Week Eight 6A-II Rankings and Predictions; a look at this week's games

Photo: Scott Emigh

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

No. 1 Sand Springs Sandites (Last week No. 4) vs No. 4 Booker T. Washington Hornets (3)

While last week's game was against the number one team, this week could arguably be even bigger for the Sandites (5-2, 3-0) as they set out to prove whether their upset over the Roughers (6-1, 3-1) was a fluke or a sign of the season to come. By now, just about everybody in the country has heard of the Sandites' SportsCenter #1 play on a two point conversion scramble to top the previously undefeated Roughers in the final seconds of a Thursday night game in the Indian Bowl. 

Sand Springs proved their aerial game was every bit as good as their ground game as they utilized Hunter Greathouse's arm for 221 yards and three touchdowns, marking the first time they've used the pass for more than 60% of their offense this season. That's not to say they were stopped at all on the rush as Payton Scott finished his seventh straight game in triple digits. Their defense put up their second-straight remarkable game, forcing multiple turnovers, racking up nearly thirty yards in tackles for loss, and registering half a dozen pass break-ups.

Booker T. (4-3, 3-1) is coming back from a bye-week after recovering from a 23-7 beatdown by Muskogee. That game couldn't have been any closer offensively if they had been playing themselves. Both teams completed 11 first downs, both teams were within three yards of each other in both passing and rushing. The difference-maker was turnovers, as the Roughers pulled out four fumbles and an interception.

The Hornets clearly have the high powered offense that should make for an interesting showdown against the stout Sand Springs defense, and the Sandites will need to force turnovers if they're to hold on to their undefeated district record. 

The Pick: Sand Springs 29, Booker T 24

No. 2 Muskogee Roughers (1) 

The formerly undefeated Muskogee Roughers (6-1, 3-1) will take a bye week after their upset loss to the Sandites to regroup before finishing out the season with what should be a pair of easy wins against Sapulpa and Ponca City, respectively.

No. 3 Bixby Spartans (2) vs No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13)

The Spartans will no doubt be reinvigorated after a dominating 60-6 win over Ponca and the Sandites' upset over Muskogee has put a district title back within reach for the two-time back-to-back State Champions.

The Bruins (4-3, 2-1) are riding a three-game win streak after a 51-28 win at Sapulpa (0-7, 0-4). They split the game equally between air and ground with Garrett Meidl at QB throwing 16-32-222-1 for three touchdowns. Meidl added another score on the ground while Joe Lard led with 105 yards and two scores and Deandre Young tacked on another. 

Bixby had zero difficulty in limiting the Wildcats to a mere 11 first downs and 42% passing rate while picking off a pair of passes and a fumble recovery. Tanner Griffin was 17-22-317 with six touchdowns and no interceptions. Tucker Pawley and Braden Roller combined for a pair of scores and just under 200 yards on the ground. 

The Pick: Bixby 62, Bartlesville 12

No. 5 Midwest City Bombers (6) vs No. 9 Putnam City Pirates (9)

Midwest City (4-3, 3-1) won a crucial battle last week to remain in contention for the District One title, pulling off a 21-16 win over Putnam City West (5-2, 3-1) in come-from-behind fashion. The Bombers outscored Putnam West 21-6 in the second half for the win. 

Putnam City (3-4, 1-3) isn't out of playoff contention yet. With all the circular losses in District One, it's still anybody's bet on who will make the final four. However, after a 20-14 overtime loss to Deer Creek last week, the Pirates desperately need to find a win against the Bombers. They barely broke 200 yards as a team in their last game, completed only 42% of passes, and didn't register a single interception or fumble recovery.

The Pick: Midwest City 24, Putnam City 13

No. 6 Lawton Wolverines (7) vs No. 12 Choctaw Yellowjackets (10)

Lawton (4-3, 3-1) made a huge statement Friday against Enid (3-4, 2-2) with an incredible 51-3 victory, showing they not only have the infamous District One defense, but are able to perform at the Distict Two offensive level as well. 

QB Zach Hanna was 12-13-226-0 with four touchdowns while the ground game was split between Stephen Silas with 10 carries for 151 yards and Tre Curry with 9 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns. 

