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.

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.

Sandites Snap 7 Year Losing Streak to Booker T. Washington, 24-14 on Senior Night

Kenneth Page (Pictured against Tahlequah) ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns against Booker T. on Senior Night. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

Class 6A-II No. 5 Charles Page High School (6-3, 4-2) snapped a seven-year losing streak against Booker T. Washington Friday night at Memorial Stadium, winning 24-14 on Senior Night against the No. 10 Hornets (2-8, 1-6) behind a powerful run game.

Senior Kenneth Page scored two touchdowns and ended the night with 17 carries for 130 yards to lead all players in his third triple-digit performance of the season.

“It feels great,” said Page. “This morning we found out it had been seven years, so I was like ‘Wow. We’ve got to get the job done, we’ve got to change the program and get it done tonight.’”

Sand Springs never trailed after jumping out to a 10-0 first quarter lead, but was never able to pull away from the pesky Hornets.

The Sandites forced a turnover on downs on the opening drive and cashed in six plays later on a career-long 42-yard field goal by Dawson Puckett.

The visiting Hornets marched as far as the Sand Springs 25-yard line before Hudson Sheppard, Gatlin Gunn, and Joseph Farmer combined to stuff Kuhron Ross on fourth-and-one.

The teams traded punts from there, but Page made it a two-score game with a 44-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.

“That play we had a fake sprint out and I’m coming back, I’m getting the ball, and I just see Tank (Tyler Smith) pull, wide open,” said Page. “Then I had to make sure the corner didn’t get me, so I had to run zig zags, but it was a great moment.”

Washington’s next trip to Sandite territory ended in a 26-yard interception return by Gunn, but the visitors got the ball back two plays later on a fumble recovery from Koreon Williams.

That turnover resulted in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Levi Brooks to Daylinn Overstreet to open the second quarter.

Three punts later, the Hornets threatened again, but Landyn Barnes picked off Brooks in the Sandite red zone and the home team took a knee to enter halftime.

“It was huge,” said head coach Bobby Klinck. “We give our guys opportunities to make plays and for the most part they made them tonight.”

Ali McCoy lost two fumbles last week against Bartlesville, but his hands were glue traps on Friday after receiving the Darnell Jefferson treatment.

“If anyone else brings this ball back to me, you’ll wish you were never born,” Klinck told McCoy on Monday, tasking him with babysitting a football all day in the spirit of the 1993 cult classic “The Program.”

The ploy worked as McCoy ended the night with 12 carries for 53 yards and a one-yard touchdown plunge to open the second half.

“I had to teach them about the movie,” said Klinck. “They didn’t know about it yet, so that was kind of fun. He brought it back, he was sweating, it was great.”

Washington tried to convert on fourth down to open the fourth quarter but Keagan Gilman lit up Brooks as he threw and the ball darted harmlessly into the turf.

This time it was Page’s turn to cash in, scoring on a six-yard run to go up 24-7 with 7:49 to play.

But, the Hornets would not go gentle into that good night.

Stefon Williams recovered a muffed punt deep in Sandite territory and Brooks scored on a two-yard draw for the final touchdown of the game.

Sand Springs successfully fielded an onside kick attempt and ate the final 5:20 of clock on the ground, picking up a trio of first downs to enter the Hornet red zone behind the legs of wildcat quarterback Jace Arnold before assuming victory formation.

“It’s hard soaking it all in, but coming out with a dub - that’s all we want on senior night,” said Arnold, who had nine carries for 39 yards in the second half.

The trio of McCoy, Arnold, and Page combined for 229 yards behind an offensive line that has been fairly dominant against most teams it has faced this year.

“Those guys have an attitude,” Klinck said of his o-line. “I like that they’re getting into it…Our offensive line has been a strength for us all year and our tailbacks are just feeding off that.”

Defensively the Sandites were led by Owen Floyd with eight tackles, followed by Dallas Elifrits and Gunn with seven apiece. Elifrits had three tackles for loss and Waylon Jeffers had two sacks.

The win cemented a third-place finish in the district for the Sandites after finishing fourth the past three years.

“We’re slowly moving up in the right direction,” said Klinck. “I really feel this program’s in a great place. It just depends. I think we are going to be pretty dang successful around here. We’ve just got see how quickly we want to do it and if this senior class wants to be the group that breaks through.”

The Hornets are fighting through their worst season since 1997 but they can still make the postseason with a win against No. 9 Putnam City West (4-5, 1-5) next week.

“Booker T. will be back,” said Klinck. “Coach (Jonathan) Brown’s an unbelievable coach. They’re too good, but we’ll take it this year.”

Sand Springs will look to finish the regular season on a four-game win streak next Thursday when it travels to U.S. Grant (2-7, 0-6). The Generals were the victims of an 83-0 defeat last season in Sandites’ biggest win in school history.

“I think we’re going to be playing our best football coming into the playoffs and that’s all we really want,” said Klinck.

CPHS 24 BTW 14

First Downs: CPHS 15, BTW 10.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 8-14-63-0, BTW 11-21-132-2.
Rushing: CPHS 45-223, BTW 27-87.
Total Offense: CPHS 59-286, BTW 48-219.
Fumbles/Lost: CPHS 4/2, BTW 2/0.
Penalties: CPHS 8-95, BTW 6-51.
Punts-AVG: CPHS 4-37.8, BTW 4-31.

