Two Sandites headed to NCAA Softball Super Regionals, and other alumni updates

The No. 13 ranked Oklahoma State University Cowgirl Softball team (42-14) won its first Regional Championship since 2011 Saturday afternoon, squeezing out a 2-1 come-from-behind Finals win over No. 25 Tulsa (37-20). The Pokes also won 3-1 against the West Coast Conference Champions from BYU (30-26) and beat Tulsa 13-10 in their first meeting of the tournament.

The Cowgirl roster includes two former Sand Springs standouts in sophomore Sydney Pennington and senior Mallory Goodman.

Pennington played third base throughout the three-game tournament, recording two put outs and eight assists. At the plate she was 2-of-10 with 2 runs and 1 RBI, hitting a solo homer in the top of the second inning in the first game against Tulsa. 

Pennington is .250 on the season with 30 runs, 42 hits, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 10 homers, 33 RBI, a .482 slugging average, .314 on-base-percentage, and a .948 fielding average. In her career she’s .277 with 57 runs, 102 hits, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 17 homers, and 76 RBI.

Goodman hasn’t seen any action this season, but she’s .241 in her career with 17 runs, 28 hits, 5 doubles, 3 homers, a .362 slugging average, and .343 on-base-percentage.

The Pokes will return to action Thursday and Friday against the defending National Champions from No. 4 Florida State (54-8) at the Tallahassee Super Regional. Game times are 6:00 p.m. CT Thursday, 2:00 p.m. CT Friday, and 11:00 a.m. CT Saturday (if necessary). Thursday and Saturday’s games will be on ESPN and Friday’s game will be on ESPN2.

Other softball news…

Central Christian College senior Breanna Bill batted .271 this season with a .388 slugging average, 23 runs, 35 hits, 4 doubles, 4 triples, 1 home run, 11 RBI, and 8 sacrifices. The Tigers went 16-38 overall and 8-28 in the SAC.

1983 grad Randall King led the Broken Arrow High School Slow Pitch Softball team to a 23-9 record, Class 6A No. 5 ranking, and State Tournament appearance.

2011 grad Joely Rogers finished her first season as Pitching Coach at Coffeyville Community College, helping the Ravens to a 7-34 record.

Sophomore Jessica Collins batted .284 with a .327 on-base percentage, .561 slugging average, 32 runs, 42 hits, 5 doubles, 12 home runs, and 33 RBI at Connors State College as the Cowgirls went 16-31 overall and 11-22 in conference. She went 1-5 on the mound, throwing 5 strikeouts in 34 innings with a 9.34 ERA and .948 fielding percentage.

Northeastern State University went 28-27 overall and 14-12 in conference. Junior Jessica Schuler batted .297 with 29 runs, 47 hits, 33 RBI, 14 doubles, 5 homers, a .481 slugging average, .386 on-base percentage, and a .991 fielding percentage.

Junior Kennedy “Goose” Salyers finished the season .234 at the plate with 5 runs, 11 hits, 1 double, 1 RBI, a .255 slugging average, and a .250 on-base percentage at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. The Savage Storm went 29-28 overall and 25-19 in conference.

Baseball

Rhett Rutledge is playing NCAA Division I baseball at Florida International University in his junior year, following a two-year stent at Northern Oklahoma College. He currently owns a .250 batting average and .300 slugging average on the season with five hits, seven runs, and one RBI, with a .905 fielding percentage. The Panthers are 22-29 overall and will return to action Thursday with a three-day three-game home series against Louisiana Tech.

Sophomores Mack Thompson and Treyce Tolbert saw action on a 24-22 Rose State College baseball team, the school’s best record since 2013. Thompson ended the season with a .879 fielding percentage, .337 batting average, .413 on-base percentage, and .402 slugging average, recording 31 hits, 6 doubles, 20 runs, and 16 RBI. Tolbert finished with a .909 fielding percentage, .297 batting average, .360 on-base percentage, and .436 slugging average, with 30 hits, 12 doubles, 1 triple, 17 runs, and 19 RBI.

