Frontier Valley Conference Men's Basketball Standings: Week Eleven

Kyle Keener scored 13 in a game against Jenks this week. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The 2016-2017 boys' basketball season is far from over, but the Frontier Valley Conference is nearing the end of its competition as only three teams remain with a shot at the title. It's been an exciting year thus far with lots of parity and circular losses, living up to the FVC's reputation as one of the most competitive conferences in the state.

No. 1 Union (19-0 overall, 10-0 conference) is the clear favorite to win it all this season. The Redskins are the only undefeated team left in 6A, and one of only three undefeated teams in the state. In the past week they've defeated Sapulpa 79-61, Bixby 64-54, and Bartlesville 53-41. Mo Garcia scored 23  against the Chieftains, Ethan Chargois scored 23 against the Spartans, and the two scored 13 apiece against the Bruins.

The Redskins hold the No. 2 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 1 margin of victory in the conference. All they need to do is win three out of four of their final games to clinch the title. They've already defeated Jenks 66-40, Broken Arrow 60-56, Bishop Kelley 65-42, and Owasso 62-39 thus far this season. 

No. 10 Broken Arrow (14-5, 8-2) has the closest shot of snatching the title from Union, but to do so they'll need to win out, and they'll need Union to lose three games. Or, if Union loses to Broken Arrow and one other team, the Tigers can win on point-differential if they top the Redskins by five points or more.

The Tigers are on a four-game win streak after topping Owasso 53-46, Muskogee 50-47, Bartlesville 49-48, and Bixby 65-46. Tony Hall scored 16 against the Rams, while Caleb Huffman led in the three games after that with 23 against the Roughers, 16 against the Bruins, and 14 against the Spartans.

Broken Arrow holds the No. 6 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in the conference. Of their four remaining opponents, they've already defeated Sand Springs 55-54 and Bishop Kelley 44-41, but they fell 60-56 to Union and 59-57 to Sapulpa. 

No. 12 Sapulpa (12-4, 7-2) also has an outside shot at the title, and possibly a better shot than Broken Arrow. They're on a two-game winning streak, beating Owasso 77-73 and Jenks 54-52, after falling 79-61 to Union. Keenan Balance posted 28 against Union and Julian Smith did the same to Owasso.

With five games left, they're in the same boat as the Tigers. They need to win out, and they need Union to drop three. They currently hold the No. 1 offense, No. 9 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Bishop Kelley 60-50, and Broken Arrow 59-57. Their early season matchup at Bartlesville was rescheduled, so they'll finish the season with back-to-back games against the Bruins. They'll also need to avenge their 58-50 loss to Muskogee.

No. 8 Muskogee (12-5, 6-4) has fallen on hard times with three-straight losses and is officially out of the title picture. Something has happened to Muskogee's mojo and they've fallen 50-47 to Broken Arrow, who they had previously beaten, 56-52 to Bishop Kelley, and 74-64 to Owasso, who they had previously beaten. TyReece Berry posted 20 against the Tigers and 19 against the Comets, then Clarence Parks scored 21 against the Rams.

The Roughers still hold the No. 3 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in the FVC. Of their remaining opponents, they've already beaten Bixby 65-63, Sapulpa 58-50, and Jenks 85-59. 

No. 17 Bartlesville (9-9, 4-5) picked up a a 56-45 win over Jenks last week, but fell 49-48 to Broken Arrow and 53-41 to Union this week. Barron Tanner led in all three games with 23, 17, and 25 points, respectively. 

The Bruins hold the No. 9 offense, No. 4 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in the FVC. Of their remaining opponents they've already defeated Owasso 47-42, and Sand Springs 53-39 and 63-53. They'll need to avenge a 76-68 overtime loss to Bixby, and they'll finish with back-to-back games against Sapulpa, who they have yet to face this season. 

No. 15 Owasso (11-8, 4-6) split wins this past week, falling 77-73 to Sapulpa, but upsetting Muskogee 74-64. Jake Thompson posted 26 against the Chieftains, while Courtre Alexander led with 25 against the Roughers.