Their defense will be far more pressed to stop Choctaw (3-4, 1-3), however, as the Yellowjacket air raid has picked apart some of the best teams in the State, including Sand Springs and Midwest City. 

Choctaw is coming off a 28-21 upset by Stillwater (3-4, 1-3) that saw two pick-sixes to shut down their onslaught. The Yellowjacket run game is practically nonexistent, leaving the offense held to their third lowest output this season. 

The Pick: Lawton 36, Choctaw 22

No. 7 Putnam City West Patriots (5) vs No. 10 Edmond Deer Creek (11)

The Patriots lost their seat at the top of the District One hierarchy after a 21-16 battle with Midwest City (4-3, 3-1), but it wasn't the kind of loss that makes their season any less impressive. Last season saw Sand Springs lose to Booker T in the regular season and beat them in the semifinals, while Bixby lost to Sand Springs in the regular season and beat them in for the State Title. The Patriots are still on their best season in decades and are still putting out impressive performances. 

Deer Creek (2-5, 2-2) continues to be hit or miss, and this week they were hit. The Antlers secured their second win of the season with a 20-14 overtime upset of Putnam City (3-4, 1-3). QB Hunter Freese continues to lead his team well through the air, completing about 60% of passes. 

The Pick: Putnam West 27, Deer Creek 16

No. 8 Enid Plainsmen (8) vs No. 11 Stillwater Pioneers (12)

These two teams were headed in opposite directions last week as Enid (3-4, 2-2) secured wins over Choctaw and Deer Creek, while Stillwater (3-4, 1-3) dropped three-straight to Deer Creek, Putnam West, and Lawton. After Friday though, it's either team's ball game as the Plainsmen were decimated 51-3 by Lawton and the Pioneers secured their first district win 28-21 over Choctaw. 

The Pick: Enid 27, Stillwater 20.

No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (14) vs No. 15 Sapulpa Chieftains (15)

At long last for both teams, one of them will walk away with their first district win of the season. For the Chieftains it would be their first win all-together. 

Ponca (1-6, 0-4) hasn't seen a win since a 9-0 victory over Guthrie (4-3, 2-2) in week three, while Sapulpa (0-7, 0-4) hasn't had a win since week nine of last year. Ponca is coming off a 60-6 beatdown by Bixby, while Sapulpa fell 51-28 to Bartlesville. 

Double threat QB Cameron Elder leads Sapulpa in the air and on the ground and completes 62% of passes, but holds as many interceptions as he does aerial touchdowns. He's been responsible for all fourteen offensive touchdowns of the season for Sapulpa. 

Ponca QB Brice McDougal is about 50% passing with twelve scores and ten interceptions from 1400 yards. The run game is nearly nonexistent in Ponca with four running backs combining for less than 300 yards and only one touchdown. 

The Pick: Ponca City 40, Sapulpa 37. 

No. 4 Sandites upset No. 1 Muskogee on wild last second 2-pt conversion

Stellar Sandite defense paves way for Sandite victory over No. 1 Muskogee. (Photo: Emigh)

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

There’s a new number-one team in Class 6A-II football and they hail from Sand Springs. The No. 4 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (5-2, 3-0) upset the No. 1 undefeated Muskogee Roughers (6-1, 3-1) Thursday night at the Indian Bowl in a down to the wire 26-25 thriller with one of the most unbelievable two-point conversions in Sandite history.

Muskogee got on the board early in the first quarter, driving 70 yards with four first downs before scoring on a 10 yard screen pass from quarterback Jacob Medrano to University of Tennessee commit Kamren Curl. Trent Dennis sent in the extra point for the 7-0 advantage with 8:10 in the quarter.

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The Sandites put together a solid drive, moving the ball 63 yards in 11 plays before giving up the turnover on downs after three incomplete passes.

Muskogee’s corresponding drive took them from their 20 to the Sandite 9 where Molijah Gilbert ran in the 6-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 after Dennis’s kick.

Sand Springs QB Hunter Greathouse threw an interception on the second play of their drive, but the stout Sandite Defense gave up only one first down on the corresponding Muskogee drive and pushed them back to fourth and seventeen on a ten-yard sack by Gage Fain and Tre Finch.

