OSSAA Soccer: Sandites finish as District Runners-Up, will host Enid in playoffs

Not only is the Charles Page High School boys’ soccer team headed to the playoffs for the first time in recent memory, they also get to host their first round game after finishing as the District 6A-4 Runners-Up.

The Sandites (12-2) concluded the regular season last week with a 4-2 road win against Capitol Hill, putting them at a 5-2 district record. Also 5-2 is Owasso, who the Sandites defeated 5-4 last Tuesday for the tie-breaker win. Securing the district crown was the defending State Champions from Union (10-2, 7-0).

Sand Springs will host Enid (9-6) Tuesday, April 30th, at 7:00 p.m. The quarterfinals will be held Friday, May 3rd on the home field of the winner of Jenks vs. Norman. Semifinals are set for Tuesday, May 7th. The Championship round will be played either May 10th or 11th.

Sand Springs is having a historic season, winning their first nine matches and the Edison Green and White Tournament. They are 6-2 against 6A opponents, have won their last two matches, own four shutouts, and win by an average score of 3-1.

Enid is 7-4 against 6A foes and is coming off a win with an average score of 2-1. Neither team qualified for last year’s playoffs.

The Sandites previously beat the Plainsmen 2-1 in a non-district overtime shootout. Gustavo Saldana made a regulation penalty kick to tie the match and send it to overtime. Then Kaiden Cox, David Fancher, Fernando Saldana, and Gustavo Saldana all made PKs to win the shootout 4-3. Ethan Tippit got the win in the net with three saves.

Fernando Saldana, a sophomore, has been the bread and butter for the Sandite offense this season with fourteen goals. No Sandite but Saldana has scored a hat trick, and Saldana has two. He also has two braces and a four-point performance against Shawnee.

Sand Springs isn’t a one-hit wonder, however. Twelve players have scored and eleven have goals. Senior Gustavo Saldana and sophomore Jack Bratcher both have braces and are tied for second on the team in total scoring.

CPHS Season Stats

Goals
14 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
5 Gustavo Saldana
4 Luke Jeffus
1 Miguez Munoz
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Cameron Summerton
1 Kaleb Brooks

PKs
3 Fernando Saldana
3 David Fancher
2 Luke Jeffus
2 Gustavo Saldana
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Cameron Summerton

Total Scoring
17 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
7 Gustavo Saldana
6 Luke Jeffus
3 David Fancher
2 Kaiden Cox
2 Cameron Summerton
1 Miguel Munoz
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Kaleb Brooks

First Round Pairings

Southmoore (7-7) at U.S. Grant (12-2).

• Grant went 6-1 for the District 1 title, with their only 6A loss coming 5-1 to Deer Creek. They win by an average score of 3-1, have recorded six shutouts and one mercy rule victory, and have won their last five matches. They are ranked 23rd in the nation by MaxPreps with wins over Putnam City, Westmoore, and Edmond North. Grant was eliminated in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

• Southmoore is 4-7 against 6A opponents and is riding a three-match losing streak. They win by an average score of 3-2, have five shutouts this season with one mercy rule win. Southmoore did not qualify for the post season last year.

Deer Creek (10-3-1) at Mustang (12-3).

• Mustang is ranked 23rd in the country by USA Today, and holds an 8-3 record against 6A opponents. They win by an average score of 4-1, have seven shutouts, one mercy-rule win, and are coming off a loss in the de facto district title game. They have wins over Southmoore and Putnam City.

• Deer Creek is 8-3-1 against 6A opponents with three shutouts, and is on a three-game win streak. They win by an average score of 3-2 and have victories over Southmoore, U.S. Grant, and Edmond North.

• The Broncos previously defeated Deer Creek 3-1 in the second game of the season. Last year Deer Creek upset Mustang 5-1 in the first round of the playoffs.

Bixby (8-7) at Union (10-2).

• Union went undefeated in District 4 and their only in-state loss was 2-1 to Jenks in the season opener. They win by an average score of 3-1, have six shutouts, and are on a four-match win streak. The defending State Champions are ranked 14th in the nation by MaxPreps and have wins over Broken Arrow, Norman North, Norman, Owasso, and Sand Springs.

