No. 3 Sand Springs Sandites challenge No. 4 Midwest City tonight at 7:00

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The third ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (6-4, 4-2) will travel to Midwest City High School Friday evening for the first round of the Class 6A-II playoffs and aim to keep their season alive against the District One Champions.

While the Sandites gave up a hard loss to the No. 2 Bixby Spartans (7-3, 5-1) last week, the No. 4 Midwest City Bombers (7-3, 6-1) won a surprisingly close battle with No. 8 Stillwater (5-5, 3-4) to close the regular season with the District Once Championship. 

This game will likely be a major defensive battle as Midwest City holds the best defense in the State when it comes to points allowed, by a significant margin. They allow only 3.413 yards per play, 2.165 yards per run, and 5.278 yards per pass. Sand Springs's offense is sixth on yards per carry, and managed an impressive 4.71 yards per carry against Bixby, who normally only allows 3.94. They also ran for 3.914 against Muskogee who normally allows only 3.023. Sand Springs is eighth in passing yards per play, so if they're to overcome the two-pronged Bomber defense, they'll definitely need to get creative.

The Bombers will have an equally difficult time against Sand Springs, as they have relied almost entirely on their defense this season. Midwest City is eleventh in offensive scoring and only eighth in yards-per-play. Sand Springs is tenth in points allowed, but third in defensive points scored and wins the turnover battle more often than not. While they give up more yards-per-play than a lot of teams, they're 71% on third-down stops this season. 

The winner of this game will take on the winner of Bixby vs Putnam West. Veterans will get free entry into tonight's game.

The pick: CPHS 24, MWC 23.

Players to watch

Sandite Offense

Junior tight end Dash Fleischman has been solid both blocking and receiving this season, often opening up paths for Payton Scott along the outside. He has also hauled in 9 passes for 143 yards, though he hasn't scored a touchdown yet. 

Junior running back Payton Scott is the work horse for the Sandite offense with 267 carries for 1574 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. His career total is 2705 yards, but this is his first year as the starter. He's also a target for screen passes with 8 receptions for 142 yards this season.

Senior Kasey Bales is the all-purpose player for the Sandites. He holds 55 receptions for 792 yards and 9 touchdowns this season and sits at 1439 yards for his career. He's ran 6 times for 44 yards, mostly on laterals. He frequently handles kicking duties for the Sandites, and is 17 of 22 on extra points this season. He averages 42 yards per punt, and 21 yards per kick return.

Second-year senior quarterback Hunter Greathouse is 122 of 243 passing this season with 1833 yards and 16 touchdowns against 8 interceptions. He has already surpassed his record last season, and he's played three less games. His career total is 3668 and could easily pass the 4000 mark tonight if Midwest City shuts down the run game. He hasn't thrown a 300+ game yet, but certainly is capable of it if necessary. He's a break-even runner due to sacks, and technically has only 3 yards on 54 carries this season. But he has seven touchdowns on the ground and can be counted on to gain a few on a designed run. He also holds two punts this season for an average of 43 yards in case fourth-down conversion attempts fall apart. 

Senior Alejandro "Alex" Hernandez is the primary kicker with 13 extra points on 15 attempts and 2 field goals on 5 attempts. He averages 45 yards per kickoff, but that's deceptive. He can easily drill it inside the ten-yard line, but the Sandites haven't done too well at return coverage this season and often have him send it high and short so they have more time to reach the ball. 

Senior Dalton Morgan is in his first season on offense and has 42 runs for 247 yards and a touchdown. He also has one pass for 29 yards and a touchdown, and 9 receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns. His native spot is on defense where he has seventeen tackles over only two games this season. He also has a fumble recovery.

Senior Mack Thompson is in his first year of Sandite football and holds 19 receptions for 285 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Senior Caleb Wash is also a first year receiver and has 17 receptions for 226 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Offensive linemen Danny Ropp, Lincoln Adams, Michael Carper, Ethan Hooper, Austin Rutledge, Caleb Mallory, and a few others don't have any stats to track, but they are crucial players and are always impressive to watch.

Sandite Defense

Sophomore Luke Bratcher has been a playmaker on the Sandite defense this year with two fumble recoveries and an interception to complement his 26 tackles.

Hayden Cramer has made an impressive debut his sophomore season with 41 tackles, five for losses, and a forced fumble. 