Sand Springs put up yet another impressive drive to nowhere, churning out three first downs with several great plays. Kasey Bales broke a pair of tackles on the opening play for seven yards, then Greathouse grabbed the first down on a designed run. He then sent a 13-yard pass to Caleb Wash. After an incomplete pass, the Sandites ran a double lateral to Bales who picked up 11 yards, capped by an impressive hurdle over a Rougher defender. The Sandite magic finally mustered out around midfield, however, and the boys were forced to punt.

The magic wasn’t out for the Defense, however, and the Roughers gave up a first down after a Rougher receiver hauled in a ten-yard pass, but then ran back behind the line-to-gain to try and dodge Brett Freeman. Freeman got the tackle a few yards short of the first down and Sand Springs got the turnover with 1:09 to play in the half.

Sophomore running back Payton Scott picked up 9 yard on the first play, then grabbed four more for the first down at the Sandite 24. Greathouse sent a 16-yard pass to Bales, but his next two passes fell incomplete. On third and ten with 0:15 left, Greathouse sent a pitch to Dalton Morgan who ran it 17 yards and broke a pair of tackles to make it out of bounds and stop the clock.

With 0:09 left Greathouse sailed a 43 yard pass to Wash who hauled it in under heavy coverage and dragged his defender into the endzone with him for the touchdown with 0:06 to play. The Sandites failed their first of four two-point conversion attempts, but drew blood before the half to retire 14-6.

The Sandites got the ball to start the second half but were unable to muster a first down, and Muskogee handily moved it 54 yards to penetrate the red zone before the infamous Sandite defense held them to fourth and four and a 28-yard field goal from Dennis.

Sand Springs found the endzone once again on the first play of the fourth quarter with a two yard touchdown run from Payton Scott to cut the gap to 17-12. For the second time that night, the Sandites failed to execute a two-point conversion.

The Sandite defense rallied on the corresponding Muskogee drive with a five-yard tackle-for-loss by sophomore Hayden Cramer, followed by a pass break-up from Treyce Tolbert. Medrano completed a nine yard pass to Curl, who was brought down on a tackle from Cody Motes to hold them at fourth and six and force a punt.

The Sandites drained two minutes off the clock while racking up a pair of first downs, then punted away with 8:27 to play. Muskogee returned it to the Sandite 48-yard line, but was pushed back on an unsportsmanlike penalty. This time Cramer got in with a pass breakup, Finch downed Gilbert for a gain of 1, and Delvin Jordan forced a fumble that was recovered by Nathan Simonton. Another unsportsmanlike call gave Sand Springs great field position at the Muskogee 32 with 7:42 to play.

This time the Offense found the endzone on a 7 yard pass from Greathouse to Wash for their first lead of the game, 18-17 after a third failed two-point conversion.

With 3:35 to play, the Sandite defense had their work cut out for them and ultimately gave up a 4-yard run to Gilbert to sacrifice the lead. Medrano converted a two-point pass to Devin Hillmon to make it 25-18 and the Sandites had only 0:47 to work with.

Most teams would have counted themselves out by that point, but not the Sandites. Bales picked up 11 yards on the kickoff return to the 35. Greathouse found Scott from 25 yards out for a first down at the Muskogee 40, then hit Mack Thompson for 21. On second and 10 at the 18, Greathouse connected with Bales with 0:06 to play. The Sandites needed to kick their first PAT of the night to tie it, or pull off their first two-point conversion of the evening after failing three. The Sandites elected to go with the latter and it was beautiful.

Greathouse lined up for a pass to the endzone but had the pass broken up. The ball traveled up in the air and back at him and he hauled it in swung out right, still looking for a receiver. As four defenders closed in on him, he pitched the ball to Josh Taber who headed left and broke a major tackle from Curl and dove for the endzone, bringing the ball down on the goal line half a second before a pair of Roughers came crushing down on top of him.

With 0:06 to play, the Sandites had taken the 26-25 lead on the number one team in the State.

After a ten-minute delay for an injured Muskogee player, Bales sent an onside kick to the Muskogee 41. The Roughers had time for one play, and Tolbert broke up the pass to secure the victory.

