CPHS Boys' Soccer falls 2-1 to Jenks, Cody Gurley scores lone goal

CPHS senior forward Cody Gurley leads the Sandites with six goals this season. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

By: Virgil Noah, Staff Writer

The Charles Page High School boys soccer team (4-6, 1-3) entered their matchup with Jenks High School (5-5, 2-1) looking to get to the .500 mark both overall and in district play. The Sandites came in fresh off a 4-1 loss to Putnam City North High School (8-3, 3-2).

Sand Springs notched their first district victory of the season the game prior, defeating Enid High School (1-6, 0-3) in a wild comeback 3-2 on three late goals from Ignacio Garcia, Cody Gurley, and Gustavo Saldana. Despite fighting hard for 80 minutes and keeping it close the Trojans ultimately prevailed 2-1.

There was relatively little action for the initial 37 minutes of the game but the 38th saw a pair of goals just 11 seconds apart. Trojan midfielder Gabriel Tiefenthaler split the middle of the Sandite defense and got off a shot that Sand Springs goalkeeper Edgar Soberano managed to get his hands on, but couldn't deflect enough to stop from scoring. Just 11 seconds later though, Gurley managed to roll a ball past Trojan keeper Jason Dausses to the back post for the equalizer.

It took less than three minutes for the Trojans to net what would be the winning goal. Kap Dong was on the receiving end of a ball over the top of the defense, and scored despite Soberano's diving efforts. Soberano managed to make several impressive saves before coming off the field injured in the 58th minute, replaced by sophomore Ethan Tippit. Tippit managed to keep Jenks off the scoreboard for the remainder of the match, notching four saves.

The Sandite offense pushed up the field on several occasions, crossing in balls that the Jenks defense easily cleared out without allowing a shot on goal.

The Sandite boys will be back in action Friday when they face Westmoore High School (5-7, 0-3) at 8:00 p.m.

CPHS Boys' Soccer falls 2-1 to Booker T. Washington in PK shootout

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Boys' Soccer Team (3-4 overall, 0-1 district) traveled to Booker T. Washington High School (4-1, 1-0) for their first district match of the season Tuesday night and played their longest game of the year thus far. The battle went into double-overtime with a lightning delay and eventually ended in a shootout.

The first half saw heavy defense with each team only getting off four shots apiece. All four of the Hornets' shots went wide or high, but Ignacio Garcia was just a tad off, connecting with the top post. Logan Jeffus scored the lone goal of the half with six minutes remaining.

The second half was an offensive melee by the home team, out-shooting the Sandites ten to one. Fortunately for Sand Springs, only four were on goal and only one went in. Grant King tied the game in the 59th minute of regulation. 

The Sandites didn't get off a single shot in either overtime period, but they played outstanding defense, giving up only two shots to King that were well off goal. Following a thirty-minute lightning delay, the second overtime period went the way of the first. Damola Olaniran took the lone shot from forty yards deep, but goalie Edgar Soberano handily pulled in the save.

With the score still tied, the game went to penalty kicks. Dax Hayes, Max Pettit, King, and Alan Velasquez made their shots for the Hornets, but Jaden Weiser, Garcia, Logan Jeffus, and Gustavo Saldana made four for the Sandites to force a sudden-victory shootout.

Olaniran, Henry Allen, and Tim James made the first three goals for Washington, while Alex Hernandez and Kristian Fairchild sank the first two for Sand Springs. Gabe Jeffus's shot was saved, however, and the Hornets notched their first district win.

The Sandites will return to action Friday night in Enid (1-4) for a non-district match at 8:00 p.m.

Cody Gurley scores hat trick in 5-4 loss to Coweta; Sandites place 6th at Stillwater Cup

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Boys' Soccer team (3-3) competed at the Stillwater Cup tournament this weekend and took sixth place with one win and two losses.

In the first round the Sandites were defeated 3-1 by Ponca City (3-2) with the lone goal coming from Cody Gurley. In the consolations they picked up a 2-0 victory over Choctaw (1-4) with goals from Kaiden Cox and Ignacio Garcia. In the placement match they jumped out to a 3-1 lead against Coweta (4-1) before the Tigers fought their way back for a last minute win.

Senior forward Cody Gurley was first on the scoreboard, scoring on an assist from Logan Jeffus in the 6th minute. Gabe Reed tied it up two minutes later, but Gurley responded just twelve seconds after that for a brace. The offensive onslaught continued till Gustavo Saldana scored his first goal of the season with a minute left till halftime for a 3-1 lead.

The second half was an entirely different story, however, as the Tigers struck just five minutes into the half. Daniel Fernandez kicked the game-tying shot in the 49th minute, then Gurley reclaimed the lead with a hat trick goal in the 57th minute. 

Cameron Eaves was next in the scorebook for Coweta, tying it back up in the 67th minute, then recorded a brace with the game-winning shot in the 77th minute. 