Junior Gage Fain is one of the leading players on defensive line with 31 tackles, including an incredible thirteen for losses totaling 59 yards. Most impressive is his 6 sacks for 32 yards. He also holds a fumble recovery.

Tre Finch holds 28 tackles this season, mostly unassisted, with four for losses totaling 24 yards, including three sacks for losses of 19 yards. He holds one forced fumble. 

Senior Tyler Delozier sits at 25 tackles this season with 2 for loss. He has hauled in two interceptions, one of which he returned for 40 yards. He also has a fumble recovery.

Senior Brett Freeman holds 27 tackles this season with 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery. 

Senior Delvin Jordan, Jr. is Mr. Sandite Defense with 59 tackles this season, including 48 unassisted, 12 for losses totaling 64 yards, and 5 sacks totaling 37 yards. He has two forced fumbles this year and one recovery, which he returned for 32 yards to score. He also very nearly had a scoring fumble recovery in the last game on what appeared to be an incomplete lateral, but was ruled a forward pass after the play.

Senior Cody Motes holds 29 tackles, mostly unassisted, with 2 interceptions for 36 yards and a touchdown. He has one fumble recovery for 58 yards and a score.

Senior lineman Nathan Simonton sits at 33 tackles with 6 tackles for losses totaling 18 yards and 3 sacks for 7 yards. He also has two fumble recoveries. 

Senior Josh Taber splits time between wide receiver and defense and holds 35 tackles this season, mostly unassisted. He has four receptions for 28 yards this season, but mostly plays defense.

Senior Treyce Tolbert has 30 tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 pass breakups.

Sandite of the Week: Josh Taber tears up the Bixby offense and the classroom

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By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

Charles Page High School senior Josh Taber was selected as Sandite of the Week for his outstanding performance both on the football field and in the classroom. 

The 5'11" 160 pound defensive back and wide receiver led his team in unassisted tackles this past week in the regular season finale at Bixby and was also recently given commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Program. 

Taber hasn't spent much time in the receiver slot this season, holding four receptions for 28 yards. Last season he hauled in five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. He seems to have found his niche in the secondary where he's sitting at 35 tackles for this season, with only three assisted. He has recorded one tackle for a loss of two yards and also holds five breakups for the season. 

Last Friday Taber recorded a career-high ten tackles, all unassisted, including the one for loss and one for no gain. All but two of his tackles stopped the ball carrier short of the first down. In the final stanza, as the Sandites definitely needed a turnover, he was stride for stride with the carrier on his last three tackles trying to wrestle the ball away. Though he wasn't able to force a fumble, he fought hard to try and give his offense another shot and played near-perfect defense. 

Taber was also one of two Charles Page High School students to receive commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Program as a result of his performance on the PSAT-National Merit Qualifying Test.

In addition to football, he is a talented athlete on both the Sandite basketball and baseball teams. He finished last spring with a .363 batting average with 34 singles, 3 doubles, 21 RBI, 31 runs, and 7 sacrifices on 102 at bats. He was 23 of 28 stealing bases. Last winter he finished the basketball season with 33 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. He will likely see increased action this year as a senior.

This is his first time being named Sandite of the Week, though he has been a finalist many times. His older brother, Jacob, was also named Sandite of the Week last December, and his younger sister, Jacie, was named Sandite of the Week in August. Josh is the son of Amy and Ronnie Taber. Ronnie is a member of the Sandite football coaching staff.

SEE RELATED: Sandites of the Week for August through September
SEE RELATED: Sandite of the Week: Jacob Taber

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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.

Week 11 6A-II Rankings and Playoff predictions; a look at this weekend's games

Photo: Scott Emigh.

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

The regular season has come to a close with few surprises. All four of Sandite Pride's pre-season top four picks from District Two have made the playoffs. We only picked two of four post-season qualifiers from District One accurately, but with the circular losses in that district, it's not surprising. Here's our season review for those who have finished play for the year, and our picks for the post-season.

No. 4 Midwest City Bombers (Last week No. 5) vs No. 3 Sand Springs Sandites (2)

While the Sandites (6-4, 4-2) gave up a hard loss to the Spartans, the Bombers (7-3, 6-1) gave up a surprisingly close battle with Stillwater to close the regular season with the District Two Championship. 

