Week Nine 6A-II rankings and predictions; a look at this weekend's games

No. 1 Booker T. Washington Hornets (Last Week No. 1) vs. No. 4 Bixby Spartans (3)* District 2

The Hornets (7-1, 4-0) reaffirmed their number one rank with a 40-0 shut out of Sand Springs (4-4, 2-2). They outperformed 450 yards to 155, with a 20-34-196-0 passing performance from Phillip Wheatley and a 24-164 ground game from Thomas Grayson. Dewanye Cooks Jr. recorded a 98-yard kickoff return to set the tone for the night. Defensively they recorded six tackles for loss, five sacks, and two fumble recoveries.

The three-time defending State Champions (5-3, 4-0) came out on top of a surprisingly close 37-21 battle in Bartlesville (1-6, 1-3). The Spartans had their lowest-scoring win since the season-opener against Jenks (4-4) despite recording a safety and two interceptions. 

The pick: BTW 39 Bixby 33.

No. 2 Midwest City Bombers (2) vs. No. 11 Enid Plainsmen (11)* District 1

The District One favorites continued their dominating and undefeated district streak with a 32-14 win at Putnam City (6-2, 3-2). Midwest City (7-1, 5-0) was up 26-0 at halftime and 32-0 in the fourth quarter before allowing the Pirates to score. Preston Colbert was 15-18-329-0 passing and the Bombers added another 167 yards on the ground.

Enid (3-5, 1-4) fell in a 20-0 deficit against Stillwater (7-1, 4-1) before getting on the scoreboard and finishing 53-34. Mason Skrimager passed for 247 yards and ran for 69 yards with a combined four touchdowns. 

The pick: MWC 53 Enid 16.

No. 3 Lawton Wolverines (4) vs. No. 12 Putnam City West Patriots (12)* District 1

Lawton (6-2, 4-1) put a 41-17 hammering on Choctaw (4-4, 1-4) and shouldn't have too much difficulty closing out the season for a second place finish in the district. Next up they'll take on Putnam City West (1-7, 0-5) who fell 34-7 to Deer Creek (4-4, 2-3) on Thursday. 

The pick: Lawton 50 PCW 18.

No. 5 Stillwater Pioneers (5) vs. No. 7 Putnam City Pirates (8)* District 1

Stillwater (7-1, 4-1) is still shooting for a district title after their 53-34 win in Enid (3-5, 1-4). If they can win out their next two games they can force a three-way tie for the title and the spot will be awarded on point differential. First they have to get past Putnam City (6-2, 3-2) who is coming off a 32-14 defeat against Midwest City. 

Gunnar Gundy was 7-12-89 passing while the Pioneer running backs did most of the work, racking up 422 yards in their win. Putnam City was held to 89 yards on 28 carries in their loss, and A.J. Newsome passed 18-40-191-2.

The pick: SHS 39 PHS 26.

No. 6 Muskogee Roughers (6)* vs. No. 15 Sapulpa Chieftains (15)* District 2

Muskogee (3-4, 2-2) took a bye week to recover after their close 40-34 shootout win with Sand Springs (4-4, 2-2) and will next have to get past Sapulpa (1-7, 1-4). In their game with the Sandites the Roughers gave up four fumbles and an interception but still managed to come out on top thanks to an 18-25-381-1 passing performance by Jacob Medrano. They were held to 91 yards on 28 carries. 

After falling 9-2 to previously winless Bartlesville (1-6, 1-3), the Sapulpa Chieftains rebounded with a vengeance in a 42-14 battle with Ponca City (1-7, 1-4). Eli Williams ran eleven times for 126 yards while three running backs combined for 149 yards. 

The pick: MHS 49 SHS 12.

No. 8 Sand Springs Sandites (7) vs. No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13)* District 2

Sand Springs (4-4, 2-2) lost their first shutout since 2011, 40-0 at Booker T. Washington (7-1, 4-0). Caden Pennington was 6-10-53-0 and Payton Scott was held to 96 yards on 20 carries. 

Bartlesville (1-6, 1-3) lost a surprisingly close 37-21 bout with Bixby (5-3, 4-0) despite giving up two interceptions and a safety. Noah Sunday was 22-45-236-2, and teams that pass that well have done fairly against Sand Springs well this season. 

The pick: CPHS 35 BHS 26.

