Week 9 Roundup and Week 10 Rankings

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

#1 Booker T Washington (8-0, 6-0) District 1

#3 Charles Page (4-4, 4-2) District 1

The Hornets held off Sand Springs with a last minute field goal to further their series lead to 12-6, but it was the Sandites who were the stars of the show. Not only was SS the only team this season to lead the Hornets, but they thoroughly dominated offensively, beating the home team by 112 yards. The loss came down to two plays. First, Sand Springs had a 31 yard field goal nullified due to having only 10 players on the field, and the retry was fumbled due to the rain-slicked ball. Then, the visitors tried for a fourth and goal touchdown pass from the four instead of kicking a field goal.

The pick: BTW 43, CPHS 24.

Results: BTW 17, CPHS 14. 

#2 Bartlesville (8-1, 5-1) District 1

#10 Ponca City (2-6, 1-5) District 1

The Wildcats managed to draw first blood with a first quarter field goal but four minutes later Bartlesville took the lead once and for all. Colton Penrod, the #3 quarterback in the state, passed for 228 yards and Jarron Hilger picked up 147 yards rushing. Ponca went down with all pistons firing, however, and Darrell Arita put up a valiant effort with 133 rush yards. 

The pick: Bartlesville 56, Ponca 28.

Results: Bartlesville 42, Ponca 23. 

#4 Bixby (6-3, 4-2) District 1

#7 Muskogee (3-6, 3-3) District 1

The Spartans edged out Muskogee by a hair as Cade Cabbiness blocked what would have been a game-winning PAT to force overtime. Nic Roller scored on a 1-yard run for Bixby, and Connor Walker had an endzone-interception to seal the victory and secure a Spartan playoff berth.  

The pick: Bixby 42, Muskogee 27

Results: Bixby 48, Muskogee 41.

#5 Lawton (7-1, 5-0) District 2

#6 Midwest City (6-3, 4-2) District 2

The top team in District 2 emerged to an 18-0 half time lead before Jacob Reed got the Bombers on the board with a 1-yard carry. Brendon Brown front flipped into the endzone to even things out to 18-13, before the Wolverines pulled ahead for the win.

The pick: Lawton 35, MWC 27.

Results: Lawton 24, MWC 13. 

#8 Putnam City West (4-5, 2-3) District 2

#15 Eisenhower (1-8, 1-4) District 2

The Eagles pulled off a major upset to avoid a win-less season, but in a district where everybody has losses to teams they should have beaten hands-down, I'm unable to bump Ike up from the bottom position unless they manage to do it again against Stillwater. They managed to hold the Patriots back from their first winning record in 15 years, which is unfortunate for PCW, but it doesn't eliminate them from playoff contention. So long as Lawton beats Choctaw and PCW defeats Enid, they'll still get their first post-season appearance since 1996. 

The pick: PCW 42, Ike 14.

Results: Ike 50, PCW 28. 

#9 Stillwater (4-5, 3-2) District 2

#14 Enid (2-7, 1-4) District 2

Enid took the lead as Stillwater struggled defensively in a shootout that both teams needed to reach the post season. The Pioneers didn't take the lead till midway through the fourth, but managed to haul in the win and clinch a playoff berth. 

The pick: Stillwater 38, Enid 20.

Results: Stillwater 48, Enid 37.

#11 Choctaw (5-4, 2-3) District 2

US Grant (2-6)

The Yellowjackets took an easy 20-0 lead on Grant in a dominating bye-week from district play.

The pick: Choctaw 47, Grant 12

Results: Choctaw 58, Grant 8

#12 Sapulpa (2-6, 1-5) District 1

#13 Claremore (2-7, 0-6) District 1

The Chieftains finally found a district win thanks to SMU-commit Dae Williams's 211 rushing yards and sole Chieftain touchdown. 

The pick: Claremore 35, Sapulpa 27

Results: Sapulpa 7, Claremore 6.

