Sandite Football drops season opener to Pulaski Academy

Photo by: Morgan Miller

SCORING SUMMARY

1Q 11:08 Hatcher 88 yard pass to Johnson. 2pt conversion failed. 6-0 Pulaski.
1Q 9:25 Greathouse 29 yard pass to Bales. Bales PAT. 7-6 Sandites.
1Q 8:59 Hatcher 23 yard pass to Johnson. 2pt conversion failed. 12-7 Pulaski.
1Q 2:14 Hatcher 80 yard pass to Johnson. 2pt run by Adams. 20-7 Pulaski.
1Q 0:15 Edwards 55 yard interception return. Bales PAT. 20-14. Pulaski
2Q 8:28 Hatcher 14 yard pass to Watkins. 2pt run by Hatcher. 28-14 Pulaski.
2Q 4:37 Hatcher 44 yard pass to McMillan. 2pt pass from Hatcher to Johnson. 36-14 Pulaski.
2Q 1:34 Anderson 33 yard run. Hatcher PAT. 43-14 Pulaski.
3Q 5:48 Hatcher 3 yard pass to Johnson. Hatcher PAT. 50-14 Pulaski.
4Q 9:46 Scott 7 yard run. Bales PAT. 50-21 Pulaski.
4Q 4:14 Titus 11 yard run. PAT failed. 56-21 Pulaski.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 4 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (0-1) bit off more than they could chew when they traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas Friday night. The 6A-II State Runners-Up played well against No.1 Pulaski Academy (1-0), but the Bruins rode a 27-game winning streak and back-to-back 5A State Championships. Their offense was machine-like, never punting, always going for fourth down, and racked up 614 offensive yards while holding the Sandites to 222.

Senior quarterback Hunter Greathouse was consistent with his performance last year, completing 12 of 25 passes for 110 yards and 1 interception. Junior running back Payton Scott led the Sandite ground game with 101 yards on 14 carries. Each scored a touchdown. Delvin Jordan led the defense with 11 tackles and a 7-yard sack. Josh Taber performed well in the secondary with 3 tackles and 3 pass break-ups, and sophomore Hayden Cramer impressed with 7 tackles.

The Sandites won the toss and elected to kick. The Bruins received the ball at their 27 and it looked like the Sandites would have little problem getting a turnover early-on. Gage Fain tackled Jaren Watkins for a loss of three, the Bruins had two passes fall incomplete, and a sideline interference call pushed Pulaski back to their 12. On fourth and 28 at their own 12 yard line, any normal team would have punted.

The Bruins aren’t any normal team.

Junior quarterback Layne Hatcher sent a screen pass to Tra Johnson and the receiver got the edge on the Sandite secondary for an 88 yard touchdown reception. Hatcher completed a pass to Johnson for a conversion attempt, but the receiver was laid out by Cramer.

Less than a minute into the game and the Sandites trailed 6-0.

The Bruins let off one of their notorious onside kicks, but Cody Motes downed it at the Sandite 49. Greathouse connected on his first pass attempt of the season to Kasey Bales for a gain of 4 and Scott picked up the first down with a 14-yard run. Scott only managed 1 yard on the next pitch, but on second down Greathouse let loose a 29-yard pass to Bales for a touchdown. Bales sent in the PAT to make it 7-6 in the Sandites’ favor and it looked like the game would be a shootout.

The Bruins scored on their next drive after picking up two first downs, each on a single play. Watkins ran for 30, Brett Lynch hauled in a pass for 16, and Johnson caught a 23-yard touchdown reception to regain the lead barely three minutes into the game. Once again the two-point conversion failed, but the home team led 12-7.

This time the Bruins’ onside kick was successful and they regained possession at the Sandite 48. Their drive fell flat, however, after Delvin Jordan picked up a 7-yard sack and three pass attempts fell incomplete.

Sand Springs picked up a pair of first downs, one on a fourth-and-short, before running out of steam. Isiah Woods tackled Scott for a loss of 4 and Blake Titus sacked Greathouse for a loss of 12. Bales punted and the Bruins took possession at their 20 after a touchback.