The Rams hold the No. 4 offense, No. 6 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in the FVC. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Jenks 66-52, but they'll need payback wins against the other three. They fell 47-42 to Bartlesville, 59-57 to Bishop Kelley, and 62-39 to Union.

Sand Springs (9-10, 3-7) has picked up back-to-back conference wins for the first time this season, topping Jenks 51-44 and Bishop Kelley 46-43. Colt Savage led in both games with 19 against the Trojans and 21 against the Comets. 

The Sandites hold the No. 5 offense, No. 5 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Bixby 76-61, but they'll need payback wins against Bartlesville and Broken Arrow. The Tigers trumped the Sandites 55-54, and the Bruins won 53-39 and 63-53.

Bixby (8-11, 3-7) is riding back-to-back losses after falling 64-54 to Union and 65-46 to Broken Arrow. Joey Homan scored 19 against the Redskins, while Will Fiser posted 20 against the Tigers.

The Spartans hold the No. 8 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Jenks 49-36 and Bartlesville 76-68, but they'll need payback wins against Muskogee and Sand Springs. The Roughers won 65-63 and the Sandites prevailed 76-71. 

5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (7-11, 3-7) picked up a huge 56-52 upset of Muskogee, but fell 46-43 to Sand Springs. Alex Woodruff led in both games with 18 against the Roughers and 11 against the Sandites.

The Comets hold the No. 10 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 8 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Owasso 59-57, but they fell 60-50 to Sapulpa, 65-42 to Union, and 44-41 to Broken Arrow.

Jenks (3-13, 1-9) has had an off year, but still has the bones to finish on a strong note. This past week they fell 51-44 to Sand Springs and 54-52 to Sapulpa. Ananias Carson posted 12 against the Sandites.

The Trojans hold the No. 7 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've fallen 66-40 to Union, 49-36 to Bixby, 66-52 to Owasso, and 85-59 to Muskogee. 

Remaining Conference Schedule

2/6 Muskogee @ Bixby
2/7 Sand Springs @ Broken Arrow
2/7 Bartlesville @ Owasso
2/7 Bishop Kelley @ Sapulpa
2/7 Jenks @ Union
2/10 Union @ Broken Arrow
2/10 Bartlesville @ Sand Springs
2/10 Jenks @ Bixby
2/10 Owasso @ Bishop Kelley
2/10 Sapulpa @ Muskogee
2/14 Sapulpa @ Broken Arrow
2/14 Bixby @ Bartlesville
2/14 Union @ Bishop Kelley
2/14 Owasso @ Jenks
2/17 Bishop Kelley @ Broken Arrow
2/17 Bartlesville @ Sapulpa
2/17 Sand Springs @ Bixby
2/17 Jenks @ Muskogee
2/17 Union @ Owasso
2/20 Sapulpa @ Bartlesville

Conference Strength:

1. Central Oklahoma (48)
2. Green Country (47.66)
3. Big Ten (47.6)
4. Frontier Valley (45.7)
5. All-City (30.09)

FVC Leading Scorers
(points-per-game)

1. Colt Savage (Sand Springs) 22.5
2. Keenan Balance (Sapulpa) 21.3
3. Ethan Chargois (Union) 18.8
4. Brooks Haddock (Muskogee) 18.4
5. Julian Smith (Sapulpa) 18.1
6. TyReece Berry (Muskogee) 17.4
7. Caleb Huffman (Broken Arrow) 16.9
8. Josh Proctor (Owasso) 16.4
9. Kyle Keener (Sand Springs) 15.8
10. Barron Tanner (Bartlesville) 15.2

Sand Springs Boys' Basketball beats Jenks 51-44, Savage scores 19

Jacob Garbey scored ten points Tuesday night at Jenks. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

CPHS 51 Jenks 44

1Q Sand Springs 11-8
2Q Sand Springs 17-12
3Q Jenks 8-6
4Q Sand Springs 17-16

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 19, Keener 13, Garbey 10, Price 5, Golightly 2, Cale Savage 2. (Jenks) Carson 13, Kuykendall 8, Surrett 8, Epps 7, Leitao 4, Harris 3, Bell 1.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 2, Keener 2, Golightly 1, Price 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 7, Keener 7, Price 2, Golightly 1, Garbey 1, Cale Savage 1.
Steals: Keener 2, Price 2, Colt Savage 1, Cale Savage 1, Taber 1.
Assists: Keener 3, Taber 2, Garbey 1.
Blocks: Keener 7, Colt Savage 1.
Fouls: Price 4, Colt Savage 3, Keener 3, Taber 3, Garbey 2, Smith 1, Cale Savage 1, Durkee 1.

