McKinney Animal Hospital donates All-State Player sign to CPHS Baseball Complex

Sand Springs has a rich tradition of producing some of the best baseball teams in the State, despite not having won a State Tournament yet. Between Sand Springs High School and Charles Page High School, the Sandites have produced twenty-one All-State players, all of which were honored in a special ceremony Tuesday evening at the Sandite Baseball Complex.

Jason and Dr. Kayla Shipman, owners of the McKinney Animal Hospital in Sand Springs, donated a brand new sign to the Sandites, recognizing all the All-State players to come from Sand Springs. Jason played for the Sandites and graduated in 1996. 

Eugene "Knute" Palmer, Class of 1950, was the first Sandite ever to be named to the All-State team. Palmer was the Commander Mills Outstanding Player as a senior. The football team Co-Captain achieved All-Conference honors for both football and basketball, and was an All-State Honorable Mention for football. The basketball team went 27-1-1 his senior year for the Verdigris Valley Conference Championship. 

Sgt. Bill Bigby, Class of 1951, was a tri-sport athlete for the Sandites, playing for the football team, and the Verdigris Valley Conference Champion basketball team. As a senior he was named the Most Versatile Athlete. Bigby attended the University of Oklahoma, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, then returned to graduate from the University of Tulsa. A dedicated member of the community, Bigby served as a City Councilman, little league baseball and basketball coach, and Mayor of Sand Springs. He was Chairman of the Freeholders of the City of Sand Springs which first chartered the City as a Council-Manager form of government in 1969. 

Charles Hughes, Class of 1952, was a dual-sport athlete, serving as Captain of the State Runner-Up football team and was a left-handed pitcher on the baseball team. The football team tied Ada 20-20 in the State Championship, but Ada was awarded the Title on red-zone penetrations. Overtime had not yet made its way into high school football. Hughes received a baseball scholarship to Anderson University in Indiana, then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals Farm Club before being drafted in the Army in 1955. In the Army, he continued his baseball career in Germany. After a shoulder injury put an end to his baseball career, Hughes enrolled in cosmetology school and went on to found the Scissors Family Hair Salon chain, which had ten locations at its peak. He also served on the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology.

Bill Miller, Class of 1952, was a member of the Sand Springs High School baseball team from 1949 to 1952.

Billy Wooten, Class of 1953, was a four-year starting catcher for the Sandites. In the 1953 State tournament in Tahlequah the Sandites ran out of pitchers and Wooten filled in. He struck out the first thirteen batters he faced. Wooten signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1953 and amassed a 3-1 record on the mound in the 1954 season with their Ardmore farm team. 

Richard Luce, Class of 1956, was a tri-sport athlete for the Sandites, competing in football and basketball as well as baseball. He was also the Senior Class president. During his senior season Luce batted .412 and once hit three home runs during a double-header. He played for Oklahoma Baptist University for four seasons and made the Shawnee Oklahoma All-Star team in 1959.

Dennis Stanford, Class of 1969, was a dual-sport athlete, also playing on the 1966 State Championship football team, for which he earned All-Conference and All-State honors in 1968. The center-fielder continued his baseball career at Crowder Junior College where he earned All-District honors, and the University of Tulsa where he earned All-Conference honors in 1972 and 1973. Stanford retired from the Union School District after twenty years. 

Tom Hudspeth, Class of 1972, played short stop for the Sandites from 1970 through 1972. He passed away in 2013. 

Mike Moore, Class of 1981, was the Tulsa Metro Player of the Year in 1981 and played in the Oklahoma-California series that year. He earned All-American honors at Conners State College and led the nation with 89 stolen bases. He also played for Southwestern Oklahoma State. Moore never hit below .400 in his high school or college career. After college, Moore played a year for the Cheena Reds in the Mexican League before pursuing a career in coaching. He has coached at NorthArk Community College, Weslaco (Texas), Crowder, and Sapulpa. He is currently the Head Coach at Jay High School. He has amassed a career coaching record of 479-209.