My Record

  • Week 1: 10-2 (.833)
  • Week 2: 12-2 (.857)
  • Week 3: 6-3 (.666)
  • Week 4: 6-2 (.750)
  • Week 5: 5-3 (.625)
  • Week 6: 8-0 (1.00)
  • Week 7: 8-0 (1.00)
  • Week 8: 7-1 (.875)
  • Week 9: 6-2 (.750)
  • Overall: 68-15 (.819)

#3 Sandites fall 17-14 to #1 Booker T Washington after last-minute field goal

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor in Chief

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#3 Sand Springs met with the #1 undefeated Booker T Washington Hornets Friday night and lost by a last-second field goal in a rainy knock-down drag-out at S.E. Williams Stadium.

The Sandites emerged to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but then the Hornets dominated the second quarter to tie things up shortly before the half. The rest of the game was a slow mover with lots of defense and very few big plays, and the victor wasn’t decided till there was only 14 seconds left in the game.

Surprisingly enough, it was the Charles Page Sandites who dominated both sides of the ball, despite the loss. Sandite Payton Scott led both teams in rushing yardage with 10 carries for 163 yards, followed by Oklahoma State-commit Justice Hill of the Hornets with 139, and Sandite Lane Lettich with 104. Hill surpassed the 1500 season mark in tonight’s game, while the Sand Springs runningbacks are still shy of 1000, though they’ll likely pass it by the end of the post-season.

The defense excelled for both teams, though Booker T came up with the most tackles-for-loss, sacking Sandite quarterback Hunter Greathouse 4 times for 25 yards. Greathouse didn’t get to do a whole lot of passing in tonight’s rain, but the two times he did connect were for major bombs totaling 91 yards to Trace Fleischman.

The Hornets offense took the field at their 35 after a Kasey Bales punt traveled out of bounds. Justice Hill managed to pick up one first down for the home team, but the Sandites excelled in the first quarter and quickly took possession at their 32.

On their first drive of the night, the Sandites needed only five plays for Greathouse to find Fleischman for a 63-yard touchdown reception. Bales kicked the PAT and the Sandites had a 7-0 lead barely four minutes into the game.

The next Hornet possession fell flat on 4th and 5 at the Sandite 32. Looking to put points on the board, QB Dakari Willis went for the keeper and was brought down at the line of scrimmage by Nathan Simonton and the ball was turned over to the Sandite Offense.

Once again, the visitors had little difficulty moving the ball.

Payton Scott picked up a first down, rushing for 11 yards, then Greathouse connected to Fleischman for a 28 yard bomb. Scott came back in for a single play and made it count, finding a hole and picking up 30 yards to give his team first and goal at the 10. Three plays later it was Lettich’s turn to find the endzone on a 2 yard run. The corresponding Bales PAT gave Sand Springs a 14-0 lead with 1:24 in the quarter.

It was the first time all season that Booker T had trailed by 14 points.

It didn’t take the Hornets long to respond, however, as they used seven plays to move the ball 46 yards, ending with a four yard touchdown run by Justice Hill, his 21st this season. Zachary Haney’s PAT brought the game to 14-7 with 10:14 in the half.

Sand Springs failed to convert on their next drive and punted it away to the Hornet 38. It looked like Booker T was going to score again as they found three first downs in nine plays and confronted Sand Springs at their 28.

The best defense in the state found an ally in Mother Nature, however, as the slippery conditions caused a fumbled hike and an incomplete pass and the Hornets were pushed back to fourth and 23 and had to punt.

The elements then turned on Sand Springs, as Greathouse had to fall on a fumbled hike for the Sandites for second and 17 at their own 7. A handoff to Scott picked the seven back up, but then Jason Harris II found Greathouse for his fourth sack of the season and nearly got a safety as the QB was brought down at the 2. Bales managed a 37 yard punt, but the Hornet offense was thirsty.

With 49.7 seconds left, Justice Hill found the endzone once again, this time on an 11-yard run. A penalty on the point-after had Haney repeating for a long PAT, but it didn’t stop him from tying up the game shortly before the half.

