Sapulpa tops Sand Springs 10-6 in Alumni Rivalry Game; Thayer scores lone touchdown

Terrance Dixon ran for 22 yards in the Sandites' Sunday night defeat in Sapulpa. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

For the past 87 years, Sapulpa and Sand Springs students have met in one of the most bitter football rivalries in Oklahoma. And for the past four years, alumni from the two schools have duked it out on the gridiron in a fundraiser for the students.

Sapulpa leads the high school series 45-41-5, and tied the alumni series 2-2 Sunday night. The two teams split the ticket sales, with the host team keeping concessions.

The first alumni game was held at George F. Collins Stadium in 2014 and was a resounding 20-7 Sapulpa victory, but for the past two seasons the Sandites have both hosted and won the game.

Total Offense: Sapulpa 31-169, Sand Springs 39-135.
Passing: Sapulpa 4-11-74-1, Sand Springs 5-16-64-2. 
Rushing: Sapulpa 20-95, Sand Springs 23-71.
Penalties: Sapulpa 6-40. Sand Springs 0-0. 
First Downs: Sand Springs 9, Sapulpa 6.

Passing: (Sapulpa) Romine 4-11-74-1. (Sand Springs) Riggs 3-5-50-0, Michael Brown 2-7-15-0, T. Millikin 0-3-0-1, Smallwood 0-1-0-1.

Receiving: (Sapulpa) Meacham 2-64, Rolland 1-9, Swift 1-1. (Sand Springs) N. Millikin 2-43, T. Dixon 2-15, Parker Taylor 1-7.

Rushing: (Sapulpa) Broom 13-79, Cashon 3-16, Romine 3-16, Swift 1-(-4). (Sand Springs) Thayer 8-39, T. Dixon 6-22, Mitchell Brown 3-10, C. Dixon 3-9, Michael Brown 1-4, T. Millikin 2-(-5) Riggs 2-(-21).

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Sand Springs won 35-0 in 2015 and 20-14 last year while Collins Stadium was undergoing renovation. In 2016, Cody Hilderbrant, Cody Hale, Znick Ferrell, and Davey Thayer got in on the scoring action for Sand Springs, while J.R. Romine and Jason Broom found the endzone for the Chieftains.

This year, the dynamic Sapulpa duo returned to wreak havoc on the small Sandite team. Romine completed only four passes, but totaled 74 yards. Meanwhile, the Sandites went through four QBs and failed to establish an offensive rhythm.

The first quarter went scoreless for both teams, but the Sandites hit paydirt early in the second with a 62-yard march, capped by a half-yard scoring run from the Class of 2015's Davey Thayer. A two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, however, and Sapulpa took the lead shortly before halftime after Michael Cashon scored on a six-yard run and Romine drilled the point-after.

The first half ended with a flair of excitement as Taylor Lewis and Cruz Desjarlais picked off back-to-back interceptions. Lewis snagged another later in the game. 

The third quarter was plagued by fumbled hikes on the part of the Sandites, and Sapulpa got the ball back on the second play of the half. On their first possession they marched 19 yards in five plays before Romine connected on a 35-yard field goal for the final score of the game.

Five possession changes later, and neither team had found the endzone again. The Sandites put together an impressive, but ultimately unsuccessful, last-ditch effort in the final three minutes - picking up three first downs before running out of time in Sapulpa territory.

Sapulpa Head Coach Robert Borgstadt previously spent five years as defensive coordinator in Sand Springs, while Wide-Receivers Coach Tim Beacham spent two years as Head Coach at Charles Page from 2001-2002. This marked Borgstadt's first victory against his old team, a feat he will aim to repeat for Sapulpa Homecoming on September 22nd.