• Bixby is 5-5 in 6A action, with an average score of 3-1. They’ve won five shutouts and are on a three-game win streak. Bixby did not qualify for last year’s playoffs.

Owasso (9-6) at Broken Arrow (9-3).

• Broken Arrow is 7-2 against 6A opponents with their only losses coming to Union and Jenks. They’ve won four shutouts, beat Enid and Bixby, and are on a five-match win streak with an average score of 3-1.

• Owasso is 6-5 against 6A foes and is coming off a win. They own five shutouts this season, winning by an average score of 3-1, and have victories against Bixby and Norman.

• Broken Arrow previously beat the Rams 2-0 in their third match of the season, and beat them 4-0 in last season’s first round playoff.

Norman (10-3-1) at Jenks (15-0-1).

• The Trojans are one of only two undefeated teams left in the state, ranked 3rd in the nation by USA Today and 9th by Max Preps. They have a division-best nine shutouts and two mercy-rule wins, an average score of 4-0, with wins over Union, Broken Arrow, Bixby, and Enid. They are the returning State Runners-Up.

• Norman is 9-3-1 against 6A opponents with six shutouts and wins over Southmoore, Norman North, Westmoore, and Sand Springs. They win by an average score of 3-1 are returning State qualifiers.

Enid (9-6) at Sand Springs (12-2).

Edmond North (9-5) at Norman North (10-5).

• Edmond North is 8-4 against 6A opponents and has several impressive showings in their resume. They have wins over Mustang and Westmoore and only lost by a single goal to both Grant and Deer Creek. They have five shutouts, are coming off a victory, and win by an average score of 3-2.

• Norman North is 9-3 against 6A foes, riding a three-match win streak with a 3-2 win over Mustang to clinch the District 2 title. They win by an average score of 3-2 and own four shutouts, with wins over Westmoore, Putnam, and Southmoore.

• Both teams are returning State Semifinalists, and Norman North beat the Huskies 3-2 in the third match of the season.

Putnam City (9-5) at Westmoore (9-6).

• Putnam is 7-4 against 6A opponents and coming off a win over Southmoore. They have six shutouts and one mercy-rule win, beating their foes by an average score of 3-1.

• Westmoore is 9-5 against 6A opponents and have won their past two matches. They have four shutouts, lead the division with four overtime wins, and have beaten Mustang, Southmoore, Deer Creek, and Owasso.

CPHS Soccer: Luke Jeffus scores hat trick in 4-2 brawl at Capitol Hill

The Charles Page High School boys’ soccer team (12-2, 5-2) ended the regular season with back-to-back district wins, topping Owasso (8-6, 4-2) in overtime Tuesday, and beating Capitol Hill (5-8, 2-4) Thursday to spoil the Red Wolves’ senior night.

On Tuesday Jack Bratcher recorded his first brace of the season, Cameron Summerton notched his first goal of the season, and Gustavo Saldana also made his way onto the board for a 4-4 tie in regulation. Fernando Saldana kicked the golden goal in the 87th minute of the match in sudden victory overtime.

The final district game started an hour late following a transportation issue and a lightning delay. At one point the boys were in the middle of loading up to leave when they finally got the go-ahead to start the night. They made the most of it, taking a 4-0 lead on the home team before the Red Wolves battled back, and some of the battles were quite physical.

Sand Springs got off ten shots in the first half and took a 3-0 lead. Luke Jeffus was first on the board, scoring on a corner kick from Bratcher in the 5th minute. Bratcher took a pair of shots of his own, scoring a header in the 12th minute to put back a shot from Gustavo Saldana that bounced off the goalpost.

Salvador Castellon took a free kick for the home team from ten yards out in the 20th minute. He kept it low on the ground and got it past everyone, but just a few inches wide of the goal. The Wolves made another run on goal a few minutes later but Kaiden Cox cleared the box for the Sandites and a pair of corresponding corner kicks sailed wide.

Senior Goalkeeper Jose Alvarez made a beautiful save on a shot from Bratcher in the 31st minute, then Miguel Lopez barely evacuated a shot from Gustavo Franco that got past Alvarez and into the goal but didn’t quite make it to the net. The resulting corner kick set up Jeffus for his first brace of the season in the 34th minute.