The third quarter belonged to the Sandites who picked up 93 yards on 19 rushes for 6 first-downs. Marching to the Hornet 16, it looked like Sand Springs was about to take the lead again, but a penalty and a sack pushed things back to 4th and 15 and Charles Page decided to try for a field goal. A 31-yard kick by Bales was dead center, but was nullified due to a penalty that pushed it back to the 26. This time the hike was fumbled and Jacob Taber was unable to find a receiver downfield and took a tackle-for-loss at the 40.

Sand Springs got the ball back four plays later at the BTW45, and used six plays spanning over into the fourth quarter to march to the Hornet 4 yard-line where Lettich gave the Sandites 1st and goal at the 1 yard-line.

The Hornet defense showed up, however, and Sand Springs found themselves 4th and 4 after three failed runs. Instead of kicking a field goal, the Sandites decided to try for a pass to Fleischman, but it was broken up by Daxton Hill.

Neither team scored on their next possessions and the home team ended up with the ball at the SS20. With 14 seconds left, Haney connected on a 35-yard field goal to give the Hornets the lead for the first time. Then, Haney found his first touchback of the night on kickoff, preventing the Sandites from a last-second touchdown return.

Sand Springs went down swinging, attempting a deep pass to Fleischman that fell short, then Greathouse was sacked to end the game 17-14.

It was a bit of déjà vu for both teams. Two weeks prior, Haney connected on a late field goal for a 17-14 win over Bartlesville. Last year in week 10 Sand Springs lost by a field goal at the #1 Bixby Spartans’ home field in a down-to-the-wire battle royale.

While Booker T may have succeeded in clinching the district title, the Sandites were far from losers. This was only Sand Springs’s second true loss of the season and both were away games to the #2 and #1 teams. The boys from the Springs proved that they could stand toe-to-toe with the best in the state and give them a run for their money. With the post-season now a certainty, Sand Springs still has a very legitimate possibility of making a major run at the state title.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

  • 7:52 63 yard pass to Fleischman from Greathouse. Bales PAT. 7-0 SS
  • 1:24 2 yard carry by Lettich. Bales PAT 14-0 SS

2nd Quarter

  • 10:14 4 yard carry by Justice Hill. Haney PAT. 14-7 SS
  • 0:49.7 11 yard run by Justice Hill. Haney PAT 14-14

3rd Quarter

  • No scores

4th Quarter

  • 0:14 Haney 35yd field goal. 17-14, BTW

Stats

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Week 9 Predictions

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

These next two weeks hold a lot of post-season-implication for District 1. While the dust is mostly settled down South, the North still has four teams battling it out for playoff berths and you can expect that none of them will go quietly into that good night.

#1 Booker T Washington (7-0, 5-0) District 1

#3 Charles Page (4-3, 4-1) District 1

Easily the biggest game of the week for 6A-II, and the biggest game of the year for Sand Springs, this will be the deciding game on if the Sandites have a real shot at the state title. If CPHS can pull off the upset here then they'll have a guaranteed ride to the playoffs. On paper, the Hornets should have no problem fending off Sand Springs, but a storm is brewing and the Sandites are hungry. Booker T is a predominately run-oriented offense while Sand Springs has a pretty even pass-rush split. BTW has the home field advantage, but with rain on the way, anything can happen. Booker T leads the series 11-6, but Sand Springs has won 2 of the last 3 and the last 2 were both big-scoring shootouts.

The pick: BTW 43, CPHS 24

#2 Bartlesville (7-1, 4-1) District 1

#10 Ponca City (2-5, 1-4) District 1

Not much to see here, the Wildcats will be easily tamed by the Bruins' stellar air raid. Colton Penrod just passed the 8000 mark on career-passing yards and is third in the state this season. 

The pick: Bartlesville 56, Ponca 28

#4 Bixby (5-3, 3-2) District 1

#7 Muskogee (3-5, 3-2) District 1

Muskogee's last real hope for a playoff berth comes down to this game. The Spartans are still one of the top teams in the state, but they have fallen on hard times. Bixby is coming off a devastating loss to BTW and Muskogee gets the home field advantage in what's sure to be a thrilling game. The Spartans have a lot to prove in this game if they want to be a real contender for the title. 