The Charles Page High School boys' basketball team (8-10 overall, 2-7 conference) traveled to Jenks (3-12, 1-8) Tuesday night and snapped a four-game losing streak with a 51-44 Frontier Valley Conference victory. 

Junior point guard Colt Savage led all scorers with 19 points and was one rebound short of a double-double. University of Central Oklahoma-signed senior Kyle Keener scored 14 points, also with nine rebounds, and added seven blocks, three assists, and two steals. Ananias Carson was the top dog for the Trojans with 13 points and led all scorers from three-point range. 

The home team started the season with six-straight losses, then snapped a four-game losing streak last week with wins over Holland Hall and Bishop Kelley. After falling to No. 18 Bartlesville last week, the Trojans were looking to get back in the win column and take some momentum into the final stretch of the season. They never led after the first quarter, but consistently kept the Sandites on their toes and didn't slip to a double-digit deficit till the second-to-last shot of the night. 

Senior Jacob Garbey opened the night off with a three-pointer for the Sandites, and Jared Kuykendall responded immediately with a three for the home team. The teams exchanged blows from there, but Garbey took the lead once and for all at 8-5 and Keener ended the first quarter with a layup to make it 11-8.

Keener and Savage added seven points apiece in the second quarter to force a 28-20 halftime advantage. After combining for 29 points in the second quarter, the third quarter was relatively quiet as the teams scored only 14 points altogether, with Jenks winning the period 8-6. 

Keener started off  the fourth quarter with a layup, but Kuykendall hit a pair of free throws and Isaiah Epps hit a two to cut it to 36-32. Garbey hit his third three of the night and by the time there was only a minute left, the Trojans were still hanging tough at 45-39. Matt Price put the game away for the Sandites in the last thirty seconds, shooting a free throw, then snagging a steal on the next possession and taking it coast-to-coast for two. He drew a foul on the layup and sank his and-one for the first double-digit lead of the night at 51-41. Carson hit his fourth three-pointer of the night with three seconds left, but the Sandites had clinched their second conference victory.

Sand Springs will return to action Friday night when they host 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (6-11). The Comets defeated Sand Springs 45-42 in the second game of the season, but they're now riding a four-game losing streak with losses to unranked Jenks and Bixby. Jenks has a tough week ahead, traveling to No. 12 Sapulpa (10-4) Friday and No. 1 Union (18-0) Tuesday. 

Oklahoma Men's High School Basketball: Week Ten Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 1 Union (Last week No. 1)

Union (15-0) has continued their undefeated season by hammering the only other undefeated team in their conference and winning their home tournament. They knocked off No. 9 Muskogee (11-2) 78-42 on Tuesday, then topped Holland Hall (8-8) 79-51, 5A No. 6 East Central (9-7) 74-39, and No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4) 61-53 at the Jenks/Union Tournament. The Redskins received 28 first-place votes.

Ethan Chargois averaged 25 points between the four games and broke 30 against Holland Hall and Santa Fe. Mo Garcia led the team against East Central with 19 and Adrian Rodriguez added 18. 

The Redskins hold the 12 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 20 Sand Springs (7-8) Tuesday, then will host No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3) on Friday. 

The picks:
Union 59 CPHS 54.
Union 64 Sapulpa 56.

No. 2 Edmond North (2)

Edmond North (14-1) is the only other team still receiving first-place votes, with two. The Huskies topped No. 17 Mustang (8-6) last Tuesday, then swept the Carl Albert Tournament. They defeated 2A No. 19 Millwood (5-11) 85-49, No. 14 Norman (8-7) 78-63, and 5A No. 1 Carl Albert (14-1) 70-64.

Will Boyd scored a team-high 22 points against Millwood, while Marques Wilson scored 23 against Norman and 20 against Carl Albert. The Huskies hold the No. 3 offense, No. 12 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday at No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4).

