Two Sandites headed to NCAA Softball Super Regionals, and other alumni updates

The No. 13 ranked Oklahoma State University Cowgirl Softball team (42-14) won its first Regional Championship since 2011 Saturday afternoon, squeezing out a 2-1 come-from-behind Finals win over No. 25 Tulsa (37-20). The Pokes also won 3-1 against the West Coast Conference Champions from BYU (30-26) and beat Tulsa 13-10 in their first meeting of the tournament.

The Cowgirl roster includes two former Sand Springs standouts in sophomore Sydney Pennington and senior Mallory Goodman.

Pennington played third base throughout the three-game tournament, recording two put outs and eight assists. At the plate she was 2-of-10 with 2 runs and 1 RBI, hitting a solo homer in the top of the second inning in the first game against Tulsa. 

Pennington is .250 on the season with 30 runs, 42 hits, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 10 homers, 33 RBI, a .482 slugging average, .314 on-base-percentage, and a .948 fielding average. In her career she’s .277 with 57 runs, 102 hits, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 17 homers, and 76 RBI.

Goodman hasn’t seen any action this season, but she’s .241 in her career with 17 runs, 28 hits, 5 doubles, 3 homers, a .362 slugging average, and .343 on-base-percentage.

The Pokes will return to action Thursday and Friday against the defending National Champions from No. 4 Florida State (54-8) at the Tallahassee Super Regional. Game times are 6:00 p.m. CT Thursday, 2:00 p.m. CT Friday, and 11:00 a.m. CT Saturday (if necessary). Thursday and Saturday’s games will be on ESPN and Friday’s game will be on ESPN2.

Other softball news…

Central Christian College senior Breanna Bill batted .271 this season with a .388 slugging average, 23 runs, 35 hits, 4 doubles, 4 triples, 1 home run, 11 RBI, and 8 sacrifices. The Tigers went 16-38 overall and 8-28 in the SAC.

1983 grad Randall King led the Broken Arrow High School Slow Pitch Softball team to a 23-9 record, Class 6A No. 5 ranking, and State Tournament appearance.

2011 grad Joely Rogers finished her first season as Pitching Coach at Coffeyville Community College, helping the Ravens to a 7-34 record.

Sophomore Jessica Collins batted .284 with a .327 on-base percentage, .561 slugging average, 32 runs, 42 hits, 5 doubles, 12 home runs, and 33 RBI at Connors State College as the Cowgirls went 16-31 overall and 11-22 in conference. She went 1-5 on the mound, throwing 5 strikeouts in 34 innings with a 9.34 ERA and .948 fielding percentage.

Northeastern State University went 28-27 overall and 14-12 in conference. Junior Jessica Schuler batted .297 with 29 runs, 47 hits, 33 RBI, 14 doubles, 5 homers, a .481 slugging average, .386 on-base percentage, and a .991 fielding percentage.

Junior Kennedy “Goose” Salyers finished the season .234 at the plate with 5 runs, 11 hits, 1 double, 1 RBI, a .255 slugging average, and a .250 on-base percentage at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. The Savage Storm went 29-28 overall and 25-19 in conference.

Baseball

Rhett Rutledge is playing NCAA Division I baseball at Florida International University in his junior year, following a two-year stent at Northern Oklahoma College. He currently owns a .250 batting average and .300 slugging average on the season with five hits, seven runs, and one RBI, with a .905 fielding percentage. The Panthers are 22-29 overall and will return to action Thursday with a three-day three-game home series against Louisiana Tech.

Sophomores Mack Thompson and Treyce Tolbert saw action on a 24-22 Rose State College baseball team, the school’s best record since 2013. Thompson ended the season with a .879 fielding percentage, .337 batting average, .413 on-base percentage, and .402 slugging average, recording 31 hits, 6 doubles, 20 runs, and 16 RBI. Tolbert finished with a .909 fielding percentage, .297 batting average, .360 on-base percentage, and .436 slugging average, with 30 hits, 12 doubles, 1 triple, 17 runs, and 19 RBI.

Berryhill grad and native Sandite Jacob Bailey is seeing reduced duty with the Seminole State baseball team. He is 1-0 on the mound in 3.2 innings pitched with a 0.0 ERA and 6 strikeouts. Last season he was 6-1 for a 4.14 ERA. Seminole went 39-14 this season.

University of Oklahoma sophomore Jake Terry has pitched two innings this season and thrown one strikeout. His career ERA stands at 7.53. The Sooners are 31-20 overall and 9-12 in Big 12 action. They will play a three-game Red River Rivalry series this week to conclude the regular season.