Randall King, Class of 1983, was the Tulsa Metro Player of the Year in 1983 and played on the Oklahoma-California Series. He continued his career at Northeastern State University, and is currently the Head Softball Coach at Broken Arrow High School. He has guided the Tigers to three Fast Pitch State Championships and one Slow Pitch State Championship as Head Coach, and was an assistant coach for five Fast Pitch State Championships. He celebrated his 400th career win as the Fast Pitch Head Coach in 2016 during his 13th season at the helm. He was named the All-World Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2014. He holds a 408-101 career fast pitch record.

Kurt Burgess, Class of 1987, compiled a 14-1 record on the mound his senior year with 123 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.06. He also batted .427 with 6 home runs and 39 RBI. He was named the Tulsa Metro Player of the Year in 1987 and played in the Oklahoma-California Series. He continued his career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and Oral Roberts University. He earned All-American honors at ORU in 1991 with a record of 15-1 and signed with the Atlanta Braves organization that year. He played six seasons with the Braves' farm teams, ending his career in 1996 with the Richmond Braves. In June of 1993 he was named Pitcher of the Month for the entire Atlanta Braves organization.

Doug Vineyard, Class of 1988, batted .438 his junior year and .444 his senior year, helping lead the Sandites to the State Semifinals both seasons. He was an American Legion All-Star both years and was All-Metro in 1988. He is currently the Vice President of Operations at Hargrove Manufacturing in Sand Springs.

Jay Fleischman, Class of 1988, made All-State in baseball, football, and wrestling, won the 1988 State Championship at 178 pounds, and pursued a collegiate football career at Oklahoma State University. He was named the 1980s Oklahoma High School Football All-Decade Team and lettered all four years at OSU. He started as a true freshman in the 1988 Holiday Bowl, playing alongside Barry Sanders and Mike Gundy. In 1989 he led the Cowboys with four interceptions, and recorded 73 tackles and 55 unassisted tackles in 1990. He currently serves as an assistant coach on both the CPHS wrestling and football teams.

Scott Watkins, Class of 1988, pitched a 13-3 record his senior year with 118 strikeouts and three no-hitters. He played collegiately for Oral Roberts University, Seminole State, and Oklahoma State University. While at OSU, he was named the Big 8 Newcomer of the Year, the Big 8 Pitcher of the Year, and Second Team All-American. In 1992 Watkins was drafted and signed in the 23rd round by the Minnesota Twins. In '95 he was named a AAA All-Star and the Pacific Coast League Rolaids Relief Award Winner. He made his major league debut with the Twins in August of that year. His career also included stents with the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers. While with the Rangers, Watkins played for the Tulsa Drillers and Oklahoma City Redhawks in 1998. He retired from professional baseball in 2002 and has been an assistant coach for the Sandites since 2004. 

Chabon Childers, Class of 1989, played outfield for the Sandites and led the Tulsa Metro with 59 RBI his junior season. As a senior he batted .550 for five home runs and 36 RBI. He was named the Tulsa Metro Player of the Year that season and was a member of the 1989 Oklahoma Sunbelt Team. He continued his career at Oklahoma State University and made the All-Big 8 Second Team in 1993. He is currently an assistant coach with the Broken Arrow High School team.

Ray Tarr, Class of 1996, was a three-time All-Metro and All-Conference selection and was a member of the 1995 and 1996 Oklahoma Sunbelt Teams. He batted over .400 his senior season with 46 RBI and 8 home runs, including a game-winning three-run homer against No. 1 Westmoore in the 1996 State Tournament. He continued his career at Independence Community College and St. Gregory's University, and was named an All-Conference catcher all four years. He is currently a firefighter and paramedic with the Tulsa Fire Department.