Sapulpa:
Dalton Wilson (2016)
Braden Watkins (2015)
Mason Dossman (2014)
Chase Willis (2014)
Julian Rolland (2014)
J.T. Rains (2014)
Cory Mondier (2014)
Darien Inks (2013)
Devin Swift (2013)
Corbin Steeples (2013)
Noah Berryhill (2013)
Trevor Tolliver (2011)
Matt Pulley (2010)
Chache Ward (2009)
Steven Crawford (2008)
Aaron Petty (2007)
Michael Cashon (2006)
Josh Hardee (2005)
Randall Hardee (2004)
Caleb Meacham (2002)
J.R. Romine (1998)
Jason Broom (1998)
Chris Playford (1998)
Will Sinder
Taylor Lewis
Brian Hurt
Tyler Doane
Bradley Akin
Keagan Fox
Jeffrey Melchor

Sand Springs:
Cody Motes (2017)
Malachi Walton (2016)
Parker Taylor (2016)
Ty Fain (2016)
Cole Dixon (2016)
Cruz Desjarlais (2016)
Andrew Biggs (2016)
Davey Thayer (2015)
Marcus Crawford (2015)
Travis MIllikin (2014)
Junior Cole (2014)
Nick Millikin (2011)
Lane Freeman (2011)
Terrance Dixon (2010)
Richard Hopper (2010)
Ben Riggs (2007)
Mitchell Brown (2003)
Ryan Smallwood (1993)
Mike Edwards (1992)
Michael Brown
Andrew Brown
Logan Miller
Brian Bonton
Michael Mason
Blake Wheeler
Theshaud Hawkins

Longtime Sandite Coach/Athletic Director Cecil Hankins to be inducted into OBCA Hall of Fame

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Cecil Hankins, 1953 Sand Springs High School yearbook.

Former Sand Springs Coach and Athletic Director Cecil Hankins will be inducted into the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association (OBCA) Hall of Fame Saturday, June 3rd. Hankins was previously inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Association (OCA) Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Oklahoma State University Hall of Honor in 1996.

Hankins coached in Sand Springs for sixteen years, including basketball, football, track and field, baseball, and golf. He retired as Athletic Director in 1988 and passed away in 2002 at the age of 80. 

A Division I collegiate athlete, Hankins played for Oklahoma A&M University (now Oklahoma State University) in both football and basketball, under Jim Lookabaugh and Henry Iba respectively.

In football he played halfback and defensive back on the undefeated 1945 team that was recently declared the National Champions by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The AFCA has been working to declare national champions for the period between 1922 and 1949 before they began a rankings system.

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1945 Oklahoma A&M National Champion team. Hankins can be seen in the second row from the top, four positions to the right of Head Coach Jim Lookabaugh. 

In the 1945 Sugar Bowl, Hankins received the go-ahead touchdown pass from Bob Fennimore and the Aggies went on to prevail 33-13 over St. Mary's. 

Hankins didn't live long enough to see his football team recognized as National Champions, but the 1945 Basketball team also won a National Title and he contributed 13 points per game that season. The 1945 season was the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance and first National Championship as the Aggies defeated New York 49-45 in front of 18,000 fans at Madison Square Garden to finish the season with a 27-4 record. Hankins scored 15 points in the Championship game.

After his collegiate career, Hankins played 25 games with the Boston Celtics and averaged 2.8 points per game for 70 career points. 

At Sand Springs he coached football from 1952-1954 and amassed a 15-10-4 record with a 1952 District Championship and playoff appearance. He coached future three-time MLB World Series Champion Jerry Adair as quarterback, who went on to play basketball at OSU under Iba. He coached basketball from 1948 through 1957. Sandite Pride is missing the 1948-1949 season record, but his final eight years Hankins went 144-59-1 and led his team to four-straight Verdigris Valley Conference Championships.

Hankins will be inducted along with Jack Begley, Ron Murphey, Robert Sprague, and Bailey Van Zant. Begley coached at Texhoma High, Clinton High, and Panhandle State. He won two State Championships at Clinton. Murphey coached at Felt and Texhoma and won one State Championship at Texhoma. Sprague coached at Daniel Webster, Nathan Hale, and Tulsa Memorial. Van Zant coached at Pond Creek and Pryor, started the basketball program at Seminole Junior College, then coached fourteen years in Texas.