Berryhill grad and native Sandite Jacob Bailey is seeing reduced duty with the Seminole State baseball team. He is 1-0 on the mound in 3.2 innings pitched with a 0.0 ERA and 6 strikeouts. Last season he was 6-1 for a 4.14 ERA. Seminole went 39-14 this season.

University of Oklahoma sophomore Jake Terry has pitched two innings this season and thrown one strikeout. His career ERA stands at 7.53. The Sooners are 31-20 overall and 9-12 in Big 12 action. They will play a three-game Red River Rivalry series this week to conclude the regular season.

CPHS Class of 1981 grad Mike Moore is Head Baseball Coach at Jay High School, and recently wrapped up the season with an 18-14 record.

Basketball

University of Central Oklahoma freshman Colt Savage scored 84 points with 25 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals for the Men’s Basketball team this past season, helping the Broncos to an 11-17 record. He shot 55.6% on field goals, 50% on three-pointers, and 90% on free throws.

Football

Sophomore Jacob Taber and the Fort Hays State University football team earned their second-straight MIAA Conference Title with a 9-3 overall record and 6-0 undefeated performance on their home turf. Taber played in all twelve games, recording 4 total tackles.

Jerry Lyons didn’t see any action his freshman year at Southwestern College football, but the Moundbuilders finished the season 6-5 overall and 5-5 in conference.

Payton Scott took a redshirt his freshman year at the University of Central Oklahoma, but the football team went 8-4 overall, 7-4 in conference, and won the Heart of Texas Bowl.

Golf

University of Denver golfer Carson Griggs cracked the starting lineup this season as a true freshman and helped his team to a Summit League Conference Championship with a sixth place finish out of 44 golfers. The Pioneers concluded their season Wednesday with a 12th place finish at the NCAA Stanford Regional.

Griggs placed 54th out of 96 at the Ram Masters Invitational, helping his team to a 4th place finish. He was first on his team and 13th out of 100 at the William H. Tucker Invitational. He was second on his team and 31st of 84 at the Bayou City Collegiate Tournament. He placed 30th of 90 at the Ping Cougar Classic, 67th of 75 at Regionals, 68th of 72 at the Paintbrush Invitational, 84th of 112 at the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational, and 101st of 120 at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate Classic. 

Rowing

University of Oklahoma senior Hannah Hammond was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rowing Team.

Soccer

1991 grad Roger Bush led the Oral Roberts University Women to an 8-12 record. Junior Brooklyn Eardley played eight games and recorded one assist.

1999 grad Ryan Bush led the Oral Roberts University Men to a 6-7-3 record.

2012 grad Tyler McIntosh led the Midwest City Boys to a 2-12 record.

2010 grad Aaron McIntosh led the Mingo Valley Boys to a Heartland Christian Athletic Association Conference Championship in his first year as Head Coach.

Junior Kayla Foster played seven games this past season at Missouri University of Science and Technology, scoring one goal and one assist. The Miners went 4-11-1 overall and 3-9-1 in conference.

Megan Deshazo (sophomore) and Emma Peak (freshman) helped the Northern Oklahoma College (Tonkawa) team to an 8-7-1 overall record and 7-5-1 conference performance this season. Deshazo was named Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year and made the NJCAA All-Region team, leading the team in total scoring with eight goals and three assists. Deshazo is signed to play for Southwestern Christian University next season. Peak scored one goal and two assists.

Oklahoma City University freshman Abigail Banks only got to play one game this season, due to sharing the lineup with an All-Conference goalie. The Stars went 11-3-2 overall and 6-1-1 for second in conference.

Redlands Community College and sophomore Brooklyn Turner went 9-6-2 this season. Turner saw action in twelve games.