Jared Shipman, Class of 1997, was the Tulsa Metro Player of the Year as a senior and played in the 1996 Sooner State Games and 1997 Oklahoma Sunbelt team. He set a school record with 256 career strikeouts, including 110 in just 73 innings his senior year. He also threw a school record 18 strikeouts in a win over Jenks, who went on to win the State Championship. 18 strikeouts in seven innings still stands among the top-five performances of all-time at any classification of Oklahoma High School baseball. Shipman played collegiate ball at Conners State and Oral Roberts University. He holds a degree in construction management from OSU and is the son-in-law of Head Coach Bill Hutson

Jeff Blevins, Class of 1998, earned All-Conference and All-Metro honors his sophomore, junior, and senior years. As a senior he was the Oklahoma Player of the Year Runner-Up, batting .477 with 8 homers and 50 RBI. He attended Texarkana College in 1999 and 2000, earning All-Conference honors both seasons. During his sophomore year he hit .353 with 5 homers and 60 RBI, highlighted by a school-record 26-game hitting streak. He played for the University of Nebraska from 2001 to 2002, earning All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention at third base both seasons. The Huskers qualified for back-to-back College World Series appearances during his career there. As a senior he batted .307 with 7 homers and 50 RBI and held a .946 fielding average.

Matt Hillis, Class of 2009, set the CPHS record for stolen bases his senior year at 45. He also had 6 homers, including one in Drillers Stadium in a game against Memorial. He played collegiate ball for Cowley County Community College and finished with a .250 batting average, including 2 homers. As an outfielder he maintained a .929 fielding percentage.

Kylar Robertson, Class of 2012, made the New Balance All-American team his senior year, batting .440 with 6 home runs and 34 RBI. He played two seasons at Eastern Oklahoma State College where he earned All-Conference honors and was on the Dean & President's Honor Rolls. As a redshirt freshman he batted .269 with 37 runs, 45 RBI, and 12 homers. As a sophomore he batted .338 for 28 runs, 38 RBI, and 7 homes. He was .994 as a catcher. He currently plays for Southeastern Missouri State University. Last season he batted .238 for 12 runs, 12 RBI, and 2 homers as the Redhawks won the Ohio Valley Conference.

Alex Hackerott, Class of 2012, made the New Balance All-American team his senior year and was the 2012 Tulsa Metro Pitcher of the Year. He amassed a 28-7 career record in high school with 243 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.97. He held an 8-1 record his senior season with an 0.44 ERA and threw back-to-back no-hitters in the Bixby Tournament. He batted .428 with 88 RBI in his career and was .438 as a senior. As a junior he pitched a 10-1 record. He played four season with Oklahoma State University and finished with a 7-1 career record and 2.66 ERA. In 2014 he was an Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree. In 2015 he made the Academic All-Big 12 First Team. He will graduate this May with a degree in finance. 

One notable name missing from the All-State roster is arguable the best baseball player ever to come from Sand Springs, Jerry Adair. The Class of 1955 star lettered three times in football, basketball, and baseball. He was named to the All-State football team but at that time players could only make All-State in one sport. He turned down his football honors, hoping to make All-State in basketball, which he did. Because he played for the All-State basketball team, he was ineligible for All-State baseball. Adair was the starting quarterback for the Sandites, was named the All-State Most Outstanding Player for basketball, and signed with Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) for both basketball and baseball. He led his team in batting as a junior with a .438 average and was the first-ever player from OSU named to the All-Big 8 Team. He was also named to the All-American Second Team. Adair signed with the Baltimore Orioles in '58 and also played stents for the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Hankyu Braves in the Japan Pacific League. He retired from baseball in 1971 and passed away from liver cancer in 1987. The Jerry Adair Baseball Complex in Sand Springs is named in his honor.

CPHS Senior Sydney Pennington named to All-State Basketball team

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School has produced a smattering of All Star and All State honors this school year. A dozen Sandites have received All-Star recognition by their sport's official governing body, and five were named to the All-State teams. 

Oklahoma State University-signed senior Sydney Pennington has made her way into the history books as one of the most talented athletes in school history, having been named to All-State teams in two separate sports.

Pennington was named to the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association (OGBCA) Large East All State team and the OCA Large East All State Team. She was also named to the Oklahoma Fast Pitch Coaches Association Large East All State team.

