CPHS Football: 2018 Sandite Season Rewind

The Charles Page High School varsity football team ended their season Friday with a 48-21 rout at No. 5 Booker T. Washington. Though their 3-7 record is their worst since 2011, and they snapped a six-year playoff streak, the team arguably wasn’t any worse than they have been in recent successful years.

The talent was there. The defense was killer, the O-line was stout, the special teams impressed on both returns and return coverage. The receiving unit was indisputably better than last season and senior quarterback Caden Pennington developed into a remarkable double-threat with fourteen touchdowns by air and thirteen on the ground.

Somehow, things just didn’t shake out.

More important than the scores and the records was the demonstration of just what exactly a Sandite is. When Head Coach Dustin Kinard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the entire community has rallied and is still rallying in support.

The second-longest tenured coach in Sand Springs history, Kinard has led the Sandites to a 63-67 record in twelve seasons with seven playoff appearances, three semifinal appearances, and one State Finals appearance.

The Sandites have held a prayer rally and numerous fundraisers to show their appreciation for his leadership. Colton’s Steak House and Rib Crib both made large donations, as did the Church That Matters Tailgate Team and the Sand Springs Rotary Club.

8/31/2018 Mansfield Summit 41 Sand Springs 28

The Sandites lost their season-opener to Mansfield Summit High School (5-4) in a Border Brawl match-up that pitted five Frontier Valley Conference teams against five Mansfield schools. They will travel to Texas next year.

While three of the Sandites’ losses were blown leads, this one was a Jaguar rout with a solid comeback attempt by the Oklahomans. A Texas State-committed quarterback led the Texans to a 34-7 first half advantage and 41-14 lead before the Sandites rallied with a 21-7 second half.

Game Leaders: Caden Pennington 14-20-196-0, 2TD passing. Jacob Snodgrass 7-109, 2TD receiving. Joel Mackey 15-97, 2TD rushing. Jaden Weiser 4/4 PAT. Mackey 2-59 kick return. Hayden Cramer 14 tackles, Brooks Dudley 1 interception.

9/6/2018 Sand Springs 45-24 Putnam City

The season looked promising when the Sandites routed Putnam City (0-10), but the win was watered down when the Pirates failed to win a game all season. Sand Springs led by as much as 35 points before sending in the backups.

Game Leaders: Pennington 9-15-169-0, 3TD passing. Daren Hawkins 3-43, 2TD receiving. Mackey 13-150, 1TD rushing. Weiser 5/6 PAT. McCallie 1-17 kick return. Cramer 8 tackles, 1 forced fumble. Brycen Peterman 3 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery.

9/14/2018 Greenwood 49 Sand Springs 13

The Sandites continued their recent tradition of scheduling an out-of-state powerhouse, traveling to the defending 6A State Champs from Greenwood, Arkansas (9-1). The Bulldogs took a 42-0 lead before sending in the backups.

Game Leaders: Pennington 15-95, 1TD rushing. Cramer 8 tackles.

9/21/2018 Shawnee 23, Sand Springs 20, OT

The loss to Greenwood was expected, the loss to Mansfield was unfortunate, but the Sandites didn’t really start hurting till their loss to Shawnee (2-8). Sand Springs was the better team than Shawnee this season, indisputably. Better offense, better defense, tougher schedule.

Mackey started hot with an eighty-yard TD run on the first play of the game, but things went downhill from there. A constant drizzle severely hindered Pennington’s pass game. The Sandites gave up a fumble that resulted in a touchdown, a red zone turnover on downs, and a fruitless red zone penetration that ended with the half. Both of their first half PATs failed.

The Sandites had their third failed red zone penetration late in the fourth quarter with an interception. In overtime Pennington had a wide open lane on fourth down, but slipped on the waterlogged turf to seal their fate. A Shawnee field goal secured the upset.

Game Leaders: Mackey 30-251, 1TD rushing. Cramer 13 tackles. Kaden Glass 1 fumble recovery.

9/28/2018 Muskogee 45 Sand Springs 27

Another blown lead for the Sandites, leading 27-24 to start the fourth quarter, and suffering a 21-0 fourth quarter shutout.

Game Leaders: Hawkins 1-60, 1TD receiving. Mackey 15-100, 1TD rushing. Weiser 3/3 PAT. Cramer 19 tackles.

