Lady Sandites win Bishop Kelley Invitational, Jackson named MVP

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The Sand Springs girls basketball team didn’t start the year the way it would have liked to, but, since a road loss at Sapulpa, the Sandites have won seven in a row and look poised for another successful season.

Hailey Jackson averaged 22.3 points per game and earned MVP honors over the weekend as the Sandites (7-1) swept the Bishop Kelley Invitational for the fifth time in their last six visits.

In the finals matchup against Owasso (2-2) Jackson scored 20 points and was complemented by 20 from Sakauri Wilson, who also received All-Tournament accolades.

“I don’t think they’ve both really even scratched the surface,” said head coach Josh Berry. “I think we’ve got a couple other ones that have the potential to be just as good and big as they are.”

“It’s going to take more games and a little bit more confidence and I think everybody will see a couple of these other ones end up stepping up in some of those roles.”

With only nine players on the varsity roster, everybody saw solid playing time at the tournament. Taiona Morris was out sick and Kiaryn Taylor missed the Thursday game against Bishop Kelley (1-4).

Patience Pearce and Abigaile Martin scored career highs of 6 and 7 points respectively, against the Comets. Jackson led all scorers with 22 and Wilson added 12.

The Sandites stormed out to a commanding 35-17 halftime lead before the Comets battled back and cut it as close as 44-39 late in the fourth. The Sandites held on to win their tenth straight against their former conference foes, 51-44.

In the semifinals the Sandites won 45-43 against Mustang (3-3) behind a 25-point effort from Jackson.

Sand Springs led by as much as 10 points after the first quarter but Mustang took a 31-28 advantage into the fourth and didn’t relinquish the lead till a seven-point run late in the game.

Tied at 43-43 with five seconds left, Taylor scored the go-ahead bucket on an inbound throw from Walker.

The finals game saw only seven lead changes and the Sandites led for all of the fourth quarter save for a brief tie at 41-41, but neither team ever led by more than six.

Martin hit a big three-pointer to go up 48-44 on an inbound throw from Wilson late in the fourth.

“(Martin) is one of them that ain’t practiced all week (due to sickness) and she’s been just gutting it out so I’m proud of her for that,” said Berry. “She made a big shot at the end and she played pretty big for us today.”

Wilson sank a pair of crucial free throws with 30 seconds left to go up 50-46 but Alex McGarrah hit a three to make it a one-point game.

Wilson added one more free throw in the final seconds but Makenna Yokley’s last-ditch three-pointer was short and the Sandites escaped with the win.

“I’m just proud of the girls,” said Berry. “They fought.”

“We had contributions from different players at different times. That’s what it’s going to take for us, along with big contributions from Hailey and from Sakauri. We really missed (Taiona Morris) this weekend. Once we can get her back, we just hope the others can continue getting better like they did with her out.”

Earlier in the week the Sandites notched their first conference win, 56-46 against Muskogee (1-3) behind a 23-point effort from Wilson and 14 points from Jackson.

The varsity boys also got their first win of the year against the Roughers (2-2) on Tuesday, 38-30, led by Michael Foster with 11 points and 7 rebounds.

Patience Pearce scored 11 points in a 37-35 JV girls win, while Blake Johnson scored 12 in a 33-31 JV boys loss.

Sand Springs will host Bixby on Tuesday and the boys will compete in the Memorial Invitational festival over the weekend.

Lady Sandites Go 3-0 at She Got Game Classic

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After a lopsided defeat at Sapulpa to start the season, the Charles Page High School girls basketball team rebounded with a 3-0 performance at the She Got Game Classic in Mansfield, Texas over the weekend.

“I thought we learned a little bit from Tuesday and I thought we got better,” said head coach Josh Berry. “It’s going to be a growing process of everybody learning their new roles.”

Senior star Hailey Jackson averaged 23.3 points per game at the festival, earning MVP honors in each game.

“She wasn’t very aggressive that first game (against Sapulpa),” said Berry. “We’ve been talking about her being extra aggressive each and every game this year.”

“She did a great job of just staying aggressive the whole game while we were down there and hopefully she can continue to do that for us.”

On Thursday the Sandites won 63-60 against Boswell (5-6) behind a 24-point effort from Jackson, a career-high 18 points from Sakauri Wilson, and a career-high 16 points from Kiaryn Taylor.

Jackson scored 24 again in a 42-25 rout of Austin Westlake (6-9) on Friday.

On Saturday the Sandites rolled to a 60-26 win over Medgar Evers (0-2) behind a 22-point performance from Jackson. Freshman Calla Fueshko also had a breakout performance with 9 points.

“Kauri Wilson did a great job early on, especially that first game, of scoring the ball and finishing. We had a lot of production from different players throughout the weekend.”