Pennington averaged 10.77 points per game this season, but could easily have had far more had she not had to share the ball with such an all-around talented team. She averaged 15.66 as a freshman, 17.16 as a sophomore, and 12.61 as a junior. She scored a career-high 32 as a sophomore, and holds 1386 career points. And basketball isn't even her best sport. 

Pennington is signed to play softball for OSU and has been to three State Championship tournaments with the Lady Sandites. They were defeated in the quarterfinals her freshman and seniors years but made it to the finals her junior year and lost by a single run. This past year she finished with an astounding .543 batting average with 45 runs, 57 hits, 38 RBI, and 10 home runs. She also pitched nearly 40 innings and finished with a 1.41 ERA and undefeated 6-0 record with two no-hitters and one shutout. 

To add to her impressive careers in basketball and softball, she was also the quarterback for the Senior Powderpuff Football team that won the school championship the past two years. One could easily compare her to Major League Baseball player Jerry Adair who made All-State in baseball, football, and basketball when he played for Sand Springs. 

Kyle Keener was named to the Oklahoma Coaches Association (OCA) Large East 6A All Star team, averaging 16.5 points per game this season. Keener is signed to play for the University of Central Oklahoma next season. Keener and junior Colt Savage were both named to the Coffeyville Interstate Classic All-Tournament team this year.

Savage was named to the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association (OBCA) Region Seven All Star team. Savage averaged 22.48 points per game this year and scored a career-high 34. He was the second-highest scoring player in the entire Frontier Valley Conference and is only a junior.

Kierra McGee was named as an alternate on the OGBCA Large East All State team. She averaged 8.69 points per game this season and was the All-Tournament MVP at the Coffeyville Interstate Classic.

Delvin Jordan, Kasey Bales, and Lincoln Adams were named to the OCA East All Star team. Jordan also made the OCA All State East team. Jordan recorded 69 tackles this season, 15 for a loss of 91 yards, and 8 sacks for a loss of 64 yards. He also forced three fumbles and recovered one for a 32-yard touchdown return. Bales had 68 receptions for 946 yards and 11 touchdowns this season and averaged 42 yards per punt. Offensive linemen don't really have any stats to track, but Adams was one of the most proficient in the state and was a major player in opening up the prolific Sandite run game. Jordan is signed with Pittsburg State University and Adams is signed with Oklahoma Baptist University.

Daton Fix and Jack Karstetter were both named to the OCA Large East All State Wrestling team. Fix is a four-time undefeated State Champion with a 168-0 career record and is signed with Oklahoma State University. Karstetter won his first State Championship this season, was Runner-Up last year, and finished with a 105-16 record.

Cheyenne Walden and Alexis Davis were both named to the Oklahoma Track Coaches Association Cross Country Senior All-Star team. Walden is a four-time State Champion and four-time Gatorade Runner of the Year. She finished her career with personal records of 5:21 on the one-mile, 11:19.5 on the two-mile, and 17:32 in 5K. Davis is a four-time State Qualifier and finished 21st this year. She has PRs of 6:11 in the one-mile, 12:54 in the two-mile, and 19:53 for a 5K. Walden is signed with Oklahoma State University and Davis is signed with Southwestern Oklahoma State University. 

Jessica Collins was named to the All-State Large East Softball team and finished her senior year with a .316 batting average with 39 runs, 36 hits, and 22 RBI. 

Final Conference Standings for 6A Boys Basketball

Frontier Valley Conference

1. No. 1 Union (26-0, 14-0)
2. No. 8 Broken Arrow (20-7, 11-3)
3. No. 12 Sapulpa (17-8, 9-4)
4. No. 10 Muskogee (16-7, 9-5)
5. No. 15 Owasso (15-11, 7-7)
6. Bixby (11-13, 6-8)
7. Sand Springs (12-14, 5-9)
8. No. 18 Bartlesville (9-14, 4-9)
9. 5A No. 18 Bishop Kelley (7-16, 3-11)
10. Jenks (3-18, 1-13)