10/5/2018 Bartlesville 29 Sand Springs 27

For the third-straight week, a blown fourth quarter lead. Up 20-16 to start the final stanza, and 27-23 with only 3:29 left, the Sandites gave up an eleven-play 88-yard touchdown drive. Pennington got the Sandites to midfield with five seconds left, but threw an interception to seal the upset.

Game Leaders: Pennington 6-13-138-1, 3TD passing. Hawkins 4-90, 2TD receiving. Pennington 13-95 rushing. Weiser 3/3 PAT. Snodgrass 3-43 kick return. Cramer 12 tackles, 1 sack. Luke Bratcher 10 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble.

10/12/2018 Sand Springs 35 Ponca City 14

The Sandites secured their first district win when they hosted Ponca City (0-10). The game could easily have been a 35-0 shutout but defensive indifference took hold and the Wildcats scored with 21 seconds left in the half and 13 seconds left in the game.

Game Leaders: Pennington 14-22-165-1, 2TD passing. Snodgrass 5-51, 1TD receiving. Pennington 8-64, 2TD rushing. Weiser 5/5 PAT. Cramer 9 tackles, 3 for loss.

10/18/2018 Bixby 35 Sand Springs 0

The loss to Bixby was expected. The Spartans (9-1) own the best defense in 6A-II and notched three shutouts this season, including the third highest-scoring offense in the state from Sapulpa.

Game Leaders: Colton Roberts 3-64 receiving. Justis Myers 5 tackles, 1 sack. Jerret Haley 4 tackles, 3 breakups. Mackey blocked kick.

10/26/2018 Sand Springs 48 Sapulpa 34

Pennington played the game of his life for an upset of the Sandites arch-rivals from Sapulpa (7-3) with seven touchdowns. His six rushing scores were the second-most scored in a single game in school history.

This game showed the Sandites’ true potential, and the “what could have been” for the season. Sapulpa beat Bartlesville and Shawnee, and Sand Springs easily handled their Highway 97 counterparts.

Game Leaders: Pennington 8-9-123-0, 1TD. Hawkins 5-77 receiving. Pennington 28-212, 6TD rushing. Weiser 6/6 PAT. Cramer 8 tackles. Cameron Smith fumble recovery.

11/2/2018 Booker T. Washington 48 Sand Springs 21

Spurred on by their prior week’s success, the Sandites made a valiant effort against the defending State Champions (7-3) but couldn’t overcome an 0-20 start.

Game Leaders: Pennington 8-13-89-0, 2TD passing. Hawkins 7-78, 1TD receiving. Pennington 22-68, 1TD rushing. Weiser 3/3 PAT. Aaron King 5-94 kick return. Cramer 16 tackles, 3 for loss.

CPHS Football: Sandites end season 48-21 at Booker T. Washington

Luke Bratcher scored his first touchdown of the season Friday night at SE Williams Stadium. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

The Class 6A-II No. 10 ranked Charles Page High School football team (3-7, 2-5) gave the defending State Champions a run for their money, but ultimately couldn’t overcome an early deficit Friday night at SE Williams Stadium.

No. 5 ranked Booker T. Washington (7-3, 6-1) topped the Sandites 48-21 on a brisk Hornet Senior Night to finish second in district play and end the Sandites’ season.

The Hornets scored on six of nine drives and punted three times, averaging five plays for 34 yards per possession. The Sandites averaged five plays and 21 yards per possession, fumbling twice, scoring thrice, punting four times, and giving up one turnover on downs.

Senior quarterback Caden Pennington was 8-13-89-0 passing with touchdown passes to Daren Hawkins and Luke Bratcher. Hawkins caught seven passes for 78 yards and Bratcher caught one pass for eleven yards and his first score of the season.

Pennington carried 22 times for 68 yards and a twenty-yard touchdown, while senior running back Joel Mackey had twelve touches for sixty yards. Jaden Weiser was a perfect three-for-three on extra points, Hayden Cramer tallied sixteen tackles, and Aaron King averaged nineteen yards on five kick returns.

Though the 48-21 score looks lopsided from the outside, the Sandites actually kept pace with the Hornets for the middle half of the game. Unfortunately the 21-21 tie was sandwiched between a 0-20 start and 0-7 finish.