Tennis

Assistant Coach Peter McCorkle (C/o 2005) helped the Oral Roberts men’s team to a 6-12

Track and Field

Colby Community College freshman Ian Baustert finished 27th in the 800 meter run at the NJCAA Region VI Track Championships with a time of 2:09.10 last week. Earlier this season he set 4:28.77 PR in the 1500.

Grand Canyon University sophomore Cheyenne Walden finished the season 6th in the 3K Steeplechase in 11:12.13 and 23rd in the 5K run in 18:47.24 at the Western Athletic Conference Championships. Over the course of the season she set PRs of 4:45.56 in the 1500 run, 5:22.13 in the one-mile, 10:17.49 in the 3k, 17:10.40 in the 5K, and 10:54.11 in the 3K Steeple. She also won the NAU Friday Night Duals one-mile run in the season-opener, placed second in the 3K Steeple at the Aztec Invitational, and broke the school’s 5K record.

Volleyball

Kansas State sophomore Gloria Mutiri had a remarkable season this past fall, earning a multitude of accolades. She was twice named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week, made the All-Big 12 Rookie Team, and was a second team All-Big 12 selection. The American Volleyball Coaches Association selected her for the All-Midwest Region First Team, named her Midwest Freshman of the Year, and gave her an All-American Honorable Mention.

Mutiri finished the season with 271 kills, 3 assists, 15 aces, 192 digs, and 67 blocks in 98 sets. The Wildcats went 15-12 overall and 5-11 in Big 12 action. They will be taking a nine-day trip to Brazil later this month to play a series of exhibition matches in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

Labette freshman Kylie Taylor recorded 2 assists, 2 aces, and 44 digs in 34 sets, helping the Cardinals to an 8-22 record.

Wrestling

Oklahoma State redshirt freshman Daton Fix won the first 26 matches of his career and went 35-2 overall this season, picking up titles at the Oklahoma City Open, the Reno Tournament of Champions, the Southern Scuffle, and the Big 12 Conference Tournament. His only losses came to All-Americans and he placed second at the NCAA Tournament.

UCO redshirt junior Cody Karstetter went 1-0 in his debut season with the Bronchos, winning an 8-3 decision in a dual with Fort Hays State.

CPHS Soccer: Season ends in 2-0 quarterfinal loss to nationally-ranked No. 2 Jenks

The Charles Page High School Boys Soccer Team (13-3) fell short in their quarterfinal playoff match at nationally-ranked No. 2 Jenks High School (17-0) Friday night by a final score of 2-0.

Jenks got on the board five minutes in when University of Tulsa-commit Will Edwards collected a loose ball and got a shot off that skipped past Sandite keeper Ethan Tippit and rolled just inside the far post.

Jenks dominated possession for the majority of the first half and started to piece things together with about eight minutes left in the half. A shot from Luke Jeffus nearly resulted in a goal as the Jenks goalie struggled to handle it, and a Kaiden Cox free kick was tipped just enough to send it off the crossbar.

The second half featured more of the same with Sand Springs dominating possession to start and earning a multitude of corner kicks, but they were unable to find pay dirt.

The Trojans put the game out of reach at the 10:39 mark when Tippit found himself off his line and was forced to bat a ball away outside the box, resulting in a yellow card. Backup goalkeeper Xander Quiroga was able to stop the shot from the impending free kick, but the ricochet fell to the feet of Edwards who laid it off to Eric Quiroz for the final goal.

Jenks went on to notch a 1-0 victory against Westmoore (11-7) in the semifinals and will play the defending State Champions from No. 12 Union (13-2) Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at the University of Tulsa. Both teams are in pursuit of their sixth State title, and the Trojans are looking for their first since 2006.

The Sandites wrapped up a historic season, starting the year on a ten-game win streak with an Edison Green and White Tournament title. They went 5-2 in district action to earn a home playoff game, and beat Enid 1-0 in the first round.