Big Ten Conference

1. No. 3 Midwest City (23-3, 13-0)
2. No. 4 Putnam North (22-5, 12-1)
3. No. 13 Lawton (14-7, 8-4)
4. 5A No. 7 Eisenhower (17-9, 8-5)
5. 5A No. 10 Del City (14-13, 7-6)
6. Putnam City (10-14, 7-7)
7. No. 14 Putnam West (14-12, 6-7)
8. 5A No. 16 Bishop McGuinness (9-15, 4-10)
9. Choctaw (8-17, 2-12)
10. Enid (4-19, 0-13)

Green Country Conference

1. 5A No. 2 Tulsa Memorial (22-3, 11-1)
2. No. 7 Booker T. Washington (19-7, 9-4)
3. 4A No. 15 McLain (17-9, 8-3)
4. 5A No. 5 East Central (15-8, 8-4)
5. 4A No. 2 Tulsa Central (17-9, 7-4)
6. 5A No. 13 Tulsa Edison (9-13, 4-8)
7. Nathan Hale (10-16, 3-9)
8. Daniel Webster (10-19, 1-10)
9. Will Rogers (10-16, 1-10)

Central Oklahoma Conference

1. No. 2 Edmond North (24-2, 13-1)
2. No. 5 Norman North (19-6, 11-2)
3. No. 6 Westmoore (21-5, 10-4)
4. No. 9 Yukon (15-7, 8-5)
5. No. 16 Mustang (14-12, 8-6)
6. No. 11 Edmond Santa Fe (15-12, 8-6)
7. No. 19 Edmond Memorial (13-12, 7-7)
8. No. 17 Norman (11-13, 5-9)
9. Moore (9-15, 4-10)
10. Deer Creek (8-16, 3-11)
11. Southmoore (6-17, 3-11)
12. No. 20 Stillwater (9-15, 3-11)

All City Conference

1. 3A No. 1 Centennial (23-4, 10-0)
2. 3A No. 2 Douglass (21-4, 10-2)
3. 3A No. 6 Star Spencer (19-6, 10-3)
4. 5A No. 14 Southeast (11-8, 8-3)
5. 4A No. 19 John Marshall (16-12, 6-6)
6. 2A No. 17 Northeast Academy (11-11, 4-5)
7. Northwest Classen (16-9, 4-6)
8. Capitol Hill (13-9, 4-7)
9. Millwood (14-18, 4-8)
10. OKC Classen (2-21, 1-9)
11. U.S. Grant (3-21, 1-13)

CPHS Boys Basketball falls to No. 12 Sapulpa, Keener ends season with career-high 31 points

UCO-bound senior Kyle Keener posted a career-high 31 points in a playoff loss to Sapulpa. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

Sapulpa 85 CPHS 73

1Q Sapulpa 17-15
2Q Sapulpa 28-16
3Q Sapulpa 19-17
4Q CPHS 25-21

Free Throws: SHS 25-of-30, CPHS 14-of-17.
Field Goals: SHS 25-of-50, CPHS 28-of-60.
Fouls: SHS 17, CPHS 18.

Scoring: (SHS) Ballance 35, Smith 30, Phipps 15, Hoggatt 3, Williams 2. (CPHS) Keener 31, Colt Savage 22, Taber 6, Garbey 5, Price 4, Cale Savage 3, Golightly 2. 

(CPHS only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 7, Colt Savage 3, Garbey 1, Price 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Keener 4, Colt Savage 3, Cale Savage 3, Price 3, Garbey 1, Wash 1.
Assists: Colt Savage 3, Keener 1.
Steals: Colt Savage 2, Taber 1.
Blocks: Keener 4, Price 1.
Fouls: Taber 5, Colt Savage 4, Garbey 4, Price 2, Keener 1, Wash 1, Durkee 1.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 12 ranked Sapulpa High School boys' basketball team (17-7) extended their season by at least one more night by putting an end to the season for their Highway 97 rivals from Sand Springs. The Charles Page High School Sandites (12-14) battled back from a 23-point deficit in the third quarter of the Area Consolation Semifinals, but ultimately fell 85-73 at Whitey Ford arena in Bixby Friday night. 

