Lady Sandite Softball says goodbye to six seniors after this season: three will play in college

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School softball team has had a heck of a ride this year and will graduate six seniors this Saturday. Cody Cheatham, Stella Millican, Kennedy "Goose" Salyers, Jessica Schuler, and Caley Thompson have all played their last games for the Sandites, but each has even bigger and better things in store. 

In the fast pitch season this fall the Lady Sandites had one of the best seasons in school history with a 31-9 record and lost the State Championship 4-3 to Choctaw in the finals. The team was shorthanded in the slow pitch season this spring and got off to a rough start, but finished with a winning record of 12-7 and had several quality wins over highly ranked opponents.

Cheatham played third base during the fast pitch season and scored 12 runs and 11 RBI with a .246 batting average, .318 slugging average, and .268 on-base percentage. She hit 13 singles, 3 doubles, and 1 triple.

Mallory played catcher during the fast pitch season and scored 6 runs and 26 RBI with a .351 batting average, .486 slugging average, and .415 OBP. She hit 26 singles, 12 doubles, and 1 home run.

Millican played right field in the fast pitch season and scored 8 runs and 5 RBI with a .164 batting average, .196 slugging average, and .329 OBP. She hit 8 singles and 2 doubles. In the slow pitch season she scored 7 runs and 18 RBI with a .423 batting average, .635 slugging average, and .524 OBP. She hit 16 singles, 2 doubles, 3 triples, and 1 home run. She also pitched a 4-3 record for a 1.40 earned run average and 2.779 WHIP. Over 41 innings she struck out 1 batter with a 61% strike percentage. Millican will be playing for the Evangels at Mid-American Christian University this fall. 

Salyers played left field and pitched during the fast pitch season and scored 53 runs and 10 RBI with a .387 batting average, .556 slugging average, and .472 OBP. She hit 28 singles, 17 doubles, and 3 triples. She amassed an incredible 18-2 record on the mound with an impressive 1.64 ERA and 1.245 WHIP. Over 119 innings she struck out 70 batters with a 66% strike percentage. In the slow pitch season she scored 33 runs and 15 RBI with a .500 batting average, .771 slugging average, and .545 OBP. She hit 23 singles, 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 home runs. Salyers will be playing for Southwestern Oklahoma State University in the fall.

Schuler played first base during the fast pitch season and scored 38 runs and 63 RBI with a team-high .514 batting average, .897 slugging average, and .606 OBP. She hit 36 singles, 8 doubles, 11 home runs, and 4 grand slams. In the slow pitch season she scored 26 runs and 37 RBI with a .566 batting average, 1.509 slugging average, and .662 OBP. She hit 9 singles, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 14 home runs, and 1 grand slams. She also pitched an 8-4 record for a 1.13 ERA and 2.143 WHIP. Over 72 innings she struck out 2 batters with a 38% strike percentage. Schuler will be playing for Northeastern State University this fall. 

Thompson scored 10 runs during the fast pitch season with a .160 batting average, .160 slugging average, and .192 OBP with 4 singles. She will be attending Savannah College of Art and Design this fall where she will be studying visual arts and animation programs.

The Charles Page High School graduation will be held this Saturday at the Mabee Center at 7:30 PM. Doors will open for the event at 6:00 PM.

Lady Sandites sweep Sapulpa rivals in double-header victories

View fullsize

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

A new chapter of the Highway 97 Rivalry was written Thursday night at Chieftain Softball Stadium as the Charles Page High School slow pitch softball team (10-5) dealt their nemesis back-to-back losses. In the first battle, Sand Springs led for the entirety of the game. Sapulpa rallied from an 8-2 deficit thanks to a pair of home runs by Analys Gloden, who is signed to Rose State College. Ultimately Sand Springs held on for the 8-7 win behind pitcher and Mid-American Christian University-signee Stella Millican (4-3).

In game two it was Northeastern State University-signee Jessica Schuler (6-2) with the win on the mound, giving up just two earned runs and twelve hits over eight innings. The Lady Sandites committed more than half a dozen errors over the course of the game, many resulting in runs. Ally Skaggs got the loss for Sapulpa.

Sand Springs wasted no time in getting on base, landing two hits on two pitches as Southwestern Oklahoma State University-signee Kennedy "Goose" Salyers hit a leadoff single, followed by a first-pitch double from Kimi Presnell. Oklahoma State University-commit Sydney Pennington doubled to score both runners for the 2-0 advantage.

Sapulpa wasn't content to trail this time and promptly tied things up in the same inning. Taylor Acree, who pitched the loss in the first game, scored on a single by Kristen Moore. Next was Gloden who scored the equalizer on a single by Coffeyville Community College-signee Raini Deeringwater.

