2X Sandite of the Week: Kasey Bales scores two touchdowns in Semi-Final loss

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Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

Charles Page High School senior Kasey Bales was selected as Sandite of the Week for his outstanding performance in the Sandites' 35-21 loss to No. 1 Bixby this past Friday.

The 5'10" 165 pound wide receiver hauled in seven receptions for 69 yards and 2 touchdowns in the semi-final playoff round, accounting for nearly 40% of total yardage for the Sandites. He also punted a career-high six times in the defensive battle, averaging 42 yards per punt, twice pinning the Spartans within their own 20. 

Bales picked up the first yards of the game with a four-yard reception on  shovel pass. He picked up five more on a screen not long after. On the Sandites' first scoring possession he brought in another five-yarder, then scored on a six-yard touchdown reception to cut the deficit to 14-7.

One turnover and 1:12 later he hauled in a 23-yard fourth-down pass to tie the game seconds before halftime. 

He picked up the first Sandite first-down of the second half on an eleven-yard pass, then received a thirteen-yarder to set up Payton Scott's four-yard touchdown run for the 21-21 tie. He didn't get another offensive play after that, but did register a nineteen-yard kick return in the final minute of the game, setting up the Sandites at the 34 for one final drive.

Bales finished the season just shy of the 1000 mark with 68 receptions for 946 yards and eleven touchdowns. He also had seven runs for 44 yards this season. His career mark is 106 receptions for 1593 yards and seventeen scores. He was previously recognized as Sandite of the Week in October after scoring twice in a 30-14 win over Yukon.

Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. The award is not given to anyone in consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of the Sandite Pride Editorial Board.

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.

Sandite of the Week: Delvin Jordan records three sacks against No. 4 Midwest City

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School senior Delvin Jordan is one of the most explosive line backers in recent memory for the No. 3 ranked Sand Springs Sandites (7-4) and leads his team this season with fifteen tackles for loss totaling 91 yards. 

The 6'0" 224-pound wrestler has also been awarded Sandite of the Week once before after winning the Regional Championship last winter. This is his first recognition on the gridiron and it comes on the heels of a 23-14 playoff victory over District One Champion No. 4 Midwest City, that can be credited majorly to the defense. 

Jordan was second on his team in total tackles, recording six, but led in tackles for loss with three sacks for 27 yards, a personal best for the young star. The Midwest City game brings his season-total to eight sacks for 64 yards. Last season he managed eight sacks (over thirteen games) for 36 yards and had fifteen tackles-for-loss totaling 64 yards. With at least one more game before him, possibly two, he has easily surpassed his already incredible record. He also recorded his third forced-fumble of the season.

His first tackle of the night came on a seventeen-yard kickoff return by Declaudio Irvin. Next he stopped a six-yard run by Tyree Young, followed by a seventeen-yard run by Young. He picked up his first sack in the third quarter, laying out Preston Colbert for a ten-yard loss on third down to force a punt. He found Colbert again on the Bombers' next possession, this time for a loss of twelve, to set them up at third and 32. The Bombers would punt again soon-after. Colbert just couldn't keep away from Jordan, who hit him once again for a strip sack on their next possession and a loss of five with ten minutes to play. 

Ultimately the Sandites prevailed over the home team thanks to turnovers, despite under-performing offensively. 

Jordan's father, Delvin Jordan Sr., was also a star on the Sandite football team when he was quarterback from 1993-1994. The Sandites went 7-4 during Jordan Sr.'s junior year and fell 24-7 in the playoffs to the eventual State Champion, No. 1 Jenks (13-1). 

The Sandites will take on No. 2 Bixby (8-3) this Friday night at Sapulpa in their third-straight State Semi-final appearance. They met Bixby in the semi-finals in 2014 and were defeated, then lost to Bixby last year in the State Championship.

Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. The award is not given to anyone in consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of the Sandite Pride Editorial Board.

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.

Sandite of the Week: Josh Taber tears up the Bixby offense and the classroom

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By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

Charles Page High School senior Josh Taber was selected as Sandite of the Week for his outstanding performance both on the football field and in the classroom. 

The 5'11" 160 pound defensive back and wide receiver led his team in unassisted tackles this past week in the regular season finale at Bixby and was also recently given commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Program. 

Taber hasn't spent much time in the receiver slot this season, holding four receptions for 28 yards. Last season he hauled in five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. He seems to have found his niche in the secondary where he's sitting at 35 tackles for this season, with only three assisted. He has recorded one tackle for a loss of two yards and also holds five breakups for the season. 

Last Friday Taber recorded a career-high ten tackles, all unassisted, including the one for loss and one for no gain. All but two of his tackles stopped the ball carrier short of the first down. In the final stanza, as the Sandites definitely needed a turnover, he was stride for stride with the carrier on his last three tackles trying to wrestle the ball away. Though he wasn't able to force a fumble, he fought hard to try and give his offense another shot and played near-perfect defense. 

Taber was also one of two Charles Page High School students to receive commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Program as a result of his performance on the PSAT-National Merit Qualifying Test.

In addition to football, he is a talented athlete on both the Sandite basketball and baseball teams. He finished last spring with a .363 batting average with 34 singles, 3 doubles, 21 RBI, 31 runs, and 7 sacrifices on 102 at bats. He was 23 of 28 stealing bases. Last winter he finished the basketball season with 33 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. He will likely see increased action this year as a senior.