CPHS Class of 1981 grad Mike Moore is Head Baseball Coach at Jay High School, and recently wrapped up the season with an 18-14 record.

Basketball

University of Central Oklahoma freshman Colt Savage scored 84 points with 25 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals for the Men’s Basketball team this past season, helping the Broncos to an 11-17 record. He shot 55.6% on field goals, 50% on three-pointers, and 90% on free throws.

Football

Sophomore Jacob Taber and the Fort Hays State University football team earned their second-straight MIAA Conference Title with a 9-3 overall record and 6-0 undefeated performance on their home turf. Taber played in all twelve games, recording 4 total tackles.

Jerry Lyons didn’t see any action his freshman year at Southwestern College football, but the Moundbuilders finished the season 6-5 overall and 5-5 in conference.

Payton Scott took a redshirt his freshman year at the University of Central Oklahoma, but the football team went 8-4 overall, 7-4 in conference, and won the Heart of Texas Bowl.

Golf

University of Denver golfer Carson Griggs cracked the starting lineup this season as a true freshman and helped his team to a Summit League Conference Championship with a sixth place finish out of 44 golfers. The Pioneers concluded their season Wednesday with a 12th place finish at the NCAA Stanford Regional.

Griggs placed 54th out of 96 at the Ram Masters Invitational, helping his team to a 4th place finish. He was first on his team and 13th out of 100 at the William H. Tucker Invitational. He was second on his team and 31st of 84 at the Bayou City Collegiate Tournament. He placed 30th of 90 at the Ping Cougar Classic, 67th of 75 at Regionals, 68th of 72 at the Paintbrush Invitational, 84th of 112 at the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational, and 101st of 120 at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate Classic. 

Rowing

University of Oklahoma senior Hannah Hammond was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rowing Team.

Soccer

1991 grad Roger Bush led the Oral Roberts University Women to an 8-12 record. Junior Brooklyn Eardley played eight games and recorded one assist.

1999 grad Ryan Bush led the Oral Roberts University Men to a 6-7-3 record.

2012 grad Tyler McIntosh led the Midwest City Boys to a 2-12 record.

2010 grad Aaron McIntosh led the Mingo Valley Boys to a Heartland Christian Athletic Association Conference Championship in his first year as Head Coach.

Junior Kayla Foster played seven games this past season at Missouri University of Science and Technology, scoring one goal and one assist. The Miners went 4-11-1 overall and 3-9-1 in conference.

Megan Deshazo (sophomore) and Emma Peak (freshman) helped the Northern Oklahoma College (Tonkawa) team to an 8-7-1 overall record and 7-5-1 conference performance this season. Deshazo was named Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year and made the NJCAA All-Region team, leading the team in total scoring with eight goals and three assists. Deshazo is signed to play for Southwestern Christian University next season. Peak scored one goal and two assists.

Oklahoma City University freshman Abigail Banks only got to play one game this season, due to sharing the lineup with an All-Conference goalie. The Stars went 11-3-2 overall and 6-1-1 for second in conference.

Redlands Community College and sophomore Brooklyn Turner went 9-6-2 this season. Turner saw action in twelve games.

Tennis

Assistant Coach Peter McCorkle (C/o 2005) helped the Oral Roberts men’s team to a 6-12

Track and Field

Colby Community College freshman Ian Baustert finished 27th in the 800 meter run at the NJCAA Region VI Track Championships with a time of 2:09.10 last week. Earlier this season he set 4:28.77 PR in the 1500.

Grand Canyon University sophomore Cheyenne Walden finished the season 6th in the 3K Steeplechase in 11:12.13 and 23rd in the 5K run in 18:47.24 at the Western Athletic Conference Championships. Over the course of the season she set PRs of 4:45.56 in the 1500 run, 5:22.13 in the one-mile, 10:17.49 in the 3k, 17:10.40 in the 5K, and 10:54.11 in the 3K Steeple. She also won the NAU Friday Night Duals one-mile run in the season-opener, placed second in the 3K Steeple at the Aztec Invitational, and broke the school’s 5K record.

Volleyball

Kansas State sophomore Gloria Mutiri had a remarkable season this past fall, earning a multitude of accolades. She was twice named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week, made the All-Big 12 Rookie Team, and was a second team All-Big 12 selection. The American Volleyball Coaches Association selected her for the All-Midwest Region First Team, named her Midwest Freshman of the Year, and gave her an All-American Honorable Mention.

