Postseason Preview: Sandites Host Lawton Friday

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.

6A-II No. 5 Sand Springs (7-3) is set to host Lawton (3-7) Friday in only their second meeting ever. The first and only meeting was a 5A semifinal playoff game that Lawton won 14-10 in 1987.

The Bracket

The winner of Sand Springs vs. Lawton will advance to play No. 3 Choctaw (7-2), who gets a first-round bye. On the same side of the bracket is No. 8 Tahlequah (3-7) at Putnam City (4-6), with the winner playing No. 1 Stillwater (8-2).

On the other side of the bracket is No. 10 Putnam City North (4-6) at No. 6 Bartlesville (4-6), with the winner playing No. 2 Edmond Deer Creek (8-2), and No. 9 Putnam City West (5-5) at No. 7 Ponca City (5-5), with the winner playing No. 4 Muskogee (8-2).

The Contenders

Stillwater is the defending State Champion, though they’ve spent most of the season at the No. 4 spot after a head coach change and the graduation of many starters resulted in an 0-2 start. Since then, the Pioneers are 8-0 with a statement 30-20 win over Muskogee in the district title game. Last year was their second championship overall and their third finals appearance in the past five years.

Deer Creek is looking for its first State title since 2000 when the Antlers were still 3A. They made the finals in 2021 but were outmatched 63-14 by juggernaut Bixby. Deer Creek started the season 1-2, playing up a division against a trio of 6A-I schools. They closed the season on a 7-0 streak with a signature 25-20 win against Choctaw in Week 6.

Choctaw finished the year with four wins in a row after the close loss at Deer Creek. The Yellowjackets have made the finals in two of the past three years but are still looking for their first title since a Class B championship in 1960. They outscored fellow playoff teams Lawton, Putnam City, and Ponca City by a combined 171 to 39 in the final three games.

Muskogee has returned to its blue blood form the past two years in pursuit of its first title since 1986 and fifth overall. The Roughers are 4-0 in championship games but 0-6 in the semis since their last gold ball and looking to take that next step forward after getting stopped in the semis last year.

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.

The Dark Horse

Bartlesville is undoubtedly the best team in the playoffs with a losing record. In three consecutive losses to Stillwater, Muskogee, and Sand Springs, the combined score was only 64 to 54. There was also a season-opening one-point loss to 5A No. 6 Claremore (9-1). The Bruins got back in the win column with a 51-20 domination of Tahlequah to close the regular season.

The Bruins have never made it to a State finals game and they haven’t made it past the quarterfinals since 2015.

The Hopefuls

Ponca City won a first-round playoff game last year for the first time since 1986 and is looking to take another step forward this season. The Wildcats have never won the gold ball and last played for it in 1965.

Tahlequah has qualified for the playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons, but they haven’t gotten past the first round since 2020 when they were still 5A. They have never won a State title, falling in the 4A finals in 1989.

Putnam City West is making its first postseason appearance since 2016 and looking for its first win since 1994. The Patriots won their lone title in 1981 in Class 4A and haven’t made it to the finals since then.

Putnam City North won a playoff game as recently as 2020 but missed out on the postseason last year. The Panthers won their only gold ball in 1991 in Class 5A and made their last finals appearance in 2001 in 6A.

Putnam City is looking to win its first playoff game since 2007. The Pirates won three titles in four years from 1974 to 1977 but haven’t made the finals since that 4A run.

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

Sandites Sweep District Double-Header Against Putnam North

Sandwiched between two storms, the Charles Page High School softball team (13-8, 4-4) managed to win a key district double-header against Putnam City North (6-13, 2-7) on Monday afternoon.

The games were originally scheduled to be played Tuesday, September 5th at Putnam City, but after the long drive to Warr Acres, the Lady Sandites had to turn around and come back after just one inning due to lightning.

The games moved to the Sandites’ home field instead and play resumed right where it left off, with the home team trailing 1-0.

The Panthers held that narrow margin till the top of the fifth, despite loading the bases in the second.

Sand Springs stranded two singles in the third but wouldn’t get on the scoreboard till Kelsi Hilton came home on an error in the fifth. They stranded two more in that inning and Putnam threatened to get back on top with a pair of singles in the sixth.