McKinney Animal Hospital donates All-State Player sign to CPHS Baseball Complex

Sand Springs has a rich tradition of producing some of the best baseball teams in the State, despite not having won a State Tournament yet. Between Sand Springs High School and Charles Page High School, the Sandites have produced twenty-one All-State players, all of which were honored in a special ceremony Tuesday evening at the Sandite Baseball Complex.

Jason and Dr. Kayla Shipman, owners of the McKinney Animal Hospital in Sand Springs, donated a brand new sign to the Sandites, recognizing all the All-State players to come from Sand Springs. Jason played for the Sandites and graduated in 1996. 

Eugene "Knute" Palmer, Class of 1950, was the first Sandite ever to be named to the All-State team. Palmer was the Commander Mills Outstanding Player as a senior. The football team Co-Captain achieved All-Conference honors for both football and basketball, and was an All-State Honorable Mention for football. The basketball team went 27-1-1 his senior year for the Verdigris Valley Conference Championship. 

Sgt. Bill Bigby, Class of 1951, was a tri-sport athlete for the Sandites, playing for the football team, and the Verdigris Valley Conference Champion basketball team. As a senior he was named the Most Versatile Athlete. Bigby attended the University of Oklahoma, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, then returned to graduate from the University of Tulsa. A dedicated member of the community, Bigby served as a City Councilman, little league baseball and basketball coach, and Mayor of Sand Springs. He was Chairman of the Freeholders of the City of Sand Springs which first chartered the City as a Council-Manager form of government in 1969. 

Charles Hughes, Class of 1952, was a dual-sport athlete, serving as Captain of the State Runner-Up football team and was a left-handed pitcher on the baseball team. The football team tied Ada 20-20 in the State Championship, but Ada was awarded the Title on red-zone penetrations. Overtime had not yet made its way into high school football. Hughes received a baseball scholarship to Anderson University in Indiana, then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals Farm Club before being drafted in the Army in 1955. In the Army, he continued his baseball career in Germany. After a shoulder injury put an end to his baseball career, Hughes enrolled in cosmetology school and went on to found the Scissors Family Hair Salon chain, which had ten locations at its peak. He also served on the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology.

Bill Miller, Class of 1952, was a member of the Sand Springs High School baseball team from 1949 to 1952.

Billy Wooten, Class of 1953, was a four-year starting catcher for the Sandites. In the 1953 State tournament in Tahlequah the Sandites ran out of pitchers and Wooten filled in. He struck out the first thirteen batters he faced. Wooten signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1953 and amassed a 3-1 record on the mound in the 1954 season with their Ardmore farm team. 

Richard Luce, Class of 1956, was a tri-sport athlete for the Sandites, competing in football and basketball as well as baseball. He was also the Senior Class president. During his senior season Luce batted .412 and once hit three home runs during a double-header. He played for Oklahoma Baptist University for four seasons and made the Shawnee Oklahoma All-Star team in 1959.

Dennis Stanford, Class of 1969, was a dual-sport athlete, also playing on the 1966 State Championship football team, for which he earned All-Conference and All-State honors in 1968. The center-fielder continued his baseball career at Crowder Junior College where he earned All-District honors, and the University of Tulsa where he earned All-Conference honors in 1972 and 1973. Stanford retired from the Union School District after twenty years. 

Tom Hudspeth, Class of 1972, played short stop for the Sandites from 1970 through 1972. He passed away in 2013. 

Mike Moore, Class of 1981, was the Tulsa Metro Player of the Year in 1981 and played in the Oklahoma-California series that year. He earned All-American honors at Conners State College and led the nation with 89 stolen bases. He also played for Southwestern Oklahoma State. Moore never hit below .400 in his high school or college career. After college, Moore played a year for the Cheena Reds in the Mexican League before pursuing a career in coaching. He has coached at NorthArk Community College, Weslaco (Texas), Crowder, and Sapulpa. He is currently the Head Coach at Jay High School. He has amassed a career coaching record of 479-209.