Sand Springs will graduate eleven seniors Saturday, including Santiago Martines, Tippit, Josh Pardue, Cox, Aaron McKnight, Dawson Quinton, Gustavo Saldana, Weslee Calhoun, Kaleb Brooks, Gustavo Franco, and Braden Hart. The Class of 2019 accounted for 18% of the team’s scoring power this season.

Saldana ended his varsity career with seven goals and four penalty kicks. Cox scored two goals and a PK. McKnight and Calhoun had two goals apiece while Quinton, Brooks, and Franco had one goal each.

Sophomore standout Fernando Saldana was the leading scorer on the team this season with fourteen goals and four PKs, including two hat tricks. Next up was Gustavo Saldana with five goals and two PKs, and Jack Bratcher with seven goals.

Season Scoring

Goals
14 Fernando Saldana
7 Bratcher
5 Gustavo Saldana
4 Jeffus
1 Munoz
1 Cox
1 Esparza
1 Franco
1 Quinton
1 Summerton
1 Brooks

PKs
4 Fernando Saldana
3 Fancher
2 Jeffus
2 Gustavo Saldana
1 Cox
1 Summerton

Total Scoring
18 Fernando Saldana
7 Bratcher
7 Gustavo Saldana
6 Jeffus
3 Fancher
2 Cox
2 Summerton
1 Munoz
1 Esparza
1 Franco
1 Quinton
1 Brooks

CPHS Soccer: Sandites edge Enid 1-0 in playoffs

The Charles Page High School boys’ soccer team (13-2) won their first-round playoff game against Enid (9-7) Wednesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The match was their third-straight win and fifth shut out of the season.

A rematch of a non-district 2-1 Sandite overtime win from mid-March, the game was chippy from the very beginning with the Plainsmen earning four yellow cards over the course of the night. Marcos Arambula and David Garcia received one yellow card apiece, and Miguel Garcia received his second in the 62nd minute, leaving his team one man short.

Gustavo Saldana split the uprights 27 minutes in and Fernando Saldana had a shot saved in the 30th. With eight minutes left in the half Angel Esparza took a corner kick and the Plainsmen were called for a handball in the box. Fernando Saldana sank the penalty kick for the only point of the night.

Luke Jeffus took a penalty kick with two minutes left in the half, but Angel Neri made the save. Kaleb Brooks got off a pair of shots in the final two minutes, sending one just over the top of the goal, and one into Neri’s arms.

Jack Bratcher made a pair of quick drives downfield early in the second half, but was beat to the kick by Neri the first time, and was fouled by David Garcia the second time. Gustavo Saldana took a direct free kick from the 18-yard line but split the uprights.

Sandite goalie Ethan Tippit had several impressive saves in the second half. Neri also stopped shots from Gustavo Saldana and Kaiden Cox.

In the final thirty seconds Ivan Delgadillo sent a shot a hair wide, Brayan Rodriguez sent a corner kick to Fernando Marrufo, and Marrufo’s header missed right as time expired.

The Sandites will return to action Friday at 8:00 p.m. when they travel to nationally-ranked No. 3 Jenks (15-0-1). The Trojans recorded their tenth shutout of the season and fifth-straight shutout with an overtime golden goal penalty kick, 1-0 against Norman (11-4).

Goals
14 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
5 Gustavo Saldana
4 Luke Jeffus
1 Miguel Munoz
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Cameron Summerton
1 Kaleb Brooks

PKs
4 Fernando Saldana
3 David Fancher
2 Luke Jeffus
2 Gustavo Saldana
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Cameron Summerton

Total Scoring
18 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
7 Gustavo Saldana
6 Luke Jeffus
3 David Fancher
2 Kaiden Cox
2 Cameron Summerton
1 Miguel Munoz
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Kaleb Brooks

OSSAA Soccer: Sandites finish as District Runners-Up, will host Enid in playoffs

Not only is the Charles Page High School boys’ soccer team headed to the playoffs for the first time in recent memory, they also get to host their first round game after finishing as the District 6A-4 Runners-Up.