This is his first time being named Sandite of the Week, though he has been a finalist many times. His older brother, Jacob, was also named Sandite of the Week last December, and his younger sister, Jacie, was named Sandite of the Week in August. Josh is the son of Amy and Ronnie Taber. Ronnie is a member of the Sandite football coaching staff.

SEE RELATED: Sandites of the Week for August through September
SEE RELATED: Sandite of the Week: Jacob Taber

Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. The award is not given to anyone in consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of the Sandite Pride Editorial Board.

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.

Sandite of the Week: Carter Young takes Gold at Pan-American Championship in Colombia

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Clyde Boyd Middle School Eighth Grade student Carter Young was selected as the Sandite Pride Sandite of the Week for his outstanding performance at the first annual Schoolboy Pan-American Championship this past weekend.

The young Sandite departed last week for Medellin, Colombia as a member of the Team USA schoolboy wrestling squad. He was one of only ten Americans selected to the team, which featured three Oklahomans.

Young went undefeated in the Freestyle competition, taking the Gold medal with four technical falls without giving up a single point. He was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament for his dominating performance. In Greco-Roman he came in Runner-Up after losing in the finals and took home a Silver medal. 

Earlier this summer he took first place at the ASICS Kids Freestyle National Championship and achieved All-American honors in both Freestyle and Greco for going undefeated in the Schoolboy National Duals on Team Oklahoma. 

Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. The award is not given to anyone in consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of the Sandite Pride Editorial Board.

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.

Sandite of the Week: Cheyenne Walden

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

This week Sandite Pride News would like to recognize Charles Page High School junior Cheyenne Walden as Sandite of the Week for her outstanding performance at the Regional Track Meet Saturday at Claremore High School.

Walden is the first Lady Sandite ever to qualify for State in four different categories. She placed first in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:17.06, first in the 3200 with a time of 11:00.78, and third in the 800 with a time of 2:21.30. 

Additionally, Walden carried the baton on the last leg of the two mile relay and helped her teammates become the first squad to ever qualify from Sand Springs in that category. Nia Byrd, Alexis Davis, and Elizabeth Watts will be joining her at the State Championship this weekend at Moore High School. 

Walden is quite possibly the greatest runner in school history and already holds four State Championship medals. She claimed her third-consecutive Cross Country State Championship this fall and she also won the 3600 at last year's State Track Meet.

Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. Bylaws prevent the giving of the award to anyone for two consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of a three-person staff committee. 

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.

3X Sandite of the Week: Daton Fix

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

This week Sandite Pride would like to recognize Charles Page High School junior Daton Fix as Sandite of the Week for his outstanding performance at the United World of Wrestling Junior Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Fix traveled to Vegas this weekend to defend his 2015 UWW Junior National title, and defend it he did, defeating some of the top names in the game. The 126 pound grappler is ranked second in the nation in his weight class and is riding a 54-straight win streak with 21 pins and 20 tech falls, only winning two matches since October by less than eight points. 

The tournament featured some tough competition. Fix defeated University at Buffalo sophomore Kyle Akins 14-4, and two-time Illinois State Champion Kristopher Williams 10-0. In the semi-finals he scored a 10-0 tech fall over Austin Gomez, who is ranked fifth in the nation in 126 and just finished the high school season with a 40-1 record and a State Championship. The final match was Fix's closest battle since October, but he still came out with the win, defeating Gavin Teasdale 6-5 for the Championship. Teasdale is ranked first in the nation in class 113. 

This is Fix's third time being featured as Sandite of the Week. Some of Fix's titles include:

  • 2011 ASICS/USAW Kids Freestyle Schoolboy National Championship
  • 2012 ASICS/USAW Kids Folkstyle Schoolboy National Runner-Up
  • 2012 ASICS/USAW Schoolboy Freestyle National Champion
  • 2012 ASICS/USAW Schoolboy Greco-Roman National Champion
  • 2012 Cliff Keen USAW Preseason National Middle School Champion
  • 2013 FILA Cadet Nationals Freestyle Runner-Up
  • 2013 USAW Cadet Greco-Roman National Champion
  • 2013 USAW Cadet Freestyle National Champion
  • 2013 Kansas City Stampede Champion
  • 2014 OSSAA 6A State Champion
  • 2014 Cliff Keen USAW Cadet Folkstyle National Champion
  • 2014 Cadet Freestyle Pan American Champion
  • 2014 Cadet Greco-Roman Pan American Champion
  • 2014 ASICS/FILA Cadet National Freestyle Champion
  • 2014 USAW Junior Freestyle Dual National Champion (Team Oklahoma)
  • 2014 World Freestyle Championship 10th Place
  • 2014 Youth Olympic Games Freestyle Silver Medalist
  • 2014 Super 32 Runner-Up
  • 2014 Kansas City Stampede Champion
  • 2015 OSSAA 6A State Champion
  • 2015 Junior Folkstyle FloNationals Champion
  • 2015 UWW Junior Freestyle National Champion
  • 2015 UWW Cadet Freestyle National Champion
  • 2015 Junior Freestyle Dual National Champion (Team Oklahoma)
  • 2015 USAW Junior Freestyle National Champion
  • 2015 Cadet World Championship Bronze Medalist
  • 2015 Kansas City Stampede Champion
  • 2015 Geary Invitational Champion
  • 2016 OSSAA 6A State Champion

Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. Bylaws prevent the giving of the award to anyone for two consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of a three-person staff committee. 

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.