It was a shootout from the very beginning as University of Central Oklahoma-signed senior Kyle Keener drew first blood for the Sandites off an assist from Colt Savage. Keenan Ballance hit a pair from the stripe, Savage reclaimed the lead with a two-point jump shot, then Julian Smith did the same to tie it right back up. The back and forth affair continued with the Chieftains first taking the lead at 9-8 off a three-point basket from Ballance. Ballance scored again from two-point range then it was back and forth again with Sapulpa leading 17-15 at the buzzer.

Smith made it a two-score game with a pair of free throws to start the second, but Keener and Jacob Garbey scored back-to-back to tie it at 19-all. Ballance struck again from three-point range, then Keener hit double digits with 5:30 left in the half.

Then Sapulpa began to pull away. Smith hit two from the stripe and Ballance snagged a steal and scored in transition. Not to be outdone, Smith did the same, and did it twice in a row to make it 30-21. The Chieftains were deadly from three-point range, shooting six-of-eleven in the first half and slowly deepening the gap to 45-31 by halftime.

Both teams had two players in double digits by the final buzzer of the half. Ballance and Smith led all scorers with 20 and 19 respectively, followed by Keener with 15 and Savage with 12.

Senior Josh Taber started the second half hot for Sand Springs, scoring twice in the first minute to cut things to 48-37, but Sapulpa scored six-straight before Matt Price made his way into the scorebook with a layup. It wasn't enough to stymie the Chieftain tide, however. Hunter Hoggatt got in on the action with a three, Smith made a three-point play off a Savage foul, then scored through contact once again to make it 62-39 with 2:10 in the third.

Just as things were beginning to look bleak, the Sandites went on a nine-point run. Colt Savage hit a two, younger brother Cale Savage hit his first bucket of the game with a three ball, the elder Savage hit two from the charity stripe, and Keener hit a layup to cut it to 62-48. Ballance got the final say of the period and the Chieftains entered the final stretch 64-48.

Keener dominated the basket in the fourth quarter, scoring thrice on offensive rebounds, and picked up penalty shots on two of them all in the first few minutes. A basket by Price cut things to 71-58, but the deficit would remain in that region for the duration. The closest the Sandites would get was 78-68, but as soon as Sand Springs would start to draw near, the Chieftains would surge forward once again, ultimately holding out for the 85-73 win. 

Three players ended up north of thirty in the wild affair, and five broke double digits. Ballance led all scorers with 35 points, and teammates Smith and Trey Phipps contributed 30 and 15, respectively. Keener ended his high-school career with a bang and led the Sandites for the eighth time this season with his fifth double-double. The future Broncho scored 31 points to beat his previous career-high of 22, and snatched eleven rebounds. Junior Colt Savage posted 22 points with six rebounds.

The Chieftains will take on No. 7 Booker T. Washington (18-7) in the Area Consolation Finals Saturday at 6:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the State Tournament next week. The two teams have yet to meet this season. 

---

Union 66 BTW 46

1Q Union 17-2
2Q Union 12-10
3Q Union 19-10
4Q BTW 24-18

Free Throws: Union 18-of-26. BTW 8-of-15.
Field Goals: Union 22-of-51. BTW 18-of-57.

Scoring: (Union) Chargois 19, Rodriguez 17, Johnson 13, Jamerson 10, Garcia 6, Banks 1. (BTW) Fuqua 20, Bereal 9, Johnson 8, Lucas 7, Jones 2.

The first round of the Area Championship wasn't much of a surprise as the undefeated and undisputed No. 1 ranked Union Redskins (26-0) rolled to a massive 66-46 victory over No. 7 Booker T. Washington (18-7).

The first quarter and a half were no contest as Union took a 9-0 lead out of the gate with a pair of field goals from both Ethan Chargois and Adrian Rodriguez. RJ Fuqua got his team on the scoreboard, but four minutes later the deficit was 17-2 to start the second period.

