Greathouse scores three touchdowns in 30-14 defeat of Yukon

Hunter Greathouse looks to find Payton Scott on a screen pass. Photo: Erik Sedwick

By: Virgil Noah, Staff Writer

Just seventeen seconds into Friday night's showdown between the Charles Page High School football team (3-2, 1-0) and  Yukon High School (0-5, 0-1) the Millers had the lead.

Tyrese Antwine fielded the game's opening kickoff at around the 10 yard line and took it to the house, virtually untouched. Ryan Lucas added the extra point and just like that, before either offense had set foot on the field the Sandites trailed 7-0. Once the Sandite offense did make it onto the field, the game turned around quickly. Senior quarterback Hunter Greathouse drove the offense straight down the field, and ended the drive with a 25 yard touchdown strike to Kasey Bales. Greathouse and Bales were on the same page the whole night, hooking up eight times for 123 yards and a pair of scores. 

The Yukon offense then got their turn to touch the football, and looked good doing so picking up four first downs and moving the ball to the Sand Springs 28 yard line. The Sandite defense got things going though when Cody Motes intercepted Senior quarterback Trevor Smith to get the ball back. Sand Springs drove the ball 88 yards in 12 plays, capped of by a 26 yard field goal from Alejandro Hernandez.

The Sandite defense forced another turnover on the ensuing Miller drive, when sophomore Hayden Cramer hit the ball carrier on a rush and the ball squirted loose. Gage Fain jumped on the fumble, and the offense capitalized with Greathouse and Bales connecting on their second score of the evening. 

The defense continued their stout play by forcing a quick three-and-out, and Greathouse continued the onslaught of scoring with a sensational 14 yard keeper, breaking a tackle and spinning his way into the end zone for a 24-7 lead to head into the half. 

The second half saw far less offense for the Sandites, but the defensive unit kept the pressure on. Payton Scott finished the scoring for the Sandites with a 12 yard touchdown run early in the third stanza. 

Yukon executed a long drive capped off with a 2 yard run by Ethan Scott, but those would be the only points the Millers saw for the rest of the game. Sand Springs racked up two sacks, six tackles for loss, and three forced turnovers on the game. Delvin Jordan led the Sandite defense with five tackles. Treyce Tolbert, Hayden Cramer, and Nathan Simonton each had four tackles. Tolbert also forced a fumble and intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter.

The Charles Page offensive line led by senior Lincoln Adams played great all evening, giving up no sacks and paving the way for 233 yards rushing. Payton Scott led the way with 147 yards and the team averaged over 6 yards-per-carry. Greathouse went 12-23-0-192 for two touchdowns and went 8-58 and a touchdown on the ground. 

The Sandites will resume district play next Thursday, when they play Ponca City High School (1-3, 0-2) for homecoming. Yukon will face Norman High School (0-5, 0-2).

Sandite Freshmen score first touchdown of the season in 7-6 loss to Jenks

Photo: Virgil Noah

By: Virgil Noah, Staff Writer

It's been a frustrating start to the year so far for the Sand Springs 9th Grade football team (0-4) as they've fallen to each opponent they have faced. Despite the four straight losses, the Sandites are improving. 

The freshmen opened their season with a 10-0 defeat to Owasso, followed by a 42-0 loss suffered at the hands of Muskogee White. In game three the Sandites faced Broken Arrow Gold, giving up 20 points in the first half, but shutting the Tigers out in the second. Sand Springs failed to get on the board though for the third straight game falling 20-0. 

Sand Springs played their best game of the season Monday night against Jenks White, in a game where a mere extra point was the difference in winning and losing. 

In the first half the Trojans and Sandites traded possession the entirety of the half without scoring, though there were some close calls. On a fourth down in Trojan territory Sandite quarterback Braden Foster threw a deep pass that fell off his receiver's fingertips at the goal line. The Trojans' closest scoring effort came at the end of the half When quarterback Jake Mulready led the offense down the field with less than a minute to go, but as time expired completed a pass short of the goal line and the Sandite defense wrestled the receiver to the ground and sent the game to halftime scoreless. 

The second half saw a first for the Sandites' offense, a touchdown. Trace Evans intercepted a pass and returned it all the way to the 14 yard line of the Trojans. Two plays later, Aaron King took a handoff to the left side and scored a 10 yard touchdown to give his team their first points of the year. Sand Springs attempted a two-point conversion but was unsuccessful. On the ensuing kickoff the special teams got the ball back, when Jerret Haley recovered a fumble. 

Jenks took a 7-6 early in the fourth quarter on a short touchdown run and successful extra point. Sand Springs was moving the ball, nearing the red zone, but Foster's fourth down pass attempt fell incomplete to end the game.  

Sand Springs looks to continue improving, and will try to get in the win column on Monday, against Sapulpa Blue. 