But, Hilton caught a line drive at short to come in for a final at-bat and hit a full-count double to rally the troops. Lakelyn Harger and Kaylei Rake walked to load the bases.

Hilton scored the go-ahead on a passed ball and Kylie King plated an insurance run with a sacrifice fly before the Panthers found out number three.

Hilton, Bailey Copeland, and Rake collected ground balls to strand one runner in the bottom of the seventh to wrap up game one.

Addison Hughes (8-4) got the win in the pitcher’s circle with three strikeouts against six hits and two walks in six innings. Hilton (3-2) closed the game out with no hits and no walks in the seventh.

Hilton resumed pitching in the second game of the day, tossing eight strikeouts, four hits, and one walk in a 9-3 victory.

The Panthers once again took a first-inning lead on two singles, though this time the Sandites tied it up immediately on an RBI double from Harger after Bella Wilson reached on an error.

The Sandites stranded two in the third and Putnam North reclaimed the lead with an RBI double of their own in the fourth - but once again the Sandites had an answer.

This time it was Rake with the tying run on Kylie King’s ground ball fielder’s choice to second. Wilson hit an RBI single on loaded bases to bring in Kenzie King for the lead, Kylie King scored on an error, Harger hit a two-run single, and Morgan Rector scored on another error to make it 7-2 before the inning came to a close.

Monica Coats added one more run for the Panthers in the top of the sixth but Wilson responded with a triple and scored on a ground out by Rector - then Hilton hit a solo blast to left field for the final run of the game.

Just in time - the games ended not long before torrential downpours arrived in Sand Springs to threaten the rest of the week’s plans.

Sand Springs also has home double-headers scheduled against Yukon (11-11, 3-3) on Tuesday and Booker T. Washington (1-11, 0-9) on Thursday. Whether the fields will be dry enough to play remains to be seen.

Tuesday will be a Youth Night event at 4:30 p.m. Youth softball players can wear their team jersey or softball camp shirt to get free entry into the game and will also be allowed on the field to join the high school team for the anthem.

Thursday will be Senior Night, weather permitting.

Monday’s wins restored the Sandites to fourth place in the district standings, though they are in line to finish third if they can win out this week.

Sandites Wrap Up Bixby Tournament With Wins Over Muskogee, Coweta

Addison Hughes improved to 7-4 on the season with a 5-strikeout performance against Muskogee.

After going 1-1 on the first day of the Bixby Tournament, the Sandite softball team (11-8) wrapped things up with a pair of 5-3 wins over Muskogee and Coweta on Saturday.

Lakelyn Harger went 3-for-3 at the plate to spark the Sandites to their 13th consecutive victory over the Roughers (11-12), a streak dating back to 2015.

Bailey Copeland got the party started in the top of the second, reaching on an error before scoring on a ground out from Addison Hughes. Kylie King hit a single and scored on another error to make it 2-0 and the Sandites would never trail.

Harger hit her second single of the game in the top of the third and scored on another Rougher error to go up 3-0.

Jaliyah Simmons walked in the bottom of the third and Jaye Barnoski reached on a dropped third strike to set up Jamiah Maxwell for a two-run single to avert the shutout, but the Sandites got right back to scoring in the fourth.

Harger hit an RBI double to bring in Bella Wilson before scoring on an error to make it 5-2, but Muskogee would score one more run in before the game was over - an RBI single from Lariah Stewart to plate Simmons, who tripled.

Hughes (7-4) got the start and the win in the circle, tossing four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts in four innings. Harger threw the final inning, surrendering two hits with one strikeout.

Kelsi Hilton (2-2) got the win in game two, tossing four hits, no walks, and two strikeouts in four innings against Coweta (7-15), taking over in the second inning for Kylie King (2-2), who surrendered four hits.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead against the Sandites on four hits in the bottom of the first, but Harger tied it up in the third with a two-run single to score Wilson and Morgan Rector.

Sierra Soto scored on a single from Zaidyn Denton in the fourth to put Coweta back on top, but Kaylei Rake repaid the favor with a two-run single in the fifth to bring in Wilson and Hilton. Rake added an insurance run on a hit from Copeland for the final 5-3 score.