This game will likely be a major defensive battle as Midwest City holds the best defense in the State when it comes to points allowed, by a significant margin. They allow only 3.413 yards per play, 2.165 yards per run, and 5.278 yards per pass. Sand Springs is sixth on yards per carry, and managed a surprising 4.71 yards per carry against Bixby, who normally only allows 3.94. They also ran for 3.914 against Muskogee who normally allows only 3.023. Sand Springs is eighth in passing yards per play, so if they're to overcome the two-pronged Bomber defense, they'll definitely need to get creative.

The Bombers will have an equally difficult time against Sand Springs, as they have relied almost entirely on their defense this season. Midwest City is eleventh in offensive scoring and only eighth in yards-per-play. Sand Springs is tenth in points allowed, but third in defensive points scored and wins the turnover battle more often than not. While they give up more yards-per-play than a lot of teams, they're 71% on third-down stops this season. 

The winner of this game will take on the winner of Bixby vs Putnam West.

The pick: CPHS 24, MWC 23.

No. 2 Bixby Spartans (3) vs No. 7 Putnam City West Patriots (8)

The Spartans (7-3, 5-1) upended the Sandites (6-4, 4-2) Friday night 35-19 at Spartan Stadium to secure a home playoff game and will host the Putnam West Patriots (7-3, 5-2). 

The Sandite defense performed well, holding the Spartans to their closest win of the season, giving up only five scores on twelve possessions, forcing two turnovers on downs, and three punts, as well as recovering a fumble and an interception. 

Bixby was one step better, however, giving up only three scores on twelve possessions, forcing two turnovers on downs with four punts, a fumble, and an interception. The Spartans split time between land and air as Tanner Griffin passed 24 of 33 for 254 yards and an interception. All four offensive touchdowns came at the hands of Tucker Pawley who carried 36 times for 248 yards and four scores, while Clayton Barbour added a fifth touchdown on a 95-yard kick return. 

Putnam City West pulled off an impressive 40-37 double-overtime win against Choctaw Friday, sabotaging the Yellowjackets' last ditch effort for a playoff berth. The Patriots ran 38 times for 204 yards and attempted 20 passes for 202 yards. 

The Spartans boast the number-one scoring offense in the division, while the Patriots own the number three defense in points-allowed. Bixby also holds the number-one scoring defense and the number-six defense in points-allowed. Putnam West has relied heavily on its defense this season and is only sixth in offensive scoring.

The pick: Bixby 44, PCW 22.

No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (1) vs No. 8 Stillwater Pioneers (9)

The Roughers (8-1, 5-1) finished the season with the best record in the division and the District Two Championship, thanks to the Spartan's defeat of Sand Springs. They sealed the deal with a powerful 48-0 shutout of Ponca City. 

Stillwater (5-5, 3-4) closed out the regular season with a loss and made the playoffs on head-to-head with Choctaw (5-5, 3-4). The Pioneers fell 26-17 to Midwest City in what was actually an impressive battle in spite of the loss. The Pioneers have been hit-or-miss this season majorly due to the health of starting QB Jace Brownlee. Brownlee has been recovering from a pre-season shoulder surgery, and his once stellar arm has seen little use. In spite of that loss, the Pioneers have ran miles on the turf and won games without even attempting a single pass. 

Muskogee's number-two scoring offense and number-one offense in yards-per-play will take on Stillwater's number-four defense in points allowed. The Pioneers have made it on their defense this season, holding only the number-nine offense in the State, and will have their work cut out for them against Muskogee. The Roughers are number two in the division in points-allowed as well as defensive scoring. 

The winner of this match will face the winner of Lawton vs Booker T.

The pick: Muskogee 45, Stillwater 14.

No. 6 Lawton Wolverines (6) vs No. 5 Booker T. Washington Hornets (4)

Lawton (6-4, 5-2) settled for second in their district this year, but ended the regular season with a powerful 49-0 victory over Deer Creek. The Hornets (6-4, 4-2) barely scraped together a 57-39 win over Bartlesville that wasn't decided till the final few possessions. 

Lawton QB Zach Hanna was nearly perfect against Deer Creek, completing 12 of 14 passes for 226 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. The run game was also alive and well where the Wolverines rushed 35 times for 201 yards and a pair of scores. 