“I know Kiaryn Taylor had a good game the first game where she was able to finish. Yanni (Morris) that last game where she got to see the ball go in the hole some.”

“I think that’s just kind of what it’s going to take is for some of our ones that aren’t used to doing those things consistently to just be more consistent. I thought defensively we got better.”

The Sandites lost their season-opener 61-21 to Sapulpa (2-0, 2-0) in conference play but will get a rematch in February.

Sand Springs was outgunned by a Sapulpa lineup that shot 43.6% in the field with nine players in the scorebook. Mataya Hall scored 15 and Taylor Bilby added 12 for the home team, while Jackson led the Sandites with 5 points and 8 rebounds.

The Lady Chieftains have now won four straight in the Highway 97 Rivalry series.

Sapulpa’s boys team (1-1, 1-1) snapped a three-year losing streak to the Sandites with a 60-51 victory.

Freshman Fabian Harris led the Chieftains with 18 points and Kylen Edwards added 14. The Sandites were led by seniors Michael Foster and Kade Holland with 12 apiece.

In junior varsity action, the Sapulpa girls won 38-37 despite a 21-point performance from Fueshko. The Sand Springs boys triumphed 38-35 on a buzzer-beater three from Krus Smith to avoid overtime.

The Sandites will return to action Tuesday with conference home games against Muskogee. The girls will play at 6:30 p.m. and the boys will play at 8:00.

Sandite Basketball Preview: Boys and Girls Poised for Success in 2022

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The Charles Page High School varsity basketball season will officially tip off Tuesday, November 29th at Sapulpa.

The Sandite basketball teams went different directions last season. The boys will look to get back to form as they seek their first winning season since 2020, while the girls will look to build momentum off of last season’s state semifinal appearance.

After graduating a talented senior class that accounted for 75% of last season’s scoring, the boys will look to build a new identity behind a mostly young, inexperienced roster.

Fans can expect big things from sophomore Kooper Kelley, the lone returning starter, who averaged 6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1 steal last year.

Junior Alijah Roper also saw extensive action last season, averaging 2.9 points over 21 games. 6-foot-5 sophomore Blake Johnson also played in 21 games, averaging 1.3 points and 1.8 rebounds.

Kade Holland, Luke Hooper, Michael Foster, Jax Marshall, Mark Lair, and Sam Hayes will provide the team’s senior leadership.

The Sandites went 5-18 last season and were 7-11 in 2020, but have seen tremendous success under tenth-year head coach Eric Savage with four winning seasons, two Regional championships, and two State tournament appearances.

Savage holds a 423-218 head coaching record over 21 years and is 118-125 at Sand Springs.

The Lady Sandites are entering their fourth season under head coach Josh Berry, who holds a 50-21 record at Sand Springs and a 148-134 career mark.

The girls went 23-4 last season for their best record since 2017, winning the school’s eighth Regional title and seventh Area championship.

Sand Springs took big losses in Journey Armstead, Layne Kirkendoll, and Leyshia Morris, but still has lots of star power ready to make a name for itself.

6-foot senior Hailey Jackson averaged 13.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals last season, with three double-doubles and a career-best 31-point performance against Broken Arrow.

Juniors Taiona Morris and Sakauri Wilson also return as starters after combining for 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.9 steals per game last year.

Kiaryn Taylor, Fayth Walker, Abigaile Martin, Patience Pearce, and Tay'Ja Butler all saw solid playing time last season and will give the Sandites strong rotational depth. Freshman Calla Fueshko is also expected to make an impact.

When the girls tip off against Sapulpa at 6:30 p.m. they will be looking for their first Highway 97 Rivalry win since 2019. The boys, however, have won three straight meetings with Sapulpa since 2019.

The girls will then travel to the She Got Game Classic in Dallas over the weekend. The home opener for both teams will be December 6th against Muskogee with the girls playing at 6:30 p.m. and the boys at 8:00 p.m.

Jolee McNally finds closure at All-State Softball game

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Courtesy.

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

For most of the girls at the OFPCA All State softball games, the exhibition match between the state’s best seniors was just the final game in their high school uniforms, but for Jolee McNally it was the final game of her career.

As the announcer read off name after name, almost all of them were signed to play at the next level, but due to issues with her back, the Sandite outfielder will spend the next few years at Tulsa Community College where there are no athletic programs.

“It’s heartbreaking, and it’s not by choice,” said McNally. “At least I got the closure I needed.”

She went out with a bang, going two-for-two at the plate with a pair of singles, two RBI, and scored the final run in a 10-7 loss for the Large School East while playing three innings in left and right field.