Mutiri finished the season with 271 kills, 3 assists, 15 aces, 192 digs, and 67 blocks in 98 sets. The Wildcats went 15-12 overall and 5-11 in Big 12 action. They will be taking a nine-day trip to Brazil later this month to play a series of exhibition matches in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

Labette freshman Kylie Taylor recorded 2 assists, 2 aces, and 44 digs in 34 sets, helping the Cardinals to an 8-22 record.

Wrestling

Oklahoma State redshirt freshman Daton Fix won the first 26 matches of his career and went 35-2 overall this season, picking up titles at the Oklahoma City Open, the Reno Tournament of Champions, the Southern Scuffle, and the Big 12 Conference Tournament. His only losses came to All-Americans and he placed second at the NCAA Tournament.

UCO redshirt junior Cody Karstetter went 1-0 in his debut season with the Bronchos, winning an 8-3 decision in a dual with Fort Hays State.

CPHS Track and Field: Sandites crown 2 Regional Champions, qualify 8 for State

The Charles Page High School boys’ track and field team took third place at the 6A Regional meet in Ponca City Saturday, crowning two Champions with eleven top-six finishes. Eight total Sandites punched their tickets to the State Championship this coming weekend in Moore.

Oral Roberts University-signed senior Mitchell Mefford won the Discus Throw with a personal-record 159 feet and one inch. He also had a PR in Shot Put at 41’10.50 for seventh place. The State Discus competition will be held Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

Air Force Academy-signee Aden Baughman won the 800-meter run for the third-straight year in 1:58.63 and was runner-up in the 400 with a PR time of 50.13 seconds. He settled for fifth in the 800 at last year’s State meet after winning gold the prior season. This is his first time qualifying in the 400. The 400 prelims will be Friday at 2:15 with the finals held Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The 800 race will be Saturday at 12:20 p.m.

Baughman also qualified in the 4x400 relay alongside Jaelyn Jackson, Joseph Mattison, and Nelson Yazzie. They placed second in 3:31.54, the school’s best time since at least 2004. The 1600 relay will be the final event at State, Saturday at 3:10 p.m.

Baughman, Jackson, Yazzie, and Savannah College of Art and Design-signee Jake Smith qualified in the 4x800 relay with a third place finish in 8:18.51, their best time of the season. Last year they placed sixth at State after winning Regionals. The 3200 relay will be held Friday at 12:40 p.m.

Joel Mackey came in Runner-Up twice in the 100-meter dash. He finished the prelims in 11.11 seconds and the finals in a season-best 10.82. He also placed third in the 200-meter finals with a season-best 21.90. Last season he placed ninth at State in the 100 and tenth in the 200. He will run the 100 prelims Friday at 1:55 p.m. and the 200 at 3:25 p.m. The 100 finals will be Saturday at 1:00 p.m., followed by the 200 at 2:20 p.m.

Mackenzie Rader placed seventh in the 100-meter hurdle prelims, then improved to fourth in the finals with a career-best time of 17.07 seconds to qualify for the State meet. The State prelims will be held Friday at 1:35 p.m., with the finals Saturday at 12:40 p.m.

Davina Green ran a PR 29.72 in the 200, Chezney Kelley ran a PR 6:37.26 in the 1600, and Rader tied her PR High Jump at 4’10.00” for fifth place. Elizabeth Watts had her best performance in a year in the 100 hurdles, finishing sixth in the prelims in 17.91.

Alex Newport ran a PR 45.88 in the 300 hurdles, Morgan Lockhart ran a PR 24.34 in the 200 dash, and Noah Hanlon ran a PR 11:38.07 in the 3200. All three 1600 runners set PRs. Smith finished in 4:39.94, Danny Murray finished in 4:52.23, and Caleb James finished in 5:19.86. Sam Keiper set a PR distance of 98’06.50” in discus and 29’01.50” in Shot Put.

The boys voided the High Jump, Pole Vault, and 4x200 relay, and placed fifth in the 4x100. The Lady Sandites voided the 800 run, Pole Vault, 4x100, and 4x200. They placed fifth in the 4x400 and sixth in the 4x800 with their fastest time of the year, and placed eighth out of eight teams overall at Regionals.