Greathouse finished 16-32-1-221 for the evening with three passing touchdowns, while Scott led the ground game with 25 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown. Bales hauled in 10 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown while Wash completed four receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Cramer and Motes led the defense with six tackles each.

Medrano finished 16-25-0-136 with one touchdown while Gilbert led the offense with 22 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns. 

Sand Springs is now the only undefeated team remaining in the district and will take on another top dog next Thursday when they host No. 3 Booker T. Washington (4-3, 2-1) in their final home game of the season. 

No. 4 Sandites travel to No. 1 Muskogee: Pre-game preview

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Year, Coach, QB, result

1953 Cecil Hankins 0-20 L
1954 Cecil Hankins Jerry Adair 12-40 L
1955 Harold Wickersham 6-24 L
1956 Harold Wickersham 0-7 L
1957 Charles Prigmore 6-34 L
1958 Charles Prigmore 0-12 L
1959 Charles Prigmore 14-40 L
1960 Charles Prigmore 5-14 L
1961 Travis Rhodes 6-38 L

1994 LD Baines Delvin Jordan 14-20 OT L
1995 LD Baines Dustin Morrow 6-28 L

2002 Tim Beacham Tony Moore 12-38 L
2003 Tim Beacham Tony Moore 14-37 L
2004 Brad Odom Tommy Rogers 6-27 L Homecoming
2005 Brad Odom Tommy Rogers 25-47 L
2006 Brad Odom Zack Frost 21-57 L
2007 Dustin Kinard Johnny Deaton 21-49 L
2008 Dustin Kinard Johnny Deaton 37-39 L
2009 Dustin Kinard Johnny Deaton 29-37 L
2010 Dustin Kinard Darrack Harger 14-44 L
2011 Dustin Kinard Darrack Harger 7-3 W
2012 Dustin Kinard Cody Hale 40-28 W
2013 Dustin Kinard Cody Hale 39-14 W
2014 Dustin Kinard Connor Sitton 13-0 W
2015 Dustin Kinard Hunter Greathouse 34-10 W

Overall record: 5-20-0

Longest streak: Muskogee 20
Longest streak: CPHS 5

Shutouts: Muskogee 3
Shutouts: CPHS 1

Biggest win: Muskogee 57-21 (2006)
Biggest win: Sand Springs 39-14 (2013)

It's the biggest game of the year for the No. 4 ranked Sand Springs Sandites (4-2, 2-0) as they travel to No. 1 Muskogee (6-0, 3-0) for a Thursday night Fall Break district game. The Sandites are at their highest ranking since dropping from No. 2 after a week two loss to Choctaw, while the Roughers just decisively dropped the only other team that had any claim to the No. 1 spot, dominating previous No. 2 Booker T Washington 23-7.

Sand Springs is the only real obstacle left in the way of a perfect district record for the Roughers, who only have No. 14 Ponca City and No. 15 Sapulpa left to play. Sand Springs has already played those two games and will now embark on the toughest leg of their season. 

Sand Springs doesn't need to beat Muskogee to stay alive in playoff contention. In fact, they can likely drop games to No. 3 Booker T. and No. 2 Bixby and still make the playoffs with a win over No. 13 Bartlesville in week nine. 

While neither team needs this win, it's crucial if either team wants to maintain the momentum they've built. While Muskogee is undefeated for the season, the Sandites are on a four game winning streak with a quality win over Putnam City West, the top dogs in district one, where they are undefeated. Muskogee has three quality wins, over Bixby, Booker T, and Midwest City. 

The Sandites have employed a heavy run game behind junior Payton Scott and senior Dalton Morgan. The average Sandite O-line player is 6'0" 242 pounds and has been a handful for every team they've encountered thus far this season. The Sandites average more than 380 yards per game with 217 coming on the ground. Their defense has been stout and scored two touchdowns last week against Ponca City.

Muskogee is very similar both offensively and defensively. Both teams' quarterbacks sit about 50% with just over 1000 passing yards this season. Both employ several multi-purpose players who adapt well to trick plays and can be used running, receiving, or passing. Muskogee racks up an average of 360 yards per game, but has played a tougher schedule than the Sandites thus far. Their defense is also solid, picking off nine interceptions this season, and making the difference in their win over Booker T. 