The pick: EDN 63 ESF 60.

No. 3 Midwest City (3)

Midwest City (13-3) had a solid week, topping No. 7 Putnam City West (8-7) 90-62, Bixby (7-8) 86-47, and No. 14 Norman (8-7) 60-52, but falling 88-73 to 5A No. 1 Carl Albert (14-1). Keyshawn Embery led his team throughout the tournament with 35 points per game.

The Bombers hold the No. 2 offense and No. 5 margin of victory in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday at Choctaw before hosting Enid on Friday. 

The picks:
MWC 80 Choctaw 50.
MWC 80 Enid 55

No. 4 Putnam City North (6) 

Putnam City North (12-4) went undefeated last week, beating 5A No. 14 Del City (7-9) 75-57 in a conference game and 62-59 in a tournament. They also hammered Edmond Memorial (7-8) 48-30 and topped No. 4 Westmoore (14-2) 59-48 to win the Bruce Gray Tournament. 

The Panthers hold the No. 6 offense and No. 11 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday at No. 10 Putnam City West (8-7). 

The pick: PCN 66 PCW 62.

No. 5 Westmoore (4)

Westmoore (14-2) picked up three wins over unranked opponents last week before falling 59-48 to No. 6 Putnam City North (12-4). They defeated Stillwater (8-8) 75-64, Ponca City (1-10) 70-25, and Putnam City (7-9) 65-49 and placed second at the Deer Creek Invitational.

The Jaguars hold the No. 4 offense, No. 6 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday when they host No. 17 Mustang (8-6). 

The pick: Westmoore 58 Mustang 49.

No. 6 Norman North (5)

Norman North (9-3) picked up a trio of wins last week, but also an upset by an unranked team. They topped Deer Creek (6-9) 86-54, Coweta (5-10) 99-39, and 5A No. 3 El Reno (12-2) 72-63, but fell 80-77 to Stillwater (8-8). All-American Trae Young led the scoring in all four games, averaging 42.

The Timberwolves hold the No. 1 offense and No. 1 margin of victory in Class 6A and will return to action Friday at Edmond Memorial (7-8).

The pick: NN 75 EDM 50.

No. 7 Muskogee (9)

Muskogee (11-2) rebounded from a harsh 78-42 loss to No. 1 Union (15-0) by going undefeated at the John Nobles Tournament. They defeated New Way Christian 92-63, No. 20 Moore (7-8) 78-62, and No. 11 Broken Arrow (10-5) 60-57. Brooks Haddock averaged 18 points per game while Tyreece Berry contributed 15. 

The Roughers hold the No. 5 offense and No. 8 margin of victory in Class 6A and will host No. 18 Bartlesville (9-6) Tuesday before traveling to a rematch at Broken Arrow on Friday.

The picks:
Muskogee 60 Bartlesville 56.
Muskogee 57 BA 55.

No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10)

Edmond Santa Fe (10-4) picked up a trio of wins last week before falling 61-53 to No. 1 Union (15-0) in the Jenks/Union Tournament finals. They defeated No. 12 Yukon (10-5) 79-72, Jenks (2-11) 64-49, and No. 8 Booker T. Washington (11-4) 63-60.

The Wolves hold the No. 14 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 14 Norman (8-7) Tuesday and No. 2 Edmond North (14-1) Friday.

The pick: ESF 59 Norman 57.

No. 9 Booker T. Washington (8)

Booker T. Washington (11-4) picked up a pair of quality wins last week and one close loss. They defeated Sunrise Christian Academy 60-35 and 5A No. 6 East Central (9-7) 56-48, but fell 63-60 to No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4). 

The Hornets hold the No. 10 offense, No. 16 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host Daniel Webster (5-12) Friday. 

The pick: BTW 70 Webster 45.

No. 10 Putnam City West (7)

Putnam City West (8-7) lost their only game last week, falling 90-62 to No. 3 Midwest City (13-3). The Patriots hold the No. 13 offense and No. 19 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday at No. 4 Putnam City North (12-4).