Sandite Results
4x100 - 5th - 44.72
4x400 - 2nd - 3:31.54
4x800 - 3rd - 8:18.51
110 Hurdles - Prelims
5th - Matt Wilkerson - 18.08
10th - Alex Newport - 19.43
110 Hurdles - Finals
7th - Matt Wilkerson - 18.00
100 Dash - Prelims
300 Hurdles
10th - Alex Newport - 45.88
11th - Matt Wilkerson - 48.79
2nd - Joel Mackey - 11.11
16th - Morgan Lockhart - 12.05
100 Dash - Finals
2nd - Joel Mackey - 10.82
200 Dash - Prelims
4th - Joel Mackey - 22.24
16th - Morgan Lockhart - 24.34
20th - Dalton Wilcox - 26.62
200 Dash - Finals
3rd - Joel Mackey - 21.90
400 Dash
2nd - Aden Baughman - 50.13
7th - Jaelyn Jackson - 52.60
11th - Joseph Mattison - 53.74
800 Run
1st - Aden Baughman - 1:58.63
13th - Alejandro Lopez - 2:13.50
15th - Sam English - 2:16.38
1600 Run
6th - Jacob Smith - 4:39.94
9th - Danny Murray - 4:52.23
15th - Caleb James - 5:19.86
3200 Run
12th - Caleb James - 11:31.46
14th - Noah Hanlon - 11:38.07
Long Jump
10th - Alejandro Lopez - 17’11.00”
Shot Put
7th - Mitchell Mefford - 41’10.50”
11th - Riley Magee - 37’09.00”
16th - Sam Keiper - 29’01.50”
Discus Throw
1st - Mitchell Mefford - 159’01.00”
8th - Riley Magee - 119’05.50”
12th - Sam Keiper - 98’06.50”

Boys Team Scores
225 Broken Arrow
97 Midwest City
75 Sand Springs
67 Shawnee
60 Stillwater
55 Ponca City
43 Enid
26 Putnam City West

Boys Champions
4x100 - Broken Arrow - 41.45
4x200 - Broken Arrow - 1:26.19
4x400 - Broken Arrow - 3:23.34
4x800 - Shawnee - 8:13.29
110H - Luis Abad - 15.10
300H - Luis Abad - 40.84
100M - Kevin Jackson - 10.71
200M - Kalope Morris - 21.80
400M - Logan Matthews - 49.75
800M - Aden Baughman - 1:58.63
1600M - Andres Chapa - 4:30.71
3200M - Kyler Clark - 9:55.38
High Jump - Wyatt Thiel - 6’00.00”
Pole Vault - Brandon Hanoch - 15’00.00”
Long Jump - Tramon Jackson - 21’09.00”
Shot Put - Elijah Manuel - 52’06.00”
Discus Throw - Mitchell Mefford - 159’01.00”

Lady Sandite Results
4x400 - 5th - 5:01.34
4x800 - 6th - 11:48.70
100 Hurdles - Prelims
6th - Elizabeth Watts - 17.91
7th - Mackenzie Rader - 17.99
100 Hurdles - Finals
4th - Mackenzie Rader - 17.07
7th - Elizabeth Watts - 18.00
300 Hurdles
10th - Elizabeth Watts - 54.52
100 Dash - Prelims
12th - Davina Green - 14.58
14th - Kristen Fields - 16.21
200 Dash - Prelims
14th - Davina Green - 29.72
19th - Kristen Fields - 34.07
400 Dash
13th - Victoria Baker - 1:16.78
15th - Erika Baker - 1:20.07
1600 Run
15th - Sara Abbet - 6:31.38
18th - Chezney Kelley - 6:37.26
3200 Run
10th - Erika Baker - 13:53.96
High Jump
5th - Mackenzie Rader - 4’10.00”
Long Jump
10th - Mackenzie Rader - 14’08.25”
13th - Jazmin Lopez - 11’03.75”
Shot Put
10th - Ayden Meade - 24’00.25”
Discus Throw
7th - Ayden Meade - 82’08.00”

Girls Team Scores
224 Broken Arrow
127 Midwest City
82 Putnam City West
78 Stillwater
53 Enid
41 Shawnee
26 Ponca City
12 Sand Springs

Girls Champions
4x100 - Broken Arrow - 48.47
4x200 - Midwest City - 1:40.92
4x400 - Broken Arrow - 3:59.17
4x800 - Broken Arrow - 10:16.57
100H - Trinity Wisby - 15.53
300H - Brianna Hays - 45.47
100M - Deniyah Smith - 12.47
200M - Deniyah Smith - 25.05
400M - Kanisius Harding - 58.13
800M - Brianna Hays - 2:17.61
1600M - Payton Hinkle - 5:36.07
3200M - Payton Hinkle - 12:04.67
High Jump - Miranda Givens - 5’04.00”
Pole Vault - Shelbi Day - 10’06.00”
Long Jump - India Morgan - 18’08.75”
Shot Put - Elainea Manuel - 36’05.50”
Discus Throw - Kelsi Seiger - 113’00.00”

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

Week 11 6A-II Rankings and Playoff predictions; a look at this weekend's games

Photo: Scott Emigh.