Historically the Roughers are the better team, winning the first twenty meetings before their program fell apart at the same time that the Sandites came together. Sand Springs has won the past five consecutive meetings, but this is without doubt the toughest Muskogee team any of the current Sandites have ever faced. 

Week Seven 6A-II Rankings and Predictions; a look at this weekend's games

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

The 6A-II rankings just got a whole lot weirder as District One continues to duke it out with no clear top-dog, save for Putnam City West. With the exception of the Patriots, every team in District One has a loss to someone they shouldn't have, causing a big confusing circle. Even District Two isn't immune to the mess. 

In week two, the Sand Springs Sandites were defeated by Choctaw, and that's their only in-state loss to date. In week three, the Sandites defeated Putnam City West, and that's the Patriots' only loss to date. While the Patriots are the only team out West without a district loss, Choctaw has sustained a pair of district losses to Putnam City and Enid. This Friday Choctaw upset Midwest City, who was previously undefeated in the district with wins over Lawton and Deer Creek. Lawton has wins over both Putnam City and Stillwater. Oh, what a tangled web they weave.

With every team out there having some claim over each other, there's bound to be some disagreement with the rankings, but nevertheless we shall try to make some sense out of it all.

No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (Last week No. 1) vs No. 4 Sand Springs Sandites (5)

It's the marquee matchup for the whole division as the only two undefeated teams in District Two go head-to-head. The Muskogee Roughers (6-0, 3-0) are a powerhouse team once again behind four-time State Championship winning coach Rafe Watkins, formerly of Guthrie. 

Muskogee and Sand Springs (3-2, 2-0) are fairly matched in the air, with both Hunter Greathouse and Jacob Medrano completing just over 50% of passes for right at 1,000 yards this season. Both teams employ a mess of solid multi-purpose players who can easily adapt to either the run or pass game as needed. Muskogee's stars include University of Tennessee commit Kamren Curl.

Sand Springs will need to rely heavily on their defense, who scored two touchdowns in their 56-35 win over Ponca City, to put up stops and force turnovers against the explosive Rougher offense. Muskogee has their own powerful defense though, with nine interceptions this season. They forced five turnovers against Booker T Washington Friday night. The two teams were perfectly matched on offense, but four fumbles and an interception paved the way for a 23-7 victory for Muskogee. 

The pick: Muskogee 45, Sand Springs 31.

No. 2 Bixby Spartans (3) vs No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (14)

The two-time defending State Champions (3-3, 1-1) had a rough start to district play, falling 45-42 to Muskogee, but got in the win column Friday in a 62-17 beat down against Sapulpa. The Spartans ran up 646 yards while holding the Chieftains to just over 200, and never once punted. QB Tanner Griffin is sitting around 1500 yards passing this season with 20 touchdowns by air. The Spartans also have a talented running back in Tucker Pawley who is just under 1000 yards this season. They also have a talented defense highlighted by Oklahoma State commit Brendon Evers. 

The Ponca City Wildcats (1-5, 0-3) proved Friday that they can hang with some of the best defenses in the State, passing for over 300 yards against the Sandites. They also struggled with turnovers, however, giving up two fumble returns for touchdowns and threw two interceptions. 

The pick: Bixby 66, Ponca 12.

No. 3 Booker T Washington Hornets (2) 

The powerful Booker T (4-3, 2-1) offense was stymied by Muskogee Friday night, and scored only once despite racking up nearly 300 yards of offense. They were plagued by penalties amounting to more than 100 yards. That, coupled with four fumbles and an interception were insurmountable. The Hornets will have a bye week before returning to action against Sand Springs.

No. 5 Putnam City West Patriots (7) vs No. 6 Midwest City Bombers (4)

This matchup would have been a lot bigger if the Bombers (3-3, 2-1) hadn't given up an upset to Choctaw last Friday, but regardless of district standings the two teams should still put on a quality show. The two teams boast the top two defensive squads in the district with each allowing less than 15 points per game. 