Hilton and Rake both went 2-for-3 at the plate in that game. Hilton had a team-high two runs, while Harger and Rake had two RBIs apiece.

The Sandites are poised for a busy week in district play as they prepare for a trio of double-headers.

On Monday they will travel to Putnam City North (6-11, 2-5) at noon for a pair of makeup games that were originally scheduled for last Tuesday. Sand Springs trailed 1-0 in the top of the second when inclement weather postponed it.

Sand Springs will host Yukon (11-11, 3-3) at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Booker T. Washington (1-11, 0-9) at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Shelli Brown Earns 650th Career Win as Sandites Defeat Glenpool 4-1

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The Charles Page High School softball team (9-8) snapped a five-game losing streak with a milestone win Friday morning at the Bixby Tournament, dealing Glenpool (10-10) a 4-1 loss for head coach Shelli Brown’s 650th win with the Sandites.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, freshman Lakelyn Harger hit a two-run go-ahead double to center field before scoring on a single from Kaylei Rake.

Kenzie King added an insurance run in the fourth to get the Sandites back in the win column for the first time in three weeks.

Addison Hughes (6-4) got the win in the circle, tossing nine strikeouts with only four hits and no walks.

In the second game of the tournament the girls were upset 3-1 by Haskell (16-7) in a five-inning battle.

Both teams left two stranded in the first inning but Haskell got hot in the third to take a 3-0 lead on a walk, two singles, and a double.

Sand Springs stranded two more on a pair of walks in the bottom of the third and both teams stranded a single in the fourth.

The Haymakers hit two doubles in the fifth but were unable to pad their lead. Bella Wilson hit a one-out solo homer to try and spark a Sandite rally but after a single from Morgan Rector the Haymakers put the game away on a pair of fielder’s choices.

Kelsi Hilton (1-2) got the loss, pitching five hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in three innings. Kylie King (2-2) tossed three hits, no walks, and two strikeouts in relief.

Sand Springs will return to tournament play Saturday at 11:40 a.m. against Muskogee (10-11) and will play Coweta (11-9) at 1:20 p.m. at Bentley Park.

On Thursday evening the Sandites fell 9-1 to Broken Arrow (19-2) in a key district battle.

Hughes recorded the loss in that game, surrendering only two hits, no earned runs, and three walks with five strikeouts in 2.2 innings as the starter and the closer.

Hilton returned to the pitcher’s circle in the third inning for the first time in three weeks after nursing an arm injury. She tossed seven hits, three walks, and one strikeout in three innings.

Kylie King tossed two hits in the seventh inning before Hughes returned to the circle to close out the game.

Rake was 2-of-3 as the lead hitter for the Sandites while Rector scored the lone run on a single from Hilton in the fourth inning to avert the shutout.

Sand Springs kicked off the week with a brief trip to Putnam City North (6-11, 2-5) on Tuesday that was supposed to be a double-header.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead before the game was postponed in the top of the second due to inclement weather. Those games will be made up on Monday.

Sandites Fall 11-3 to Broken Arrow, Bella Wilson Goes Yard

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Bella Wilson hit the Sandites’ first homer of the season, but Sand Springs fell 11-3 to Broken Arrow.

The Charles Page High School softball season may start to feel like a roller coaster for the Sandite faithful. After starting the year 7-1, the girls are now 1-5 over their last six games, falling 11-3 to Broken Arrow Tuesday night in district play.

Despair not! All five losses during that tough skid came against last year’s State Tournament teams and the schedule’s about to get a little friendlier.

Up next for the Sandites (8-6, 2-3) is a district double-header at Putnam City North (5-8, 2-4) on Tuesday before they’ll get a rematch against Broken Arrow on Thursday.

In the first meeting with the Tigers, the girls were mostly undone by two rough innings that made the score a little more lopsided than the game itself felt.

Broken Arrow only out-hit the home team 11 to 8, but Sand Springs left 12 runners stranded, including loaded bases twice.

The Sandites stranded two in the first inning and one in the second before the visitors took a 4-0 lead in the third on two singles, a walk, and two doubles.

Sand Springs stranded two more in the fourth and Broken Arrow made it 9-0 on two singles, two doubles, and a home run from Josie Henson.