The Redskins continued to wreak havoc, pushing it to 26-2 before Triston Johnson got the Hornets back on track with a pair of free throws. Fuqua went to work with back-to-back transition layups with 2:00 minutes left in the half. 

The Hornets struggled with accuracy and were one-of-eighteen on field goals before Fuqua found his feet. Johnson went back to the line for two more, then added the first and only non-Fuqua field goal of the half.

By the time the two teams headed to the locker room the Hornets had cut their deficit by seven, but still trailed by a lopsided score of 29-12. While the Redskins were giving the basket a beating with twelve goals on 24 attempts, the Hornets were having trouble even finding the rim and were only 4-of-23.

Chargois kicked off the second half from three-point range, then Ahjae Johnson completed a three-point play before Fuqua scored in transition. Demarco Jones made his way onto the scoreboard for the Hornets, but N'Kiel Jamerson negated the damage from the free-throw line. 

Fuqua continued to be the driving force for the Hornets, but by the time he broke double-digits, three Redskins had already done so. Booker T. improved on their accuracy, shooting five-of-fifteen in the third, but they still trailed 48-22 after the third. Booker T. won the final stanza 24-18, but they were too deep in the hole and the top-seeded Redskins prevailed 66-46.

Fuqua led all scorers with 20 points, but was the only Hornet in double digits. Four Union players broke double, led by Chargois with 19. Rodriguez scored 17, Johnson posted 13, and Jamerson contributed 10. 

CPHS Boys fall 82-61 to No. 5 Norman North, will face Sapulpa in Area Playoffs Friday

CPHS junior Colt Savage posted 28 points in the Regional Championship game at Norman North. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

NNHS 82 CPHS 61

1Q Norman North 21-19
2Q Norman North 24-14
3Q Norman North 25-16
4Q All 12-12

Scoring: (CPHS) Colt Savage 28, Keener 14, Cale Savage 6, Golightly 4, Durkee 3, Taber 2, Garbey 2, Price 2. (NNHS) Young 47, Stoops 16, Kolar 8, Nelson 4, Crutchfield 3, Klein 2, Smith 2. 

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School boys basketball team (12-13) made a big statement Friday night when they defeated the No. 9 ranked Yukon Millers (15-8) in the first round of the Regional playoffs, but they were unable to repeat in the Saturday Championship round against No. 5 Norman North (19-4).

The host team was led by University of Oklahoma-signed senior Trae Young, who was the highest-recruited player in the country before committing to the Sooners. Young was unstoppable from anywhere on the court, draining nine three-pointers with a total of 47 points. 

The Sandites had their own all-star in Colt Savage, who posted 28 points for his fourth-highest score of the season. The 6'3" junior son of Head Coach Eric Savage has led the Frontier Valley Conference in scoring all season long with an average of 22.5 points-per-game.

Sand Springs hung tight with the Timberwolves through the first quarter and only trailed by two at the buzzer. The elder Savage scored eight in the stanza, aided by University of Central Oklahoma-signed senior Kyle Keener with six, sophomore Cale Savage with three, and Matt Price with two.

The top-seeded team began to pull away in the second period, however, as Young played his best quarter of the game with eighteen points. Peyton Golightly posted all four of his points in the second quarter, Colt Savage scored five, Cale Savage scored three, and Jacob Garbey hit his lone basket of the game. 

Norman North retired to the locker room with a 45-33 advantage. 

Colt Savage did the bulk of his damage in the third period, scoring eleven of the team's sixteen points, but Young had thirteen for the Timberwolves and Drake Stoops posted eight more as the home team led 70-49. The 21-point advantage was insurmountable for the Sandites and both teams scored 12 in the final stretch for a final score of 82-61. 

Despite falling short of the Regional title, the Sandites will still advance to the Area playoffs through the consolation bracket. They will take on their Highway 97 rivals, No. 12 Sapulpa (16-7) in the first round Friday at 8:00 p.m. at Bixby High School. The winner of that game will face the loser of No. 1 Union (25-0) vs No. 7 Booker T. Washington (18-6) for the ticket to State. The Sandites previously fell 72-68 to Sapulpa in a close game this January. 