No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (9) vs. No. 10 Deer Creek Antlers (10)* District 1

Choctaw (4-4, 1-4) kept up with Lawton (6-2, 4-1) for most of the game, leading 17-14 in the third quarter before the Wolverines pulled ahead for a 41-17 win. Deer Creek (4-4, 2-3) hammered Putnam City West (1-7, 0-5) 34-7, jumping out to a 34-0 lead before letting their foes on the board. 

The pick: CHS 35 DC 28.

No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (14) vs. Norman Tigers

Ponca City (1-7, 1-4) will play an unusual late season non-district game at 6A-I Norman (0-8) where they'll hope to snap back from a 42-14 upset in Sapulpa (1-7, 1-4). Double-threat Ponca QB Justin Andrews was 15-31-195-0 passing and 23-146 rushing.

Norman is coming off a 59-7 loss to Broken Arrow (4-4) where they were held to 100 rushing yards on 25 carries and a 3-14-25-3 passing performance. 

The pick: PoHi 24 NHS 21.

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
Overall: 53-17 (.757)
Last Week: 6-1 (.857)
Last Year: 48-21 (.695)

Virgil Noah
Staff Writer
Overall: 42-15* (.737)
Last Week: 6-1 (.857)
Last Year: 43-26 (.623)

*Virgil missed the first week of picks.

CPHS Football Preview: Bartlesville at Sand Springs

Braden Millican hauls in a radical catch in a 40-0 loss to Booker T. Washington. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

It's make or break for the Sandite post-season dream in the coming weeks. The No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School football team (4-4, 2-2) needs one more win to make the playoffs, and they'll have a tough (though not impossible) regular-season finale when they host No. 4 Bixby (5-3, 4-0) two Fridays from now. Their best hope is to take down No. 13 Bartlesville (1-6, 1-3) this week, though even the one-win Bruins have been highly competitive in recent weeks. 

Eleventh-year Head Coach Dustin Kinard has amassed a 59-58 record with the Sandites and is 5-5 against the Bruins. This year the Sandites started with a pair of non-district losses, then won four-straight before dropping their last two games. They came up short in a 40-34 shootout with No. 6 Muskoge (3-4 2-2) and received their first shutout since 2011 at the hands of No. 1 Booker T. Washington (7-1, 4-0), 40-0. 

Interim Head Coach Kyle Ppool took over the Bruin program after John McKee was suspended for unknown reasons earlier this season. Ppool was an assistant coach at Bartlesville from 2003-2005 and was defensive coordinator from 2013-2016. He was not currently on staff at the time of McKee's resignation in week three and is 1-4 since taking over the program. The Bruins have gone 4-5 against the Sandites during his stents as an assistant.

The Bruins started the season with a 30-25 field victory against 5A McAlester (1-7) but later forfeited due to an ineligible player. They fell 56-14 to 6A-I Owasso (7-1), 48-29 to 4A Cascia Hall (5-3), 71-6 to Muskogee, and 14-12 to No. 14 Ponca City (1-7, 1-4) before topping No. 15 Sapulpa (1-7, 1-4) 9-2. Last week they put up a surprisingly close effort against Bixby, falling 37-21.

The Sand Springs-Bartlesville rivalry is a difficult one to assign numbers to. The current Bartlesville High School was called College High School from 1939 till 1982, due to housing a junior college in its early years. College High unified with the town's other school, Sooner High, in 1982.

Bartlesville leads the series 38-23 overall. The Sandites lead 9-8 over the last 17 contiguous meetings, Bartlesville leads the series 19-14 since the merger of their two high schools. Sand Springs High School and the long-gone Bartlesville Central High School split their series 3-3. College High led their series 10-4, and Sooner High led their series 6-2.

Bartlesville Avg. Box Score

Points: 17
First Downs: 11
Rushing: 33-93
Passing: 15-32-175-2
Plays-Yards: 65-268
Penalties: 6-54

Allowed: 36
First Downs: 14
Rushing: 38-194
Passing: 10-18-156-1
Plays-Yards: 56-350
Penalties: 7-70
 

Sand Springs Avg. Box Score

Points: 25
First Downs: 13
Rushing: 43-249
Passing: 6-12-75-1
Plays-Yards: 54-324
Penalties: 3-28

Allowed: 27
First Downs: 16
Rushing: 37-202
Passing: 14-23-178-1
Plays-Yards: 60-380
Penalties: 7-53