Booker T. has been scrambling to figure out a success formula that doesn't include injured QB Phillip Wheatley. They were flying through their opponents before losing Wheatley and since then have barely gotten by. They should have lost 12-10 to Sand Springs but got a miraculous fumble recovery on a bad-hike at the Sandite two-yard line late in the fourth quarter to avert the loss. They suffered their first shutout in years 28-0 at the hands of Bixby, then closed the season with Bartlesville 

Booker T.'s defense is fifth in points allowed, fourth in yards-per-play, and tied for fourth in scoring. Lawton's offense is fourth in points scored, and third in yards-per-play, so if Booker T. wants to find a win, they're going to need to come up with something new on offense. Overall the Hornets are only seventh in offensive scoring and twelfth in yards-per-play, and that's including when they still had Wheatley. Without him, they'll have their work cut out for them against Lawton's defense which is eighth in points allowed and sixth in yards-per-play allowed. 

The pick: Lawton 36, BTW 24.

No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (7)

The Yellowjackets finished a hit-or-miss season with a 5-5, 3-4 record and just barely missed the playoffs. High points included a 45-41 upset over Sand Springs, a 14-7 upset over Midwest City, and most impressively, a 52-26 upset over Lawton. Choctaw holds the number three offense in the State in scoring, and is fifth in yards-per-play. They struggled defensively, however, and finished ninth in points-allowed with almost every game being a shootout.

No. 10 Putnam City Pirates (10)

Putnam was just one win short of a winning season, finishing 4-6, 2-5. High points included a 16-7 win over in-town rival Putnam North and a 52-6 blowout of El Reno. They also upset Choctaw 36-32 and finished the season on a strong note with a 42-21 victory over Enid. They finished twelfth in offensive scoring and ninth in total offense and were fifth in the air. Their defense was solid at seventh in points allowed and fifth in yards-per-play.

No. 11 Enid Plainsmen (11)

Enid managed only three wins, but two were quite impressive, upsetting Choctaw 43-39 and dominating Deer Creek 45-17. They finished the season 3-7, 2-5 with a 42-21 loss to Putnam. They finished with the number ten offense and number twelve defense.

No. 12 Bartlesville Bruins (13)

The Bruins struggled off and on throughout the year, but finished strong despite three-straight losses. They gave it their all against Sand Springs and Booker T. and legitimately challenged both. They finished 3-6, 2-4 with wins of 42-20 over Ponca City and 51-28 over Sapulpa. They held the number eight offense in points scored, but were actually fourth in yards-per-play with the number two passing record in the division. Defense was their struggle and they finished fourteenth there.

No. 13 Deer Creek Antlers (12)

The Antlers had a rough start to their 6A debut season, finishing 2-8, 2-5 with wins of 21-14 over Stillwater and 20-14 over Putnam. They were shutout 49-0 in the finale at Lawton and finish with the number fourteen offense and number thirteen defense.

No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (14)

Sapulpa has been in a rebuilding year under new head coach Robert Borgstadt, but the Chieftains (1-9, 1-5) have shown promise. They only won a single game, 31-27 over Ponca City, but lost close ones of 24-21 to Duncan, and 52-42 to Choctaw. They finished thirteenth in running, scoring, and total offense, and fifteenth on the ground. Defensively they were fifteenth in points allowed, run coverage, and total defense, and thirteenth in pass coverage.

No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (15)

The Wildcats finished 2-8, 0-6, but had several solid performances. They lost 42-31 to Enid, defeated Guthrie 9-0, and posted 35 points against Sand Springs. They barely lost 31-27 to Sapulpa and defeated Norman 10-6. Ponca finished the season fifteenth in total offense and eleventh in points allowed. They were tenth in points allowed, fourteenth in yards per play allowed, fifteenth in pass coverage, and tenth in ground coverage.

Sandites secure fifth-straight playoff berth, travel to Midwest City Friday

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 2 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (6-4, 4-2) took on the No. 3 Bixby Spartans (7-3, 5-1) Friday night in a District Championship showdown at Spartan Stadium. The Sandites battled valiantly in their regular season finale, but fell 35-19 to take the number four seed going into the playoffs. 

It was a defensive showdown from the very beginning as the Spartans drove only 27 yards in 10 plays and the Sandites got a turnover on downs at their own 38 with some great pass defense.  They were unable to capitalize however, despite a pair of impressive third down conversion runs from Payton Scott, as receiver Kasey Bales gave up a fumble to Coby Tillman.