Scoring Summary

1Q (9:18) Puckett 42-yard Field Goal, CPHS 3-0.
1Q (1:40) Page 44-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 10-0.
2Q (10:43) Overstreet 33-yard Pass from Brooks, Carpenter Kick, CPHS 10-7.
3Q (7:01) McCoy 1-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 17-7.
4Q (7:49) Page 6-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 24-7.
4Q (5:20) Brooks 2-yard Run, Carpenter Kick, CPHS 24-14.

Senior Night

Sandite Dance celebrated four seniors: Aubri Castillo, Kylie Colbert, Briley O’Dell, and Emma Warwick.

Cheer celebrated four seniors: Camrie Chatham, Abbigail Elder, Gabrielle Grubb, and Lillie Keim.

Football celebrated three senior trainers (Abby Bryant, Ava Durham, and Kiara Williams) and 17 senior players: Jace Arnold, Kayden Campbell, Jonathan Cruz, Dallas Elifrits, Owen Floyd, Keagan Gilman, Gatlin Gunn, Mason Harris, Kenneth Page Jr., Easton Pritchard, Wyatt Rutledge, Marcum Sims, Marcus Sims, Greer Simmons, Tyler “Tank” Smith, Evan Williams, and Hunter Wilson.

Band celebrated 19 seniors: Logan Baugher, Macy Beard, Mykaela Cole, Ava Duncan, Carsten Englestead, Thomas Fahland, Emily Gregory, Isabelle Hester, Byron Jarrett, Dillon Jones, Kaylah Morgan, Devyn Pearson, Caitlin Shipman, Joshua Simpson, Ty Sims, Garrett Sorenson, Miriam Wilbanks, Tatum Wright, and Shelby Young.

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.

Football Preview: Sandites Host No. 6 Bartlesville on Thursday

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The Class 6A-II No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School football team (4-3, 2-2) is set to host No. 6 Bartlesville (3-4, 3-1) Thursday evening at Memorial Stadium.

Sand Springs is coming off a 39-14 road win at No. 9 Putnam City West and looking to get above .500 in district play while the Bruins are coming off a 14-10 near upset against No. 4 Stillwater for their first district loss of the season.

The Church That Matters Tailgate Party will start at 6:00 p.m. 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 Tennis program.

Limited tickets are still available for the Varsity Club, which includes a buffet dinner and indoor seating to view the game from the CPHS Fine Arts Building in the south end zone.

Tickets for the Varsity Club are $30 and must be purchased by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

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

Sand Springs has won three in a row against the Bruins, but Bartlesville leads the series 21-18. The series is one of the longest-standing rivalries for either school, having been played 24 consecutive seasons. The two teams have only missed playing each other twice since Bartlesville High School opened in 1982.

Sand Springs High School went 3-3 against Bartlesville Central from 1919 to 1930. The Sandites were 4-11 against Bartlesville College from 1953 to 1979 and 2-6 against Bartlesville Sooner from 1970 to 1977. College and Sooner were unified under the Bruin banner in 1982.

Following the Bartlesville unification, the Bruins won the first three meetings in the new series before LD Baines’s Sandites prevailed 35-15 in 1985 to secure their first winning season in eight years.

Bartlesville won seven in a row from 1986 to 1992 and the Sandites responded with three in a row from 1993 to 1995.

This is the third time the Sandites have won three in a row against the Bruins but thus far they have never gotten past that mark.

The Bruins’ biggest win in the rivalry was 48-16 in 2010 while the Sandites have the largest margin of victory at 55-13 in 2017. Each team owns three shutouts against the other.

The highest-scoring game in the series was a 54-34 Bruin victory in 2019 while the lowest-scoring game was a 7-0 Bruin victory in 1990.

During the Bobby Klinck era the Sandites have won 21-14 in 2020, 41-20 in 2021, and 36-29 last season.

Sand Springs squandered a 22-point third-quarter advantage in last year’s game and needed overtime to secure the win.

Bartlesville is making gains under second-year head coach Harry Wright, who led the Bruins to a 5-7 record and a playoff win last year after they only went 2-8 the previous season.

This Season

Sand Springs has proven it can win in the trenches and run the ball against almost anybody this season, averaging 183 rushing yards per game. The Sandites have struggled to mesh in the passing game, however, averaging only 115 yards by air.

The task against Bartlesville will be to get promising sophomore quarterback Easton Webb, who missed one game with injury, in sync with an all-new receiving corps. With only three games left till the playoffs, the Sandite offense needs to work on being more multidimensional.

Webb was 7-of-15 last week against Putnam West, throwing for 83 yards. Kenneth Page had 3 catches for 57 yards and 26 carries for 138 yards and three touchdowns.

Alex Dudley led the defense with 6 tackles, followed by Owen Floyd and Gatlin Gunn with 5 apiece. Joseph Farmer had an interception, Floyd forced a fumble, Christian Freitus had a scoop-and-score, and Hunter Wilson blocked a punt and scored a safety.

On the Season:

Webb is 46-of-69 for 597 yards, 4 TDs, and 6 INTs with 1 rushing TD. Caleb Goodman has 28 catches for 344 yards and 3 TDs.

Kenneth Page has 119 carries for 627 yards and 8 TDs plus 2 TD receptions. Ali McCoy has 74 carries for 643 yards and 8 TDs but he is expected to miss the game with an injury.

Dawson Puckett is 24-of-27 on PATs and 1-of-2 on field goals, connecting from 30 yards.

The defense is led by Floyd with 53 tackles, Gunn with 40 tackles, and Dudley with 39 tackles. Dudley and Gunn each have two interceptions.