The Patriots (5-1, 3-0) are coming off a huge 42-10 rivalry win over Putnam City while Midwest City just dropped their first district game of the season to Choctaw. Putnam West has suffered only one loss this season, 29-24 to Sand Springs, and splits their offense pretty evenly between air and land. They hold one division one commit in Memphis-bound WR Nick Robinson. Midwest City has some impressive talent of their own in 6'2" safety Evan Fields, who's fielding offers from numerous Division One programs including several Big 12 schools. 

Midwest City's defense held tight against Choctaw, giving up only 14 points to a team that averaged 36 points per game going into the match. Unfortunately for the Bombers, they were plagued by penalties, miscues, and offensive inconsistency. They made three trips into the red zone and racked up 272 yards of offense while holding Choctaw to only 141, despite the loss. 

The pick: No consensus. Scott picks Midwest City 24-21, Virgil picks Putnam West 24-21.

No. 7 Lawton Wolverines (6) vs No. 8 Enid Plainsmen (10)

These two teams hold the same record both in and out of district, and their strength of schedule is still hard to determine. Enid's offense is coming in a lot hotter than in recent years, averaging 28 points per game.

Lawton (3-3, 2-1) isn't executing as well as they have in recent years, but they still boast some high powered athletes in QB Zach Hanna and RB Tre Curry. Friday saw the Wolverines gain the upper hand on Stillwater 21-14 in a low performance game that saw only 95 yards by air. The ground game was dominant for both teams and Curry racked up 121 yards on 13 carries.

Enid (3-3, 2-1) started off the season with a 22-19 loss to a Guthrie team that has long since ceased to be ranked. A 42-31 victory over Ponca City and a pair of losses after that pushed Enid towards the bottom of the rankings, but the Plainsmen have found their mojo for two straight district wins to prove they're not out playoff contention yet. After going down 35-10 to Putnam West, Enid got the edge on Choctaw in a 43-39 shootout and scored a major victory this week in a dominating 45-17 beat down of Deer Creek. The Plainmen picked off three passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown, presenting just the kind of defense that could give Lawton fits. 

The pick: Lawton 27, Enid 21.

No. 9 Putnam City Pirates (8) vs No. 11 Deer Creek Antlers (9)

A crucial match for both teams, Putnam (3-3, 1-2) started off the season with a series of big wins before giving up two straight to Lawton and Putnam West. Deer Creek (1-5, 1-2) started the season with a tough pre-conference schedule including three-straight losses to high-ranked 6A-I teams. They were expected to be a big contender for the district, but after a close 21-14 win over Stillwater they were blown out 35-0 by Midwest City and 45-17 by Enid. Both teams need a win this week to stay alive in playoff contention.

Putnam has struggled through the air this season, racking up over 1,000 yards but at a 38% completion rate. The defense has been effective, however, averaging 3 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery per game.

The Antlers employ a solid QB in Hunter Freese, who sits at 51% passing for over 1,200 yards. The run game is nearly nonexistent with the whole team accounting for less than 500 yards.  

The pick: Putnam West 23, Deer Creek 17.

No. 10 Choctaw Yellowjackets (11) vs No. 12 Stillwater Pioneers (12)

Stillwater (2-4, 0-3) has lost four games this season, all by a touchdown or less, and they have two quality wins over 6A-I talent. While the playoffs are looking more and more unlikely for the team, they're not out of reach yet. Clearly the Pioneers have talent, especially in RB Josiah Castleberry who holds over 700 yards this season on 7 yards per carry. But they have struggled in the air, doing the quarterback shuffle after their starting senior missed the first half of the season. 

Choctaw (3-3, 1-2) has been hit or miss all season, relying on a powerful air raid offense that has rarely been stymied. After netting a pair of close shootout wins over Sapulpa and Sand Springs to start the season, they lost three-straight, all by a touchdown or less, to Putnam City, Putnam North, and Enid, before getting in the win column with a 14-7 upset of Midwest City. QB Dylan Weaver is right at 50% for nearly 1400 yards this season, but was held to under 100 for the first time against Midwest City. The run game has always been a factor with Choctaw, but they really proved how good it could be when they took on Enid and ran up 321 yards on 38 carries. 

The pick: Choctaw 42, Stillwater 21.