Gustavo Saldana bounced one off the goal post early in the second half, then Jeffus had a shot saved a few minutes later. Jeffus recorded his first hat trick from 25 yards out in the 45th. Alvarez blocked one shot, then Dawson Quinton nearly scored a putback but sent it a hair wide.

A full on brawl erupted in the 49th minute after a Sandite went down and a Red Wolf appeared to trample him. Both teams combined in a massive shoving match, but thankfully no punches were thrown and only Lopez received a yellow card. Quinton and Alvarez received yellow cards in the 60th minute and Lopez took over in the goal.

The Red Wolves finally began to battle back as Lopez saved shots from Kaleb Brooks and Gustavo Saldana and Jonathan Perez got them on the board in the 70th minute. Brooks received a technical with seven minutes left and Juan Vazquez made a 52-yard sailing free kick just over Xander Quirogas’s outstretched fingertips. Trent Goldman and Missael Hernandez were both carded after a brief shoving match with five minutes to play, but that was the last action of the night.

Capitol Hill will return to action Tuesday in non-district action against Western Heights (8-3) while the Sandites will return in the State Playoffs on April 30th.

CPHS Soccer: Demi Deshazo golden goal downs Capitol Hill in overtime

The Charles Page High School girls soccer team (7-7, 2-5) traveled to Oklahoma City Thursday evening for their regular season finale and ended the year with a .500 record after a 1-0 overtime win against Capitol Hill (3-9, 0-7). The match almost didn’t happen.

The Sandite teams arrived more than thirty minutes late after mechanical difficulty caused them to have to switch buses. They made it through the National Anthem and the team introductions, and were immediately sent back to the locker rooms after a lightning strike in the immediate vicinity.

The girls were cleared to take the field despite another storm cell threatening in the distance. The teams agreed to play 35 minute halves instead of 40s and finally the first match began, 75 minutes late. Thankfully, the next round of weather never arrived.

The game went through 70 minutes of regulation without a score, despite a lopsided offensive effort from the visitors. Capitol Hill didn’t get a single quality shot on goal, while the Sandites spent the majority of the game downfield. Sand Springs sent four shots a hair wide, had three saved, and bounced one off the goalpost.

The first half was uneventful, with the only close shot coming two minutes in from Ari Esparza. The second half was a melee. Esparza and Elizabeth Horn both had shots saved, and the Red Wolf goalie won several foot races against Sandite forwards to scoop up threatening balls.

After a scoreless second period they went to a ten-minute sudden victory overtime, and junior Demi Deshazo scored her second goal of the season to secure the victory in the 72nd minute of the match.

The girls’ 7-7 record matched their tally from the prior year, but they improved from 1-6 to 2-5 in district action, and had far better performances in each game. Offensively they averaged 1.86 points per game, compared to 1.71 from the prior year. But defensively they only gave up 1.93 compared to 3.5 the year before. It was their first season under Head Coach Matthew Watkins.

The Lady Sandites will be in good shape next season as they return 89% of their scoring power. They will only graduate four players in Amrey Lee, Alisha Carlisle, Brynlee Slankard, and Elizabeth Watts.

District 6A-4 Standings
6-0 Owasso (13-1)
5-1 Sapulpa (12-2)
5-1 Norman (7-5)
4-3 Union (7-6)
3-4 Edmond Santa Fe (4-7)
2-5 Sand Springs (7-7)
1-5 Shawnee (3-8)
0-7 Capitol Hill (3-9)

District Schedule
4/19 Owasso @ Sapulpa.
4/19 Norman @ Shawnee.

CPHS Season Stats

Goals
6 Elizabeth Horn
4 Ari Esparza
3 Baylee Metcalfe
2 Karsen Lynch
2 Demi Deshazo
1 Elizabeth Watts
1 Jade Patton
1 Kasandra Burgess
1 Kaslynn Horton
1 Amrey Lee
1 Brynlee Slankard
1 Morgan Poletek

PKs
3 Elizabeth Horn
2 Karsen Lynch
2 Demi Deshazo
1 Elizabeth Watts
1 Josie Gelsthorpe
1 Ari Esparza
1 Kaslynn Horton
1 Alyssa Perry