Hatcher’s first pass attempt was incomplete, but the second found its mark in Johnson for yet another massive touchdown. After receiving the screen, Johnson broke three tackles before clearing the Sandite secondary and running it 80 yards to score. This time the two-point conversion was good in the hands of Trey Adams and the Bruins took the 20-7 advantage with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter.

The Sandites succeeded in downing the ensuing onside kick, but failed to convert a first down and gave up the ball at the Bruin 46.

Taber pulled down receiver Jacory McMillan who picked up 8 yards, and Tre Finch tripped up Watkins to hold the Bruins at third and 1. A pass attempt fell flat on third down, and a fourth down pass attempt found the open arms of Kris Edwards.

Edwards is a junior transfer from Okmulgee who had to sit out last season due to OSSAA eligibility rules. Edwards picked off the pass and returned it the full 55 for a touchdown with 15 seconds on the clock.

The Sandites began to plug the holes in their offense that allowed the long runs, but they couldn’t stop the Bruins from moving the ball all together. The next drive saw four first-downs for the Bruins before Hatcher connect on a 14-yard touchdown screen to Watkins. Hatcher punched in the two-point run and the Bruins doubled down on the Sandites, 28-14.

The Sandites’ next drive ended in a punt and once more the home team made quick work in driving 42 yards before connecting on a 44-yard pass to McMillan to score. Hatcher sent a two-point pass to Johnson for the 36-14 advantage.

Sand Springs punted once more on their next drive and the Bruins scored in six plays. RJ Anderson took a handoff and ran it 33 yards to score. Hatcher kicked the first point-after of the game for the Bruins and Sand Springs was down 43-14.

Sand Springs picked up 13 yards on a pass to Caleb Wash, then added another first down on a 12 yard reception by Mack Thompson. With 0:04 left Greathouse lobbed a deep ball downfield intended for Wash, but it was picked off by Hayden Henry and ran out of bounds to end the half.

The Sandites received the ball to start the second half and quickly picked up a pair of first downs before Henry broke up a pass attempt to Bales to force a turnover.

Pulaski went to work on a 91-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a 3 yard pass to Johnson. Hatcher’s kick was good and the lead furthered to 50-14.

The Arkansas High School Activities Association utilizes a mercy rule adopting a “running clock” anytime a team reaches a 35-point lead after the first half. The Sandites were quickly running out of time.

Sand Springs quickly went to work on a 71-yard drive and Scott broke three tackles on a run before being piled into the endzone for a 7-yard touchdown. Bales sent in the PAT, but the Sandites still trailed 50-21 with less than ten minutes remaining.

The Bruins fielded an onside kick attempt at their 33 and made quick work with another march downfield. Titus took a direct snap 11 yards for a touchdown, but the extra point attempt was a miss.

The remaining few minutes quickly passed and the Bruins had secured their 29th-straight victory.

The Sandites will return to action on Friday, September 9th, when they travel to Choctaw. The Yellowjackets won their first game Friday night in a 52-42 shootout with Sapulpa.

Sand Springs Football heads to Little Rock for season-opener against Pulaski Academy

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in- Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity football team is headed to Little Rock, Arkansas for their season opener against the Pulaski Academy Bruins.  

Both teams are 2015 State Finalists, but not much else is similar between the two teams.  

While the Sandites were the sleeper team in last year's playoffs, the Bruins were the top dog from the very beginning of the season. Pulaski has won back-to-back State Titles. 

The Sandites started last season hot, crushing Tulsa Hale 61-8 and breezing through Enid 33-7. Despite the dominating performances, they found themselves down 0-2 after forfeiting the games due to playing an ineligible transfer student. A third game, against Guthrie, was cancelled due to lightning with the Sandites leading 18-7 shortly before the half. 

From there they took on a highly touted Bartlesville team and lost 24-7. The boys didn't officially get in the win column till week four when they trounced Claremore 27-7 on homecoming. They then beat Highway 97 rival Sapulpa 44-10 and Ponca City 44-27. 

After picking up their fourth straight win 34-10 against Muskogee, they lost in a close 17-14 to the top-ranked Booker T Washington Hornets in a knock-down drag-out downpour. The game was a loss, but it showed that the Sandites could hold pace with anyone in the State. The next week they dominated the defending State Champions from Bixby in a 20-0 shutout.  