Randall King, Class of 1983, was the Tulsa Metro Player of the Year in 1983 and played on the Oklahoma-California Series. He continued his career at Northeastern State University, and is currently the Head Softball Coach at Broken Arrow High School. He has guided the Tigers to three Fast Pitch State Championships and one Slow Pitch State Championship as Head Coach, and was an assistant coach for five Fast Pitch State Championships. He celebrated his 400th career win as the Fast Pitch Head Coach in 2016 during his 13th season at the helm. He was named the All-World Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2014. He holds a 408-101 career fast pitch record.

Kurt Burgess, Class of 1987, compiled a 14-1 record on the mound his senior year with 123 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.06. He also batted .427 with 6 home runs and 39 RBI. He was named the Tulsa Metro Player of the Year in 1987 and played in the Oklahoma-California Series. He continued his career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and Oral Roberts University. He earned All-American honors at ORU in 1991 with a record of 15-1 and signed with the Atlanta Braves organization that year. He played six seasons with the Braves' farm teams, ending his career in 1996 with the Richmond Braves. In June of 1993 he was named Pitcher of the Month for the entire Atlanta Braves organization.

Doug Vineyard, Class of 1988, batted .438 his junior year and .444 his senior year, helping lead the Sandites to the State Semifinals both seasons. He was an American Legion All-Star both years and was All-Metro in 1988. He is currently the Vice President of Operations at Hargrove Manufacturing in Sand Springs.

Jay Fleischman, Class of 1988, made All-State in baseball, football, and wrestling, won the 1988 State Championship at 178 pounds, and pursued a collegiate football career at Oklahoma State University. He was named the 1980s Oklahoma High School Football All-Decade Team and lettered all four years at OSU. He started as a true freshman in the 1988 Holiday Bowl, playing alongside Barry Sanders and Mike Gundy. In 1989 he led the Cowboys with four interceptions, and recorded 73 tackles and 55 unassisted tackles in 1990. He currently serves as an assistant coach on both the CPHS wrestling and football teams.

Scott Watkins, Class of 1988, pitched a 13-3 record his senior year with 118 strikeouts and three no-hitters. He played collegiately for Oral Roberts University, Seminole State, and Oklahoma State University. While at OSU, he was named the Big 8 Newcomer of the Year, the Big 8 Pitcher of the Year, and Second Team All-American. In 1992 Watkins was drafted and signed in the 23rd round by the Minnesota Twins. In '95 he was named a AAA All-Star and the Pacific Coast League Rolaids Relief Award Winner. He made his major league debut with the Twins in August of that year. His career also included stents with the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers. While with the Rangers, Watkins played for the Tulsa Drillers and Oklahoma City Redhawks in 1998. He retired from professional baseball in 2002 and has been an assistant coach for the Sandites since 2004. 

Chabon Childers, Class of 1989, played outfield for the Sandites and led the Tulsa Metro with 59 RBI his junior season. As a senior he batted .550 for five home runs and 36 RBI. He was named the Tulsa Metro Player of the Year that season and was a member of the 1989 Oklahoma Sunbelt Team. He continued his career at Oklahoma State University and made the All-Big 8 Second Team in 1993. He is currently an assistant coach with the Broken Arrow High School team.

Ray Tarr, Class of 1996, was a three-time All-Metro and All-Conference selection and was a member of the 1995 and 1996 Oklahoma Sunbelt Teams. He batted over .400 his senior season with 46 RBI and 8 home runs, including a game-winning three-run homer against No. 1 Westmoore in the 1996 State Tournament. He continued his career at Independence Community College and St. Gregory's University, and was named an All-Conference catcher all four years. He is currently a firefighter and paramedic with the Tulsa Fire Department.