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

The regular season has come to a close with few surprises. All four of Sandite Pride's pre-season top four picks from District Two have made the playoffs. We only picked two of four post-season qualifiers from District One accurately, but with the circular losses in that district, it's not surprising. Here's our season review for those who have finished play for the year, and our picks for the post-season.

No. 4 Midwest City Bombers (Last week No. 5) vs No. 3 Sand Springs Sandites (2)

While the Sandites (6-4, 4-2) gave up a hard loss to the Spartans, the Bombers (7-3, 6-1) gave up a surprisingly close battle with Stillwater to close the regular season with the District Two Championship. 

This game will likely be a major defensive battle as Midwest City holds the best defense in the State when it comes to points allowed, by a significant margin. They allow only 3.413 yards per play, 2.165 yards per run, and 5.278 yards per pass. Sand Springs is sixth on yards per carry, and managed a surprising 4.71 yards per carry against Bixby, who normally only allows 3.94. They also ran for 3.914 against Muskogee who normally allows only 3.023. Sand Springs is eighth in passing yards per play, so if they're to overcome the two-pronged Bomber defense, they'll definitely need to get creative.

The Bombers will have an equally difficult time against Sand Springs, as they have relied almost entirely on their defense this season. Midwest City is eleventh in offensive scoring and only eighth in yards-per-play. Sand Springs is tenth in points allowed, but third in defensive points scored and wins the turnover battle more often than not. While they give up more yards-per-play than a lot of teams, they're 71% on third-down stops this season. 

The winner of this game will take on the winner of Bixby vs Putnam West.

The pick: CPHS 24, MWC 23.

No. 2 Bixby Spartans (3) vs No. 7 Putnam City West Patriots (8)

The Spartans (7-3, 5-1) upended the Sandites (6-4, 4-2) Friday night 35-19 at Spartan Stadium to secure a home playoff game and will host the Putnam West Patriots (7-3, 5-2). 

The Sandite defense performed well, holding the Spartans to their closest win of the season, giving up only five scores on twelve possessions, forcing two turnovers on downs, and three punts, as well as recovering a fumble and an interception. 

Bixby was one step better, however, giving up only three scores on twelve possessions, forcing two turnovers on downs with four punts, a fumble, and an interception. The Spartans split time between land and air as Tanner Griffin passed 24 of 33 for 254 yards and an interception. All four offensive touchdowns came at the hands of Tucker Pawley who carried 36 times for 248 yards and four scores, while Clayton Barbour added a fifth touchdown on a 95-yard kick return. 

Putnam City West pulled off an impressive 40-37 double-overtime win against Choctaw Friday, sabotaging the Yellowjackets' last ditch effort for a playoff berth. The Patriots ran 38 times for 204 yards and attempted 20 passes for 202 yards. 

The Spartans boast the number-one scoring offense in the division, while the Patriots own the number three defense in points-allowed. Bixby also holds the number-one scoring defense and the number-six defense in points-allowed. Putnam West has relied heavily on its defense this season and is only sixth in offensive scoring.

The pick: Bixby 44, PCW 22.

No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (1) vs No. 8 Stillwater Pioneers (9)

The Roughers (8-1, 5-1) finished the season with the best record in the division and the District Two Championship, thanks to the Spartan's defeat of Sand Springs. They sealed the deal with a powerful 48-0 shutout of Ponca City. 

Stillwater (5-5, 3-4) closed out the regular season with a loss and made the playoffs on head-to-head with Choctaw (5-5, 3-4). The Pioneers fell 26-17 to Midwest City in what was actually an impressive battle in spite of the loss. The Pioneers have been hit-or-miss this season majorly due to the health of starting QB Jace Brownlee. Brownlee has been recovering from a pre-season shoulder surgery, and his once stellar arm has seen little use. In spite of that loss, the Pioneers have ran miles on the turf and won games without even attempting a single pass. 

Muskogee's number-two scoring offense and number-one offense in yards-per-play will take on Stillwater's number-four defense in points allowed. The Pioneers have made it on their defense this season, holding only the number-nine offense in the State, and will have their work cut out for them against Muskogee. The Roughers are number two in the division in points-allowed as well as defensive scoring. 