The pick: Bixby 42, Muskogee 27

#5 Lawton (6-1, 4-0) District 2

#6 Midwest City (6-2, 4-1) District 2

Probably the second-most exciting game of the week is the Title game for District 2. The Bombers put up a great effort in a week 1 loss to BTW, then got upset majorly by Stillwater. Was the Pioneer loss a fluke or are the Wolverines truly the best team down South? 

The pick: Lawton 35, MWC 27

#8 Putnam City West (4-4, 2-2) District 2

#15 Eisenhower (0-8, 0-4) District 2

The Patriots came into the season as the bottom-ranked team in the division and haven't had a winning record since 2000, and haven't seen the playoffs since 1996. The current lineup has put an end to that era and is headed to the playoffs, so long as they aren't upset by the two worst teams in the state. 

The pick: PCW 42, Ike 14

#9 Stillwater (3-5, 2-2) District 2

#14 Enid (2-6, 1-3) District 2

The Pioneers won't have a winning record, but they should make the playoffs with the bottom seed, at least. Enid's only true win was a 3-point win against Ike last week. Sand Springs had to forfeit a 33-7 victory after a player was deemed ineligible. 

The pick: Stilly 38, Enid 20

#11 Claremore (2-6, 0-5) District 1

#13 Sapulpa (1-6, 0-5) District 1

The pick: Claremore 35, Sapulpa 27

#12 Choctaw (4-4, 2-3) District 2

US Grant (2-5) 

The Generals finally broke a 6-game losing streak and officially have their best record since 2003. Don't expect them to tie that magical 4-6 season, however. 

The pick: Choctaw 47, Grant 12

 

How Jenks and Bixby got snubbed

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

There’s been a few big surprises this football season, but two of the biggest came in week 8 in the top two tiers of High School Football.

#1 Jenks looked to be wrapping up another solid win on their way to a 16th state title as they led #3 Broken Arrow 34-21 in the third quarter. With two more-or-less assured wins ahead of them, the Trojans were on the path to a perfect season headed into the playoffs. Instead, they suffered their first home loss in 9 years, and they lost their #1 ranking along with it.

What happened? Devon Johnson happened. Jenks was threatening at the BA 5 yard line when the Tiger safety sacked Cooper Nunley, forcing the Trojans to settle for a field goal. Then, Johnson brought back the ensuing kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown with 39 seconds in the quarter. Gage Kaiser intercepted a Trojan pass on their next possession and the Tigers capitalized on it with a 6 yard pass from Cade Yeager to Devin Clayton for a touchdown. Chandler Saied’s PAT gave BA the lead and the home team was unable to find their legs for a fourth quarter score.

This is not to take anything away from Broken Arrow. They’re an incredible team and what they did was no small feat. But here are the facts. Jenks completed more first downs than BA. They had more total yardage, less penalties, never lost a fumble. This loss came down to a handful of plays.

Sammy Akem had already had one kickoff touchdown-return for BA, and after that Jenks should have been looking for touchbacks. Offensively, Jenks dominated the game with 5 of their 6 scores coming from offensive drives. It was the Broken Arrow defense and special teams that won it with two interceptions, two kickoff returns for TDs, and two forced field goals.

In a world where Broken Arrow was undefeated, it would be cut-and-dry. BA would take the #1 spot, Jenks would take #2. I mean, it was only a one-point loss. But instead it became a love-triangle for first place, as BA had already lost a match to Union, who had in-turn lost a game to Jenks. Head-to-head records wouldn’t help in this decision.

Union (6-2, 5-0) took an early 28-0 lead against Broken Arrow (7-1, 5-0) in week 3 before finishing 42-18.

Jenks (6-1, 4-1) hammered Union 45-27 in the Backyard Bowl in week 2. The Trojans gave up 30 more yards in penalties, threw two interceptions, and still managed to beat Union by 18 points, 10 more first downs, and 517 yards to 308.