Jared Shipman, Class of 1997, was the Tulsa Metro Player of the Year as a senior and played in the 1996 Sooner State Games and 1997 Oklahoma Sunbelt team. He set a school record with 256 career strikeouts, including 110 in just 73 innings his senior year. He also threw a school record 18 strikeouts in a win over Jenks, who went on to win the State Championship. 18 strikeouts in seven innings still stands among the top-five performances of all-time at any classification of Oklahoma High School baseball. Shipman played collegiate ball at Conners State and Oral Roberts University. He holds a degree in construction management from OSU and is the son-in-law of Head Coach Bill Hutson

Jeff Blevins, Class of 1998, earned All-Conference and All-Metro honors his sophomore, junior, and senior years. As a senior he was the Oklahoma Player of the Year Runner-Up, batting .477 with 8 homers and 50 RBI. He attended Texarkana College in 1999 and 2000, earning All-Conference honors both seasons. During his sophomore year he hit .353 with 5 homers and 60 RBI, highlighted by a school-record 26-game hitting streak. He played for the University of Nebraska from 2001 to 2002, earning All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention at third base both seasons. The Huskers qualified for back-to-back College World Series appearances during his career there. As a senior he batted .307 with 7 homers and 50 RBI and held a .946 fielding average.

Matt Hillis, Class of 2009, set the CPHS record for stolen bases his senior year at 45. He also had 6 homers, including one in Drillers Stadium in a game against Memorial. He played collegiate ball for Cowley County Community College and finished with a .250 batting average, including 2 homers. As an outfielder he maintained a .929 fielding percentage.

Kylar Robertson, Class of 2012, made the New Balance All-American team his senior year, batting .440 with 6 home runs and 34 RBI. He played two seasons at Eastern Oklahoma State College where he earned All-Conference honors and was on the Dean & President's Honor Rolls. As a redshirt freshman he batted .269 with 37 runs, 45 RBI, and 12 homers. As a sophomore he batted .338 for 28 runs, 38 RBI, and 7 homes. He was .994 as a catcher. He currently plays for Southeastern Missouri State University. Last season he batted .238 for 12 runs, 12 RBI, and 2 homers as the Redhawks won the Ohio Valley Conference.

Alex Hackerott, Class of 2012, made the New Balance All-American team his senior year and was the 2012 Tulsa Metro Pitcher of the Year. He amassed a 28-7 career record in high school with 243 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.97. He held an 8-1 record his senior season with an 0.44 ERA and threw back-to-back no-hitters in the Bixby Tournament. He batted .428 with 88 RBI in his career and was .438 as a senior. As a junior he pitched a 10-1 record. He played four season with Oklahoma State University and finished with a 7-1 career record and 2.66 ERA. In 2014 he was an Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree. In 2015 he made the Academic All-Big 12 First Team. He will graduate this May with a degree in finance. 

One notable name missing from the All-State roster is arguable the best baseball player ever to come from Sand Springs, Jerry Adair. The Class of 1955 star lettered three times in football, basketball, and baseball. He was named to the All-State football team but at that time players could only make All-State in one sport. He turned down his football honors, hoping to make All-State in basketball, which he did. Because he played for the All-State basketball team, he was ineligible for All-State baseball. Adair was the starting quarterback for the Sandites, was named the All-State Most Outstanding Player for basketball, and signed with Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) for both basketball and baseball. He led his team in batting as a junior with a .438 average and was the first-ever player from OSU named to the All-Big 8 Team. He was also named to the All-American Second Team. Adair signed with the Baltimore Orioles in '58 and also played stents for the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Hankyu Braves in the Japan Pacific League. He retired from baseball in 1971 and passed away from liver cancer in 1987. The Jerry Adair Baseball Complex in Sand Springs is named in his honor.

CPHS Senior Sydney Pennington named to All-State Basketball team

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School has produced a smattering of All Star and All State honors this school year. A dozen Sandites have received All-Star recognition by their sport's official governing body, and five were named to the All-State teams. 

Oklahoma State University-signed senior Sydney Pennington has made her way into the history books as one of the most talented athletes in school history, having been named to All-State teams in two separate sports.

Pennington was named to the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association (OGBCA) Large East All State team and the OCA Large East All State Team. She was also named to the Oklahoma Fast Pitch Coaches Association Large East All State team.

Pennington averaged 10.77 points per game this season, but could easily have had far more had she not had to share the ball with such an all-around talented team. She averaged 15.66 as a freshman, 17.16 as a sophomore, and 12.61 as a junior. She scored a career-high 32 as a sophomore, and holds 1386 career points. And basketball isn't even her best sport. 