The winner of this match will face the winner of Lawton vs Booker T.

The pick: Muskogee 45, Stillwater 14.

No. 6 Lawton Wolverines (6) vs No. 5 Booker T. Washington Hornets (4)

Lawton (6-4, 5-2) settled for second in their district this year, but ended the regular season with a powerful 49-0 victory over Deer Creek. The Hornets (6-4, 4-2) barely scraped together a 57-39 win over Bartlesville that wasn't decided till the final few possessions. 

Lawton QB Zach Hanna was nearly perfect against Deer Creek, completing 12 of 14 passes for 226 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. The run game was also alive and well where the Wolverines rushed 35 times for 201 yards and a pair of scores. 

Booker T. has been scrambling to figure out a success formula that doesn't include injured QB Phillip Wheatley. They were flying through their opponents before losing Wheatley and since then have barely gotten by. They should have lost 12-10 to Sand Springs but got a miraculous fumble recovery on a bad-hike at the Sandite two-yard line late in the fourth quarter to avert the loss. They suffered their first shutout in years 28-0 at the hands of Bixby, then closed the season with Bartlesville 

Booker T.'s defense is fifth in points allowed, fourth in yards-per-play, and tied for fourth in scoring. Lawton's offense is fourth in points scored, and third in yards-per-play, so if Booker T. wants to find a win, they're going to need to come up with something new on offense. Overall the Hornets are only seventh in offensive scoring and twelfth in yards-per-play, and that's including when they still had Wheatley. Without him, they'll have their work cut out for them against Lawton's defense which is eighth in points allowed and sixth in yards-per-play allowed. 

The pick: Lawton 36, BTW 24.

No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (7)

The Yellowjackets finished a hit-or-miss season with a 5-5, 3-4 record and just barely missed the playoffs. High points included a 45-41 upset over Sand Springs, a 14-7 upset over Midwest City, and most impressively, a 52-26 upset over Lawton. Choctaw holds the number three offense in the State in scoring, and is fifth in yards-per-play. They struggled defensively, however, and finished ninth in points-allowed with almost every game being a shootout.

No. 10 Putnam City Pirates (10)

Putnam was just one win short of a winning season, finishing 4-6, 2-5. High points included a 16-7 win over in-town rival Putnam North and a 52-6 blowout of El Reno. They also upset Choctaw 36-32 and finished the season on a strong note with a 42-21 victory over Enid. They finished twelfth in offensive scoring and ninth in total offense and were fifth in the air. Their defense was solid at seventh in points allowed and fifth in yards-per-play.

No. 11 Enid Plainsmen (11)

Enid managed only three wins, but two were quite impressive, upsetting Choctaw 43-39 and dominating Deer Creek 45-17. They finished the season 3-7, 2-5 with a 42-21 loss to Putnam. They finished with the number ten offense and number twelve defense.

No. 12 Bartlesville Bruins (13)

The Bruins struggled off and on throughout the year, but finished strong despite three-straight losses. They gave it their all against Sand Springs and Booker T. and legitimately challenged both. They finished 3-6, 2-4 with wins of 42-20 over Ponca City and 51-28 over Sapulpa. They held the number eight offense in points scored, but were actually fourth in yards-per-play with the number two passing record in the division. Defense was their struggle and they finished fourteenth there.

No. 13 Deer Creek Antlers (12)

The Antlers had a rough start to their 6A debut season, finishing 2-8, 2-5 with wins of 21-14 over Stillwater and 20-14 over Putnam. They were shutout 49-0 in the finale at Lawton and finish with the number fourteen offense and number thirteen defense.

No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (14)

Sapulpa has been in a rebuilding year under new head coach Robert Borgstadt, but the Chieftains (1-9, 1-5) have shown promise. They only won a single game, 31-27 over Ponca City, but lost close ones of 24-21 to Duncan, and 52-42 to Choctaw. They finished thirteenth in running, scoring, and total offense, and fifteenth on the ground. Defensively they were fifteenth in points allowed, run coverage, and total defense, and thirteenth in pass coverage.

No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (15)

The Wildcats finished 2-8, 0-6, but had several solid performances. They lost 42-31 to Enid, defeated Guthrie 9-0, and posted 35 points against Sand Springs. They barely lost 31-27 to Sapulpa and defeated Norman 10-6. Ponca finished the season fifteenth in total offense and eleventh in points allowed. They were tenth in points allowed, fourteenth in yards per play allowed, fifteenth in pass coverage, and tenth in ground coverage.