The first round of the playoffs went more like the game against Hale than anything, and nearly every eligible player got to see action in the 49-14 quarterfinal win. The semifinals saw a rematch with BTW and this time it was Sand Springs who got the 30-23 edge and prevailed to their first State Finals game since they won it all in 1966. A rematch with Bixby saw a much different opponent. While the Spartans' energy had pilfered out earlier in the season, they reignited their flame in the playoffs and massacred Lawton 36-6 and Bartlesville 67-21. Sand Springs had some big plays that at times made them look like they could win it, but ultimately the defending Champs reclaimed their title 38-28. 

Since Oklahoma split their top class into two sixteen-team divisions in 2014, the newly formed 6A-II has been in a power struggle with each school looking to establish itself as a regular contender. With the powerhouse programs of Jenks, Broken Arrow, Union, and Owasso removed from their schedules, the smaller 6A schools are still trying to find their place in the new hierarchy. 

Pulaski Academy is a whole different beast from anything the Sandites encountered last year, and is most comparable to the Guthrie team that Sand Springs faced in 2014. The Bruins are on a 27-game winning streak and haven't lost since their season opener in 2014. Pulaski isn't in the top bracket of Arkansas schools. They play a weaker 5A division in a state that goes all the way to 7A. The small private school has an enrollment of 1380 from preschool through high school and is dwarfed by Sand Springs which enrolled 1700 high school students this year. 

But what they lack in depth, they make up for in talent. The Bruins aren't just ranked top of their class, they come in at sixth in the whole state. MaxPreps, a computer-generated ranking site lists the Sandites at 701 in the nation against the Bruins' 326. Both the Tulsa World and the Oklahoman rank Sand Springs at fourth in 6A-II. 

Both teams boast impressive stats. The Sandites are known for having the best defense in the State, but Pulaski is described as machine-like in their offense. 

Both teams have impressive quarterbacks. Sand Springs senior Hunter Greathouse played his first season in the position last year and was 99 of 185 for 1767 yards and 18 touchdowns on a team that favored the run game. Meanwhile the Bruins are devastating from the air behind the arm of junior Layne Hatcher who finished last season with 4,667 and 55 touchdowns.

The Sandites took a big loss at running back in Southwestern College freshman Lane Lettich who led in almost every game for the last two years. Lettich was a powerhouse who would bulldoze through the lines and drag defenders four or five yards every time. Junior Payton Scott will take the starting position now, already well seasoned after seeing significant playing time since making varsity as a freshman. Scott finished with 900 yards and 9 touchdowns on 117 carries last season. The 5'6" 165 pound wrestler is like a mouse when it comes to finding holes in the defense, scurrying through any opening and exploding for first downs. Averaging eight yards per carry, he doesn't have an okay run. He either gets shut down immediately or goes the distance. Almost every game last season saw a 30-yard carry from Scott as the juggernaut will often break multiple tackles from defenders twice his size once he's allowed to build momentum.

Pulaski isn't hurting in the run department either in the elusive Jaren Watkins. Watkins and Scott are very similar physically and the senior finished last year with 2,067 yards and 24 touchdowns on 166 carries. 

Both teams are reloading at wide-receiver. Both of their starting backs are capable of catching, but neither did much of it last year. The Sandites lost Trace Fleischman to Northeastern Oklahoma and are looking to all-purpose Kasey Bales and Josh Taber. The Bruins will look to junior Tra Johnson who only received 23 passes last year. 

Senior defensive back Hayden Henry leads the Bruin defense and is the brother of San Diego Charger Hunter Henry. Henry led in tackles with 89 last season. Sand Springs lost a lot of talent, graduating seven of their top eleven tacklers. The Sandites will rebuild around senior linebacker Delvin Jordan who registered 87 tackles last season, including 15 for losses totaling 64 yards. He also recovered four fumbles and scored the first safety in years for the Sandites. Gage Fain, Nathan Simonton, Danny Ropp, and Kris Edwards will anchor the defensive line. DB Treyce Tolbert also brings some experience to the game with a pair of fumble recoveries and interceptions last season. 