Sand Springs vs. Bartlesville History

2016: Sand Springs 47-28 (A)
2015: Bartlesville 24-7 (A)
2014: Sand Springs 28-27 (Homecoming)
2013: Bartlesville 40-27 (A)
2012: Sand Springs 27-25 (H)
2011: Sand Springs 34-0 (Homecoming)
2010: Bartlesville 48-16 (A)
2009: Bartlesville 45-14 (H)
2008: Sand Springs 52-24 (A)
2007: Bartlesville 27-26 (H)
2006: Bartlesville 24-14 (A)
2005: Sand Springs 22-3 (A)
2004: Sand Springs 28-18 (H)
2003: Bartlesville 35- (A)
2002: Bartlesville 34-7 (H)
2001: Sand Springs 13-8 (H)
2000: Sand Springs 21-0 (A)

1997: Sand Springs 31-0
1996: Bartlesville 20-16
1995: Sand Springs 28-12
1994: Sand Springs 27-7
1993: Sand Springs 28-6
1992: Bartlesville 40-33
1991: Bartlesville (21-0 according to Sandite Yearbook, 28-0 according to Tulsa World)
1990: Bartlesville 7-0
1989: Bartlesville 23-20 OT
1988: Bartlesville 27-7
1987: Bartlesville 28-27 OT (Shared District Title)
1986: Bartlesville 20-6
1985: Sand Springs 35-15
1984: Bartlesville 17-6
1983: Bartlesville 24-21
1982: Bartlesville 14-0

1979: Sand Springs 8-0 (College)
1978: College High 20-15
1977: Sand Springs 21-0 (Sooner)
1976: Sooner High 6-0
1975: College High 21-0
1975: Sooner High 28-6
1974: College High 14-7
1974: Sooner High 28-9
1973: Sand Springs 14-7 (College)
1973: Sand Springs 34-22 (Sooner)
1972: College High 43-15
1972: Sooner High 41-7
1971: Sooner High 21-6
1970: Sooner High 29-0

1960: College High 48-14
1959: College High 16-6
1958: College High 30-0
1957: College High 19-0
1956: Sand Springs 6-0 (College)
1955: College High 19-0
1954: College High 28-6
1953: Sand Springs 13-7 (College)

1930: Central High 20-6
1929: Sand Springs 12-0 (Central)

1922: Central High 6-0
1921: Sand Springs 22-6 (Central)
1920: Central High 43-7
1919: Sand Springs 19-7

CPHS Football: Sandites suffer 40-0 shutout at No. 1 Booker T. Washington

When the No. 7 ranked Sand Springs Sandites (4-4 overall, 2-2 district) traveled to No. 1 Booker T. Washington (7-1, 4-0), they knew they were in for a tough night. Tough was an understatement as the Hornets dealt the visitors their biggest loss since 2013 and their first shutout since 2011. The Hornets took a 14-7 series lead in the 21st meeting between the two teams. 

BTW 40 CPHS 0

1Q BTW 9-0
2Q BTW 17-0
3Q BTW 7-0
4Q BTW 7-0

Passing: BTW 20-34-196-0, CPHS 6-11-53-0.
Rushing: BTW 38-254, CPHS 34-102.
Plays-Offense: BTW 72-450, CPHS 45-155.
First Downs: BTW 18, CPHS 8.
Penalties: CPHS 2-16, BTW 6-65.
Fumbles/Lost: BTW 0/0, CPHS 3/2. 

Click here to view our complete photo gallery.

It was a harsh night right out the gate as Dewanye Cooks Jr. returned Kaiden Cox’s opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. The two point-play fell apart, but the Hornets wouldn’t be sweating that any time soon. An onside kick recovered at the 46-yard line set up Washington for an eleven-play drive capped by a 35-yard field goal from Joshua McSoud less than halfway through the first quarter.

The Sandites’ first drive was turned over on downs at their own 44, and they forced a turnover from the Hornets six plays later at their 26 thanks to a quick tackle from Miron Krotzer. They failed to convert once again, however, and kicked their first of four punts in a half that didn’t yield a single first down.

The Hornets went on to rack up a 26-0 lead thanks to a 51-yard carry from Thomas Grayson, a fourth-down eight-yard pass from Philip Wheatley to Mahcel Johnson, and a 21-yard field goal from McSoud.

After some halftime adjustments the Sandites converted on their opening possession thanks to a nine-yard pass from Caden Pennington to Garrett McCallie and a three yard run from Payton Scott. Two plays later and the Sandites fumbled the ball away at their own 43. Washington took only four plays to find the endzone on a 28-yard run from Grayson who stumbled into the endzone after breaking three tackles. 