Jensen Arnold reclaimed the lead for Sand Springs in the top of the second on a Jacie Taber sacrifice, but the Chieftains took their first lead of the game as Feather Roberts and Adrianna Butler scored on an error by Salyers. 

The back-and-forth scoring continued as Schuler hit a home run and Rachel Blair singled in Jessica Collins to make it 5-4. In the bottom of the fourth, Jessica Hobbs hit a single and picked up two more bases to score Azelea Fogleman on an error at first. Acree batted in Hobbs and Sapulpa had the 6-5 edge.

Rachel Blair singled in Collins in the top of the fifth to tie things up, and the score would hold at 6-6 till the top of the eighth. With two outs and two strikes, Presnell resurrected the Sandite offense on a do-or-die double into the left field fence. Pennington followed it up with a double of her own for the go-ahead run, then was batted in on a single by Schuler.

Sand Springs gave up a single to Blakely Alden, but Skaggs, Adriana Banks, and Roberts were each put out by Pennington for the victory. 

The Sandites return to action next Tuesday on a road game at Bixby (5-14). Sapulpa plays Memorial (4-16) next Tuesday, then the Highway 97 foes will get a rematch in yet another double-header next Thursday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

CPHS grad Nick Tate wins NAIA National Championship in 100-99 OT upset

View fullsize

Photo by: Brian Beard, Creative Images Photography

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School Class of 2011 graduate Nick Tate is a basketball National Champion after scoring 14 points for No.4 Mid-American Christian University in a 100-99 overtime nail-biter upset against No.1 Georgetown, Kentucky.

Things never came together for Tate's class in high school. The Sandites went 14-46 over the three years that Tate was at Charles Page, but that didn't stop the talented player from averaging 22.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game his senior year. He was the leading 6A scorer on the East side of the state and made the Frontier Valley All-Conference First Team, Tulsa All-Metro Second Team, and was an honorable mention on the Oklahoma All-State Team. 

In April of 2011, Tate signed to play with Oklahoma Christian University and was one of the top outside shooters in the entire Heartland Conference. He played in 28 games as a true freshman, started two, and averaged 8.6 points per game. He had the second-best shooting percentage on the team at 48.6% and scored a season-high 22 points with 13 rebounds in a win over Crowley's Ridge. He recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in a NAIA playoff loss to eventual National Champion Concordia, California. 

His sophomore year he scored 13 points in a single period in a season-opening win over Central Bible College and went on to play in all 31 games and averaged 10.2 points and 4.3 rebounds with a 41.9% three-point shooting percentage. He hit a game-winning 18-foot turnaround buzzer-beater jump shot in overtime for a win over Arkansas-Ft. Smith and scored a career-high 23 points in a loss at St. Mary's, Texas, then led his team with 17 points in a win over Spring Arbor, Michigan in the NCCAA Championship quarterfinals in his team's first year in the league. That year he played in his first National Championship Title game, but lost to Shorter, Georgia in overtime. 

In his junior year he started 24 games and increased his scoring average to 14.4 points per game and was the second-leading scorer on the team. From there he transferred to Southwestern Oklahoma State University and redshirted due to NCAA Division II transfer rules. Instead of playing his senior year at SWOSU, he transferred again to Mid-American Christian University for his final year of eligibility.

This season he started 32 games and played in 35 for the Evangels and averaged 26 points and 6.7 rebounds per game to help his team post a 28-9 record. In January he was named the Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week and in February he scored a career-high 33 against Southwestern Christian University.

The Evangels worked their way through the NAIA Division I Championship bracket this past week. Tate scored 10 points against Park and Biola, 3 in the quarterfinals against Cumberlands, 11 in the semis against Campbellsville, and 14 in the Championship game against Georgetown. 

Georgetown led for the entire game, once by as much as 14, till MACU ran 19-5 to tie the game up at 60 with 13:11 left. From there Georgetown was fighting to keep minor leads as the two teams exchanged baskets for the next 11 minutes. 

With 0:21 left, Chris Runnels hit a field goal to force overtime at 82-82. Georgetown hit four from the charity stripe to start the extra period, but MACU responded quickly, taking an 87-86 lead. The two teams exchanged the lead three more times before the Evangels finally won it. Trent Gilbert hit a three from the corner with less than five seconds to play for the Georgetown advantage, but Malcom Mann drove the distance and got off the buzzer-beater with a tenth-second left and the Evangels took home the first NAIA National Title in school history. Not only that, but it was the team's first ever National Title appearance in school history. 

Tate was a valuable piece of the puzzle in his team's Championship game, grabbing 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, in addition to his 14 points. He was also named NAIA Player of the Year. Not a half-bad senior year, if you ask me.