Sandites Qualify 12 Boys, 4 Girls for State Wrestling Tournament

Charles Page High School will be well represented at the OSSAA State Championship Thursday afternoon when 6A action starts.

Both the boys and girls will begin wrestling at 4:30 p.m. in Session II at Jim Norick Arena in the State Fairgrounds at Oklahoma City.

The Sandites qualified 12 boys for State after a strong second place finish at the West Regional in Moore on Saturday. It was their highest Regional placement since 2017 and their most total State qualifiers since at least 1996, if not ever. They also had their first Regional Champion since 2019 in Zander Grigsby.

The girls meanwhile qualified four for State at the East Regional in Glenpool on Tuesday, taking eighth place as a team. Bailey Copeland became the first-ever girls State qualifier from Sand Springs in the Sandites’ second year with a girls program.

The Sandites’ fourth and fifth placers from Regionals will be first to wrestle in the wrestle-in round on Thursday, followed by the quarterfinals at 6:00 p.m. Consolation matches will begin Friday at 5:00 p.m. followed by semifinals at 7:00 p.m. Consolation semifinals will be Saturday at 11:30 a.m. followed by 3rd place matches at 1:30 p.m. and finals matches at 6:30 p.m.

Girls Regionals

Copeland (17-4), a freshman, took third place at 100 pounds with three pins. Her only loss was a 2-0 decision to Broken Arrow’s Alina Peralta in the semifinals. In the placement round she earned a 6-1 decision over Ponca City junior Camila Bohon.

Laila Mirza (38-8) took fourth place at 115, going 3-2. She pinned her first foe and won a 5-2 decision over El Reno’s Brooklynn Huggins before falling 15-3 to returning Stillwater State qualifier Abigail Rivero. In consolation she pinned Claremore’s Cambry Suskey a second time but fell 11-4 to Bixby freshman Larra Mullin.

Kelsi Hilton (37-7) placed fourth at 135, pinning her first two opponents before falling to returning State finalist Mak Gregg in the semifinals. She added another pin in consolation before falling to returning State placer Adisyn Ivers from Ponca City. Hilton actually led 2-0 after the first period but was pinned after starting the second on bottom.

Freshman Ambrielle Chambers (22-8) took fifth place at 105 with three pins, falling to Durant senior Addison Polk, a returning State qualifier, in the quarterfinals. In the consolation semis she fell to Ada junior EllaBabe Fisher but bounced back with an 8-4 decision over Muskogee’s Grace Fraser to punch her ticket to State.

The girls finished in eighth place with 83 points, just one point behind Sapulpa and one point ahead of Shawnee. Broken Arrow won the Regional over runner-up Bixby. It was a drastic improvement for the Lady Sandites, who placed 42nd last year with no State qualifiers.

Boys Regionals

Zander Grigsby (38-2) manhandled the 165-pound bracket, outscoring his opponents 36-8 without giving up anything but escape points. He pinned two opponents and had a 24-7 technical fall en route to the finals, where he earned a 6-1 decision over top-seeded Brayden Lucas, a returning State placer from Edmond North

Freshman Jaxon Grigsby (18-9) placed second at 126, dominating Gavin Horn 12-1 before eking out a 3-2 overtime tie-breaker against two-seed Barrett Byers of Piedmont. In the finals he lost 3-0 to returning State finalist Christian Belford of Edmond North.

Mason Harris (34-3) was runner-up at heavyweight, winning his first three matches by fall. In the finals he lost a 1-0 decision to defending State Champion Ricky Thomas of Edmond North.

Matthew Moore (26-13) placed third at 132 with three pins, only losing a close 4-3 decision to top-seeded Hudson Hackbarth of Edmond North. In the consolation finals he pinned Deer Creek’s Parker DeGraffenreid in 5:36.

Jaxon Trotter (39-8) placed third at 175 with a 3-1 sudden victory overtime takedown against two-seeded Alex Wilson of Yukon, a returning State placer. He teched his first opponent in 4:31 before falling 3-2 to Westmoore State placer Cole Olguin. In consolation he pinned his next two opponents before decisioning Putnam North’s Ryan Gooch 3-1 in the semifinals.

David Ritchey (20-9) placed fourth at 120, pinning his first opponent and winning a 5-1 decision in the quarterfinals before falling 9-0 to two-time State Champion Cash Donnell from Piedmont. In consolation he pinned Southmoore’s Noah Reynolds before falling 7-0 to Yukon’s Hayden Wright.