So in a 3-way tie, how did Jenks get the snub? The Oklahoman bumped the Trojans to #3, MaxPreps to #2, OKPreps to #3, and Tulsa World to #3. Union took #1 in all of those ranking. Sandite Pride only ranks 6A-II, but if I did rank 6A-I, Jenks would still be #1 in my book.

When Union and Jenks play at their best, Jenks comes out on top. When Union and BA play at their best, Union comes out on top. Jenks played sloppy. BA wanted it more. But that doesn’t make Jenks a worse team as a whole.

Looking back at 2014, Jenks lost to both Owasso and Union in the regular season, then solidly defeated both in the post-season….when they were playing their best. If Union brings home the gold this year, then I’ll be more than happy to eat my words. But if I were a betting man, I’d be putting all my money on a fourth-consecutive Trojan Title.

 I’d also like to make a plea on behalf of Bixby in 6A-II. Booker T Washington has the top spot secured—hands down. I won’t debate that. The Hornets are killer. But how does Lawton rank second in Tulsa World and third in OKPreps and the Oklahoman? Lawton is doing a great job this season, but they haven’t played any really tough teams to earn that ranking. They have a loss to a 5A team, allowed a 3-5 unranked Kansas team score 35 points on them, and allowed the bottom two teams in 6A score a combined 33 points. Lawton is solid, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they do beat Sand Springs or Bixby in the playoffs. But until it happens, I can’t justifiably rank them ahead when their only experience is against the worst teams in the division. 

Week 8 Roundup and Week 9 Rankings

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

#1 Booker T Washington (7-0, 5-0) District 1

#4 Bixby (5-3, 3-2) District 1

The Hornets continue to be the indisputable top team in 6A-II, slaughtering last year's State Champions to beat the spread by an astounding 40 points. Turnovers were the name of the game, as the Spartans gave up two fumbles and threw two interceptions. Despite 270 yards of total offense, Bixby only entered the endzone once on a 3 yard rush by Nic Roller. Washington relied on a predominately rushing offense for 375 yards against only 79 from the air, but don't count out their passing game against future opponents as QB Dakari Wilson was 8 for 11 with no interceptions. Sparta falls to fourth in the rankings, but despite a massive beatdown this week, Bixby's still a big favorite to make the playoffs where anything can happen.

The pick: BTW 35, Bixby 30

Results: BTW 52, Bixby 7

#2 Bartlesville (7-1, 4-1) District 1

#13 Sapulpa (1-6, 0-5) District 1

No surprises here, the Bruins rebounded excellently after a field-goal-loss to BTW to bring down the hammer on Sapulpa. A devastating air raid by QB Colton Penrod amounted to 430 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns against the Chieftains.

The pick: Bville 47, Sapulpa 20.

Results: Bville 56, Sapulpa 21.

#3 Charles Page (4-3, 4-1) District 1

#7 Muskogee (3-5, 3-2) District 1

The Sand Springs Sandites swap places with the Spartans after a dominating defensive performance that outdid all expectations against the previously 6th-ranked Roughers. Muskogee has definitely improved as a team since last year, but the legendary Sandite secondary is better than ever and continues to develop as the season progresses. The O-line put up some massive blocks creating holes for Payton Scott and Lane Lettich to both cross the 500 rush-yard mark for the season and Hunter Greathouse easily surpassed 1000 passing yards. Jason Cooper picked off three Muskogee passes, one for a touchdown that was called back due to holding. 

The pick: CPHS 35, Muskogee 21.

Results: CPHS 34, Muskogee 10.

#5 Lawton (6-1, 4-0) District 2

TX #754 Triple A Academy (4-5)

The pick: Lawton 61, Triple A 7

Results: Lawton 51, Triple A 7.