Week Seven 6A-II Rankings and Predictions; a look at this weekend's games

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

The 6A-II rankings just got a whole lot weirder as District One continues to duke it out with no clear top-dog, save for Putnam City West. With the exception of the Patriots, every team in District One has a loss to someone they shouldn't have, causing a big confusing circle. Even District Two isn't immune to the mess. 

In week two, the Sand Springs Sandites were defeated by Choctaw, and that's their only in-state loss to date. In week three, the Sandites defeated Putnam City West, and that's the Patriots' only loss to date. While the Patriots are the only team out West without a district loss, Choctaw has sustained a pair of district losses to Putnam City and Enid. This Friday Choctaw upset Midwest City, who was previously undefeated in the district with wins over Lawton and Deer Creek. Lawton has wins over both Putnam City and Stillwater. Oh, what a tangled web they weave.

With every team out there having some claim over each other, there's bound to be some disagreement with the rankings, but nevertheless we shall try to make some sense out of it all.

No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (Last week No. 1) vs No. 4 Sand Springs Sandites (5)

It's the marquee matchup for the whole division as the only two undefeated teams in District Two go head-to-head. The Muskogee Roughers (6-0, 3-0) are a powerhouse team once again behind four-time State Championship winning coach Rafe Watkins, formerly of Guthrie. 

Muskogee and Sand Springs (3-2, 2-0) are fairly matched in the air, with both Hunter Greathouse and Jacob Medrano completing just over 50% of passes for right at 1,000 yards this season. Both teams employ a mess of solid multi-purpose players who can easily adapt to either the run or pass game as needed. Muskogee's stars include University of Tennessee commit Kamren Curl.

Sand Springs will need to rely heavily on their defense, who scored two touchdowns in their 56-35 win over Ponca City, to put up stops and force turnovers against the explosive Rougher offense. Muskogee has their own powerful defense though, with nine interceptions this season. They forced five turnovers against Booker T Washington Friday night. The two teams were perfectly matched on offense, but four fumbles and an interception paved the way for a 23-7 victory for Muskogee. 

The pick: Muskogee 45, Sand Springs 31.

No. 2 Bixby Spartans (3) vs No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (14)

The two-time defending State Champions (3-3, 1-1) had a rough start to district play, falling 45-42 to Muskogee, but got in the win column Friday in a 62-17 beat down against Sapulpa. The Spartans ran up 646 yards while holding the Chieftains to just over 200, and never once punted. QB Tanner Griffin is sitting around 1500 yards passing this season with 20 touchdowns by air. The Spartans also have a talented running back in Tucker Pawley who is just under 1000 yards this season. They also have a talented defense highlighted by Oklahoma State commit Brendon Evers. 

The Ponca City Wildcats (1-5, 0-3) proved Friday that they can hang with some of the best defenses in the State, passing for over 300 yards against the Sandites. They also struggled with turnovers, however, giving up two fumble returns for touchdowns and threw two interceptions. 

The pick: Bixby 66, Ponca 12.

No. 3 Booker T Washington Hornets (2) 

The powerful Booker T (4-3, 2-1) offense was stymied by Muskogee Friday night, and scored only once despite racking up nearly 300 yards of offense. They were plagued by penalties amounting to more than 100 yards. That, coupled with four fumbles and an interception were insurmountable. The Hornets will have a bye week before returning to action against Sand Springs.

No. 5 Putnam City West Patriots (7) vs No. 6 Midwest City Bombers (4)

This matchup would have been a lot bigger if the Bombers (3-3, 2-1) hadn't given up an upset to Choctaw last Friday, but regardless of district standings the two teams should still put on a quality show. The two teams boast the top two defensive squads in the district with each allowing less than 15 points per game. 

The Patriots (5-1, 3-0) are coming off a huge 42-10 rivalry win over Putnam City while Midwest City just dropped their first district game of the season to Choctaw. Putnam West has suffered only one loss this season, 29-24 to Sand Springs, and splits their offense pretty evenly between air and land. They hold one division one commit in Memphis-bound WR Nick Robinson. Midwest City has some impressive talent of their own in 6'2" safety Evan Fields, who's fielding offers from numerous Division One programs including several Big 12 schools. 

Midwest City's defense held tight against Choctaw, giving up only 14 points to a team that averaged 36 points per game going into the match. Unfortunately for the Bombers, they were plagued by penalties, miscues, and offensive inconsistency. They made three trips into the red zone and racked up 272 yards of offense while holding Choctaw to only 141, despite the loss. 