The Sandites (12-2) concluded the regular season last week with a 4-2 road win against Capitol Hill, putting them at a 5-2 district record. Also 5-2 is Owasso, who the Sandites defeated 5-4 last Tuesday for the tie-breaker win. Securing the district crown was the defending State Champions from Union (10-2, 7-0).

Sand Springs will host Enid (9-6) Tuesday, April 30th, at 7:00 p.m. The quarterfinals will be held Friday, May 3rd on the home field of the winner of Jenks vs. Norman. Semifinals are set for Tuesday, May 7th. The Championship round will be played either May 10th or 11th.

Sand Springs is having a historic season, winning their first nine matches and the Edison Green and White Tournament. They are 6-2 against 6A opponents, have won their last two matches, own four shutouts, and win by an average score of 3-1.

Enid is 7-4 against 6A foes and is coming off a win with an average score of 2-1. Neither team qualified for last year’s playoffs.

The Sandites previously beat the Plainsmen 2-1 in a non-district overtime shootout. Gustavo Saldana made a regulation penalty kick to tie the match and send it to overtime. Then Kaiden Cox, David Fancher, Fernando Saldana, and Gustavo Saldana all made PKs to win the shootout 4-3. Ethan Tippit got the win in the net with three saves.

Fernando Saldana, a sophomore, has been the bread and butter for the Sandite offense this season with fourteen goals. No Sandite but Saldana has scored a hat trick, and Saldana has two. He also has two braces and a four-point performance against Shawnee.

Sand Springs isn’t a one-hit wonder, however. Twelve players have scored and eleven have goals. Senior Gustavo Saldana and sophomore Jack Bratcher both have braces and are tied for second on the team in total scoring.

CPHS Season Stats

Goals
14 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
5 Gustavo Saldana
4 Luke Jeffus
1 Miguez Munoz
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Cameron Summerton
1 Kaleb Brooks

PKs
3 Fernando Saldana
3 David Fancher
2 Luke Jeffus
2 Gustavo Saldana
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Cameron Summerton

Total Scoring
17 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
7 Gustavo Saldana
6 Luke Jeffus
3 David Fancher
2 Kaiden Cox
2 Cameron Summerton
1 Miguel Munoz
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Kaleb Brooks

First Round Pairings

Southmoore (7-7) at U.S. Grant (12-2).

• Grant went 6-1 for the District 1 title, with their only 6A loss coming 5-1 to Deer Creek. They win by an average score of 3-1, have recorded six shutouts and one mercy rule victory, and have won their last five matches. They are ranked 23rd in the nation by MaxPreps with wins over Putnam City, Westmoore, and Edmond North. Grant was eliminated in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

• Southmoore is 4-7 against 6A opponents and is riding a three-match losing streak. They win by an average score of 3-2, have five shutouts this season with one mercy rule win. Southmoore did not qualify for the post season last year.

Deer Creek (10-3-1) at Mustang (12-3).

• Mustang is ranked 23rd in the country by USA Today, and holds an 8-3 record against 6A opponents. They win by an average score of 4-1, have seven shutouts, one mercy-rule win, and are coming off a loss in the de facto district title game. They have wins over Southmoore and Putnam City.

• Deer Creek is 8-3-1 against 6A opponents with three shutouts, and is on a three-game win streak. They win by an average score of 3-2 and have victories over Southmoore, U.S. Grant, and Edmond North.

• The Broncos previously defeated Deer Creek 3-1 in the second game of the season. Last year Deer Creek upset Mustang 5-1 in the first round of the playoffs.

Bixby (8-7) at Union (10-2).

• Union went undefeated in District 4 and their only in-state loss was 2-1 to Jenks in the season opener. They win by an average score of 3-1, have six shutouts, and are on a four-match win streak. The defending State Champions are ranked 14th in the nation by MaxPreps and have wins over Broken Arrow, Norman North, Norman, Owasso, and Sand Springs.

• Bixby is 5-5 in 6A action, with an average score of 3-1. They’ve won five shutouts and are on a three-game win streak. Bixby did not qualify for last year’s playoffs.