#6 Midwest City (6-2, 4-1) District 2

#12 Choctaw (4-4, 2-3) District 2

The Bombers took a rough upset to Stillwater a few weeks ago, but it's looking like the Pioneers may have simply pulled a fluke because since then they barely edged out Choctaw and lost to PCW, both of whom were clearly defeated by MWC. District 2 seems to be having a hard time deciding who their best teams are besides Lawton, but I think we can count on the Bombers to put up a solid post-season performance. It wasn't the cleanest win of the season, but it sets up MWC for a district championship battle with Lawton next week. MWC jumps two spots.

The pick: MWC 27, Choctaw 13

Results: MWC 28, Choctaw 21.

#8 Putnam City West (4-4, 2-2) District 2

#9 Stillwater (3-5, 2-2) District 2

The Patriots have done an excellent job this season, already outdoing their previous season record by three wins with two winable games left. While they may not be in legitimate state title contention, they've got a lot to be proud of, climbing more since the preseason rankings than any other team to potentially make it to the playoffs for the first time since 1996.  PCW moves up one spot while Stillwater drops two.

The pick: Stillwater 38, PCW 36

Results: PCW 35, Stillwater 26

#10 Ponca City (2-5, 1-4) District 1

#11 Claremore (2-6 0-5) District 1

One of the closest games of the night, Ponca City pulled out the edge on Clarmore. Ponca trailed 347-333 in total offensive yardage and gained less yards-per-play, but completed more first downs. Ponca threw an interception, but Claremore recovered a Wildcat fumble. Both teams had about 70 yards in penalties. Claremore held a 24-16 lead deep in the third but Ponca rallied from behind and recovered a pooch kick to run the clock out.

The pick: Ponca 44, Claremore 33

Results: Ponca 29, Claremore 24.

#14 Enid (2-6, 1-3) District 2

#15 Eisenhower (0-8, 0-4) District 2

The Plainsmen picked up their first true win of the season, edging out the Eagles in a massive offensive shootout. Brian Banks caught for 109 of Enid's 262 passing yardage and Devin Pratt picked up a career-high 260 rushing yards for four touchdowns. Ike's Rico Bussey finished with 222 yards of total offense.

The pick: Enid 27, Ike 16.

Results: Enid 44, Ike 41.

My Record

  • Week 1: 10-2 (.833)
  • Week 2: 12-2 (.857)
  • Week 3: 6-3 (.666)
  • Week 4: 6-2 (.750)
  • Week 5: 5-3 (.625)
  • Week 6: 8-0 (1.00)
  • Week 7: 8-0 (1.00)
  • Week 8: 7-1 (.875)
  • Overall: 62-13 (.826)

Sandite Defense paves way for 34-10 domination of Muskogee

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

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The Sand Springs Sandites (4-3, 4-1) dominated the Muskogee Roughers (3-5, 3-2) on all fronts Friday night in an astonishing 34-10 win, beating the spread by nearly two touchdowns. Hunter Greathouse surpassed 1000 passing yards for the season with 8 passes for 108 yards on 15 attempts. Two Sandites surpassed 500 rushing yards for the season: Lane Lettich picked up 110 rushing yards to reach 567, and Payton Scott carried for 74 to reach 521.

The Sandite defense was outstanding. Five secondary players had tackles for losses totaling 22 yards, Delvin Jordan accounting for half of that with an 11-yard tackle-for-loss. Jacob Taber picked up a 1 yard sack, Ty Fain had two TFLs totaling 5 yards. Most impressive was Jason Cooper with three interceptions, one for a touchdown that was called back due to a penalty.

The Sandites came into the game undefeated on their own turf, riding a three win streak with only one true loss (two others were forfeitures-by-technicality). Though Muskogee had been performing solidly all season, they were totally unprepared for the hell-raising Sandites who established their fifth consecutive win over the Roughers, though Muskogee leads the series 20-5.

It was a slow starter for both teams—though it was apparent who had the edge. Sand Springs completed five first downs in the first period and held the Roughers to only 11 total yards, though neither team scored.