The offensive line is a particularly strong point for the Sandites. The O-line committed less than two fouls per game last season and despite losing a few good players, also returns a lot of talent. Lincoln Adams spent most of the summer traveling to football camps across the country and was named to the Vype-Tulsa All-Metro First Team. Ropp will play both sides of the ball and is joined on the line by Michael Carper, Cameron Lierly, Kobe Chen, Michael Karper, Myron Krotzer, and Caleb Mallory.

Dustin Kinard enters his tenth year as the Sandites' head coach and has successfully taken the program from ten-straight years without a winning record to four-straight years of playoff berths and the program's first playoff wins since 1997. With a 48-49 record since assuming the position, Kinard looks to gain a winning record this season. 

Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. and the Sandites will begin their effort to achieve the dream that they so nearly reached in 2015. This is the fiftieth season since the Sandites won the Class 2A State Championship over Ada in 1966, and the perfect time to remind everybody that they wish they were a Sandite.

Sand Springs takes down Sapulpa 20-14 in Highway 97 Rivalry alumni game

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Sand Springs Sandites have claimed the lead in the Highway 97 Rivalry Alumni series. The third annual alumni football game was held Saturday night at Charles Page High School Memorial Stadium in Sand Springs and the home team won it for the second year in a row.

Sandite quarterback Cody Hale returned to the turf for the first time since graduating in 2014. The Seminole State pitcher had a hard time connecting with his receivers, but managed a beautiful 21-yard touchdown pass to Cody Hilderbrandt to get Sand Springs on the board moments before the end of the first half.

The Hale-Hilderbrandt combo is a duo Sand Springs will remember for years to come as Hale holds the single-season passing touchdown record for Sand Springs and Hilderbrandt holds the single-season receiving touchdown record for Sand Springs.

Sapulpa was first to draw blood with an eighteen-yard touchdown pass by J.R. Romine. Romine had a huge impact on Sapulpa’s 2014 victory and was unable to participate in last year’s 35-0 shutout by the Sandites.

Sapulpa maintained their 7-0 lead right up until the final seconds of the first half when Hale found Hilderbrandt in the back corner of the endzone with 1.4 seconds remaining. A quick hand-off to Znick Ferrell for a two-point conversion gave Sand Springs the lead at half time.

It didn’t take long for the Sandites to find the end-zone again in the second half.

Sapulpa got the ball to start the half, but a tackle for loss by Travis Tanner pushed them back two yards, followed by a false start and an incomplete pass. At third and seventeen Tanner, Pedro Negron, and Austin Perry combined to sack Romine and force a punt.

Terrance Dixon, a three-year starter for Northeastern State University, picked up thirteen yards, Ferrell grabbed seventeen, and Hale sent a pass to Michael Brown to park the Sandite Offense at the five yard line. After two failed attempts, the Sandites finally scored on a hand-off to the Class of 2015’s Davey Thayer. A conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but the Sandites led 14-7.

Sapulpa didn’t take long to retaliate with a 1-yard run from Jason Broom to tie things up, but Sand Springs reclaimed the lead with 17 seconds left as Ferrell punched in a 1-yard touchdown. A conversion pass attempt to Negron fell flat, but it wouldn’t matter.

On the first play of Sapulpa’s corresponding drive, Romine threw an interception into the waiting arms of Ryan Freeman with 4.5 seconds left to put the game away for the Sandites.

Click here to see the full gallery.

Sand Springs:
Davey Thayer (2015)
Lane Freeman (2011)
Znick Ferrell (2009)
Travis Millikin (2014)
Ryan Umbarger (2009)
Cody Hale (2014)
Terrance Dixon (2010)
Keith Hooks (1999)
Ben Riggs (2007)
Justin Caywood
Matt Bettinger (2009)
Nathan Spencer (2009)
Mitchell Brown (2003)
Ryan Freeman (2008)
Michael Brown
Marc Brown (1999)
Keyandre Rose
Austin Ryan (2007)
Pedro Negron (1999)
Shay Kelley (2008)
Kyron Hill (2006)
Rodney Zickefoose
Deandre Smith
Luke Davis (2007)
Austin Perry (2009)
Matt Tucker (2006)
Kenny Tucker
Heath Sutherland (1998)
Levi Wilson (2012)
Kyle Riggs (2008)
Danae Wilson (2007)
Bryan Benton
Travis Tanner (1994)
Cody Hilderbrandt (2013)
Nick Millikin (2011)
Gabe Chronister

