No. 4 Booker T Washington at No. 1 Sand Springs: game preview

Photo: Morgan Miller

Sand Springs vs. Booker T History
Year, Coach, QB, result

1986 LD Baines, Blair Culley, 21-42 loss (A)
1987 LD Baines, Blair Culley, 15-12 win (H)
1988 LD Baines, Blair Culley, 14-28 loss (A)
1989 LD Baines, Brett Pennington, 0-35 loss (H)
1990 LD Baines, Brett Pennington, 17-31 loss (A)
1991 LD Baines, Brett Pennington, 15-14 win (H)
1992 LD Baines, Mike Quimby, 7-48 loss (H)
1993 LD Baines, Delvin Jordan, 14-21 loss (A)

2012 Dustin Kinard, Cody Hale, 21-7 win (A)
2013 Dustin Kinard, Cody Hale, 42-38 win (H)
2014 Dustin Kinard, Conner Sitton, 35-42 loss (H)
2015 Dustin Kinard, Hunter Greathouse, 14-17 loss (A)
2015 Dustin Kinard, Hunter Greathouse, 30-23 win (N)

Overall record: 5-8-0

Longest Streak: BTW 3
Longest Streak: CPHS 2

Shutouts: BTW 1
Shutouts: CPHS 0

Road wins: BTW 3
Road wins: CPHS 1

Biggest win: BTW 48-7
Biggest win: CPHS 21-7

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

By now just about everyone has heard of "The Play 2pt.0." The famous two-point conversion scramble utilized by Hunter Greathouse and Josh Taber to win a 26-25 upset at the Indian Bowl over previously undefeated No. 1 Muskogee. The ESPN SportsCenter Number One Play of the Day has seen national attention and received more than 13,000 views on the Sandite Pride Facebook page.

The play was very similar to a touchdown score by the Sandites in last year's State Championship loss to Bixby. That year Taber's big brother Jacob picked off a Tanner Griffin pass and pitched a lateral to Cruz Desjarlais for the score. This year it was Greathouse who received his own pass after it was batted fifteen feet up into the air. The QB scrambled and dropped back to his right to look for an option, then made the pitch to Taber as he was closed in on by a trio of Rougher defenders. Taber broke a pair of tackles and dove for the endzone like an arctic fox for the win.

While the end play received the headlines, the whole game, and the fourth quarter in particular, were marked by incredible Sandite athleticism and numerous outstanding plays. 

Greathouse was 16 of 32 for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns with only 1 interception, marking the first time this season the Sandites have relied on the pass game for more than 60% of their total offense. That's not to say the infamous Sandite run game wasn't still prevalent as junior Payton Scott finished his seventh straight game with 100+ yards. 

While the offense was salty as always and ultimately won the game with their quick thinking and adaptive play-making, it was made possible due to what was possibly the most exceptional performance of the season by the defense. The Sandites were coming off a high from the previous week when the defense scored the first two Sandite touchdowns of the game against Ponca City, both on forced fumbles and recoveries for big returns. They also had two interceptions.

The Sand Springs defense has been notorious on the ground for some time, but struggled both last season and this year when it comes to aerial assaults. Last year they were able to shut down the run game from both Bixby and Booker T, but were dominated by Bartlesville's air raid. That struggle carried over into this year as they gave up an upset to Choctaw and allowed Ponca to rack up more yardage and points than the Wildcats have managed all season. 

When the Sandites lost co-defensive coordinator Robert Borgstadt to Sapulpa and graduated the majority of their State Runner-Up starters, the future of the Sand Springs defense was in question. It didn't take long for the team to prove they still had what it takes, however. The unit has been steadily improving all season and made a huge statement against Muskogee.

Booker T. also graduated a lot of players from last year's team that split with the Sandites. Starting QB Dakaria Willis graduated, but newcomer Philip Wheatley has been an improvement in the air, throwing 122-202-1222-3 with eight touchdowns this season. The Hornet aerial game will be a huge obstacle for the Sandites as Wheatley has already completed as many passes this season as Willis even attempted. 

The Hornets are a whole different beast from last season when they ran 44% of their offense through now-Oklahoma State freshman running back Justice Hill. Last season a mere 27% of Booker T's yards came through the air, as opposed to 52% this season. Wheatley isn't quite the double threat that Willis was, but he still is third in his team on the ground with 26 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. Rylan McQuarters and Tyler Holmes split the bulk of the running with over 700 yards between them and five touchdowns each. Six running backs have scored this season as well as six receivers, meaning the Sandites won't be able to focus their coverage on any single player.

Booker T's defense is equally stout, bringing in seven interceptions for two touchdowns this season, plus six fumble recoveries. They've also racked up 29 sacks this season. 

Here's how the two teams matched up against their three mutual opponents.