No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13) vs No. 15 Sapulpa (15) 

This is a bigger game for Bartlesville (2-3, 1-1) than it is for Sapulpa (0-6, 0-3). While the Chieftains are technically still in playoff contention, they only have three district games left and don't stand much chance against undefeated Muskogee. Bartlesville, on the other hand, has the kind of aerial offense that could present an upset over Sand Springs. But first they need to get past Sapulpa. 

The Chieftains have a double-threat quarterback in Cameron Elder who is throwing 63% this season for right at 1,000 yards and also leads his team on the ground. They have six losses this season and only two could be described as close.

Bartlesville won a close one in their season opener then dropped three straight before getting back in the win column with a powerful 42-20 win over Ponca City two weeks ago. The Bruins are coming off a bye week and look to AJ Archambo, Garrett Meidl, and Deandre Young to lead them to victory.

The pick: Bartlesville 38, Sapulpa 17. 

Alexis Keeling crowned Homecoming Queen; Sandites trounce Ponca City 56-35

Photo: Scott Emigh

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (3-2, 2-0) got the upper hand in a 56-35 shootout with the No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (1-5, 0-3) at Homecoming Friday night. The game was decidedly in the Sandites' favor by half time, but the visitors scored far more frequently than they should have in what was their highest offensive output of the season. 

Sand Springs got a lucky break early in the game after Caleb Wash fumbled the opening kickoff return at the Sand Springs 20-yard line. The defense was able to stave off a scoring drive and Mitchell Wilson's 37-yard field goal attempt was a tad wide.

The Sandites fared no better than the Wildcats on their opening drive, ending up fourth and 21 at their 16 after a holding call and sack by Clayton Coomer. After the Sandite Offense failed to put points on the board, the Defense tried their hand at it and senior Cody Motes recovered a fumbled pass from Brice McDougal to Trevor Howey and ran it back 58 yards for the first touchdown of the game, just two and a half minutes in.

Ponca City had big plays of their own, however, and scored on the first play of their next possession with a 79-yard pass from McDougal to Howey to tie it up eighteen seconds later.

The next Sandite possession also fell short, and once more the Defense saved the day as running back Bradyn Pressnall disappeared into a mess of Sandite defenders and senior line backer Delvin Jordan emerged with the ball and ran it back 32 yards for a touchdown. Alejandro Hernandez sent in the point-after kick and the Sandites had the 14-7 lead.

Ponca's next offensive was a methodical 54-yard drive, capped off with a 13-yard pass from McDougal to Darrell Arita to tie things up near the end of the first quarter.

The Sandite offense found the endzone for the first time on their next possession, driving 73 yards behind junior running back Payton Scott for a five yard touchdown run shortly into the second quarter.

After giving up a first down on a pass to Wolfgang Flick, the Sandite defense rallied with a five yard sack by Gage Fain to force the Wildcats to punt. Sand Springs took possession at their own 18, but needed only one play to push it to midfield with a 27-yard run from Scott and a penalty at the end of the play.

A 20-yard pass to Dash Fleischman nearly got hairy as it appeared he may have fumbled the ball away, but it was ruled dead before the fumble and the Sandites were deep in Ponca territory at the 28. Scott picked up eleven more for a first down in the red zone, and a few plays later senior quarterback Hunter Greathouse found Mack Thompson at the 5-yard-line. After Kenny Buoy dragged down Scott for a loss of two, Greathouse connected with Wash for a 7-yard touchdown pass to double Ponca 28-14. 

In the second half of the game, the Wildcats were held to fourth and fourteen after a 7-yard sack from Jordan, and Scott scored on the first play of the corresponding drive with a 58-yard run. Hernandez sent in the point-after and the Sandites led 35-14.

Ponca City got back in the endzone on their next drive, scoring on a 30-yard reception by Arita. The Sandites didn't waste any time in doubling up on their foes once again, as Greathouse connected with Bales from 26-yards out to make it 42-21.

Once again the dangerous duo of McDougal and Howey showed off their talents, scoring on a 55-yard pass to cut it to 42-28 just five plays after the previous Sandite score. And five plays later, Greathouse let loose a rocket of his own to find Thompson from 33 yards out to score.