This time the Spartans wouldn’t be stymied as they pushed 69 yards to score in only six plays. Quarterback Tanner Griffin let loose a deep pass to Eric Calton-Watkins who was stopped by his own feet at the one yard line for a 51 yard gain. Tucker Pawley was stopped once on the run by Delvin Jordan, but found the endzone on his second attempt to take the lead. Jason Campbell sent in the point-after and the home team was off to a good start.

The Sandites started off their drive well with a 23 yard run from Scott, aided by stellar stride-for-stride blocking from tight-end Dash Fleischman. Scott nabbed another first down on an eleven yard run, but was brought to a stop for a loss of one on his next play. Two incompletions later and Greathouse punted away possession.

The Spartans picked up a first down with a 22-yard pass from Griffin to Sam Sherman to end the first quarter, then grabbed 18 yards on a Pawley run, who was barely brought down with a shoe-string tackle from Cody Motes. They drove the final fifty yards in seven plays, capped by a thirteen-yard run from Pawley to score and make it 14-0 shortly into the second quarter.

The Sandite offense found their legs on the next possession. Scott went down for a loss of three to start, but Greathouse connected with Mack Thompson for twelve and Scott tacked on the extra yard for the first down. Scott grabbed the next conversion as well with a 25 yard run before being brought down by Cade Cannon. Greathouse found Bales from forty yards out for the first Sandite score and Alex Hernandez tacked on the point-after to cut the deficit to 14-7.

Unfortunately for the Sandites, Clayton Barbour laid in wait for a 95 yard kickoff return to regain the two-score advantage.

Both teams exchanged possessions from there and the Sandites were next to strike. Caleb Wash hauled in a ten-yard screen from Greathouse, capped by a facemask penalty, and Scott ended the drive out with a 36-yard run to score. The point-after was blocked by Brendon Evers, and the Spartans had 1:40 to work with.

They made the most of it, driving 64 yards in nine plays, but a fourth and short fumble in the redzone saw Luke Bratcher come up with the ball to enter the half 21-13.

The third quarter didn’t start pretty for the Sandites as Greathouse barely recovered a fumbled hike, just to launch it ten yards short of his intended receiver and into the arms of Colton Tafoya. The Spartans capitalized, moving 76 yards on three runs, a pass, and a personal foul, to score on an eleven yard run by Pawley to make it 28-13.

The Sandites pushed 24 yards to midfield on their next possession and punted it away to Kordel Tyler who fumbled. The Sandites nearly had it but the ball squirted out and Drake Allen secured it for his team.

Delvin Jordan and the Sand Springs sideline thought they had a fumble recovery after what appeared to be a Tanner Griffin lateral fell incomplete, but it was ruled to be a forward pass.

The two teams traded punts from there until finally the Sandite offense found momentum late in the quarter. Greathouse hit Bales for 43 yards and nearly scored on the next play. The quarterback found Mack Thompson from 28 yards out, but the receiver was just a tad out of bounds in the back of the endzone. A pass interference call soon after put the Sandites in the redzone where Scott picked up another first down on a ten-yard run to end the third at the Spartan five.

On second and goal at the five, Scott managed to recover a fumbled handoff for no gain, then moved it up to the three but couldn’t find the endzone. On a fourth down the running back was stuffed and the Spartans got the ball.

They wouldn’t have it for long, however, as an interception from Tyler Delozier gave the Sandites a fresh set of downs, once again at the three. This time it Greathouse with the run and he scored from two yards out to cut the lead to 28-19. The extra point was no good, and the Sandites had 9:06 to score twice.

The Spartans pushed it to a three-score lead on their next possession, driving 65 yards in eleven plays, capped by a five-yard run from Pawley. The next Sandite drive made it to the Spartan 39 before giving up a turnover on downs. On the Spartans final possession they pushed as far as the Sandite 16 before they were able to drain the clock and secure the win.

Greathouse finished the evening 15 of 33 passing for 179 yards, a touchdown, and one interception to surpass the 3,500 mark of his career. He also had one score on the ground with 7 yards on four carries. Scott led the ground game with 26 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown and surpassed 1,500 yards for the season. Bales was the leading receiver with six receptions for 98 yards and a score. Defensively the Sandites were led by Dalton Morgan with 12 total tackles, followed by Josh Taber with 10 tackles, all unassisted. Hayden Cramer, Delvin Jordan, and Cody Motes all had eight tackles each.