Owasso (9-6) at Broken Arrow (9-3).

• Broken Arrow is 7-2 against 6A opponents with their only losses coming to Union and Jenks. They’ve won four shutouts, beat Enid and Bixby, and are on a five-match win streak with an average score of 3-1.

• Owasso is 6-5 against 6A foes and is coming off a win. They own five shutouts this season, winning by an average score of 3-1, and have victories against Bixby and Norman.

• Broken Arrow previously beat the Rams 2-0 in their third match of the season, and beat them 4-0 in last season’s first round playoff.

Norman (10-3-1) at Jenks (15-0-1).

• The Trojans are one of only two undefeated teams left in the state, ranked 3rd in the nation by USA Today and 9th by Max Preps. They have a division-best nine shutouts and two mercy-rule wins, an average score of 4-0, with wins over Union, Broken Arrow, Bixby, and Enid. They are the returning State Runners-Up.

• Norman is 9-3-1 against 6A opponents with six shutouts and wins over Southmoore, Norman North, Westmoore, and Sand Springs. They win by an average score of 3-1 are returning State qualifiers.

Enid (9-6) at Sand Springs (12-2).

Edmond North (9-5) at Norman North (10-5).

• Edmond North is 8-4 against 6A opponents and has several impressive showings in their resume. They have wins over Mustang and Westmoore and only lost by a single goal to both Grant and Deer Creek. They have five shutouts, are coming off a victory, and win by an average score of 3-2.

• Norman North is 9-3 against 6A foes, riding a three-match win streak with a 3-2 win over Mustang to clinch the District 2 title. They win by an average score of 3-2 and own four shutouts, with wins over Westmoore, Putnam, and Southmoore.

• Both teams are returning State Semifinalists, and Norman North beat the Huskies 3-2 in the third match of the season.

Putnam City (9-5) at Westmoore (9-6).

• Putnam is 7-4 against 6A opponents and coming off a win over Southmoore. They have six shutouts and one mercy-rule win, beating their foes by an average score of 3-1.

• Westmoore is 9-5 against 6A opponents and have won their past two matches. They have four shutouts, lead the division with four overtime wins, and have beaten Mustang, Southmoore, Deer Creek, and Owasso.

CPHS Soccer: Luke Jeffus scores hat trick in 4-2 brawl at Capitol Hill

The Charles Page High School boys’ soccer team (12-2, 5-2) ended the regular season with back-to-back district wins, topping Owasso (8-6, 4-2) in overtime Tuesday, and beating Capitol Hill (5-8, 2-4) Thursday to spoil the Red Wolves’ senior night.

On Tuesday Jack Bratcher recorded his first brace of the season, Cameron Summerton notched his first goal of the season, and Gustavo Saldana also made his way onto the board for a 4-4 tie in regulation. Fernando Saldana kicked the golden goal in the 87th minute of the match in sudden victory overtime.

The final district game started an hour late following a transportation issue and a lightning delay. At one point the boys were in the middle of loading up to leave when they finally got the go-ahead to start the night. They made the most of it, taking a 4-0 lead on the home team before the Red Wolves battled back, and some of the battles were quite physical.

Sand Springs got off ten shots in the first half and took a 3-0 lead. Luke Jeffus was first on the board, scoring on a corner kick from Bratcher in the 5th minute. Bratcher took a pair of shots of his own, scoring a header in the 12th minute to put back a shot from Gustavo Saldana that bounced off the goalpost.

Salvador Castellon took a free kick for the home team from ten yards out in the 20th minute. He kept it low on the ground and got it past everyone, but just a few inches wide of the goal. The Wolves made another run on goal a few minutes later but Kaiden Cox cleared the box for the Sandites and a pair of corresponding corner kicks sailed wide.