Thomas Grayson scored on the Hornets’ opening drive with a 32-yard fourth-down run for a 7-0 first quarter shutout. Freshman quarterback Gentry Williams scored on a nine-yard keeper on the first play of the second quarter, then Kiero Petross returned a Pennington fumble 25 yards for the 20-0 lead. Drew Wilkie kicked the first two extra points, but Cramer prevented a two-point run on the third score.

Pennington got the Sandites on the board with a thirteen-yard strike to Hawkins, capping a four-play forty-yard drive with four minutes left in the half. The home team used their longest drive of the game to drain the clock, marching 68 yards in ten plays for a 27-7 halftime lead, scoring on a sixteen-yard pass from Williams to Gentry Dalton.

The Sandites forced a punt on the opening drive of the second half, then scored on an eleven-yard pass to Bratcher to cut it to 27-14.

Williams responded with an eighteen-yard touchdown run and a 35-yard touchdown pass to Daxton Hill to make it 41-14.

Pennington added the Sandites’ final points of the night on a twenty-yard run with 6:58 to play.

Senior backup Dwight Hamilton took over for the Hornets and capped his senior night perfectly with a fifty-yard strike to Javian Hester. Wilkie kicked the final point to complete the rout.

The Sandites finished with their first regular-season losing record since going 3-7 in 2011 and snapped a six-year playoff streak. Booker T. Washington is headed to the playoffs for the seventh straight year and will host No. 4 Del City (7-3) Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Week 10 Results
No. 1 Stillwater 35-21 No. 4 Del City
No. 2 Bixby 51-7 No. 7 Muskogee
No. 3 Midwest City 50-7 No. 14 Putnam West
No. 6 Lawton 56-7 No. 16 Putnam City
No. 8 Sapulpa 48-24 No. 15 Ponca City
No. 13 Deer Creek 28-24 No. 9 Choctaw
No. 11 Bartlesville 58-51 No. 12 Shawnee

Post Season Qualifiers
District 1
7-0 Stillwater
6-1 Midwest City
5-2 Del City
4-3 Lawton
District 2
7-0 Bixby
6-1 Booker T. Washington
4-3 Muskogee
4-3 Sapulpa

CPHS Football Halftime Report: Sandite trail defending State Champs 27-7

The Charles Page High School football team is down 27-7 at halftime against the defending State Champions from Booker T. Washington.

The first quarter was heavy defense with four punts and only one first down.

Thomas Grayson was first on the scoreboard with a 32-yard fourth-down run for the Hornets, while Sand Springs punted all three of their possession.

Washington put together a six-play sixty-yard drive and freshman quarterback Gentry Williams scored with a nine-yard run on the first play of the second period.

The Hornet defense showed off once again as Kiero Petross recovered a Caden Pennington fumble and took it 25 yards for a touchdown. Drew Wilkie made his first two point-after kicks, but the Hornets attempted a two-point run this time and Hayden Cramer blew it up.

Trailing 20-0, the Sandites put together their first effective drive, picking up two first downs and traveling 32 yards before two fouls and a negative run forced them to punt on fourth-and-nineteen.

The Sandite defense came up strong once again, forcing their second three-and-out of the night, and this time the offense got hot as well. Pennington hit Daren Hawkins for ten, ran it seventeen, then hit Hawkins for thirteen in a four-play forty-yard march to avert the first half shutout. Jaden Weiser’s point after kick made it 20-7.

Washington responded handily with a ten-play 68-yard drive and sixteen-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Gentry Dalton. Wilkie kicked the final point of the half.

Skordle Halftime Scores
Del City 14-6 Stillwater
Choctaw 17-14 Deer Creek
Sapulpa 27-7 Ponca City
Midwest City 29-0 Putnam West
Bixby 37-7 Muskogee
Bartlesville 15-14 Shawnee
Thursday Scores
Lawton 56-7 Putnam City

Halftime Box Score
BTW 27 CPHS 7
First Downs: BTW 6, CPHS 4.
Fumbles/Lost: CPHS 1/1.
Penalties: BTW 7-75, CPHS 4-35.
Passing: BTW 4-8-58-0, CPHS 2-4-23-0.
Rushing: BTW 18-132, CPHS 20-52.
Offense: BTW 26-190, CPHS 24-75.