The next Sandite drive was practically identical. Pennington hit Garrett Goins this time for 17 yards and a first down, then Scott picked up his longest run of the night on the next play for 27 yards. Two plays later Pennington fumbled the ball away at the Hornet 21. 

The teams exchanged punts and the Sandites forced a turnover on downs before working up their most successful drive of the night. Pennington and Scott took turns converting and marched as far as the Hornet 33. On a crucial fourth and three the play fell apart and Pennington was sacked for the turnover. 

The home team put together one more scoring drive, connecting on a fourteen-yard pass to Javian Hester for the final points of the game. Trailing 40-0 with six minutes to play, the Sandites sent in the backups for some valuable varsity experience. Sophomore quarterback Braden Foster took five snaps and made one pass attempt, while sophomore running back Seth Jones carried four times for fifteen yards. 

The Sandites were held to their lowest offensive output of the season with only 155 total yards. Scott carried twenty times for 96 yards, marking his first time since the season opener that he failed to break triple digits. Pennington finished the evening 6-10-53-0. He was perfect on short screen passes, but the Hornet defense was always ready with a quick tackle for little gain. On the deep ball he usually three to five yards past his receivers. 

Wheatley finished the night 20-34-196-0 with two touchdowns while Grayson led the ground game with 24 carries for 164 yards and two more touchdowns. Defensively, Hayden Cramer was public enemy number one for the Hornets. The junior Sandite racked up ten tackles against the home team and recorded one pass breakup.

The last time Sand Springs failed to put points on the board was in a 3-0 loss to Coweta in week two of what would become a 3-7 season. That was also the last year they would fail to compile a winning record, and the last time they would fail to make a playoff appearance. The Sandites have had their fair share of good teams in years past, but the last five seasons have been their longest continuous success streak in program history.

The current team has never known anything but success, and the upperclassmen have even been as far as the State Finals in 2015. Thursday's devastating loss isn't likely indicative of any change in the Sandites' success. The Hornets had already scored a pair of 63-0 shutouts in prior weeks, and the Sandites still have a two more games left to try and snap back before the playoffs. They'll only need to win one game to make the playoffs for the sixth-straight year. 

The Sandites will finish out the year with a pair of home games. Next up will be No. 13 Bartlesville (1-6, 1-3) who made a surprising effort in a 37-21 loss to No. 3 Bixby (5-3, 4-0) on Thursday. 

Sand Springs Individual Statistics

Passing: Pennington 6-10-53-0. Foster 0-1-0-0.
Receiving: McCallie 3-26. Goins 1-17. Millican 1-10. Scott 1-0.
Rushing: Scott 20-96. Jones 4-16. Nortey 1-1. Pennington 9-(-10).
Punt-Avg: Pennington 1-48. Smith 5-25.
Kick-Avg: Cox 1-58.
Kick Return: Bratcher 1-17. McCallie 2-5. Millican 1-2. 
Tackles: Cramer 10. Haley 5. Bratcher 4. Fleischman 4. Finch 3. Lyons 3. Fain 3. Krotzer 3. Denton 3. Cartwright 2. Mock 2. Smith 2. Adcock 1. Askew 1. Moyer 1. Rutledge 1. Courville 1. Wright 1. Brown 1.
Break-Ups: Cramer 1. Bratcher 1. Mackey 1. Edwards 1. 

Booker T. Washington Individual Statistics

Passing: Wheatley 20-34-196-0, 2TD.
Receiving: Hester 7-62, 1TD. McQuarters 4-29. Cooks 2-27. Potter 3-25. Johnson 2-25, 1TD. Brown 1-17. Grayson 1-11.
Rushing: Grayson 24-167, 2TD. McQuarters 4-39. Welch 6-31. Wheatley 4-20.
PAT: McSoud 4/4.
Field Goals: McSoud 2/2.
Punt Return: McQuarters 1-19.
Kick Return: Cooks 1-98, 1TD.
Fumble Recovery: Jackson 1. Brown 1. 

CPHS Football Preview: No. 1 Booker T. Washington hosts No. 7 Sand Springs

In what may prove to be their toughest match of the season, the No. 7 ranked Sand Springs Sandites (4-3 overall, 2-1 district) will travel to No. 1 Booker T. Washington (6-1, 3-0) for a Fall Break battle this Thursday. 