No. 1 Sandites (5-2, 3-0)

defeated Sapulpa 35-7
defeated Ponca 56-35
defeated Muskogee 26-25

Average score: 39-22
First downs: 18
First downs allowed: 15
Fumbles-lost: 2-1 (total)
Fumble recoveries: 3 (total)
Penalties-Yards: 4-29

C-A-Y-I: 11-20-157-1
Average: 7.85
Allowed: 17-26-181-1
Average: 6.96

Rushes-Yards: 39-233
Average: 5.97
Allowed: 32-148
Average: 4.63

Plays-Yards: 59-391
Average: 6.62
Allowed: 58-329
Average: 5.67

No. 4 Hornets (4-3, 2-1)

defeated Sapulpa 45-0
defeated Ponca 47-0
lost 24-7 to Muskogee

Average score: 34-8
First downs: 15
First downs allowed: 12
Fumbles-lost: 6-6
Fumble recoveries: 2
Penalties-Yards: 7-90

C-A-Y-I: 16-26-180-0
Average: 6.92
Allowed: 9-22-92-1
Average: 4.18

Rushes-Yards: 39-223
Average: 5.71
Allowed: 30-82
Average: 2.73

Plays-Yards: 65-403
Average: 6.2
Allowed: 52-174
Average: 3.31

The pick from Sandite Pride is Sand Springs 29-24. The Hornets will likely get a few interceptions, but the Sandites haven't given up a pick-six this season and I don't expect that to change. I would be surprised if the lead doesn't get exchanged a few times. Booker T. will likely find most of their offense in the air, and if they don't limit their turnovers they'll be hard pressed to overcome Sand Springs's phenomenal defense.

On paper, the Sandites have the better offense and the Hornets have the better defense, but in actual application we'll likely see it go the other way. The Hornets aren't as disciplined as the Sandites and will likely give up a lot of penalties and turnovers that the Sand Springs defense will more than capitalize on.

While Booker T. and Muskogee were nearly perfectly matched offensively, the Roughers had the decisive win thanks to turnovers. If both Sand Springs and Booker T. play the same way against each other that they did against Muskogee, Sand Springs will win. There is a lot of parity between the two, however, and when it comes down to the field anything can happen. If stats on a page won games, then Muskogee would have dominated the Sandites. Sand Springs has always had a fourth quarter magic, however. Sand Springs has the home field advantage, but the number one ranking often puts a monkey on your back. 

No matter who wins, it's likely to be every bit as exciting as last week's game against Muskogee, and it should be a packed house, especially with it being Senior Night. The Church That Matters tailgate crew will be hosting their weekly fundraiser for the athletics department before the game and will be selling hot dogs, burgers, and chicken sandwiches with chips and a drink, so come early and come hungry! 

Editorial: Why OSU should NOT claim the 1945 National Championship

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Oklahoma State University, or rather, Oklahoma A&M, was retroactively awarded the 1945 football National Championship by the American Football Coaches Association last week. The problem is, there already is a National Champion for 1945--the Army. Apparently the AFCA established a panel to rewrite history. 

The AFCA has recognized a National Champion annually since 1950 when the University of Oklahoma won its first National Title under Bud Wilkinson. The organization recently decided to retroactively award Titles for the 1922-1949 seasons and will arbitrarily select Champions based on pleas from those schools, rather than based on the polls that already existed during that time period. 

The AP poll has been universally recognized as the awarding association for the 1936-1949 National Championships, and in that poll the Aggies weren't even ranked in the top four. By today's standards, they just barely missed the playoffs. 

There were several undefeated teams that season, but the undefeated Army team was unanimously selected by all 116 voters of the AP writers' poll as the top team in the country. Next up was the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide, followed by the undefeated Navy. 

No. 1 Army (9-0-0)

9/29 Army defeats Louisville Fields 32-0
10/6 Army defeats Wake Forest 54-0
10/13 Army defeats No. 9 Michigan 28-7
10/20 Army defeats Melville PT Boats 55-13
10/27 Army defeats No. 19 Duke 48-13
11/3 Army defeats Villanova 54-0
11/10 Army defeats No. 2 Notre Dame 48-0
10/17 Army defeats No. 6 Penn 61-0
12/1 Arms defeats No. 2 Navy 32-13

No. 5 Oklahoma A&M (9-0-0)

9/29 OSU defeats Arkansas 19-14
10/6 OSU defeats Denver 31-7
10/12 OSU defeats SMU 26-12
10/20 OSU defeats Utah 46-6
10/27 OSU defeats TCU 25-12
11/10 OSU defeats No. 19 Tulsa 12-6
11/17 OSU defeats Texas Tech 46-6
11/24 OSU defeats Oklahoma 47-0
1/1 OSU defeats No. 9 Saint Mary's 33-13

Comparing the two teams isn't that hard. OSU clearly had a good team. There's no contesting that. But they posted only one shutout to Army's five shutouts. OSU won their games by an average score of 31-8 whereas Army won their games by an average score of 45-5. Army had the number one offense in the country, and the number one defense. Army posted five ranked wins with an average score of 43-6, while OSU's two ranked wins came at an average of 22-9. And don't forget that Army had Heisman Trophy winner Doc Blanchard. 