The pick: No consensus. Scott picks Midwest City 24-21, Virgil picks Putnam West 24-21.

No. 7 Lawton Wolverines (6) vs No. 8 Enid Plainsmen (10)

These two teams hold the same record both in and out of district, and their strength of schedule is still hard to determine. Enid's offense is coming in a lot hotter than in recent years, averaging 28 points per game.

Lawton (3-3, 2-1) isn't executing as well as they have in recent years, but they still boast some high powered athletes in QB Zach Hanna and RB Tre Curry. Friday saw the Wolverines gain the upper hand on Stillwater 21-14 in a low performance game that saw only 95 yards by air. The ground game was dominant for both teams and Curry racked up 121 yards on 13 carries.

Enid (3-3, 2-1) started off the season with a 22-19 loss to a Guthrie team that has long since ceased to be ranked. A 42-31 victory over Ponca City and a pair of losses after that pushed Enid towards the bottom of the rankings, but the Plainsmen have found their mojo for two straight district wins to prove they're not out playoff contention yet. After going down 35-10 to Putnam West, Enid got the edge on Choctaw in a 43-39 shootout and scored a major victory this week in a dominating 45-17 beat down of Deer Creek. The Plainmen picked off three passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown, presenting just the kind of defense that could give Lawton fits. 

The pick: Lawton 27, Enid 21.

No. 9 Putnam City Pirates (8) vs No. 11 Deer Creek Antlers (9)

A crucial match for both teams, Putnam (3-3, 1-2) started off the season with a series of big wins before giving up two straight to Lawton and Putnam West. Deer Creek (1-5, 1-2) started the season with a tough pre-conference schedule including three-straight losses to high-ranked 6A-I teams. They were expected to be a big contender for the district, but after a close 21-14 win over Stillwater they were blown out 35-0 by Midwest City and 45-17 by Enid. Both teams need a win this week to stay alive in playoff contention.

Putnam has struggled through the air this season, racking up over 1,000 yards but at a 38% completion rate. The defense has been effective, however, averaging 3 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery per game.

The Antlers employ a solid QB in Hunter Freese, who sits at 51% passing for over 1,200 yards. The run game is nearly nonexistent with the whole team accounting for less than 500 yards.  

The pick: Putnam West 23, Deer Creek 17.

No. 10 Choctaw Yellowjackets (11) vs No. 12 Stillwater Pioneers (12)

Stillwater (2-4, 0-3) has lost four games this season, all by a touchdown or less, and they have two quality wins over 6A-I talent. While the playoffs are looking more and more unlikely for the team, they're not out of reach yet. Clearly the Pioneers have talent, especially in RB Josiah Castleberry who holds over 700 yards this season on 7 yards per carry. But they have struggled in the air, doing the quarterback shuffle after their starting senior missed the first half of the season. 

Choctaw (3-3, 1-2) has been hit or miss all season, relying on a powerful air raid offense that has rarely been stymied. After netting a pair of close shootout wins over Sapulpa and Sand Springs to start the season, they lost three-straight, all by a touchdown or less, to Putnam City, Putnam North, and Enid, before getting in the win column with a 14-7 upset of Midwest City. QB Dylan Weaver is right at 50% for nearly 1400 yards this season, but was held to under 100 for the first time against Midwest City. The run game has always been a factor with Choctaw, but they really proved how good it could be when they took on Enid and ran up 321 yards on 38 carries. 

The pick: Choctaw 42, Stillwater 21.

No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13) vs No. 15 Sapulpa (15) 

This is a bigger game for Bartlesville (2-3, 1-1) than it is for Sapulpa (0-6, 0-3). While the Chieftains are technically still in playoff contention, they only have three district games left and don't stand much chance against undefeated Muskogee. Bartlesville, on the other hand, has the kind of aerial offense that could present an upset over Sand Springs. But first they need to get past Sapulpa. 

The Chieftains have a double-threat quarterback in Cameron Elder who is throwing 63% this season for right at 1,000 yards and also leads his team on the ground. They have six losses this season and only two could be described as close.

Bartlesville won a close one in their season opener then dropped three straight before getting back in the win column with a powerful 42-20 win over Ponca City two weeks ago. The Bruins are coming off a bye week and look to AJ Archambo, Garrett Meidl, and Deandre Young to lead them to victory.

The pick: Bartlesville 38, Sapulpa 17.