CPHS Boys knock off No. 9 Yukon 66-59 in Playoffs; Colt Savage scores 27

Junior Colt Savage led the Sandites with 27 points in a Regional playoff win. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

CPHS 66 YHS 59

1Q All 14-14
2Q Yukon 14-12
3Q Sand Springs 21-18
4Q Sand Springs 19-13

Free Throws: CPHS 8-of-11, YHS 11-of-15.
Field Goals: CPHS 25-of-50, YHS 21-of-53.
Fouls: CPHS 13, YHS 13

Scoring: (CPHS) Colt Savage 27, Garbey 14, Keener 12, Taber 8, Cale Savage 3, Wash 2. (YHS) Martin 27, Turner 11, Williams 7, Brazil 6, Berg 6, McGee 2.

(CPHS only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 2, Wash 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Keener 6, Garbey 3, Colt Savage 2, Taber 2, Cale Savage 1.
Steals: Taber 6, Colt Savage 1, Keener 1, Wash 1.
Assists: Keener 3, Taber 2, Cale Savage 2, Colt Savage 1.
Blocks: Keener 2.
Fouls: Keener 4, Taber 3, Price 3, Colt Savage 1, Garbey 1, Wash 1.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 9 ranked Yukon Millers (15-8) were likely caught off guard by the ferocity of the unranked Charles Page High School boys basketball team (12-12) in their Friday night Regional playoff at Norman North High. 

A quick look at the Sandites' losing record is deceptive considering the number of brutally close losses that Sand Springs has endured in the highly-competitive Frontier Valley Conference. Despite being unranked themselves, the Sandites have topped six ranked opponents this season, including two top-ten teams. They worked their magic again Friday night and rolled to a 66-59 victory, qualifying for the Area Tournament next weekend. 

Head Coach Scott Raper wasn't very happy with how his boys started the first period, but he was likely satisfied with their finish. The Sandites took an 8-0 lead to start the game with a pair of threes from Jacob Garbey and a two point basket from Colt Savage, but the Millers scored nine-straight to claim the lead with back-to-back field goals from 6'10" senior Cameron Martin. Josh Taber snagged a steal and took it coast to coast for a buzzer-beater layup to tie things at 14-14.

The second period was practically a replay of the first as Sand Springs scored the first three baskets of the quarter. University of Central Oklahoma-signed senior Kyle Keener scored the first basket off an assist by Taber, Colt Savage took a rebound coast to coast for a layup, then Taber scored off yet another steal. Then the Millers went to work and took a four-point lead off a seven-straight scoring streak before Colt Savage added a two-point jump shot at the buzzer.

Yukon headed to the locker room with a close 28-26 lead.

Both teams came out of halftime hot, but it was Sand Springs who won the highest-scoring period of the game. Colt Savage scored the opening three, Martin and Jordan Williams hit four from the charity stripe, then Savage scored three more on a layup and foul shot to tie it at 32 apiece.

Martin and Vernon Turner hit back to back jump shots to take the lead, but Cale Savage and Jacob Garbey both hit threes to put Sand Springs back on top.

Tallyn Brazil stole the spotlight for Yukon with a pair of two-point jump shots, but Garbey iced another three, then Colt Savage traded shots and the lead with Martin and Brazil to get the final say at 47-46.

The Sandites had yet another impressive start in the fourth quarter as Taber recorded his sixth steal and took it to the house. Colt Savage drained a three and Keener posted two before Martin broke things up with back-to-back threes.

Garbey and Williams traded blows from two-point range, then Colt Savage added another long ball to make it 59-54. The Millers grew desperate and began racking up the fouls, but the Sandites held strong for the win.

Martin and Colt Savage scored a game-high 27 points apiece, followed by Garbey with 14 and Keener with 12. Turner also broke double digits with 11 points. 

The Sandites will face the winner of No. 5 Norman North (17-4) vs unranked Jenks (3-17) Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Both Regional finalists will advance to the Area Tournament.