No. 11 Broken Arrow (11)

Broken Arrow (10-5) had a solid week, picking up three wins before falling 60-57 to No. 9 Muskogee (11-2) in the John Nobles Invitational finals. They defeated Jenks (2-10) 46-38 earlier in the week, then won their first two tournament games 75-29 and 51-41 over Harding Charter (11-7) and 3A No. 2 Douglass (11-3), respectively. Tony Hall led all scorers against Muskogee with 18 points. 

The Tigers hold the No. 18 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at No. 16 Owasso (9-6), then will host a rematch with Muskogee on Friday. 

The pick: BA 53 Owasso 52.

No. 12 Yukon (12)

Yukon (10-5) fell 79-72 to No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4) early last week, then swept the Sweet Pea Classic, defeating Classen SAS (0-10) 95-55, 4A No. 12 Blanchard (12-4) 64-62, and 4A No. 3 Ada (12-2) 63-43. 

The Millers hold the No. 9 offense, No. 18 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday when they host No. 19 Stillwater (8-8). 

The pick: Yukon 61 Stillwater 55.

No. 13 Sapulpa (13)

Sapulpa (9-3) dropped a 60-55 upset to Stillwater (8-8) last week, but topped No. 18 Sand Springs (7-8) 72-68, Coweta (5-10) 64-53, and Choctaw (5-8) 70-59. Keenan Balance led the team with 23 points per game, followed by Julian Smith with 17 and freshman Trey Phipps with 13.

The Chieftains hold the No. 8 offense and No. 16 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host Bixby (7-8) on Tuesday, then will travel to No. 1 Union on Friday. 

The pick: Sapulpa 63 Bixby 59.

No. 14 Norman (14)

Norman (8-7) is coming off a so-so week with two wins and two losses. They topped Southmoore (3-12) 63-44 and 5A No. 13 Ardmore (8-9) 62-45, but fell 60-52 to No. 3 Midwest City (13-3) and 78-63 to No. 2 Edmond North (14-1). 

The Tigers hold the No. 15 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 14 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4), then will travel to Moore (7-8) Friday.

The pick: Norman 60 Moore 54.

No. 15 Lawton (15)

Lawton (10-4) went undefeated last week, topping 5A No. 16 Bishop McGuinness (5-9) 65-54 in a Tuesday night conference game, then swept the Altus Shortgrass Tournament. They defeated 5A No. 10 Lawton MacArthur (10-5) 64-60, HCYA Houston, Texas 82-37, and 3A No. 5 Star-Spencer (8-5) 64-57. 

The Wolverines hold the No. 11 offense and No. 17 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to 5A No. 5 Lawton Eisenhower (7-4) Tuesday, then will visit Choctaw (5-8) Friday. 

The picks:
Ike 65 Lawton 63
Lawton 61 Choctaw 60.

No. 16 Owasso (16)

Owasso (9-6) had a good week, topping Bixby (7-8) 62-50 and taking second place at the Interstate Classic. They defeated the Booker T. Washington JV team 62-29 and No. 18 Sand Springs (7-8) 58-56 before falling 53-46 to Bishop Miege.

The Rams hold the No. 4 defense and No. 15 margin of victory in Class 6A and will host No. 11 Broken Arrow (10-5) Tuesday and No. 20 Sand Springs Friday. 

The pick: CPHS 55 Owasso 54.

No. 17 Mustang (17)

Mustang (8-6) split games last week, falling 55-45 to No. 2 Edmond North (14-1) and 52-37 to Putnam City (7-9), but topping Ponca City (1-10) 47-40 and Deer Creek (6-9) 48-46. The Broncos hold the No. 3 defense in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday at Moore (7-8) and Friday at No. 5 Westmoore (14-2). 

The pick: Mustang 54 Moore 51.

No. 18 Bartlesville (19)

Bartlesville (8-6) won a conference game at 5A No. 14 Bishop Kelley (6-6) 64-57 Tuesday, then went 2-1 at the Interstate Classic. They topped No. 18 Sand Springs (7-8) 63-53 and the Wichita Defenders 76-50, but fell 60-39 to Bishop Meige. Baron Tanner posted a season-high 28 points against Kelley.

The Bruins hold the No. 9 defense in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 7 Muskogee (11-2) before hosting Jenks (2-10) on Friday. 