With less than a minute in the third, senior Treyce Tolbert picked off the first interception of the night, setting up Dalton Morgan for a 57-yard run on the opening play of the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats tried to put together a drive from their 33 and picked up a pair of first downs before junior lineman Tre Finch found Arita with the ball and forced a turnover on downs. Sand Springs sent in the backups at this point with a little over six minutes to play, and the Sandites were unable to capitalize on the turnover. 

Ponca took possession over briefly before giving up another interception, this time to Luke Bratcher. Once again the Sandites were pushed back to fourth and eighteen before giving up the ball on downs. Ponca scored on the final drive of the game with a 9-yard run from Pressnall and tried to get a turnover with an onside kick, but Jordan was quick to fall on the ball at midfield. Greathouse came back out to take a few knees and finish up Homecoming with a 56-35 victory. 

Greathouse had a solid night passing, completing 11 of 14 passes for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. He split time between several receivers with Bales catching 2 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown, Thompson catching 4 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, and Fleischman catching 2 passes for 48 yards. Wash had only 1 reception, and it was for a touchdown.

Scott led the run game with 18 carries for 194 yards and a touchdown, followed by Morgan with 5 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. Fain led the defense with 8 tackles, including 5 for losses totaling 18 yards and 3 sacks totaling 13 yards. Taber had 7 tackles on the evening, and Nathan Simonton and Jerry Lyons both had 5. 

McDougal completed 25 of 40 passes for 348 yards for the wildcats with three touchdowns and two interceptions. His main receiver was Arita who hauled in 8 passes for 104 yards and also led the team on the ground with 12 carries for 39 yards.

Photo: Scott Emigh

The Sandites improve to 2-0 in district play and will return to action Thursday evening when they travel to Muskogee for a fall break game. The No. 1 ranked Roughers (6-0, 3-0) are undefeated after trouncing No. 2 Booker T Washington (4-3, 2-1) 23-7 Friday night. 

Ponca City is still looking for a district win and will host No. 3 Bixby (3-3, 1-1) next Friday. 

Alexis Keeling was named Homecoming Queen in the pre-game festivities and was crowned by Kissing Captain Kasey Bales. Keeling is the daughter of Charles and Crystal Keeling. She has been a member of the Varsity Cheer Team for three years. Her future plans include attending OU and majoring in Biology. Bales is the son of Jerry and Nancy Bales. He has been a member of the Varsity Football Team for three years. His future plans include attending the University of Tulsa for Computer Sciences.

Sandite of the Week: Kasey Bales scores two touchdowns in 30-14 defeat of Yukon

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Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

Charles Page High School senior Kasey Bales was selected as this week's Sandite of the Week for his outstanding performance in the Sandites' 30-14 victory over Yukon this past Friday. 

The 5'10" 165 pound all-purpose player has seen all kinds of action in all kinds of positions over his career and has been a crucial member of both this year's team and last year's State Finalist team. 

As a wide receiver he has hauled in 25 passes for 378 yards and four touchdowns this season, with 123 yards and two touchdowns coming on eight receptions in the game against Yukon; a personal best. Bales has also carried twice this season for 27 yards. While he hasn't been called on to pass yet this season, he was two of four on trick plays last year for 77 yards.

Bales is a talented kicker, completing sixteen of eighteen extra-point attempts this season, though he handed over kicking duty to Alejandro Hernandez against Yukon. He did punt twice in the game for an average of 41 yards and also handed a kick return for ten yards. 

He was in on the first offensive play of the evening for the Sandites, hauling in a fourteen yard pass for a first down to start things off. He followed it up two plays later with a twelve yard pass for another first down, and ultimately capped off the drive with a 25-yard touchdown reception. 

His next reception was for nineteen yards and he followed that up with a six yarder. Early in the second quarter he hauled in a pass for 25 yards, turned the ball over to the running backs for a few plays, then finished the drive off with a fourteen yard reception to make the game 17-7. 

He nearly had a fifteen yard touchdown reception early in the third quarter, but the ball just barely slipped out of his grasp and the drive resulted in a failed field goal attempt.

The Sandites (3-2, 1-0) will return to action this Friday at 7:00 p.m. for their homecoming game against Ponca City (1-4, 0-2).

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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. The award is not given to anyone in 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 the Sandite Pride Editorial Board.

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