Morgan Rector gave the home team new life with a double to lead off the fifth and Bella Wilson got the Sandites on the board with a homer to center field in the next at-bat. It was the first dinger of the season for Sand Springs.

Broken Arrow scored two more in the sixth but Kylie King caught Jordyn Davis looking to strand loaded bases.

Kenzie and Kylie King both singled in the bottom of the inning and Wilson drew a walk to load the bases, but Cali Lieurance struck out Bailey Copeland to strand the side.

Sand Springs threatened again in the seventh with a walk from Lakelyn Harger and singles from Kaylei Rake and Ashlyn Clark to load the bases with only one out, but Rake was called out for offensive interference on a single form Kenzie King.

Harger scored on a passed ball and Kylie King walked, but Jaden Hendron struck out Rector to end the game.

Addison Hughes (5-3) got the start and the loss, tossing 10 hits, one walk, and five strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Harger pitched a third of an inning and tossed one hit and two walks. Kylie King finished the game with no hits, no walks, and three strikeouts in two innings.

Kenzie King was the hot hand at the plate, going 3-for-3, while Wilson did the most scoring with one run and two RBIs.

The game marked the Tigers tenth-consecutive win against Sand Springs in a streak dating back to 2016.

Sandite Sports Weekly Roundup: Softball Goes 3-0 to End Regular Season

Sandite softball (23-14) went 3-0 in the final week of the regular season, winning 6-0 against Sperry, 8-3 against Sapulpa, and 7-2 against Collinsville.

They also received their Regional assignment and will return to action Tuesday, October 4th, at Broken Arrow with a first round game at 2:00 p.m. against Muskogee (14-22). On the other side of the bracket is Broken Arrow (25-9) vs. Putnam City North (8-23).

Sand Springs has yet to play Muskogee this season but lost a close 7-5 meeting with Broken Arrow at the Tigers’ home tournament, and beat Putnam North 1-0 twice in district action.

The Sandites have won 17 Regional titles and are aiming to return to the State Tournament for the first time 2019.

On Monday Addison Hughes tossed seven strikeouts with only four hits in the shutout at Sperry (23-10). Kenzie King went 3-of-4 at the plate with one run and one RBI.

The Sandites haven’t lost a Highway 97 Rivalry game in over a decade and this time it was Kelsi Hilton who led the charge against the Chieftains (14-17) with a seventh-inning grand slam while tossing eight strikeouts. Jaden Jordan also hit a home run.

In the final game of the regular season Hughes tossed eight strikeouts and three hits against Collinsville (9-22). The Cardinals took an early 2-0 lead but Jordan tied it with a two-run double in the third and Mikena Stephens hit the go-ahead RBI single in a five-run fourth inning.

Volleyball

The 16th ranked Sandite volleyball team (16-16, 3-5) went 5-2 last week, splitting a pair of conference matches before going 4-1 at the Southmoore Invitational.

The team won a 3-0 sweep of Muskogee on Tuesday but fell 3-1 to Booker T. Washington on Thursday. They put up a great fight against the Hornets, however, losing close sets of 25-17, 28-26, and 25-22 after winning the first 28-26.

In Moore the girls lost 2-1 to conference foe Bartlesville, but won 2-1 against No. 12 Moore, 2-1 against Bishop Kelley JV, 3-0 against Shawnee, and 3-1 against Southmoore.

The Sandites have one last regular season match Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. against No. 1 Jenks (26-4, 7-0).

Cross Country

Josie Grona took first place in the elementary meet at Kiefer Saturday morning, running the one-mile in 6:14.92. Sophie Grona finished fifth in 7:05.26 and the team took eighth.

The elementary boys also placed eighth, led by Kellen Adkins with a 6:30.74 mile for tenth place.

Shooting

Caden Shea won the Muscogee Nation Trap Shoot Wednesday with a score of 24.

Fishing

Gabriel Castellano and Ean Williams took 22nd place at the Oklahoma Bass Nation season opener Saturday on Ft. Gibson Lake. The duo caught five fish weighing 7.32 pounds. Nate Griffin and Eli Rogers placed 31st, Caden Strawn and Drew Turner placed 46th, Decana Plummer and Gunner Beasley placed 47th, and Jonathan Isley and Jaxon Trotter placed 49th.