CPHS Football Preview: Booker T. Washington and the Sandites' playoff prayer

Lane Lettich ran for 131 yards and a touchdown in a 2015 Semifinal victory over Booker T. Washington. (Photo: Austin Evans).

Class 6A-II No. 10 ranked Charles Page High School (3-6, 2-4) travels to No. 5 Booker T. Washington (6-3, 5-1) to wrap up the regular season, but despite their losing record, their season might not end there.

This will be the Sandites’ first losing season since 2011, but thanks to circular losses, there’s still a slim chance that they could extend their six-year playoff run with a little help from Ponca City. Technically they could also finish with a winning record if they win out for the gold ball. Stranger things have happened.

Bixby, Booker T., and Muskogee have the top three spots on lock, but the bottom berth is still open for discussion. Sapulpa will more than likely win it, but with two key upsets the Sandites could sneak past them.

First, Sand Springs has to beat Booker T. Second, Ponca City has to knock off Sapulpa. Neither is likely, and the latter is far less likely than the former, but neither is impossible.

Sapulpa owns the No. 5 offense and the Wildcats are tenth in defense. Sapulpa has the No. 9 defense against Ponca’s No. 13 offense. Far from an even matchup.

In the long shot chance that Ponca City upsets Sapulpa, it’ll drop the Chieftains to 3-4 in district play. If Sand Springs beats Booker T., they’ll improve to 3-4. Bartlesville and Shawnee will play each other in Week Ten, and the winner will improve to 3-4, creating a three-way tie for the playoff berth.

Sapulpa beat both Bartlesville and Shawnee. Sand Springs beat Sapulpa but lost to Bartlesville and Shawnee. The head-to-head record will be 1-1 for all three teams, leaving the tie-breaker to district points. That’s where Sand Springs has the edge. Bartlesville could only finish with -19 at most. Shawnee could only finish with -33 at most. If Sapulpa loses by only a single point they’ll have -24. If Sand Springs wins by only a single point they’ll have -3 to clench the playoff berth.

The Sandites won’t have any say on what goes down in Sapulpa, but they can do their part by upsetting the defending State Champions at 7:00 p.m. in Tulsa.

SE Williams Stadium
1514 East Zion Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74106

OSSAA 6A-II District 2 Standings
6-0 Bixby (89 district points)
5-1 Booker T. Washington (61)
4-2 Muskogee (32)
3-3 Sapulpa (-23)
2-4 Bartlesville (-34)
2-4 Shawnee (-48)
2-4 Sand Springs (-4)
0-6 Ponca City (-73)

Last Week

Sand Springs put together four quarters of good football for the third time this season thanks to a dominant performance from the offensive line, propelling Caden Pennington to a career-best performance. Pennington was 8-9-123-0 by air for one touchdown and 28-212 on the ground for six scores.

The Sandites amassed 474 yards, 351 on the ground, in their highest-scoring performance of the season. The defense surrendered 303 yards to the No. 5 offense in 6A-II, forcing three punts and one turnover on downs to hold the Chieftains to their season average.

Booker T. Washington had a lackluster performance against a winless Ponca City, suffering a 7-0 first half shutout before rallying with 27 unanswered points in the second half. Defensively they gave up only 91 yards on four receptions and 50 yards on 38 carries.

This Season

The Sandites have had a tough year with three come-from-behind losses. They have no problem scoring and no problem getting stops, but both sides of the ball have a hard time finishing. They led Muskogee to start the fourth quarter, led Bartlesville till the final five seconds, and lost to Shawnee in overtime. Despite the rough start, they have been heavy competitors in the majority of their games and their hard work paid off with a Week Nine Senior Night rivalry upset. They could just as easily be 6-3, 5-1 right now.

The Hornets got off to a rough start and didn’t improve to a winning record till Week Seven, though only one of their losses came at the hands of an Oklahoma team. A major second-half team, they average only two points in the first quarter, ten in the first half, and 22 in the second half. They’ve suffered seven first-quarter shutouts and came back to win four of those. They suffered four first-half shutouts and came back to win one of those.