Sand Springs threatened early on. Their first drive came to a halt at the Sandite 46, but a stellar punt by Kasey Bales was downed at the 4 yard line, giving the Roughers little room to work. Cruz Desjarlais tackled Muskogee runningback Molijah Gilbert for a loss, Parker Taylor broke up a pass from quarterback Quintahj Cherry, and a third attempt also fell flat.

A short punt gave Sand Springs possession at the Muskogee 28 and the Sandites picked up a fourth and short for the first down deep in Rougher territory. Unfortunately for the Sandites, it was the Muskogee secondary’s time to shine as Darius Lewis picked off a Greathouse pass for a 84 yard touchdown. The score was called back due to a block in the back and Muskogee took possession at the home team’s 34. Penalties would come to play a huge part in this game for both teams, but ultimately it was Muskogee who got the short end of the stick.

Jason Cooper got his first pick of the night four plays later and once again it looked like the home team would be first to draw blood, driving to the Muskogee 15 before the ball was turned over after a failed fourth and goal screen to Trace Fleischman.

Despite 102 yards of total offense, the Minutemen had been held scoreless in the first period.

To add insult to injury, it was Muskogee who would find the endzone first on a 39 yard reception by Jamari Davis on the first drive of the second quarter.

The famous Sandite magic presented itself and Muskogee was caught off-sides on kickoff and had to kick from their 35. Fleischman picked up a phenomenal 56 yard return, and a personal foul by Muskogee gave Sand Springs half the distance to the goal.

On the first play of the drive, Greathouse scored on a 15-yard keeper to tie things up less than two minutes into the quarter. Bales was perfect on PATs for the night and the Sandites had found their mojo.

Malachi Walton downed the kickoff receiver at the Muskogee 32 and the Roughers were pushed back to their 22 after a holding penalty. On second and 20 Jason Cooper grabbed yet another interception, this time making it to the endzone before being called back due to a holding call. The touchdown was reversed, but the interception was not. Six plays later, Lettich was piled into the endzone on 2nd and short for the touchdown and Sand Springs had taken the lead once and for all.

Muskogee made their way to the Sand Springs 5 yard line on the first drive of the second half and Mikey Rodriguez kicked a 22 yard field goal to even things out to 14-10 and it looked like it might continue to be a close game. Instead, Sand Springs decided to run away with it.

After a chop block penalty, Sand Springs found themselves 2nd and 23 where Greathouse connected to Bales for 8, then found Fleischman for 19. A facemask by Muskogee gave them first and goal and Lettich registered his second touchdown of the night on a 6 yard run for a 21-10 lead with 4:34 in the third.

Muskogee failed to convert a first down and Sand Springs got the ball at their 22. The boys were running holes right through the Muskogee line. Greathouse picked up 7 yards on a keeper, then handed it off to Lettich for 19. Payton Scott started to get some more action and carried six times in that drive for 22 yards and a 9 yard touchdown with 10:30 left in the game.

Once again Muskogee was unable to convert, and were completely unprepared for a 52 yard punt return by Parker Taylor to their 8 yard line. The Rougher secondary was able to put up some big stops against Lettich, but Greathouse finally snuck it into the endzone on fourth and short for the final score of the night. A fumbled snap during the point-after attempt kept things at 34-10 with 6:16 left.

Muskogee converted their only two first downs of the fourth quarter on the next drive, but it came to halt as the seemingly-magnetized ball found Cooper’s arms once more after being overthrown by Cherry and tipped off the receiver. Sand Springs drove 43 yards to half-field, then assumed victory formation for the final three snaps to claim their spot as the number three team in District 1.

It’s easy to forget that the Sandites should really be 7-1 right now, had the Guthrie game not been cancelled with Sand Springs dominating, and the two forfeitures. While the Sandites aren’t grabbing the headlines the way Bartlesville and Booker T Washington are, only a fool would count them out of the race for the state title. All it takes for Sand Springs to make the playoffs now is for Muskogee to lose to Booker T and Bixby by 15 points each.

There’s only two games left in the regular season for the Sandites and each opponent has been ranked #1 at some point this season. 

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