The pick: Bartlesville 59 Jenks 53.

No. 19 Stillwater (unranked)

Stillwater (8-8) had their best week of the season and cracked the rankings for the first time this year. They posted an impressive 75-64 performance against No. 4 Westmoore (14-2), then topped No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3) 60-55, No. 5 Norman North (9-3) 80-77, and 5A No. 8 Shawnee (8-4) 48-46.

The Pioneers hold the No. 11 defense in Class 6A and will return to action Friday at No. 12 Yukon (10-5).

No. 20 Sand Springs (18)

Sand Springs (7-8) had a rough week, topping Field Kindley 64-57, but falling 72-68 to No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3, 58-56 to No. 16 Owasso (9-6), and 63-53 to No. 19 Bartlesville (8-6). Junior Colt Savage averaged 25.5 points per game and Kyle Keener added 16.

The Sandites hold the No. 16 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 13 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 1 Union (15-0) Tuesday, then will travel to Owasso for a rematch on Friday. 

Dropped out: Moore (20)

Conference Strength:

1. Big Ten (50.4)
2. Central Oklahoma (48)
3. Frontier Valley (45.5)
4. Green Country (41.2)
5. All-City (29.18)

Sandite Football drops season opener to Pulaski Academy

Photo by: Morgan Miller

SCORING SUMMARY

1Q 11:08 Hatcher 88 yard pass to Johnson. 2pt conversion failed. 6-0 Pulaski.
1Q 9:25 Greathouse 29 yard pass to Bales. Bales PAT. 7-6 Sandites.
1Q 8:59 Hatcher 23 yard pass to Johnson. 2pt conversion failed. 12-7 Pulaski.
1Q 2:14 Hatcher 80 yard pass to Johnson. 2pt run by Adams. 20-7 Pulaski.
1Q 0:15 Edwards 55 yard interception return. Bales PAT. 20-14. Pulaski
2Q 8:28 Hatcher 14 yard pass to Watkins. 2pt run by Hatcher. 28-14 Pulaski.
2Q 4:37 Hatcher 44 yard pass to McMillan. 2pt pass from Hatcher to Johnson. 36-14 Pulaski.
2Q 1:34 Anderson 33 yard run. Hatcher PAT. 43-14 Pulaski.
3Q 5:48 Hatcher 3 yard pass to Johnson. Hatcher PAT. 50-14 Pulaski.
4Q 9:46 Scott 7 yard run. Bales PAT. 50-21 Pulaski.
4Q 4:14 Titus 11 yard run. PAT failed. 56-21 Pulaski.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 4 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (0-1) bit off more than they could chew when they traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas Friday night. The 6A-II State Runners-Up played well against No.1 Pulaski Academy (1-0), but the Bruins rode a 27-game winning streak and back-to-back 5A State Championships. Their offense was machine-like, never punting, always going for fourth down, and racked up 614 offensive yards while holding the Sandites to 222.

Senior quarterback Hunter Greathouse was consistent with his performance last year, completing 12 of 25 passes for 110 yards and 1 interception. Junior running back Payton Scott led the Sandite ground game with 101 yards on 14 carries. Each scored a touchdown. Delvin Jordan led the defense with 11 tackles and a 7-yard sack. Josh Taber performed well in the secondary with 3 tackles and 3 pass break-ups, and sophomore Hayden Cramer impressed with 7 tackles.

The Sandites won the toss and elected to kick. The Bruins received the ball at their 27 and it looked like the Sandites would have little problem getting a turnover early-on. Gage Fain tackled Jaren Watkins for a loss of three, the Bruins had two passes fall incomplete, and a sideline interference call pushed Pulaski back to their 12. On fourth and 28 at their own 12 yard line, any normal team would have punted.

The Bruins aren’t any normal team.

Junior quarterback Layne Hatcher sent a screen pass to Tra Johnson and the receiver got the edge on the Sandite secondary for an 88 yard touchdown reception. Hatcher completed a pass to Johnson for a conversion attempt, but the receiver was laid out by Cramer.

Less than a minute into the game and the Sandites trailed 6-0.