Total Scoring
9 Elizabeth Horn
5 Ari Esparza
4 Karsen Lynch
4 Demi Deshazo
3 Baylee Metcalfe
2 Elizabeth Watts
2 Kaslynn Horton
1 Josie Gelsthorpe
1 Jade Patton
1 Kasandra Burgess
1 Amrey Lee
1 Brynlee Slankard
1 Morgan Poletek
1 Alyssa Perry

CPHS Soccer: Sandites fall 4-0 to nationally-ranked State Champions from Union

The last time the Union High School boys’ soccer team visited Veterans Memorial Stadium, it was in last season’s 6A State Finals when they blanked Jenks 4-0 for the Championship. They returned Friday and did the same to Charles Page High School (10-2, 3-2), holding the Sandites to their first scoreless match of the season.

The nationally-ranked No. 12 Redskins (9-3, 5-0) completely stymied a historically potent Sandite offense that averages three goals per game to remain perfect in district action with only a week left in the regular season.

Standout Sandite sophomore Fernando Saldana came out eager, taking a gorgeous shot in the first minute that Union keeper Miguel Bustos barely tipped out, but that was about as close as the Sandites would get. Bustos saved a Saldanda header in the 15th minute, and Jack Bratcher nearly deflected one in off the keeper in the 23rd.

The Redskins tallied seven shots on goal in the first half. Ethan Tippit saved one, one bounced one off the post, and Johnny Rodriguez put the team on the board in the 22nd minute for a 1-0 halftime lead.

Bustos managed to deflect a shot from Luke Jeffus in the 47th minute and saved the corresponding corner kick from Bratcher. Tippit made three more saves but gave up two more goals and Xander Quiroga relieved him in the box.

Anthony Reyes and Isaias Anaya notched goals for Union in the second half. Bratcher made one last run on goal as time expired but his shot was deflected out of bounds as time expired.

Union only needs to win one more match to clinch the district title and their post season berth is secure. They will host Capitol Hill (5-7, 2-3) Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The Sandites will travel to Owasso (8-5, 4-1) Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.

District 6A-4 Standings
4-0 Union (6-1)
3-1 Owasso (7-5)
3-4 Sand Springs (11-1)
2-2 Edmond Santa Fe (5-7)
2-2 Capitol Hill (5-6)
1-3 Norman (7-3)
1-3 Sapulpa (5-7)
0-4 Shawnee (8-4)

Goals
10 Fernando Saldana
4 Jeffus
4 Bratcher
4 Gustavo Saldana
1 Munoz
1 Cox
1 Esparza
1 Franco
1 Quinton
1 Brooks

Penalty Kicks
3 Fernando Saldana
3 Fancher
2 Jeffus
2 Gustavo Saldana
1 Cox
1 Summerton

Total Scores
13 Fernando Saldana
6 Jeffus
6 Gustavo Saldana
4 Bratcher
3 Fancher
2 Cox
1 Munoz
1 Esparza
1 Franco
1 Quinton
1 Summerton
1 Brooks

CPHS Soccer: Sandites fall 2-1 to Union in OT, Esparza ends team scoring drought

Three nights after snapping a four-game losing streak in an overtime shootout, the Charles Page High School girls’ soccer team (6-6, 1-4) snapped yet another streak, scoring their first goal in a month. Though the Lady Sandites fell 2-1 in sudden victory overtime to Union (6-7, 2-3) and were eliminated from playoff contention, they got a moral victory when Ari Esparza ended a five-match scoring drought.

The visitors were the aggressors for most of the night, outshooting the Sandites sixteen to four. But all those shots amounted to only two goals. Germari Harris had a close call in the 7th minute that barely caught the post and spat out. Sophomore goalie Ali Day recorded ten saves, and a few other shots were just a hair wide or high.

Rachel Wheeler scored the lone regulation goal for Union in the 57th minute with an assist from Mackenzie Malham, but Esparza sent one just over the Redskin keeper’s fingertips to tie it in the 68th minute.

Union loaded the Sandite box during a hectic 77th minute and took a pair of shots, but both bounced off Sandite defenders. Day saved a shot from Holli Meyer in the 78th and deflected a corner kick from Raquel Fanelli with just nine seconds left. Malham took one last shot as time expired that traveled a hair wide to the left.