McNally wasn’t the only Sandite at Oklahoma Christian University’s Tom Heath Field Saturday. Reagan Rector also donned the black and gold one last time. She didn’t get a hit, but saw three innings of action at first base and one inning in right field.

Rector will continue her career alongside Avery Tanner, who was in the stands as an alternate, at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville.

Keaton Campbell added a few extra innings to his high school career at the OBCA All-State baseball game in Enid on Sunday, June 5th. 

The Cowley College-bound senior played third for the East team and recorded an assist and one put-out with no errors.

At the plate he was 1-of-4 with a triple off the outfield wall in the bottom of the third, and scored one run in the East’s 5-4 victory.

Ty Pennington was also selected for the All State team, but was unable to attend the game. He was also selected to the All-State football team alongside teammate Gabe Brown, but that game won’t be played till Friday, July 29th.

In soccer action, first-year Sandite head coach Cisco Chavez got to coach Karsen Lynch and the All-State East team in a 2-0 loss against the West Thursday night at Bishop Kelley High School. 

Lady Sandite basketball coach Josh Berry got to coach Journey Armstead one last time as the OGBCA East fell 72-55 to the West on Saturday, June 4th in Mustang.

Armstead didn’t score any points but collected a handful of steals and assists. She will also play in the Oklahoma Coaches Association All State Games later this summer, and will continue her career at Hutchinson Community College.

Fishing

Nathaniel Griffin and Jaxon Trotter took fifth place at the Oklahoma Bass Nation High School State Championship on Keystone Lake, Saturday, June 4th. The duo caught three fish weighing 8.13 pounds. They also placed 28th in the regular season.

Gabriel Castellano and Dallas Elifrits placed 26th at State with a 2.39 pound catch and were 57th in the regular season.

Mack Taylor and Parker Haling placed 28th at State with a 2.12 pound fish and finished third in the regular season standings.

Eli Rogers and Caden Shea didn’t fish the State Championship but placed fifth in the regular season. Cruz Norris and Gunnar Casey also didn’t fish at State but were 83rd in the regular season.

Caden Strawn and Drew Turner placed third in the youth division with a 2.79 pound catch, while Hayden Lowrence and Hunter Spencer placed fourth with a 1.94 pound fish.

Sand Springs weekly sports roundup: Journey Armstead signs with Hutchinson CC

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This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

Charles Page High School celebrated three athletes Wednesday, April 13th at the Ed Dubie Field House, who signed collegiate letters of intent.

Journey Armstead signed to play basketball at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. The Blue Dragons went 29-6 this past season, making it to the second round of the NJCAA tournament.

Armstead finished her career as one of the most accomplished Lady Sandite basketball players in school history, scoring 1525 points, and was named to the All-State team. 

Ashley Blake signed to cheer and Alyssa King signed to dance at Oklahoma Baptist University, an NCAA Division II school in Shawnee.  

Baseball

The Sandites’ nine-game win streak came to an end in a 2-0 upset against Southmoore (9-16, 3-7) on Monday, April 11. They won the second district meeting 1-0, however, and went on to beat Bartlesville and Glenpool in non-district action.

Sand Springs (22-4, 7-3) is off to its best start since 2012, but even district-leader Owasso couldn’t get past Southmoore.

The Sabercats played spoiler once again on Monday despite being out-hit six to two. The Sandites stranded two in the first, three in the fourth, two in the fifth, and two in the seventh. 

Jabe Schlehuber (4-1) struck out 11 while giving up only two hits and three walks in his first loss of the season.

The Tuesday rematch was equally close with the Sandites stranding two in the second, three in the third, and two in the fifth before Gabe Glenn hit his third home run of the season to lead off the sixth.

Southmoore loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning but Kayden Campbell (2-0) struck out the side to earn a save. Carson Seabolt (4-1) struck out six batters in five innings with three hits for the win.

The Sandites’ bats got hot again on Thursday with a 5-0 shutout of Bartlesville (19-9) that saw Keaton Campbell hit his fourth homer of the year. Jace Arnold (5-0) tossed a complete game with seven strikeouts and only two hits.

Dom Ornelas blasted his team-leading sixth homer of the year in a 10-1 five-inning run-rule win over Glenpool (9-19) on Friday. The Sandites combined for 11 hits in the win.

John Keim (4-0) tossed three strikeouts, three walks, and two hits in four innings, and Kayden Campbell tossed one strikeout and one walk in an inning of relief.

Sand Springs will return to action Monday with a district double-header at U.S. Grant (1-10, 0-6) before traveling to Oologah (13-7) on Thursday, hosting Bixby (24-5) on Friday, and traveling to Tahlequah (8-15) on Saturday.

Girls Golf

Gina Foster shot a 111 and Madison Chambers shot 119 at the Union tournament on Tuesday, then Foster shot 103 and Chambers scored 106 at Sapulpa on Wednesday. 