The Bruins let off one of their notorious onside kicks, but Cody Motes downed it at the Sandite 49. Greathouse connected on his first pass attempt of the season to Kasey Bales for a gain of 4 and Scott picked up the first down with a 14-yard run. Scott only managed 1 yard on the next pitch, but on second down Greathouse let loose a 29-yard pass to Bales for a touchdown. Bales sent in the PAT to make it 7-6 in the Sandites’ favor and it looked like the game would be a shootout.

The Bruins scored on their next drive after picking up two first downs, each on a single play. Watkins ran for 30, Brett Lynch hauled in a pass for 16, and Johnson caught a 23-yard touchdown reception to regain the lead barely three minutes into the game. Once again the two-point conversion failed, but the home team led 12-7.

This time the Bruins’ onside kick was successful and they regained possession at the Sandite 48. Their drive fell flat, however, after Delvin Jordan picked up a 7-yard sack and three pass attempts fell incomplete.

Sand Springs picked up a pair of first downs, one on a fourth-and-short, before running out of steam. Isiah Woods tackled Scott for a loss of 4 and Blake Titus sacked Greathouse for a loss of 12. Bales punted and the Bruins took possession at their 20 after a touchback.

Hatcher’s first pass attempt was incomplete, but the second found its mark in Johnson for yet another massive touchdown. After receiving the screen, Johnson broke three tackles before clearing the Sandite secondary and running it 80 yards to score. This time the two-point conversion was good in the hands of Trey Adams and the Bruins took the 20-7 advantage with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter.

The Sandites succeeded in downing the ensuing onside kick, but failed to convert a first down and gave up the ball at the Bruin 46.

Taber pulled down receiver Jacory McMillan who picked up 8 yards, and Tre Finch tripped up Watkins to hold the Bruins at third and 1. A pass attempt fell flat on third down, and a fourth down pass attempt found the open arms of Kris Edwards.

Edwards is a junior transfer from Okmulgee who had to sit out last season due to OSSAA eligibility rules. Edwards picked off the pass and returned it the full 55 for a touchdown with 15 seconds on the clock.

The Sandites began to plug the holes in their offense that allowed the long runs, but they couldn’t stop the Bruins from moving the ball all together. The next drive saw four first-downs for the Bruins before Hatcher connect on a 14-yard touchdown screen to Watkins. Hatcher punched in the two-point run and the Bruins doubled down on the Sandites, 28-14.

The Sandites’ next drive ended in a punt and once more the home team made quick work in driving 42 yards before connecting on a 44-yard pass to McMillan to score. Hatcher sent a two-point pass to Johnson for the 36-14 advantage.

Sand Springs punted once more on their next drive and the Bruins scored in six plays. RJ Anderson took a handoff and ran it 33 yards to score. Hatcher kicked the first point-after of the game for the Bruins and Sand Springs was down 43-14.

Sand Springs picked up 13 yards on a pass to Caleb Wash, then added another first down on a 12 yard reception by Mack Thompson. With 0:04 left Greathouse lobbed a deep ball downfield intended for Wash, but it was picked off by Hayden Henry and ran out of bounds to end the half.

The Sandites received the ball to start the second half and quickly picked up a pair of first downs before Henry broke up a pass attempt to Bales to force a turnover.

Pulaski went to work on a 91-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a 3 yard pass to Johnson. Hatcher’s kick was good and the lead furthered to 50-14.

The Arkansas High School Activities Association utilizes a mercy rule adopting a “running clock” anytime a team reaches a 35-point lead after the first half. The Sandites were quickly running out of time.

Sand Springs quickly went to work on a 71-yard drive and Scott broke three tackles on a run before being piled into the endzone for a 7-yard touchdown. Bales sent in the PAT, but the Sandites still trailed 50-21 with less than ten minutes remaining.

The Bruins fielded an onside kick attempt at their 33 and made quick work with another march downfield. Titus took a direct snap 11 yards for a touchdown, but the extra point attempt was a miss.

The remaining few minutes quickly passed and the Bruins had secured their 29th-straight victory.

The Sandites will return to action on Friday, September 9th, when they travel to Choctaw. The Yellowjackets won their first game Friday night in a 52-42 shootout with Sapulpa.