Sapulpa:
Paul Littlebear (2011)
Darien Inks (2013)
Michael Cashon (2006)
Cory Mondier (2014)
Tommy Murray (2012)
JR Romine (1998)
Caleb Meacham (2002)
Rob Gowdy (2012)
Lance Simmers (2011)
Jason Broom (1998)
Travis Munger (2011)
Josh Littlebear (2012)
Josh Hardee (2005)
Corbin Steeples (2013)
Sean Proctor (2005)
Julian Roland (2014)
Kiah Smith (1998)
John Tinsley (1999)
Brandon Hardee (2013)
Randall Hardee (2004)
Keiron Peacock (1988)
Zac Williams (1999)
Mike Taylor (2002)
Mark Wheaton (1999)
Chris Playford (1998)
Cliff Owens (2005)
Yancey Phillips (2007)
Casey Smith (2002) 
JT Rains (2014)
Trevor Toliver (2011)
John Blackburn (1998)

Jaxon Starling commits to SNU

Jaxon Starling became the fifteenth member of the Charles Page High School Class of 2016 to sign a collegiate letter of intent.

The former Sandite linebacker will play defensive end for the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm.

Starling was fourth among his team in overall tackles this past season, but led the team in tackles for loss. He racked up 55 total tackles with 23 for loss of 136 yards. 9 of those were sacks totaling a team-high 83 yards. He also forced a fumble in the playoff win over Booker T Washington.

Starling is the fifth member of the football team to commit to collegiate team. Jacob Taber will be playing for Fort Hayes State University. Cole Dixon is signed with Northeastern State University. Parker Taylor and Lane Lettich are both headed to Southwestern College.

SNU is a NCAA Division II team that competes in the Great American Conference. Last season the Crimson Storm won only one game in a 33-32 overtime thriller against Oklahoma Baptist University, but the school has high hopes for the 2016 season after hiring Andy Lambert as the new Head Coach.

The SNU program is young. This upcoming season will be only the seventeenth year of SNU football, and Lambert is only the fourth head coach to take the reigns. He previously spent twelve years at Sterling College in Kansas and amassed a 72-52 record. He was thrice named the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Previously he was at Trinity International University. Both previous programs were last in their conference the year before Lambert arrived.

Starling will be the first Sandite to play for the Crimson Storm since Shave Devers played Wide Receiver in 2011.

Pennington and Junior Mints dominate in Powder Puff Football

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School put on its annual Powder Puff football game Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, and the Class of 2017 handled both the Sophomores and Seniors easily, defeating the Sophomores 14-0 and the Seniors 35-7. The event is an annual fundraiser for Senior Celebration.

The Junior Mints, as they dubbed themselves, dominated both offensively and defensively from the very start, racking up five straight tackles for loss on the first Sophomore possession. A series of incompletions by Junior quarterback Sydney Pennington gave the Sophomores the turnover however, and the younger team picked up their first first down on a rush by Stacie Genn. Pennington is an Oklahoma State University softball-commit and the leading scorer on the basketball team with over 1,100 points.

The Sophomores quickly gave up the gain, however, and were pushed back to fourth and thirty. The Juniors got the turnover soon after at the Sophomores' 11 and Pennington went the distance for a touchdown rush with only 3:14 left in the game, then scored on another keeper with 0:45 left to put the game in the bag.

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The Juniors struck quick against the Seniors in game two as Pennington completed a 75 yard touchdown pass early in the first half. The Seniors failed to convert on their first possession and Pennington was at it again, driving sixty yards in two passes. Mid-American Christian University softball-signee Stella Millican put up a big tackle to prevent a touchdown with 8:45 to go, but it didn't slow the Juniors down for long. Julia Lewis hauled in a pass from the thirteen to make it 14-0.  

The Seniors began to put together a successful drive, picking up an eight yard rush on the next posession then grabbed the first down plus ten. Keely Brock moved it another eight and the Seniors took a timeout with 4:37 to play. Tiawna Baker picked up the first down to keep the drive alive. Southwestern Oklahoma State University softball-signee Goose Salyers added a rush for five but they gave it right back up on a fumble. Pennington knocked down a pitch on the next play and the Seniors burned another timeout with 3:41 to play. 