On the Spartan side of the ball, Griffin finished 24 of 33 passing for 254 yards and an interception. Seminole State-commit Nic Swanson was his leading receiver with 11 receptions for 93 yards. Pawley was the man of the night with 36 carries for 248 yards and all four offensive touchdowns. Tillman led the defense with eight tackles.

Sand Springs finishes fourth in the district for the regular season and will return to action Friday when they travel to District One Champion No. 5 Midwest City (7-3, 6-1) for the first round of the playoffs. The Spartans come in second in District Two and will host a game against No. 8 Putnam City West (7-3, 5-2).

Sand Springs at Bixby pre-game analysis

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 2 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (6-3, 4-1) will travel to the No. 3 Bixby Spartans (6-3, 4-1) this Friday in the regular-season finale as they fight for their first District Title in nearly two decades. The two teams each have playoff berths clinched at this point, and are each vying for the right to host. If Sand Springs loses, they take fourth in the district and will play the District One Champion. If Bixby loses, they take third in the district. 

SEE RELATED: Spartan rivalry continues Friday in the District Title game

Here's how the two teams played against mutual opponents:

No. 3 Spartans (6-3, 4-1)

lost 45-42 to Muskogee
defeated Sapulpa 62-17
defeated Ponca City 60-6
defeated Bartlesville 63-14
defeated Booker T 28-0

Average score: 51-16
First downs: 23
First downs allowed: 13
Fumbles-lost: 8-5 (total)
Fumble recoveries: 6 (total)
Penalties-Yards: 7-68

C-A-Y-I: 18-28-260-0
Average: 9.28
Allowed: 18-32-224-1
Average: 7.00

Rushes-Yards: 42-241
Average: 5.73
Allowed: 25-46
Average: 1.84

Plays-Yards: 70-500
Average: 7.14
Allowed: 57-270
Average: 4.73

No. 2 Sandites (6-3, 4-1)

defeated Muskogee 26-25
defeated Sapulpa 35-7
defeated Ponca City 56-35
defeated Bartlesville 47-28
lost 17-12 to Booker T

Average score: 35-22
First downs: 18
First downs allowed: 14
Fumbles-lost: 6-3 (total)
Fumble recoveries: 6 (total)
Penalties-Yards: 4-36

C-A-Y-I: 12-22-162-1
Average: 7.36
Allowed: 14-23-154-1
Average: 6.69

Rushes-Yards: 40-211
Average: 5.27
Allowed: 34-131
Average: 3.85

Plays-Yards: 62-373
Average: 6.01
Allowed: 57-285
Average: 5.00

The one district loss for Bixby came at the hands of No. 1 Muskogee (8-1, 4-1) in a shootout at the Indian Bowl. The lead changed eleven times in the game that saw a combined 911 yards of total offense. Offensively the Spartans outperformed with six touchdowns, more yards, more first downs, and a higher pass-completion rate. Muskogee's defense won it, however with two interceptions, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and four punts. Muskogee utilized a high-powered fast-paced offense that averaged 7.26 yards per play, 11.08 yards per pass, and 2.26 yards per carry. As low as that 2.26 is, it's the highest average allowed by Bixby in district play this season. The Spartans were more methodical, averaging only 5.3 yards per play, 4.02 yard per carry, and 6.36 yards per pass.

Sand Springs traveled to Muskogee two weeks after Bixby and stunned the home crowd with a wild last-minute play that attained national coverage. Sand Springs, like Bixby, outperformed in total yardage and first downs, but had to come from behind with a 65-yard drive in only 38 seconds. They scored on an incredible two-point run to take the lead and the victory. Sand Springs averaged 3.97 yards per carry and 6.91 yards per pass, while giving up 5.63 yards per carry and 5.71 yards per pass.

No. 4 Booker T. Washington (6-4, 4-2) played the spoiler for Sand Springs, despite being outmatched offensively by a considerable margin. The Sandite run game was utterly shut down by the Hornets, being held to 0.93 yards per carry, but the Sandites more than adapted with 9.11 yards per pass. The Hornets were without their starting QB, Phillip Wheatley, and managed only 2.48 yards per pass and 0.4 yards per carry. The Sandites should have won 12-10, but midway through the fourth quarter, QB Hunter Greathouse was unable to haul in a high snap, and Booker T. recovered the fumble at the Sandite two-yard line. Till then, the Sandite defense had been practically impenetrable, forcing seven punts and holding one drive to a field goal, but were unable to stave off the Hornets this time. The Hornet defense pulled out all the stops and forced a turnover on downs in their own redzone, then hauled in a Hail Mary interception to seal the victory.

