heroics. Senior lineman Gage Fain forced fumbles on back-to-back plays. The Bombers recovered the first and were drilled for a loss of twenty by Jerry Lyons. Kris Edwards recovered the second and two plays later Scott punched in a 26-yard run. The two-point pass play was unsuccessful, but the Sandites were finally threatening.

That would be the end of their good fortune, however. Their next possession was held to a single play as Jackson picked off his second interception of the night and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. Janish's kick was the final point of the game. The Sandites fumbled their next possession, the teams exchanged punts, and Midwest City marched to the Sandite redzone before letting the clock run out. 

Scott ended the night with 174 yards on 27 carries, bringing his season total to a school-record 341 carries for 2,482 yards and 33 touchdowns. In his career he is 844-5412 rushing with 63 scores, plus 31 receptions for 449 yards and three touchdowns. He also recorded his first pass on a short shovel to Ben Nortey for eight yards. 

Midwest City will advance to the semifinals and will take on the three-time defending State Champions from No. 5 Bixby (7-4) who trounced No. 4 Stillwater (8-3) 41-14. No. 1 Booker T. Washington (10-1) defeated No. 6 Putnam City (7-4) 56-21 and will take on No. 3 Lawton (9-2) who defeated No. 7 Muskogee (5-5) 57-36.