The Sandites are coming off a 40-34 shootout loss to No. 6 Muskogee (3-4, 2-2) that ended a four-straight win streak over lower-ranked teams. The Hornets are coming off a bye week after hammering Muskogee 42-21 for their fourth-straight win. Their only loss this season was 30-21 to Louisiana 5A No. 1 West Monroe (7-0). They scored 63 points in all three of their wins before Muskogee, including shutouts against 5A Shawnee (4-3) and No. 15 Sapulpa (0-7, 0-4).

Sand Springs and Booker T. first met in 1986. L.D. Baines's Sandites fell 42-21, but their three touchdowns was the most anyone scored against the Hornets all season. They met contiguously through 1997 and the Hornets led the series 8-4. Washington scored the lone shutout of the series in 1989, 35-0. 

The two teams have been rather back-and-forth in recent years. They met from 2006-2007 after a nine-year hiatus and the Hornets won both games. From 2008-2011 Sand Springs was 6A and Washington was 5A so they didn't play each other during that span. The Hornets moved up to the top class in 2012 and the Sandites won two-straight encounters.

From 2014 onward, the two teams have competed in the newly-created Class 6A-II. The Hornets repaid the two-straight losses with a pair of close wins, but the teams split 2015 as the Sandites won a 30-23 playoff battle to advance to the State Finals. Last year the Hornets came out on top of a close 17-12 match on the Sandites' turf, so now the Sandites will be out for payback. 

Washington is in their second year under College Football Hall of Fame member Brad Calip. Calip took the Hornets to a 6-5 season last year, falling 21-20 to Lawton, who went on to lose a close 39-31 Championship bout with Bixby. Calip has one other Head Coaching stent under his belt, taking Bishop Kelley to an 8-4 record in 5A in 2004 before moving on to assistant positions at various high schools and colleges. His all-time head coaching record is 20-10.

Sand Springs is led by Dustin Kinard in his eleventh year as the second-longest tenured coach in town history. He holds a career record of 59-57. He led the Sandites to their first winning season in over a decade in 2008 and is 26-17 since the 6A split. The Sandites are currently in their longest playoff run in school history, qualifying five-straight years with a high probability of doing so again this season. 

Washington Avg. Box Score

Points: 45
First Downs: 17
Rushing: 33-189
Passing: 12-20-210
Plays-Yards: 53-399
Penalties: 11-82

Allowed: 17
First Downs: 10
Rushing: 28-104
Passing: 13-26-131-1
Plays-Yards: 54-235
Penalties: 6-57

Sand Springs Avg. Box Score

Points: 29
First Downs: 14
Rushing: 44-270
Passing: 5-12-78-1
Plays-Yards: 56-348
Penalties: 4-30

Allowed: 25
First Downs: 16
Rushing: 36-194
Passing: 14-22-176-1
Plays-Yards: 58-370
Penalties: 7-51. 

Sand Springs vs. Booker T. Washington History

2016: Booker T. Washington 17-12 (H)
2015: Sand Springs 30-23 (Playoff Semifinals)
2015: Booker T. Washington 17-14 (A)
2014: Booker T. Washington 42-35 (H)
2013: Sand Springs 42-38 (H)
2012: Sand Springs 21-7 (A)

2007: Booker T. Washington 23-7 (H)
2006: Booker T. Washington 62-28 (A)

1997: Sand Springs 23-15
1996: Booker T. Washington 34-7
1995: Sand Springs 14-10
1994: Booker T. Washington 28-7
1993: Booker T. Washington 21-14
1992: Booker T. Washington 48-7
1991: Sand Springs 15-14
1990: Booker T. Washington 31-17
1989: Booker T. Washington 35-0
1988: Booker T. Washington 28-14
1987: Sand Springs 15-12
1986: Booker T. Washington 42-21

Week Eight 6A-II rankings and predictions; a look at this weekend's games

No. 1 Booker T. Washington Hornets (Last Week No. 1) vs. No. 7 Sand Springs Sandites (7)* District 2

The Hornets (6-1, 3-0) are coming off a bye week after a dominant 42-21 win against Muskogee (3-4, 2-2). Thomas Grayson rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns while Philip Wheatley was 10-19-226 passing. They picked off two passes and held the Roughers to 295 yards, forcing seven punts. Still battling the refs, they ended the night with 9 penalties for 98 yards. 

Sand Springs (4-3, 2-1) saw their four-straight streak come to a close in a back-and-forth 40-34 Homecoming loss to Muskogee. The Sandites jumped out to a 13-0 lead, the Roughers scored thirty-straight, then the Sandites scored 21 more to reclaim the lead. A 96-yard kick return and field goal gave Muskogee the final points of the game and the Sandites ran out of time in the Rougher red zone. 