Booker T. hosted Bixby last week and were soundly defeated in their first shutout since 2012, despite putting up the best defense the Spartans have experienced all season. The Hornets held them to 4.65 yards per run and 5.04 yards per pass, while racking up 2.08 yards per run and 3.81 yards per pass. The Spartans scored twice by air in the first half and twice on the ground in the second half. The Hornets split time between two backup QBs, but neither was able to break even passing.

The Prediction?

Firstly, when you look at a box of the two teams' averages based on mutual opponents, Bixby should win hands down. That's misleading, however, because the Sandites always play to their opponents, while the Spartans play balls-to-the-wall no matter what. To get a true comparison of the two teams, you have to limit your focus to just Booker T. and Muskogee. When you compare those stats, the teams are a whole lot closer.

Sand Springs prefers to keep the ball on the ground when they can, but have adapted well to the air when necessary. The Sandite O-line is powerful, but Bixby's linemen will likely be their biggest test of the season. The Sandites averaged 2.5 yards per carry against Muskogee and Booker T., and won't be likely to fair any better against Bixby.

The Spartans as a whole have the number six defense in the division when it comes to points per game, but gave up an average 7.74 yards per pass against Muskogee and Booker T., meaning that will be the Sandites' best bet for moving the ball. The Sandites have only been held to double digits running once this season, against Booker T., and easily transitioned to a 13-26-237 aerial barrage. Greathouse is 51% for the year with 1,654 yards, fifteen touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He has no problem stepping up when his team needs him, and his 237 against Booker T. was a career-best. 

While the Spartans were more capable of running against Muskogee and Booker T. than the Sandites were, averaging 4.07 yards per carry, they were significantly hampered in the air, averaging only 5.48 yards per pass. 

Bixby will come out with all pistons firing and double the Sandites in the first quarter 14-6. Sand Springs will win the second quarter 14-9 and enter the half trailing by a field goal. Both teams will come out of the half fired up, but defense will hold tough and the Spartans will score the lone touchdown, while the Sandites give up a failed fourth-down conversion attempt inside the Spartan redzone on one posession and kick a field goal on another. The Sandites will win it in the fourth quarter, however, with big passes and trick plays for a come-from-behind stunner.

Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. at Spartan Stadium, located at the intersection of Riverview and Stadium Road. 

Four meetings in two years, the Sandite-Spartan rivalry continues Friday in the District Title game

Sand Springs takes on Bixby in the 2015 6A-II State Championship game at Union Stadium. (Photo: Austin Evans).

Sand Springs vs Bixby History
Year, Coach, QB, Result

1922 A.R. Bateman, Sixkiller, 14-19 loss
1926 30-12 win
1927 20-6 win
1980 Gary Quimby, Eric Haines, 10-7 win (A)
1981 Gary Quimby, Eric Haines, 12-14 loss (H)
1982 Chris Thurmond, 32-6 loss (H)
1983 LD Baines, Brad Johnson, 4-21 loss (A)
1984 LD Baines, Shawn Morand, 5-3 win (H)
1985 LD Baines, Shawn Morand, 14-3 win (A)
1992 LD Baines, Mike Quimby, 17-20 OT loss (H)
1993 LD Baines, Delvin Jordan, 26-20 win (A)
1994 LD Baines, Delvin Jordan, 33-7 win (H)
1995 LD Baines, Dustin Morrow, 10-17 loss (A)
1996 LD Baines, Keith Hooks, 28-7 win (H)
1997 Archie Loehr, Keith Hooks, 19-0 win (A)
1998 Archie Loehr, Keith Hooks, 30-6 win (H)
1999 Archie Loehr, Ryan Summers, 7-23 loss (H)
2010 Dustin Kinard, Darrack Harger, 35-48 loss (H)
2011 Dustin Kinard, Darrack Harger, 23-43 loss (A)
2012 Dustin Kinard, Cody Hale, 21-7 win (H)
2013 Dustin Kinard, Cody Hale, 21-35 loss (A)
2014 Dustin Kinard, Conner Sitton, 31-34 loss (A)
2014 Dustin Kinard, Jacob Taber, 14-41 loss (BA)
2015 Dustin Kinard, Hunter Greathouse, 20-0 win (H)
2015 Dustin Kinard, Hunter Greathouse, 28-38 loss (Union)