Preston Reyna (26-11) finished fourth at 150, pinning his first foe before falling to Piedmont’s Jayden Fuston. In consolation he won a major decision, a pin, and a 9-5 upset of four-seed Axton Wright from Moore before falling once again to Fuston in the placement match.

Dawsen Briscoe (23-13) took fifth place at 106, winning his first match by 5-1 decision against Yukon’s Caleb Schneider, who also finished a State qualifier, before falling to top-seeded Jake Goodin from Edmond North. In consolation he fell 6-1 to third-placer Blake Thomas of Piedmont before earning a 6-5 decision over Putnam North’s Jaaziel Benman.

Jayden Pait (17-5) placed fifth at 138, losing his first match 3-1 to Westmoore’s Gannon Morales before winning his next two matches by fall. In the consolation semis he fell 8-4 to Yukon’s Dillon Ryan but he won his placement match by 9-1 major decision against Piedmont’s Ethan Applebee.

Jesse Moore (28-10) placed fifth at 144, losing his first match 3-2 to Moore’s Seth Shouse. In consolation he pinned one foe and teched another in just 3:10 before taking a 6-3 loss against Piedmont’s Kolton Mullings. In the placement round he got a rematch with Shouse and this time won 5-2.

Brody Ensten (30-15) placed fifth at 157, bouncing back from an opening 7-5 loss to Westmoore’s Sam Gibson with three dominant wins. He pinned his next two foes and earned a 16-1 technical fall before falling 11-2 to two-seeded Barrett Weathers of Deer Creek. In the placement round he won a 2-1 rematch with Gibson, scoring an escape in overtime.

Peyton Callis (36-13) placed fifth at 190, winning his first match by decision before falling 4-3 to Yukon’s Ryan Martindale. In consolation he received a medical forfeit then pinned his next opponent before falling to Piedmont’s Jackson Blackburn. In the placement round he won a 9-2 decision over Norman’s Lance Eubanks.

Football Preview: Sandites Headed to Choctaw for Playoff Quarterfinals

The Class 6A-II No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School football team (8-3) will look to extend its season by another week when it travels to No. 3 Choctaw (7-2) Friday night.

Sand Springs is in pursuit of its first State title since 1966 and first finals appearance since 2015. The Sandites have been turned away in the semis twice since then, including against Choctaw last season. The Sandites’ only losses this season have come to 6A-I No. 1 Bixby, then-No. 1 Muskogee, and current No. 1 Stillwater.

The Yellowjackets have also qualified for the playoffs four consecutive years, only failing to make it past the quarterfinals once. They finished as State Runners-Up last season and in 2020 and are looking to earn their first gold ball since 1960 when they were still in Class B.

Sand Springs is coming off a 56-24 rout of Lawton (3-8) and riding a five-game win streak while Choctaw had a first-round bye following its 48-13 rout of Ponca City (6-5) in Week 10.

The game will be held at Bill Jensen Field on the campus of Choctaw High School at 14300 NE 10th St. in Choctaw. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 for general admission, including adults, students, and seniors.

The Series

Choctaw leads the series 7-2 all-time and has won the past five consecutive meetings.

The teams first met in 1992, with the Yellowjackets dealing the Sandites a 21-14 loss. In 1993 backup tailback Shawn Moore scored three touchdowns in the second half to lift the Sandites to a 31-18 victory.

The teams didn’t meet again until 2000 when the Yellowjackets won a 37-0 district shutout, but the Sandites won 29-6 the next year.

Since then, it’s been all Choctaw. The Yellowjackets won a pair of close non-district games 45-41 in 2016 and 21-20 in 2017, then won district games 34-9 in 2020 and 41-28 in 2021.

Last year the Yellowjackets won 48-29 in the quarterfinals en route to a State Runner-Up finish.

Steele Wasel, now at Akron, was 23-of-33 passing for 453 yards and six touchdowns to defeat the Sandites.

Choctaw stormed out to a 34-9 lead but the Sandites battled close with a 21-20 second half behind Easton Webb’s 19-of-33 passing performance for a career high 257 yards and four touchdowns.

Last Week

Eight Sandites had receptions, six had carries, seven had touchdowns, and 32 made plays on defense as the Sandites throttled Lawton in the highest-scoring playoff game in Sandite history.

The Sandites held the Wolverines to negative yardage in a 27-0 first quarter and outgained Lawton by 200 yards in a 50-6 first half.

Easton Webb was 7-of-7 passing for 207 yards and three TDs while backup QB Jace Arnold was 5-of-6 for 67 yards with two total TDs.