Garcia gave the Sandites one last opportunity with a corner kick in the final seconds, but the ball deflected up and over the goal and the Tigers secured the win. 

Sand Springs will return to action with a Tuesday night road game at Booker T. Washington (2-1) to kick off district play.

CPHS Boys' Soccer defeats Choctaw 2-0 at Stillwater Cup

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Boys' Soccer team (3-2) returned to a winning record with a 2-0 shutout victory against Choctaw High School (1-4) in the first round of the Stillwater Cup consolations. 

It was a heavily one-sided match that saw the talented Sandite backfield allow only two shots through the whole game. 

Ignacio Garcia scored the first goal in the 13th minute on a free kick to the left corner, then Kaiden Cox made his goal just four minutes later. 

The Sandites made eight total shots in the first half, five were on goal, and keeper Tyler Burnam pulled in two saves for the Yellowjackets. Choctaw didn't get off a single shot in the first half. 

Sand Springs took three shots in the second half and Burnam pulled in two more saves. Choctaw also got off a pair of shots from Logan Reece and goalie Ethan Tippit saved both for the clean sheet.

Sand Springs will return to action in the fifth place match at 5:20 p.m. in Pioneer Stadium. Following that game the Lady Sandites will be play for third place at 7:00 p.m. at Oklahoma State University's Colvin Recreational Fields. 

CPHS Boys' Soccer falls 3-1 to Ponca City, Cody Gurley scores lone goal

CPHS Senior Cody Gurley scored his first goal of the season in a 3-1 loss to Ponca City. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Boys' Soccer team (2-2) took on the Ponca City Wildcats (2-1) in the first round of the Stillwater Cup Friday afternoon at Pioneer Stadium and were defeated 3-1.

SEE RELATED: Lady Sandite Soccer notches first win 3-0 over Enid at Stillwater Cup

Mitchel Wilson scored on the first shot of the game for the Wildcats, just a minute and a half into the match. 

Sand Springs went on a run from there getting off the next five shots over eight minutes. Two were deflected, two were saved by Dereck Jernigan, but the fifth sailed true. Senior forward Cody Gurley connected on the game-tying shot in the ninth minute. 

Ponca didn't take long to retaliate, however, as Zach Martin bounced a corner kick off Wilson's chest and into the goal just two minutes later.

Both teams took a trio of shots apiece over the duration of the half, but the Wildcats held on to the 2-1 lead at halftime.

Gabe Jeffus took a phenomenal 35-yard shot early in the second half that headed perfectly for the top corner, but Jernigan was sharp on his feet and hauled in the save. Instead, it was the Wildcats who found the net, once again off a corner kick for a 3-1 lead.

The Sandite offense never slowed down, taking eleven shots in the final thirty minutes, but only a few were on target. The strong Sandite backfield kept Ponca from getting off more than a single shot in that time period, but the Wildcats held up defensively as well and prevailed 3-1.

Edgar Soberano got the start at goalie and pulled in one save before being relieved at halftime by sophomore Ethan Tippit. Tippit also recorded one save.

The Sandites return to action Saturday at 12:20 against Choctaw (1-3). The Yellowjackets fell 7-0 to Stillwater in their quarterfinal. The game will be held at Oklahoma State University's Colvin Recreational Soccer Fields. The winner of that game will play for fifth place at 5:20 p.m. in Pioneer Stadium, while the loser will play for seventh place at 5:20 p.m. in Colvin Fields.

The Girls' team will be playing in the semifinals at 10:40 a.m. against undefeated Coweta (3-0) who rolled over previously undefeated Ponca City (3-1) 5-1 in their quarterfinal. The winner of that game will play for first place at Pioneer Stadium, while the loser will play for third at Colvin Fields. Both games will be at 7:00 p.m.

Logan Jeffus leads Sandites to 1-0 victory over Muskogee

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Boys' Soccer team (2-1) picked up their second win of the season in a home thriller against the Muskogee Roughers (1-3) Thursday night at Memorial Stadium. Logan Jeffus kicked the lone goal for the Sandites and it was enough for a 1-0 victory thanks to some salty defense and excellent goalkeeping by Edgar Soberano. 

Jeffus's goal came early in the match in the 11th minute and he got off several other solid shots throughout the game. The Sandites were the aggressors for the majority of the match, spending plenty of time in Muskogee's box, but Phillip Duncan was a superhero for the Roughers, picking up half a dozen impressive saves over the course of the game. 

The game was a homecoming for Muskogee Head Coach Tyler McIntosh, a Charles Page Class of 2012 graduate, and former four-year starting goalie at Mid-America Christian University.

Both teams will return to action Friday at the Stillwater Cup. Sand Springs will take on Ponca City (1-1) at 5:00 p.m. while Muskogee will play Edmond Memorial (0-3) at 3:20. Both games will be played in Pioneer Stadium.