Senior Goalkeeper Jose Alvarez made a beautiful save on a shot from Bratcher in the 31st minute, then Miguel Lopez barely evacuated a shot from Gustavo Franco that got past Alvarez and into the goal but didn’t quite make it to the net. The resulting corner kick set up Jeffus for his first brace of the season in the 34th minute.

Gustavo Saldana bounced one off the goal post early in the second half, then Jeffus had a shot saved a few minutes later. Jeffus recorded his first hat trick from 25 yards out in the 45th. Alvarez blocked one shot, then Dawson Quinton nearly scored a putback but sent it a hair wide.

A full on brawl erupted in the 49th minute after a Sandite went down and a Red Wolf appeared to trample him. Both teams combined in a massive shoving match, but thankfully no punches were thrown and only Lopez received a yellow card. Quinton and Alvarez received yellow cards in the 60th minute and Lopez took over in the goal.

The Red Wolves finally began to battle back as Lopez saved shots from Kaleb Brooks and Gustavo Saldana and Jonathan Perez got them on the board in the 70th minute. Brooks received a technical with seven minutes left and Juan Vazquez made a 52-yard sailing free kick just over Xander Quirogas’s outstretched fingertips. Trent Goldman and Missael Hernandez were both carded after a brief shoving match with five minutes to play, but that was the last action of the night.

Capitol Hill will return to action Tuesday in non-district action against Western Heights (8-3) while the Sandites will return in the State Playoffs on April 30th.

CPHS Soccer: Sandites fall 4-0 to nationally-ranked State Champions from Union

The last time the Union High School boys’ soccer team visited Veterans Memorial Stadium, it was in last season’s 6A State Finals when they blanked Jenks 4-0 for the Championship. They returned Friday and did the same to Charles Page High School (10-2, 3-2), holding the Sandites to their first scoreless match of the season.

The nationally-ranked No. 12 Redskins (9-3, 5-0) completely stymied a historically potent Sandite offense that averages three goals per game to remain perfect in district action with only a week left in the regular season.

Standout Sandite sophomore Fernando Saldana came out eager, taking a gorgeous shot in the first minute that Union keeper Miguel Bustos barely tipped out, but that was about as close as the Sandites would get. Bustos saved a Saldanda header in the 15th minute, and Jack Bratcher nearly deflected one in off the keeper in the 23rd.

The Redskins tallied seven shots on goal in the first half. Ethan Tippit saved one, one bounced one off the post, and Johnny Rodriguez put the team on the board in the 22nd minute for a 1-0 halftime lead.

Bustos managed to deflect a shot from Luke Jeffus in the 47th minute and saved the corresponding corner kick from Bratcher. Tippit made three more saves but gave up two more goals and Xander Quiroga relieved him in the box.

Anthony Reyes and Isaias Anaya notched goals for Union in the second half. Bratcher made one last run on goal as time expired but his shot was deflected out of bounds as time expired.

Union only needs to win one more match to clinch the district title and their post season berth is secure. They will host Capitol Hill (5-7, 2-3) Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The Sandites will travel to Owasso (8-5, 4-1) Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.

District 6A-4 Standings
4-0 Union (6-1)
3-1 Owasso (7-5)
3-4 Sand Springs (11-1)
2-2 Edmond Santa Fe (5-7)
2-2 Capitol Hill (5-6)
1-3 Norman (7-3)
1-3 Sapulpa (5-7)
0-4 Shawnee (8-4)

Goals
10 Fernando Saldana
4 Jeffus
4 Bratcher
4 Gustavo Saldana
1 Munoz
1 Cox
1 Esparza
1 Franco
1 Quinton
1 Brooks

Penalty Kicks
3 Fernando Saldana
3 Fancher
2 Jeffus
2 Gustavo Saldana
1 Cox
1 Summerton

Total Scores
13 Fernando Saldana
6 Jeffus
6 Gustavo Saldana
4 Bratcher
3 Fancher
2 Cox
1 Munoz
1 Esparza
1 Franco
1 Quinton
1 Summerton
1 Brooks