Overall Record: 12-13-0

Longest Streak: CPHS 3
Longest Streak: Bixby 3

Shutouts: CPHS 2
Shutouts: Bixby 0

Road wins: CPHS 4
Road wins: Bixby 5

Biggest win: CPHS 33-7
Biggest win: Bixby 41-14
 

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The High School football season still has a month left, but the regular season will come to a close this Friday as the No. 2 Sand Springs Sandites (6-3, 4-1) travel to No. 3 Bixby (6-3, 4-1) to try and earn their first district title since 1997. In the last two seasons the teams have met four times, including two playoff games and a State Championship. High-stakes games are all these two teams know.

In 2014 the Spartans lost their season-opener at Jenks (11-2), then won twelve-straight with an average margin of victory of 27 points. Sand Springs, meanwhile, was the sleeper with a 7-2 record prior to their first meeting with Bixby. Two of those wins were by a touchdown or less and their average win was by 17 points. Bixby was heavily favored throughout the season, but that didn't stop the Sandites from coming within a field goal in their last visit to Spartan Stadium. Sand Springs posed the closest threat to the Spartans all season in a 34-31 loss to end the regular season. Bixby got payback two weeks later, however, ravaging the injury-plagued Sandites 41-14 at Broken Arrow Memorial Stadium.

The Sandites were without starting quarterback Conner Sitton and leading wide-receiver Davey Thayer due to concussions sustained in a quarterfinal playoff game against Midwest City. University of Houston-bound kicker, Blake Boyles, had an injured leg from the last game with Bixby. The starting nose-tackle was out due to disciplinary issues, and a smattering of other players were either out all-together, or nursing mild injuries and well below 100%. Also, one of their leading defensive linemen, Jacob Taber, was filling in at quarterback. 

Last season the Spartans started with the number one ranking, despite a season-opening 58-24 loss to Jenks (11-1), then won three straight, including a 71-7 murder of East Central (0-8) before falling 50-33 to No. 4 Bartlesville (10-2). From there they had less than impressive wins against Ponca (3-6) and Sapulpa (2-7), then were blown out 52-7 by Booker T. Washington (10-1). They nearly even gave up a loss to Muskogee (3-7) before holding on to the 48-41 overtime win. Sand Springs had realistically earned a 7-2 record by the time of their meeting with the Spartans, but had to forfeit two wins due to an ineligible player, and a third game was cancelled at half time due to weather, despite the Sandites having a significant lead. While the Sandites were dominated 24-7 by Bartlesville, their only other loss was a close 17-14 to Booker T., who annihilated Bixby. 

When the two teams met in the regular season finale at Memorial Stadium, the Spartans were utterly dominated by the Sandite defense, and gave up their first shutout since 2008. Sand Springs managed only 255 yards of total offense against the Spartans' 268, but pulled off four fumble recoveries and 13 tackles for loss, totaling 74 yards, including five sacks for 51 yards in the 20-0 win.

Bixby went on to dominate Lawton 36-6 in the quarterfinals and Bartlesville 67-21 in the semis, while the Sandites defeated Stilwater 49-14 in the quarterfinals and Booker T. 30-23 in the semis. 

In the Sandites' first State Championship appearance since they won it in 1966, Bixby played the role of spoiler. The Spartans took a quick 16-0 lead before the Sandites came from behind with three-straight touchdowns to make it 21-16. The teams exchanged scores from there, but Bixby got the last two to win it 38-28. 

If the Sandites fall to Bixby, they'll need a miracle upset from Ponca City over Muskogee in order to remain in the top-two of the district. The current class of Sandites are 16-4 on their home turf and only 12-9 on the road. If the Sandites can clinch a home playoff game, it'll be a big step in the direction of a State Title. Sand Springs hasn't seen a State Title since 1966, and a 50th anniversary win would make it even more special.

The Spartans still have a possibility of a District Title if they win over Sand Springs and Ponca upsets Muskogee, but realistically they're in the same boat of looking for a home playoff game. Over the past four seasons, the Spartans are 15-5 at home and 14-7 on the road, but it's less important for them as they're 6-1 in the playoffs and defending back-to-back State Titles. 

Sandite Pride News has picked Sand Springs as the victor of this weekend's game by a narrow 32-30. Stay tuned for the pre-game analysis, exclusively from Sandite Pride.