But somehow, OSU was the better team?

By whatever wildly errant logic that the AFCA is using, Sand Springs should have several State Championships. The Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) didn't begin holding playoffs or recognizing a State Champion until 1944, leaving individual schools to claim to State Titles as they saw fit. In 1931 the Sandites went 6-0-1 with four shutout wins and a 0-0 tie with an equally impressive Skiatook team. At the time, high schools didn't play to overtime. Though they didn't have the toughest schedule, they did go undefeated. That's good enough, right? Again, in 1937, the Sandites went undefeated at 8-0-2 with six shutout wins and two 0-0 ties, both to winning teams. Once again, it wasn't the toughest schedule in Oklahoma, but neither was OSU's. 

In 1951, the Sandites went 11-1 with their only true loss being 27-6 to Sapulpa in week three. From there they won nine straight games, including five shutouts. They defeated Poteau 54-0 in the State quarterfinals before "losing" 20-20 to Ada. At the time the OSSAA didn't allow overtime and Ada was awarded the win on red zone penetrations. Apparently having a stout defense able to put up red zone stops doesn't matter to the OSSAA. Sapulpa was Class AA at the time while Sand Springs was A, so that loss doesn't affect their claim to a State title. They essentially went undefeated in their division, and had they been allowed to play overtime against Ada, who knows what might have happened? Ada went on to defeat Ponca City 20-13 for their first Championship. They now hold nineteen State Titles.

In 1962 the Sandites went 7-0-3 with three shutouts and three ties. They even beat Broken Arrow 32-0. At the time the Sandites weren't in an eligible conference and weren't allowed to compete for the State Title. 

That makes two State Titles that the Sandites could claim on wins, due to there being no playoffs, and two Titles they can claim on being unfairly excluded from the playoffs. But Sand Springs doesn't claim those Titles. We didn't claim them then, because we followed the rules and respected that there were better teams, and we don't claim them now, because it would be unfair to the schools that have already held them for decades. We are content to settle for our 1966 State Title and work towards earning new titles in the future rather than living in the past. 

If the University of Oklahoma were to claim National Titles outside of AP rankings, they would have ten more than the seven they claim. In 1915, Oklahoma went 10-0 under Bennie Owen. The official NCAA Division I Football Records Book even lists Cornell, Oklahoma, and Pittsburgh as having equal claim to the Title, but only Cornell and Pittsburgh claim it. 

Cornell (9-0)
9/25 defeated Gettysburg 13-0
10/2 defeated Oberlin 34-7
10/9 defeated Williams 46-6
10/16 defeated Bucknell 41-0
10/23 defeated Harvard 10-0
10/30 defeated VPI 45-0
11/6 defeated Michigan 34-7
11/13 defeated Washington & Lee 40-21
11/25 defeated Penn 40-21

Oklahoma (10-0)
9/25 defeated Kingfisher 67-0
10/2 defeated SW Oklahoma 55-0
10/9 defeated NW OK State 102-0
10/16 defeated Missouri 24-0
10/23 defeated Texas 14-13
10/30 defeated Kansas 23-14
11/6 defeated Kendall 14-13
11/14 defeated Arkansas 24-0
11/19 defeated Kansas State 21-7
11/25 defeated Oklahoma A&M 26-7

Shutouts: Pittsburgh 6
Average Score: Oklahoma 37-5

Pittsburgh (8-0)
10/2 defeated Westminster 32-0
10/9 defeated Navy 47-12
10/16 defeated Carlisle 45-0
10/23 defeated Penn 14-7
10/30 defeated Allegheny 42-0
11/6 defeated Washington & Jefferson 19-0
11/13 defeated Carnegie Tech 28-0
11/25 defeated Penn State 20-0

Oklahoma was retroactively selected as National Champions by the Billingsley Report. Cornell was retroactively selected by the Helms Athletic Foundation, the Houlgate System, and the National Championship Foundation, while being selected as co-champions by Parke H. Davis. Pittsburgh was selected as co-champions by Parke H. Davis. 

Oklahoma had yet another undefeated season in 1949 under Bud Wilkinson and was retroactively awarded the National Title by the College Football Research Association, despite the AP giving it to Notre Dame. 