The Sandites forced two fumbles, recovered four, posted six tackles-for-loss, and picked off one interception. Payton Scott was 34-199 rushing with two touchdowns while Caden Pennington had his breakout night passing 9-21-151-0 with three touchdowns.

The pick: BTW 42 CPHS 24.

No. 2 Midwest City Bombers (2) vs. No. 8 Putnam City Pirates (8)* District 1

Midwest City (6-1, 4-0) remains undefeated in District 1 after a 61-25 win over Putnam City West (1-6, 0-4). The Bombers have dominated most of their foes this season, winning by an average score of 40-18. 

Putnam City (6-1, 3-1) won their second straight, doubling down on Deer Creek (3-4, 1-3) 48-24. The Pirates held only a 28-21 lead at halftime, but won the second half 20-3 behind A.J. Newsome's powerful passing abilities. The quarterback was 19-28-435-0 with six touchdowns but their run game was held to 69 yards on 25 carries. They gave up one fumble, offset by an interception. 

The pick: MWC 42 Putnam 23.

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

The three-time defending State Champions (4-3, 3-0) remained undefeated in districts with their biggest win of the season, 68-7 over Ponca City (1-6, 1-3). Tucker Pawley returned to the trenches for eight carries and 65 yards after missing three weeks with a knee injury. 

Bartlesville (1-5, 1-2) picked up their first win of the season, 9-2 against Sapulpa (0-7, 0-4). Noah Sunday was 12-23-81-0 passing while Deandre Young led the ground assault with fourteen carries for 111 yards and the lone touchdown. 

The pick: Bixby 65 Bartlesville 10.

No. 4 Lawton Wolverines (4) vs. No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (9)* District 1

Lawton (5-2, 3-1) has rattled off three straight victories since their loss to Midwest City, most recently 54-28 at Enid (3-4, 1-3). They were held to a close 20-14 lead going into halftime before rapidly outpacing their hosts in the second half. Miles Davis ran 17-184 with three touchdowns.

Choctaw (4-5, 1-3) played a close game against Stillwater (6-1, 3-1), trailing only 28-24 in the fourth quarter before the Pioneers added one last touchdown for a final score of 35-24. 

The pick: Lawton 35 Choctaw 24.

No. 5 Stillwater Pioneers (5) vs. No. 11 Enid Plainsmen (11)* District 1

Stillwater (6-1, 3-1) fended off Choctaw 35-24 last week behind an ample run game. Tyler Disidore ran eleven times for 32 yards and three touchdowns while Qwontrell Walker amassed 193 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. 

Enid (3-4, 1-3) kept up with Lawton till halftime but was ultimately swept away 54-28. Telin Phillips and Khalid Lee combined for 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns while Mason Skrimager passed 19-36-182-2 with two touchdowns.

The pick: Stillwater 38 Enid 23.

No. 6 Muskogee Roughers (6)* District 2

Muskogee (3-4, 2-2) won a key 40-34 district shootout in Sand Springs (4-3, 2-1) and shouldn't have any further obstacles in reaching the playoffs. The Roughers gave up four fumbles, an interception, and a pair of turnovers on downs and still managed to trump the Sandites. Jacob Medrano was 18-24-381-1 with all four Rougher touchdowns. They will have a week off to adjust and work out their miscues before taking on Sapulpa (0-7, 0-4). 

No. 10 Deer Creek Antlers (10) vs. No. 12 Putnam City West Patriots (12)* District 1

Deer Creek (3-4, 1-3) had a rough night last week, falling 48-24 to Putnam City (6-1, 3-1). They kept to the ground most of the night, running 44 times for 221 yards, and passed 14-27-131-1. They won the turnover battle 2-1 and gave up only 35 yards in penalties but couldn't handle the lethal Wolverine offense.

Putnam West (1-6, 0-4) took a heavy 61-25 hit against Midwest City (6-1, 4-0) for their sixth-straight loss. The won their season opener 16-15 against 5A Duncan (3-4) and nearly defeated Enid in week four before blowing a 42-point lead. 

The pick: DC 27 PCW 23.

No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (14)* vs. No. 15 Sapulpa (15)* District 2

Ponca City (1-6, 1-3) suffered their worst loss of the season, 68-7 at Bixby (4-3, 3-0) and will hope to get back in action with winless Sapulpa (0-7, 0-4). Justin Andrews was 13-32-174-0 passing and the Wildcats were held to 39 yards on 28 carries. 