The Redskins came ready to rumble in overtime, however, and needed only eighteen seconds to score the golden goal on a double-assist that had Day trying to cover three directions at once.

Sand Springs has only two matches left, both on the road. The girls will travel to Owasso (12-1, 5-0) Tuesday and Capitol Hill (3-6, 0-3) Thursday.

District 6A-4 Standings
5-0 Sapulpa (12-1)
5-0 Owasso (12-1)
3-1 Norman (5-5)
2-3 Edmond Santa Fe (3-7)
2-3 Union (6-7)
1-4 Sand Springs (6-6)
0-3 Capitol Hill (3-6)
0-4 Shawnee (3-7)

CPHS Season Stats

Goals
6 Horn
4 Esparza
3 Metcalfe
2 Lynch
1 Watts
1 Deshazo
1 Patton
1 Burgess
1 Horton
1 Lee
1 Slankard
1 Poletek

PKs
3 Horn
2 Lynch
2 Deshazo
1 Watts
1 Gelsthorpe
1 Esparza
1 Horton
1 Perry

Total Scoring
9 Horn
5 Esparza
4 Lynch
3 Metcalfe
3 Deshazo
2 Watts
2 Horton
1 Gelsthorpe
1 Patton
1 Burgess
1 Lee
1 Slankard
1 Poletek
1 Perry

CPHS Soccer: Day saves the day, Lady Sandites notch first district win in Shawnee shootout

The Charles Page High School girls’ soccer team (6-5, 1-3) traveled to Shawnee Tuesday night riding a four-game losing streak, but snapped out of it with their first district victory of the season, putting them back at a winning overall record.

The Lady Wolves (3-6, 1-3) were coming off a 2-0 win over Capitol Hill (3-6, 0-3) that broke a three-game losing streak. They fell 1-0 in an overtime shootout, but held Sand Springs to 100 minutes of scoreless action. The Sandites started the season averaging 3.5 goals per match, but haven’t scored one since a 6-0 shutout of East Central (2-10) nearly a month ago.

Shawnee got a corner kick early in the first overtime period but sent it wide and Sand Springs quickly flipped the field. Arial Esparza got off two shots in the first overtime and sent one just barely over the goal. Sophomore Sandite goalie Ali Day made a save in the 87th minute.

Braunya Lewis saved a beautiful corner kick from Josie Gelsthorpe in the second overtime, then Alyssa Perry had a nearly perfect shot that just barely caught the top of the goal and spat back out.

Finally, the match went into a PK shootout tiebreaker.

Day saved a shot from Hope Young on the first kick, and the Wolves never caught back up. Hailey Saterfield, Sidney Waddell, and Amanda Harris made kicks for Shawnee, while Demi Deshazo, Perry, Esparza, and Kaslynn Horton scored for the Sandites. Trailing 4-3, it came down to Lillian Davis to keep the match alive, and Day made another save to secure the game.

The victory keeps the girls’ playoff hopes alive, but they’ll need to win at least two of their last three matches. They will host their last home game Friday at 6:00 p.m. against Union (2-5, 1-3) and will play Owasso (11-1, 4-0) and Capitol Hill (3-6, 0-3) next week.

District 6A-4 Standings
4-0 Owasso (11-1)
4-0 Sapulpa (11-1)
3-1 Norman (5-5)
2-2 Edmond Santa Fe (3-6)
1-3 Union (2-5)
1-3 Sand Springs (6-5)
1-3 Shawnee (3-6)
0-4 Capitol Hill (3-6)

Lady Sandite Season Scoring

Goals
6 Horn
3 Esparza
3 Metcalfe
2 Lynch
1 Watts
1 Deshazo
1 Patton
1 Burgess
1 Horton
1 Lee
1 Slankard
1 Poletek

PKs
3 Horn
2 Lynch
2 Deshazo
1 Watts
1 Gelsthorpe
1 Esparza
1 Horton
1 Perry

Total Scores
9 Horn
4 Lynch
4 Esparza
3 Metcalfe
3 Deshazo
2 Watts
2 Horton
1 Gelsthorpe
1 Patton
1 Burgess
1 Lee
1 Slankard
1 Poletek
1 Perry