No. 1 Notre Dame (10-0)
9/24 defeated Indiana 49-6
10/1 defeated Washington 27-7
10/8 defeated Purdue 35-12
10/15 defeated No. 4 Tulane 46-7
10/29 defeated Navy 40-0
11/5 defeated No. 10 Michigan State 34-21
11/12 defeated North Carolina 42-6
11/19 defeated Iowa 28-7
11/26 defeated No. 17 USC 32-0
12/3 defeated SMU 27-20

No. 2 Oklahoma 11-0
9/23 defeated Boston College 46-0
10/1 defeated Texas A&M 33-13
10/8 defeated No. 12 Texas 20-14
10/15 defeated Kansas 48-26
10/22 defeated Nebraska 48-0
10/29 defeated Iowa State 34-7
11/5 defeated Kansas State 39-0
11/12 defeated Missouri 27-7
11/19 defeated No. 19 Santa Clara 28-21
11/26 defeated Oklahoma A&M 41-0
1/1 defeated No. 9 LSU  41-0

1949 saw four undefeated teams, including California and Army. However, Notre Dame received 172 of 208 first place votes in the final AP Poll. OU actually came in second on first place votes with 18, whereas the 1945 OSU team received 0. OU defeated three ranked opponents by an average score of 30-12, while Notre Dame defeated three ranked opponents by an average score of 37-9. Notre Dame also had a Heisman award winner, six players who went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and four All-Americans. Oklahoma had one future Hall of Famer and five All-Americans. Just like in 1945, it was clear to the people alive at the time that Notre Dame was the better team, despite Oklahoma having far more claim to the Title than OSU did in 1945. 

The Oklahoma conversation can continue with 1953 (9-1-1, named by Berryman and CFRA) when Maryland (10-1) was recognized by the AP. The 1957  team (10-1, named by Berryman) when Auburn was recognized by the AP, despite having paid two high school players $5000 to play. In 1967 (10-1, named by Poling System) when USC was recognized by the AP. In 1973 (10-0-1, named by CFRA, DeVold, Dunkel, Sagarin) when Notre Dame was recognized by the AP. In 1978 (11-1, named by DeVold, Dunkel, FACT, Helms, Litkenhous, Matthews, Poling, Sagarin) when Alabama was recognized by the AP. In 1980 (10-2, named by Dunkel and Matthews) when Georgia was recognized by the AP. In 1986 (11-1, named by CFRA, Berryman, DeVold, Dunkel, NY Times, Sagarin) when Penn State was recognized by AP. Finally, in 2003 (12-2, named by Berryman) when USC was recognized by AP. 

OSU fans can call themselves National Champions all they want, but the fact is all 116 AP voters, who were alive at the time and actually watched the season, thought that Army was the better team. OSU has a handful of panel members who weren't even alive at the time. 

Oklahoma only claims 7 of our 17 awarded titles. Notre Dame only claims 11 of 22. USC claims 11 of 17. Michigan claims 11 of 16. Ohio State claims 8 of 16. Harvard claims 7 of 12. 

As a proud Oklahoman, I want OSU to win a National Title one day. I would love to see a day and age when OU and OSU are in the playoffs every year as the No. 1 and 2 ranked teams. It's unlikely, but wouldn't it be nice? Heck, throw Tulsa in there as well, so long as we're imaging a perfect world. 

I would much rather see OSU make a case for the 2011 season, when they won ten-straight to earn the No. 2 rank before dropping a double overtime upset to Iowa State. They bested OU 44-10, won their first and only Big 12 title, and beat No. 4 Stanford 41-38 in overtime at the Fiesta Bowl. That year there wasn't a single ranked team without a loss, and National Champion Alabama avenged their regular season loss to No. 1 LSU with a 21-0 victory in the Championship game. While I personally think Alabama and LSU were both far better teams than OSU, at least OSU got 4 of 60 votes in the AP poll that year, as opposed to 1945 when they got 0 of 116. 

Oklahoma State has come a long way as a program and I think one day they will likely win a Championship. But that day won't be this year, it wasn't in 2011, and it wasn't in 1945 either. In 2011 they were named the National Champion by the Colley-Matrix, and the Cowboys did the right thing by not recognizing it. They shouldn't recognize this one either.

I'm not being one sided in this. The AFCA still has 27 more National Titles to give out, of which OU could make legitimate claim to the 1949 title. We were undefeated and we posted one more win than Notre Dame, who was recognized by the AP. While many OU fans may be excited to win the '49 title, I won't be. You can hold me to it, if the AFCA calls Oklahoma the 1949 National Champion, I'll still be claiming seven national titles, not eight. National Titles should be decided at the time, not decades later by people who weren't around when the games were played. Notre Dame was the better team in '49 and Army was the better team in '45.

When Oklahoma State wins its first National Title, I will be as excited as anybody, and more excited than anybody who recognizes the 1945 Championship. Winning a real Title will be much sweeter without being watered down by revisionist history.

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.