Slow Pitch

The No. 15 Sand Springs softball team (6-10) ended a tough week on a high note, beating Bartlesville 9-6 on the back end of a double-header. 

The Bruins won the first game 8-6 after a sixth inning rally spoiled the Sandites’ 6-3 lead. Earlier in the week the Sandites fell 16-6 to both Berryhill and No. 5 Jenks.

The Sandites will host Bixby and Union in a double-header on Tuesday before traveling to Jenks on Thursday to wrap up the regular season against the Trojans and Pryor.

Boys Soccer

The Sandites’ Tuesday Senior Night district match with Putnam City was rescheduled for April 25th at 6:00 p.m. due to inclement weather. They fell 3-0 to Stillwater (7-6, 1-4) on Friday and dropped to 0-9 on the season.

Tennis

The Sandite girls tennis team won a quad meet with Rejoice Christian on Tuesday. 

Abbie Dubb won the No. 2 Singles battle 2-1 against Reagan Cherry, with sets of 10-7, 5-7, and 10-7. 

The No. 1 Doubles team of Caitlin Shipman and Daffaney Snyder won their match 2-1 with sets of 6-4, 2-6, and 10-6.

Track & Field

The girls track team placed fifth and the boys took eighth at the Broken Arrow Track Classic on Friday.

Layne Kirkendoll won the high jump with a mark of 5 ft. 6 in. and the long jump with a distance of 17 ft. 11.25 in. Jestin Rawlins was runner-up in discus throw with a mark of 164 ft. 8 in.

Kelsi Hilton placed third in the 3200 in 12:52.42 and Gracie Gifford took sixth in 13:51.81.

Caleb Goodman placed fourth in the 110 hurdles in 19.1 seconds. Preston Kennedy was seventh in the high jump with a mark of 5 ft. 6 in. Matthew Shelton was eighth in the shot put with a distance of 41 ft. 11.25 in.

The girls relay teams placed third in the 1600 sprint medley, fourth in the distance medley, fourth in the 4x200, and seventh in the 4x100.

The boys relay teams placed sixth in the distance medley, seventh in the 1600 sprint medley, 11th in the 4x100, and 14th in the 4x200.

Sand Springs Weekly Sports Roundup: Baseball Starts Season With Wins

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This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

Baseball

The Sandite baseball team is off to a strong start on the season, winning its first two games 11-0 against Shawnee and 9-2 against Yukon. 

Jabe Schlehuber and Kayden Campbell combined for eight strikeouts in a no-hitter against the Wolves in Friday’s season-opener. Dom Ornelas went three-for-three at the plate with a double and a home run for 5 RBI.

Schlehuber went four-for-four at the plate on Saturday with two doubles and a homer, and Ornelas and Keaton Campbell also hit home runs.

Boys Basketball

The Sandites wrapped up a 5-18 season with a 69-54 loss at Putnam City West in the Regional playoffs. Cale Askew scored 14 points, Ethan Oakley scored 12, and JD Dickson added 10.

Soccer

The Lady Sandite soccer team won its opening week of matches, coming back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to beat NOAH 4-3 on Tuesday before routing Coweta 5-1 on Thursday.

Karsen Lynch scored two goals, and Lauren Foster and Lainey Stanfill also scored against NOAH. Ava Watts posted a hat trick against Coweta and Stanfill scored twice. Christina Thompson got the wins at goalie.

The boys are still looking for their first win of the Brent Lollis era, falling 4-2 to NOAH and 2-0 to Coweta.

Golf

The boys golf team placed sixth at the Olive Wildcats Golf Classic in Sapulpa. Mason Ward shot 81 to tie for tenth, Seth Benton shot 87, Drew Paden 93, Zack Downey 93, Hunter Brenner 99, Sidney Horton 101, Jacob Halpain 116. Madison Chambers shot 114 as the lone Lady Sandite.

Tennis

The boys tennis team placed 16th at the Jenks tournament led by Connor Shipman with a 13th finish in #2 Singles.

Track and Field

The Sand Springs girls placed 10th and the boys took 15th at the season-opening Owasso Track Invitational.

Freshman star Lainey Stanfill placed fifth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.79 and was third in the 200 in 26.69. Jazmin Lopez paced fifth in the 800 in 2:33.38.

Bowling

The Sand Springs boys bowling team placed second at Regionals and third at State.

Girls Powerlifting

The girls powerlifting team placed second at the North Regional with Jaden Jordan winning squat, deadlift, and overall at heavyweight. Jordan squatted 335, deadlifted 380, and benched 155 to qualify for State. Madison Thompson placed fourth at 198 and Mikah Hampton placed fifth at 108 to qualify.