Sapulpa took on previously winless Bartlesville (1-5, 1-2) and were defeated 9-2. Their lone points came on a safety after a bad snap sent an intended punt into the Bruin end zone. 

The pick: Ponca 18 Sapulpa 13. 

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
Overall: 47-16 (.746)
Last Week: 6-1 (.857)
Last Year: 48-21 (.695)

Virgil Noah
Staff Writer
Overall: 37-14* (.725)
Last Week: 7-0 (1.00)
Last Year: 43-26 (.623)

*Virgil missed the first week of picks.

CPHS Football: Sandite Homecoming spoiled by No. 6 Muskogee 40-34

Members of the Sand Springs Homecoming Court before the game. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

MHS 40 CPHS 34

1Q Tied 13-13
2Q MHS 3-0
3Q MHS 14-7
4Q CPHS 14-10

Passing: MHS 18-25-381-1, CPHS 9-21-151-0.
Rushing: CPHS 50-222, MHS 28-91.
Plays-Offense: MHS 53-472, CPHS 71-373.
First Downs: CPHS 16, MHS 10.
Penalties: MHS 10-75, CPHS 1-10.
Fumbles/Lost: MHS 5/4, CPHS 1/1.

Click here to view full photo gallery by Morgan Miller.

The No. 7 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (4-3 overall, 2-1 district) saw their four-straight win streak come to an end as the No. 6 Muskogee Roughers (3-4, 2-2) spoiled the Sandite Homecoming 40-34 in a wild turnover-plagued shootout. 

Sand Springs started out by doing what they do best: feeding the ball to Payton Scott. The 5'5" junior running back showed off the strength and resilience that made him a wrestling State Champion, carrying 8 times for 80 yards on the opening drive and scoring from 12 yards out. A fumbled hike prevented the point-after attempt but the Sandites had drawn first blood at 6-0. 

Hyatt Cartwright forced a fumble for Hayden Cramer to recover on the first Muskogee pass of the night. Two plays later junior quarterback Caden Pennington sent a 21-yard touchdown pass to Luke Bratcher. This time Jaden Weiser got to kick the ball and give his team a 13-0 lead.

The Roughers finally showed off their potent offense as Jacob Medrano hit Diante Crutchfield for a 79 yard touchdown reception. Manuel Espinosa's point-after kick was a miss, and the Sandites held the 13-6 lead.

After a quick three-and-out the Roughers got the ball back and marched 64 yards in five plays, scoring on a 41-yard touchdown pass to Crutchfield. This time Espinosa got the job done and tied the game with 2:10 in the first.

Sand Springs fumbled the ball away on their next possession, then Braden Askew recovered another Rougher fumble shortly before the end of the first. Another three-and-out for the Sandites, another fumble for the Roughers, and yet another three-and-out for the Sandites. Sand Springs would ultimately end up with seven turnovers and would only score on three of them. 

Both teams traded turnovers on downs late in the second quarter and Muskogee finally got back on the scoreboard with a twenty-yard field goal from Espinosa for a 16-13 halftime lead.

The Roughers got the ball to start the second half and wasted no time in scoring on a 25-yard pass to D.J. Mayes. A three-and-out from Sand Springs and Muskogee scored two plays later with another Mayes reception, this time from 34 yards out. 

Down 30-13, Sand Springs kicked it in overdrive and marched 80 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a sixteen-yard pass to Daren Hawkins.

The defense came in clutch with a forced fumble from Tre Finch and a recovery by Kris Edwards. The Sandites marched all the way to the thirteen-yard line before turning the ball over on downs. Three plays later and Askew picked off a pass at the 38 and set up Garrett McCallie for a 35-yard touchdown reception. Weiser's PAT cut it to a one-score game at 30-27 with 11:07 to play.

Muskogee's next drive took them from their 20 to the Sandites' 14 before an offensive holding penalty and an incomplete pass gave them a turnover on downs at the 29-yard line. Sand Springs returned to their vaunted run game and fed Scott the ball seven times for 71 yards and a nine-yard touchdown run to reclaim the lead at 34-30.

The lead would only last 14 seconds, however. Kaiden Cox drilled the kick to the four-yard line where Crutchfield received it and took it all the way back to the house.

This time the Sandites went back to the passing game and saw three-straight incompletions turn over the ball at their own 28. The defense played well and prevented a touchdown, but they couldn't stop a 28-yard field goal from Espinosa to make it 40-34. 