No. 16 Lady Sandite Volleyball dominates Booker T Washington in straight sets

By: Virgil Noah, Staff Writer

The Charles Page High School Varsity volleyball team (21-11) made easy work of the Booker T. Washington (8-17) winning the match in three sets. The No. 16 Lady Sandites are coming off an impressive showing in the Port City Classic where they went 6-2 including a victory over 4A No. 1 Metro Christian Academy (28-6). The Sand Springs girls also have upset victories over No. 10 Union High School (8-10) and No. 14 Bixby High School (10-10).

Strong offense by the Lady Sandites and a plague of errors by Booker T. led to a 10-7 Sand Springs lead. Six straight points for CPHS made the lead 16-7. The two teams went back and forth over the ensuing volleys and the Sandites were able to stretch the lead to 23-15 before the Lady Hornets began to make a comeback. A pair of aces and a bundle of errors allowed BTW to trim the lead to a mere four points, but the Sandites would pull out the win 25-20. Gloria Mutiri and Holly Kersgieter combined for seven kills, while Madison Burris and MaKenzie Ward did the bulk of the setting with seven assists between them. 

The first game would prove to be the closest of the night, as in game two Sand Springs ripped off 14 out of the first 18 points, and cruised to a 25-14 win behind another five kills from Mutiri including a pair of aces. Ward added five more assists in the set.

The third and final set resulted in another 25-14 victory by the Sandites as errors weighed down Booker T. and the Lady Sandites were able to capitalize. Kersgieter and Devree Youngblood had four kills each in the final game, and Mutiri added three. Mutiri led the way for Sand Springs with 12 kills and 7 digs, Kersgieter finished with 9 kills, Youngblood with 7, and Ward had 12 assists on the evening. 

Next up for Booker T. Washington is 5A Edison Prep (8-22). The Lady Sandites will return to action at home on Tuesday against No. 7 Broken Arrow High School (17-5). The match will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Choctaw stuns Sandites in come-from-behind 45-41 shootout

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Virgil Noah, Staff Writer

The No. 2 Charles Page High School Varsity Football team (0-2) came into their non-district contest with the No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (2-0) looking to get things going offensively after only managing to score 21 points in their season opening loss to Pulaski Academy. They succeeded, scoring 41 points in the game but it would not be enough as the team fell 45-41 to the Yellowjackets. 

The contest was a back and forth battle all game, with the Sandites threatening to pull away multiple times, but the Jackets kept clawing their way back into it.  

The teams traded possessions until near the end of the first period when Payton Scott, who was the game's workhorse for the visitors, capped an 8 play, 66 yard drive with a 6 yard touchdown run. Kasey Bales tacked on the extra point and the Sandites lead 7-0. On the ensuing Choctaw possession Senior quarterback Dylan Weaver threw a pass into the waiting arms of defensive back Cody Motes who scampered 36 yards up the sideline for the pick 6 and the lead was 14-0. 

Choctaw got on the board with a touchdown pass from Weaver, and the Sandites answered on the first play of the second quarter on a touchdown pass from Dalton Morgan to Bales.  

Another touchdown toss from Weaver, and a rushing touchdown by running back JD Kolb tied the game at 21. Second-year quarterback Hunter Greathouse scored on a quarterback sneak with 0:33 left in the first half but Bales's PAT was blocked. On the last play of the first half, Jacket kicker Liam Jones made a 32 yard field goal and the game went to intermission with the home team trailing 27-24.  

Scott found pay dirt again in the third, this time from 23 yards out to extend the Page lead to 10 points, but Kolb cut it back to 3 quickly with a run of his own. The Sandite offense faced a fourth and 15 deep in Choctaw territory, and elected to go for the conversion. It proved to be a smart decision as Greathouse connected with Caleb Wash for a 25 yard touchdown and increased the lead to 41-31. Kolb ran 21 yards for his fourth touchdown of the game just 30 seconds later and put the pressure back on Sand Springs. 

Choctaw snagged an interception on the ensuing Sandite drive, but Jerry Lyons forced a fumble and got the Sandites the ball back in Yellowjacket territory with under four minutes remaining.  

With 1:16 remaining Choctaw stuffed a fourth down run by Scott to give their offense one more attempt at scoring, and they made the most of it. On fourth and 5, Weaver completed a pass to Kolb who broke a tackle short of the first down marker, and turned on the jets up the sideline for a 78 yard touchdown, his fifth of the game.  

Down four points with just 0:49 seconds left, Greathouse lead the offense back on the field. With 0:10 left he completed a pass to Wash for 45 yards down to the Choctaw 13-yard-line. Greathouse attempted two throws to the end zone, the first broken up, and the second just past the fingertips of Bales and the game ended.

Scott lead the way for Sand Springs, carrying the ball 39 times for 239 yards and two scores. Greathouse passed 14-29-251-1 for one touchdown, and also scored a touchdown rushing. Bales lead the way receiving with 5 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. Delvin Jordan took a beating, going down twice, but rejoining each time to lead the Sandite defense in tackles.

Charles Page will host their first game of the season Friday at 7:00 p.m., in a non-district match-up with Putnam City West  (2-0). Choctaw will take on Putnam North (0-2) in a non-district battle Friday at 7:00 in Putnam City. 