Pennington is signed to play softball for OSU and has been to three State Championship tournaments with the Lady Sandites. They were defeated in the quarterfinals her freshman and seniors years but made it to the finals her junior year and lost by a single run. This past year she finished with an astounding .543 batting average with 45 runs, 57 hits, 38 RBI, and 10 home runs. She also pitched nearly 40 innings and finished with a 1.41 ERA and undefeated 6-0 record with two no-hitters and one shutout. 

To add to her impressive careers in basketball and softball, she was also the quarterback for the Senior Powderpuff Football team that won the school championship the past two years. One could easily compare her to Major League Baseball player Jerry Adair who made All-State in baseball, football, and basketball when he played for Sand Springs. 

Kyle Keener was named to the Oklahoma Coaches Association (OCA) Large East 6A All Star team, averaging 16.5 points per game this season. Keener is signed to play for the University of Central Oklahoma next season. Keener and junior Colt Savage were both named to the Coffeyville Interstate Classic All-Tournament team this year.

Savage was named to the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association (OBCA) Region Seven All Star team. Savage averaged 22.48 points per game this year and scored a career-high 34. He was the second-highest scoring player in the entire Frontier Valley Conference and is only a junior.

Kierra McGee was named as an alternate on the OGBCA Large East All State team. She averaged 8.69 points per game this season and was the All-Tournament MVP at the Coffeyville Interstate Classic.

Delvin Jordan, Kasey Bales, and Lincoln Adams were named to the OCA East All Star team. Jordan also made the OCA All State East team. Jordan recorded 69 tackles this season, 15 for a loss of 91 yards, and 8 sacks for a loss of 64 yards. He also forced three fumbles and recovered one for a 32-yard touchdown return. Bales had 68 receptions for 946 yards and 11 touchdowns this season and averaged 42 yards per punt. Offensive linemen don't really have any stats to track, but Adams was one of the most proficient in the state and was a major player in opening up the prolific Sandite run game. Jordan is signed with Pittsburg State University and Adams is signed with Oklahoma Baptist University.

Daton Fix and Jack Karstetter were both named to the OCA Large East All State Wrestling team. Fix is a four-time undefeated State Champion with a 168-0 career record and is signed with Oklahoma State University. Karstetter won his first State Championship this season, was Runner-Up last year, and finished with a 105-16 record.

Cheyenne Walden and Alexis Davis were both named to the Oklahoma Track Coaches Association Cross Country Senior All-Star team. Walden is a four-time State Champion and four-time Gatorade Runner of the Year. She finished her career with personal records of 5:21 on the one-mile, 11:19.5 on the two-mile, and 17:32 in 5K. Davis is a four-time State Qualifier and finished 21st this year. She has PRs of 6:11 in the one-mile, 12:54 in the two-mile, and 19:53 for a 5K. Walden is signed with Oklahoma State University and Davis is signed with Southwestern Oklahoma State University. 

Jessica Collins was named to the All-State Large East Softball team and finished her senior year with a .316 batting average with 39 runs, 36 hits, and 22 RBI. 

Class of 2017 repeats as CPHS Powderpuff Champions

Oklahoma State University-signed senior Sydney Pennington scored touchdown passes against both the Sophomores and Juniors in Saturday night's powderpuff games. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The annual Charles Page High School Powderpuff Football games were held on a rainy Saturday night at Memorial Stadium as a fundraiser for Senior Celebration. For the second year in a row, it was the Class of 2017 with the victory.

The seniors (2-1) dubbed themselves the "Pink Ladies" and avenged a round-robin loss to the sophomore "Saucemores" (2-1) with a 6-0 win in their finals rematch.

The Saucemores were the dominant force through the round-robin play, play winning both of their games 6-0.

Jacie Taber connected with Kimi Presnell from 55 yards out on the opening possession of the Saucemores versus Pink Ladies game, but the conversion attempt fell incomplete.