With only a minute to play, the Sandites traveled 56 yards before the clock ran out. The final play was a twelve-yard screen to Scott who dragged three defenders several yards before finally being dragged down at the thirteen as time ran out. 

After starting the season 15-44-195-3 over the first three games, Pennington hadn't gotten to throw many passes over the past three weeks. When he did pass he was golden, throwing 13-16-155-0, but the Sandites mostly relied on Scott's seven yards per carry to get them through.

After Scott's impressive opening drive, the Roughers figured out how to shut down the Sandite run game and forced the inexperienced Sandites to learn on their feet. Not only are the Sandites utilizing a first-year quarterback, but an entirely first-year receiving team as well. Pennington finished the night 9-21-151-0 with three breakups and three dropped passes. By his own talents he was usually spot on and could have easily been 15 of 21. 

Scott was still the bread-and-butter of the evening, carrying 34 times for 199 yards, but most of those came in the first and fourth quarters. He was 12-25 for a two-quarter stent in the middle of the game, which is when Pennington did most of his damage.

Defensively, the Sandites were likely unprepared for the Roughers' passing game, simply due to not playing many passing teams this season. In the season opener they fell 59-21 to Pulaski Academy, who found 75% of their yards by air. In week two they fell 21-20 to Choctaw, who found 72% of their yards in the air.

Since then their past four opponents have passed about as much as the Sandites, giving them little real-life experience to prepare for Medrano's lethal skills. Every time they double or triple manned a receiver, Medrano would find a way to miraculously thread the needle. The defense smothered Muskogee on the ground, however, giving up only 91 yards in 28 plays.

Medrano finished the evening 18-24-381-1, putting him well over 2,000 yards for the season. He is also playing with an entirely first-year offensive line, and his numbers last season were even more staggering. 

The Sandites drop to third in the district with the loss, still ahead of Muskogee who has losses to No. 3 Bixby (4-3, 3-0) and No. 1 Booker T. Washington (6-1, 3-0). The Roughers will likely have an easy time next week when they host No. 15 Sapulpa (0-7, 0-4). Sand Springs will have a far tougher opponent next Thursday when they travel to the top-ranked Hornets at S.E. Williams Stadium.

The Sandites will likely need only one more win to make the playoffs and they should find it in week nine when they host No. 13 Bartlesville (1-5, 1-2). If they can manage to upset the Hornets or Spartans, they could position themselves for a home playoff game. 

Prior to the game, Olivia Silversmith was crowned Homecoming Queen and adorned with a crown and robe by Kissing Captain Payton Scott. The Sandites held their Homecoming Parade on Thursday in downtown Sand Springs. Those photos can be found here. 

Sand Springs Individual Statistics

Passing: Pennington 9-21-151-0, 3TD.
Receiving: McCallie 4-80, 1TD. Scott 2-24. Bratcher 1-21, 1TD. Hawkins 1-16, 1TD. Mock 1-10.
Rushing: Scott 34-199, 2TD. Pennington 15-23. Fleischman 1-0. 
PAT: Weiser 4/4.
Punting-Avg: Smith 5-24.
Kicking-Avg: Cox 3-49. Weiser 3-36. 
Kick Return: Denton 2-23. Bratcher 2-15. Millican 2-8.
Tackles: Cramer 13, Finch 8, Askew 6, Fleischman 5, Edwards 3, Cartwright 3, Fain 3, McCallie 3, Lyons 2, Adcock 2, Haley 1, Bratcher 1, Mock 1, Hunter 1.
Tackles For Loss: Finch 3-7, Fain 2-6, Cramer 1-2, Lyons 1-1.
Sacks: Fain 1-4.
Interceptions: Askew 1.
Break-Ups: Finch 1, Adcock 1.
Forced Fumbles: Finch 1, Cartwright 1. 
Fumble Recoveries: Edwards 2, Askew 1, Cramer 1.

Muskogee Individual Statistics

Passing: Medrano 18-24-381-1, 4TD. Cherry 0-1-0-0.
Receiving: Crutchfield 3-155, 2TD. Devin Hillmon 4-105. Mayes 4-74, 2TD. Cherry 7-47.
Rushing: Beasley 13-63. Kristian Hillmon 3-13. Crutchfield 1-9. Medrano 5-3. Cherry 5-2. Mayes 1-1. 
PAT: Espinosa 3/4.
Field Goals: Espinosa 2/2.
Kicking-Avg: Espinosa 7-48.
Kick Return: Crutchfield 1-96, 1TD. Mayes 2-29.