Dom Forbes had three receptions for 49 yards and a TD and Caleb Goodman had two receptions for 82 yards and a TD.

Kenneth Page had five carries for 45 yards and a TD plus a 65-yard TD catch. Ali McCoy needed only two carries for 41 yards and a TD.

Dawson Puckett was six-for-six on PATs, had two catches for 30 yards and a TD, ran in a two-point conversion, and averaged 41 yards per punt.

The defense was led by Owen Floyd and Gatlin Gunn with nine tackles apiece. Gunn had four tackles for loss while Floyd had three for loss and a 22-yard pick six. Landyn Barnes and Kambren Foster also had interceptions and Keagan Gilman had a fumble recovery.

On the Season

Sand Springs has established itself as a dominant team in the trenches, averaging 174 rushing yards per game while passing for 124.

Webb is 76-of-114 passing for 1040 yards, 9 TDs, and 6 INTs with 2 rushing TDs. Goodman has 41 catches for 602 yards and 5 TDs.

Page has 162 carries for 920 yards and 13 TDs plus 3 TD receptions. McCoy has 94 carries for 772 yards and 10 TDs plus 1 TD reception.

Puckett is 41-of-44 on PATs and 3-of-5 on field goals with a career-long of 42 yards.

The defense is led by Gunn with 81 tackles, Floyd with 75, Dallas Elifrits with 64, Alex Dudley with 58, and Hunter Wilson with 55. Gunn and Dudley have a team-best three interceptions apiece.

Football Preview: Sandites Host Lawton Friday in First-Round Playoff

The Class 6A-II No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School football team (7-3) will kick off the postseason Friday Night at Memorial Stadium with a first-round game against Lawton (3-7).

Charles Page High School is four-for-four in qualifying for the playoffs in the Bobby Klinck era and under the new playoff expansion implemented in 2022, they’ll get to host a first-round game for the second season in a row.

Sand Springs is in pursuit of its first State title since 1966 and first finals appearance since 2015. The Sandites have been turned away in the semis twice since then. The Sandites’ only losses this season have come to 6A-I No. 1 Bixby, then-No. 1 Muskogee, and current No. 1 Stillwater.

Lawton was an early 6A-II power, making finals appearances in 2014 and 2016 after the 6A split. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2017, however. The Wolverines own two gold balls, last winning a 5A title in 1987.

Sand Springs is coming off a 56-0 shutout against U.S. Grant (2-8) and riding a four-game win streak while Lawton won 54-6 against Capitol Hill (0-10) to snap a three-game losing streak.

The game will be held at Memorial Stadium in Sand Springs on the campus of Charles Page High School at 500 North Adams Road.

Gates open at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 for general admission, including adults, students, and seniors. Because it is an OSSAA playoff event, Sandites with all-sports season passes will still have to purchase a ticket. Veterans plus one guest will receive free admission with the presentation of a valid military ID.

The Church That Matters Tailgate Party will start at 6:00 outside of the stadium. Tickets are $6 and include your choice of a hamburger, grilled chicken sandwich, or hot dog with chips and a drink. Proceeds benefit Sandite Athletics. Concessions will also be available inside the stadium with proceeds benefitting the Gold Pride marching band.

The Series

Lawton won the only-ever meeting between the two programs 14-10 in the 1987 playoff semifinals. The Wolverines went on to win the State Championship.

Last Week

Eight Sandites had receptions, seven had carries, eight had touchdowns, two kicked PATs, and 27 made plays on defense as the Sandites dealt the Generals a sixth consecutive shutout.

Through the first three quarters, Grant managed zero first downs and only 8 offensive yards before finally putting together a semi-successful drive in the fourth.

Easton Webb was 3-of-4 passing for 46 yards and a TD while backup QB Jace Arnold was 7-of-8 for 57 yards and two TDs.

Kayden Campbell had two receptions for 22 yards and a TD and Brock O’Dell had two catches for 29 yards.

Kenneth Page had two carries for 27 yards and a TD, Gabe Harris had two carries for 33 yards, and Arnold had four carries for 26 yards.

The defense was led by Kambren Foster with 9 tackles, Jonathan Rowe with 6 tackles, and Gage Gunn with 5 tackles.

Hudson Sheppard and Gage Gunn had fumble recoveries while Alex Dudley and Hunter Wilson had interceptions. Dudley recorded a 51-yard pick six while Wilson returned his pick 30 yards before handing it off to Marcum Sims for the touchdown.