The seniors were unable to convert a first down, and the sophomores nearly scored again after Taber and Presnell connected on yet another deep ball. The 52-yard pass parked them at the 10-yard line, but the Seniors held them to a pair of incompletions and a short run. They couldn't force a turnover, however, and time ran out.

In the Saucemore versus Junior game, the Juniors (0-2) got off to a great start as Jae Anthony-Wilson picked off a 15-yard interception return, then gave them a first-down with a 10-yard run. Jensen Arnold put a stop to the drive with a tackle for loss and stop on fourth down. 

Photo: Morgan Miller.

Both teams' next possessions also fell short and the game went into overtime. The Taber-Presnell combo hit pay dirt once again, but once again the conversion attempt fell incomplete.

Wilson appeared to tie things up on a carry, but the play was called back for holding. Two plays later, Daniela Solis picked off a pass to clench the game and send her team to the Championship game.

The Seniors came out hot in their game against the Juniors, scoring on the opening possession with an eight-play sixty-yard drive, capped by a 10-yard pass to Amari Grant. Anna Andrews caught the one-point conversion pass for the 7-0 advantage.

Kierra McGee picked off a pass on the Juniors' second play and the Seniors drained the clock and didn't give the ball back till there was only 15 seconds remaining. Hayley Taylor got off a short run for the juniors, but time expired and the Seniors punched their ticket to the finals.

In the Championship rematch between the Sophomores and Seniors, the Seniors scored on their first possession with a 21-yard pass from Pennington to McGee, but it was called back for holding.

The Sophomores got opening possession in the second half, but gave up an interception to Pennington. Pennington connected with Jessica Collins from four yards out for the go-ahead score, but the conversion attempt fell incomplete.

The Seniors played hard defense with a pass break up from Collins and a sack from Pennington to force a turnover, then assumed victory formation for the win.

Homecoming Queen Logan Bateman got a peck on the cheek from Kissing Captain Emily Spencer, but the real prize went to Kyler Copeland who surprised Spencer with balloons and a Promposal. 

The Class of 2017 won the Powderpuff Championship the past two years, but the event was cancelled their sophomore year.

The Seniors were coached by Hunter Greathouse, Treyce Tolbert, Josh Taber, Danny Ropp, Cody Motes, Delvin Jordan, Caleb Wash, Kasey Bales, and Dalton Morgan.

The Juniors were coached by Payton Scott, Kobe Chen, and Kris Edwards.

The Sophomores were coached by Caden Pennington, Luke Bratcher, JT Bristow, Cooper Mock, and Jake Wright. 

Seven Sand Springs seniors sign letters of intent to play college sports

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Seven Sand Springs High School students signed letters-of-intent Wednesday morning in the Ed Dubie Field House, bringing the grand total of college-bound athletes from the Class of 2017 to fourteen.

Sand Springs has two softball players, two cross-country runners, two baseball players, one basketball player, three football players, one volleyball player, and two soccer players all headed to the next level.

SEE RELATED: Lee Leslie signs LOI to play college volleyball at Oklahoma Wesleyan University
SEE RELATED: Hunter Greathouse signs LOI to play college baseball at Cowley County Community College
SEE RELATED: Megan Deshazo signs LOI to play college soccer at Northern Oklahoma College
SEE RELATED: Kendall Zicker signs LOI to play college soccer at Northeastern State University
SEE RELATED: Lincoln Adams and Dalton Morgan sign LOIs to play college football at Oklahoma Baptist University
SEE RELATED: Delvin Jordan signs LOI to play college football at Pittsburg State University
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Jessica Collins signs with Connors State College Softball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Jake Terry officially signs with University of Oklahoma baseball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Alexis Davis signs with SWOSU Cross Country
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Sydney Pennington signs with Oklahoma State University Softball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Kyle Keener signs with University of Central Oklahoma Basketball
SEE RELATED: CPHS Senior Cheyenne Walden signs with Oklahoma State University Cross Country
SEE RELATED: National Champion Daton Fix signs to No. 1 Oklahoma State University wrestling