Lewis picked off the fourth down pass before being brought down by Brock. Brock grabbed a 7 yard tackle for loss as the Seniors transitioned to defense. Salyers went head to head with Pennington to prevent a touchdown run with 2:10 to play and the Seniors used their final timeout.

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Millican prevented a touchdown on the 1 yard line and the Juniors lost a yard on a fumble, but it didn't slow them down. A two yard pass from Pennington to Lewis with 0:50 left seemed to wrap up the half, but the Juniors weren't done yet. The Seniors gave up a quick turnover in the final minute and Pennington completed another 75 yard pass to Jessica Collins for the 28-0 advantage. 

Northeastern State University softball-signee Jessica Schuler finally got the seniors on the board with a 35 yard touchdown pass with 8:38 remaining. The game dragged on from there with no big plays, but the Juniors added one more touchdown to ice the cake with 12 seconds left.  

Sandite Pride will be donating 100% of profit from the Powder Puff photo gallery to Senior Celebration. Please help support this incredible drug and alcohol-free graduation after-party by ordering prints, digitals, mugs, shirts, and more at www.sanditepride.smugmug.com 

Sandite of the Week: Delvin Jordan, Jr.

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

This week Sandite Pride would like to recognize Charles Page High School junior Delvin Jordan as Sandite of the Week for his outstanding upset win at the OSSAA 6A East Regional Championship. 

Jordan was one of seven Sandite wrestlers to claim the title of Regional Champion this weekend as the team placed first overall at Tiger Field House in Broken Arrow, and qualified ten wrestlers for State.

Jordan pinned his first three opponents en rout to the finals. First to fall was Jackson McNeil (Mustang) in 1:17, followed by Brennon Melvin (Enid) in 1:35, and #10 Sam Wilson (Jenks) in 2:35.

The final round pitted him against Nic Roller of Bixby. Roller was last year's State Runner-Up and hadn't been beaten since. Undefeated 19-0 for the season, Roller had already beaten Jordan 7-3 at the Yukon Tournament in January and was the heavily favored candidate for State Champion this year. This time Jordan came out on top with a 6-3 decision that was nearly a first period pin that ended in nearfall points after time ran out.

Roller and Jordan have also stood in each others' way on the gridiron as well. Roller was the star runningback for the Spartans in their State Championship run this fall. Jordan was one of the leading linebackers for the Sandites. Jordan sacked Roller multiple times in the Sandites' regular season 20-0 shutout of the Spartans, but three weeks later Bixby caught up with Sand Springs in the State Championship game and avenged themselves 38-28 to retain their State Title. 

Sand Springs and Bixby have developed quite the rivalry in recent years as Bixby has knocked the Sandites out of the playoffs in back to back years, but Sand Springs dealt the Spartans their first shutout in over a decade. With Roller as the heart of the Spartan offense, it will be particularly sweet to see Jordan potentially get some payback for December's heart-breaker.

Jordan has an 18-5 record this season and this marks his second time qualifying for State. In the brackets released Sunday, Jordan has been pitted against Markeylo Cavers of Midwest City in the quarter finals. Cavers has a 31-11 record this year, but the two have not met before this season. If Jordan wins that round he will go up against either Seth Mischler (Union) or Mason Lancaster (Putnam City). He hasn't met Lancaster yet, but he has defeated Mischler 4-2 at Dual State where the Sandites were Runners-Up. Roller is on the opposite side of the bracket from Jordan, so the two could get a rematch in the finals.

Jordan tied with Jacob Taber at 87 for second-most tackles this season, and has the edge in unassisted tackles. He has 15 for losses of 64 yards and 8 sacks for 36 yards. He also has one pass-breakup, two blocked kicks, four fumble recoveries, one defensive touchdown, and is the only player on the team with a safety.

Jordan is the son of Portia Pouncil and Delvin Jordan, Sr. who was the starting quarterback for the Sandites from 1993-1994 under head coach L.D. Baines. 

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Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. Bylaws prevent the giving of the award to anyone for two consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of a three-person staff committee. 

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.