On the Season

Sand Springs has established itself as a dominant team in the trenches, averaging 179 rushing yards per game while passing for 109.

Webb is 69-of-107 passing for 833 yards, 6 TDs, and 6 INTs with 2 rushing TDs. Caleb Goodman has 39 catches for 520 yards and 4 TDs.

Kenneth Page has 157 carries for 875 yards and 12 TDs plus 2 TD receptions. Ali McCoy has 92 carries for 731 yards and 9 TDs plus 1 TD reception.

Dawson Puckett is 35-of-38 on PATs and 3-of-4 on field goals with a career-long of 42 yards.

The defense is led by Gatlin Gunn with 72 tackles, Owen Floyd with 66, Dallas Elifrits with 60, Alex Dudley with 55, and Hunter Wilson with 54. Gunn and Dudley have a team-best three interceptions apiece.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CPHS 56 Grant 0

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

Scoring Summary

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

Football Preview: Sandites Headed to U.S. Grant for Regular Season Finale

The Class 6A-II No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School football team (6-3, 4-2) will wrap up the regular season Thursday night at U.S. Grant (2-7, 0-6), virtually a guaranteed win.

Even if Grant pulls off the upset of the century, the Sandites will still finish the year third in district play for the first time since 2015.

Sand Springs is coming off a 24-14 win against No. 10 Booker T. Washington, snapping a seven-year losing streak to the Hornets. The Generals are looking to snap a 16-game district losing streak or at least avoid a sixth consecutive shutout.

The game will be held at Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City, which is celebrating its 90th birthday next year. Taft Stadium was built in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration as part of the Second New Deal. Following a $9.7 million renovation from 2013 to 2015, the stadium has a capacity of 7,500, down from its original 18,000.

The historic stadium has hosted a 1956 NASCAR Convertible Series contest, Bedlam games from 1943 to 1944, high school state championships in various sports, and was the home of the Oklahoma City Energy FC from 2015 to 2021.

Taft Stadium is located at 2501 North May Avenue.

Gates open at 5:45 with Senior Night festivities beginning at 6:15 p.m. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $2 for students and $5 for adults. Generals fans can enter through the North gates while Sandites must enter through the South gates. No re-entry is allowed.

The Senior Night celebration will recognize football, cross country, cheer, pom, and band, and there will be a Senior Circle following the game.

The Series

Sand Springs won 83-0 last year in the first and only meeting between the two programs. It was the largest win in program history for the Sandites, who took a 48-0 lead in the first quarter on only eight offensive plays.

Brody Rutledge tossed a forward pitch to Jabe Schlehuber for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. Charles Gaylord recovered the ensuing kick and Kenneth Page score a 36-yard touchdown run on the next play. Kyle Morrall recovered the next kick and Page scored on an 8-yard run for a 21-0 lead before the Generals’ offense ever stepped on the field.

The Sandites led 48-0 after the first quarter and were 62-0 at halftime. They scored ten rushing touchdowns and a punt return for a touchdown, out-gaining the Generals 438 yards to 41.

Last Week

Easton Webb was 8-of-14 passing last week for 63 yards. Kenneth Page led the ground game with 17 carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns while Ali McCoy had 12 carries for 53 yards and a score. Dawson Puckett kicked a career-long 42-yard field goal.

Owen Floyd led the defense with 8 tackles, followed by Dallas Elifrits and Gatlin Gunn with 7 apiece. Elifrits had three tackles for loss and Waylon Jeffers had two sacks.

On the Season

Sand Springs has established itself as a dominant team in the trenches, averaging 185 rushing yards per game while passing for 110.

Webb is 65-of-102 passing for 787 yards, 5 TDs, and 6 INTs with 1 rushing TD. Caleb Goodman has 38 catches for 499 yards and 4 TDs.

Page has 155 carries for 848 yards and 11 TDs plus 2 TD receptions. McCoy has 92 carries for 731 yards and 9 TDs.

Dawson Puckett is 28-of-31 on PATs and 3-of-4 on field goals with a career-long of 42 yards.

The defense is led by Floyd with 69 tackles, Gunn with 56 tackles, and Alex Dudley with 47 tackles. Gunn has a team-best three interceptions.

Football Preview: Sandites Host No. 10 Booker T. Washington for Senior Night

Kenneth Page and Easton Webb celebrate after Page scores a touchdown against Tahlequah. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

The Class 6A-II No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School football team (5-3, 3-2) is set to host No. 10 Booker T. Washington (2-6, 1-4) Friday evening at Memorial Stadium for Senior Night.