Sydney Pennington hits 3 homeruns in double-header victories over Ponca; Sandites win 14th straight

By: Virgil Noah, Staff Writer

The runs came early and they came often in the Charles Page High School Varsity Softball team's (17-3, 8-0) district doubleheader against Ponca City (14-10, 2-5). The Lady Sandites won both games handily with a 10-0 five-inning run-rule victory in the first leg, and a 15-3 win in the second match-up which went the full seven innings.

Felicity Horn got scoring underway for the day when she singled and later scored on an error in the first inning of game one.

Ponca City loaded the bases in the second, but Madelyn Blair (6-2) forced Kylie Hopkins into a two-out popup which got the Lady Sandites out of the inning without allowing any runs. Jacie Taber hit an RBI double to left center which scored Cameron Clemons in the second inning.

Oklahoma State University commit Sydney Pennington hit the first of three home runs on the night in the home half of the third inning. Freshman Sabrina Usher hit an RBI double allowing Madelyn Blair to score, and scored a run on an errant throw to push the lead to 5-0.  Sand Springs scored the final five runs in the fourth inning on to put the game away, with Pennington, Usher, Madelyn Blair, and Clemons each adding an RBI to their totals.

Madelyn Blair picked up the win on the mound for the Lady Sandites, pitching five shutout innings, allowing just 6 hits. 

Game two saw Sand Springs getting off to an even quicker start, when Pennington sent a towering fly ball over the center field fence for a three-run-homer. Clemons scored on an error and Kimi Presnell picked up an RBI single in the third inning and lead 5-0 when Ponca City finally got on the board in their half of the third. Camenda Osborn doubled in a run to cut the lead to 5-1 and gave the Lady Cats some life. 

The Lady Sandites substituted Elizabeth "Lyz" Luttrell into the game and she quickly added an RBI single to make the score 6-1, and Taber added an RBI on a sacrifice fly to make the lead 7-1. The Lady Cats added another pair of runs to their score on RBI doubles by Osborn and pitcher Kelci Hasenfratz.

With the score 7-3 the Charles Page offense went back to work and didn't look back scoring the final 8 runs of the contest. Pennington led the way in game two with four RBI, Luttrell added three, Jensen Arnold and Presnell each had two. 

Pennington (5-0) picked up the win on the mound pitching all seven innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits and striking out four batters.

The Lady Sandite offense was hot all night, scoring at least one run in eleven of twelve innings played. The pair of victories pushed the Sand Springs win streak to fourteen games, including a 9-1 triumph over former district No. 1 Yukon. Sand Springs is the only undefeated team remaining in District 6A-3. 

The Lady Sandites will return to action Friday at 1:20 p.m. when they play 3A Perry (10-17) on field #9 at Bentley Park in the Bixby Tournament.

Lady Sandites win double-header shutouts over Norman, once by run-rule

Photo://SCOTT EMIGH

By: Virgil Noah, Marketing Director

The Charles Page High School Lady Sandite Softball team (7-3, 2-0) swept a district doubleheader against the Norman High School Tigers (2-5, 2-5) behind strong pitching performances by Jacie Taber (3-1) and Madelyn Blair (2-2). 

In the first leg of the doubleheader, the Sandites found themselves up 1-0 after the first inning. Felicity Horn drew a walk, then advanced to second on a sacrifice by Jessica Collins. Horn took third base on a wild pitch, then scored on a passed ball. 

Norman looked to get things going for themselves offensively in the top half of the fourth inning with a lead-off single from Taylor Bell, but she was caught sleeping and was picked off at first base on a great throw by Sand Springs catcher Sabrina Usher and the next two Tigers were retired in order. 

The Tigers looked to score once more in the fifth inning, putting runners on second and third with two after two hit by pitches and a sacrifice, but Taber got her team out of danger by striking out Taylor Woodin swinging to end the inning. 

Charles Page wouldn't need any more runs to win, but they got some insurance in their half of the fifth inning. A multitude of errors by Norman and RBI base hits by Collins and Madelyn Blair led to runs scored by Clemons, Horn, and Collins. 

Taber pitched seven shutout innings striking out six batters, and Sand Springs picked up the win by a final of 4-0.

The second match-up went a lot like the first. The Lady Sandites scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and they would not relinquish their lead from there. Horn scored on a single by Madelyn Blair, Collins scored on a passed ball, and Usher hit a single that scored Blair.

The fourth inning saw RBI singles by Rachel Blair and Collins, as well as an RBI double from Oklahoma State University commit Sydney Pennington.

The Lady Sandites scored their final three runs in the sixth inning after several passed balls and errors and won the game 10-0 by run rule. Madelyn Blair pitched six shutout innings striking out seven batters, and also had a pair of RBI.

Sand Springs is next scheduled to play a district doubleheader on Thursday at home against Sapulpa High School (1-8, 0-2). First pitch is at 5:00 p.m.