Sand Springs is coming off a 20-17 overtime win against No. 6 Bartlesville and looking to clinch third place in the district while the Hornets are coming off a 63-20 loss to No. 1 Muskogee and looking to stop the bleeding on their worst season since 1997.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. The Church That Matters Tailgate Party will start at 6:00 outside of the stadium. Tickets are $6 and include your choice of a hamburger, grilled chicken sandwich, or hot dog with chips and a drink. Proceeds will benefit the Sandite Baseball program.

Tickets are sold out for the Varsity Club, which includes dinner from Nieve’s Mexican Grill and indoor seating to view the game from the CPHS Fine Arts Building in the south end zone. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Senior Night festivities start at 6:30 p.m. and kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors 65+. General admission is $8. Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and other concessions are available inside the gate with proceeds benefiting the Gold Pride marching band.

The History

Booker T. Washington leads the series 19-7 all-time and has won seven consecutive meetings in the longest-such streak of the rivalry.

The two programs first met in 1986 when the Hornets prevailed 42-21. The Sandites’ three touchdowns were the most anyone scored on Washington all season as the Hornets finished as State Runners-Up.

Sand Springs paid it back the next year 15-12 en route to a rare ten-win season, district title, and State Semifinal appearance.

The Hornets won three in a row from 1988 to 1990 before Brett Pennington’s two-way performance snapped the streak 15-14 in a lightning-delayed upset. Pennington ran for one touchdown, passed for another, ran in a two-point conversion, and sealed the game with a late interception.

Washington won the next three meetings before a strong defensive battle went the Sandites’ way in a 14-10 road upset in 1995.

Washington won 34-7 in 1996 but Kevin King’s two interceptions in 1997 helped the Sandites complete a perfect 10-0 regular season with a 23-15 win on Senior Night.

The two programs wouldn’t meet again till 2006-07 when the Hornets briefly joined 6A and bullied the Sandites 62-28 and 23-7 before dropping down a division.

The series renewed in 2012 when Cody Hale passed for 171 yards and scored two total touchdowns in a 21-7 win to improve to 4-0.

2013 marked the only time the Sandites won back-to-back meetings with the Hornets, prevailing 42-38 in a Homecoming shootout. Hale passed for 387 yards and scored five total touchdowns.

Washington wouldn’t allow a three-peat, however, spoiling Senior Night 42-35 in 2014.

2015 is the only time the two programs have played twice in one year, with the top-ranked Hornets winning 17-14 on a last-second field goal in the regular season before the Sandites prevailed 30-23 in the State Semifinals to punch their ticket to the ‘ship for the first time since 1966.

Since then, the Hornets have won seven in a row, though that streak will be in high jeopardy tonight.

The most lopsided game in series history was a 49-0 Hornet shutout in 2020 while the Sandites’ biggest win was 21-7 in 2012. The highest-scoring game was the 62-28 Hornet win in 2014. The Sandites have been shut out thrice in the series and have never shut out the Hornets.

The Sandites

Sand Springs has established itself as a dominant team in the trenches, averaging 181 rushing yards per game while passing for 116.

The passing game took a big step forward last week against Bartlesville and sophomore quarterback Easton Webb will look to continue building cohesion with his receiving corps as the playoffs loom ever closer.

Webb was 11-of-19 last week, throwing for 127 yards. Caleb Goodman had six receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. Kenneth Page led the ground game with 19 carries for 91 yards and a score.

Hunter Wilson, Gatlin Gunn, and Dallas Elifrits led the defense with 9 tackles apiece, closely followed by Owen Floyd with 8. Alex Dudley had 6 tackles, two pass deflections, and forced a fumble. Gunn recovered a fumble and Christian Freitus scored a safety.

Dawson Puckett kicked a 30-yard field goal in overtime for the win.

On the Season:

Webb is 57-of-88 for 724 yards, 5 TDs, and 6 INTs with 1 rushing TD. Caleb Goodman has 34 catches for 456 yards and 4 TDs.

Kenneth Page has 138 carries for 718 yards and 9 TDs plus 2 TD receptions. Ali McCoy has 80 carries for 678 yards and 8 TDs.

Dawson Puckett is 25-of-28 on PATs and 2-of-3 on field goals, connecting twice from 30 yards.

The defense is led by Floyd with 61 tackles, Gunn with 49 tackles, and Dudley with 45 tackles. Dudley and Gunn each have two interceptions.