No. 10 Sand Springs (3-6, 2-4)

28-41 vs. Mansfield Summit (4-4)
45-24 @ Putnam City (0-9)
13-49 @ Greenwood (8-1)
35-14 @ Ponca City (0-9)
20-23, OT @ Shawnee (2-7)
27-45 vs. Muskogee (6-3)
27-29 vs. Bartlesville (3-6)
0-35 vs. Bixby (8-1)
48-34 vs. Sapulpa (6-3)

No. 5 Booker T. Washington (6-3, 5-1)

28-29 @ North Little Rock (9-0)
24-14 vs. Bishop Kelley (7-2)
7-36 vs. Horn Lake (10-0)
27-7 @ Ponca City (0-9)
54-0 vs. Shawnee (2-7)
47-26 vs. Muskogee (6-3)
43-6 vs. Bartlesville (3-6)
7-21 @ Bixby (8-1)
20-3 @ Sapulpa (6-3)

Average Sandite Box Score
Opponent 33 CPHS 27
First Downs: Opp 16, CPHS 16.
Fumbles/Lost: Opp 2/1, CPHS 2/1.
Penalties: Opp 9-85, CPHS 7-63.
Passing: Opp 11-18-145-0, CPHS 9-16-124-1.
Rushing: Opp 39-215, CPHS 42-238.
Offense: Opp 57-361, CPHS 58-363.

The Programs

Sand Springs is coming off a 5-6 season, led by twelfth-year Head Coach Dustin Kinard with a 63-66 record. They are riding an all-time program-best streak of six-straight seasons with playoff berths.. They have been in Class 6A-II since its inception and made it to the finals in 2015. The Sandites hold one gold ball, winning the 2A State title in 1966.

Booker T. Washington went 12-1 last year, ending Bixby’s reign as 6A-II State Champs. Head Coach Brad Calip is in his third-year at the helm with a 32-13 career record. The Hornets are also on a six-year playoff streak. Last year was their first trip to the 6A-II finals. They own nine State titles, coming in 2017, 2010, 2008, 1984, 1973, 1971, 1969, 1968, and 1967.

The Series (Booker T. Washington 14-7)

The Sandite-Hornet rivalry is a short one, dating back to only 1986 overall and 2012 in its current series. The Hornets won 8-4 from 1986-1997, won back-to-back in 2006-2007, and are 4-3 in the current series.

Booker T. holds the record for most points scored in a game with a 62-28 win in 2006, which was also the highest-scoring game overall. Their biggest win came in 1992 at 48-7. Sand Springs’s highest-scoring game was a 42-38 win in 2013. Their biggest victory was 21-7 in 2012.

The Hornets’ longest win-streak is three games (1988-1990 and 1992-1994) and the Sandites have only won back-to-back once from 2012-2013. Washington owns two shutouts, including a 40-0 beat down last season. The Sandites have never shut out the Hornets.

Sand Springs and Booker T. have only met twice in the same season one time in series history and that was in 2015. The Hornets won 17-14 in the regular season, but Sand Springs prevailed 30-23 in the semifinals at Sapulpa’s George F. Collins Stadium.

1986: Booker T. Washington 42-21
1987: Sand Springs 15-12
1988: Booker T. Washington 28-14
1989: Booker T. Washington 35-0
1990: Booker T. Washington 31-16
1991: Sand Springs 15-14
1992: Booker T. Washington 48-7
1993: Booker T. Washington 21-14
1994: Booker T. Washington 28-6
1995: Sand Springs 14-10
1996: Booker T. Washington 34-6
1997: Sand Springs 23-15
2006: Booker T. Washington 62-28
2007: Booker T. Washington 23-7
2012: Sand Springs 21-7
2013: Sand Springs 42-38
2014: Booker T. Washington 42-35
2015: Booker T. Washington 17-14
2015: Sand Springs 30-23 (Semifinals)
2016: Booker T. Washington 17-12
2017: Booker T. Washington 40-0

2018 State Leaders

Passing
78-139-1076-6, 12TD Pennington
1-1-41-0 Foster

Receiving
22-360, 5TD Hawkins
20-224, 3TD Snodgrass
11-166, 1TD Foster
10-157, 2TD Roberts
2-70, 1TD Roe

Rushing
124-882, 7TD Mackey
127-661, 12TD Pennington
95-471, 4TD Wilkerson
15-71 McCallie
7-23 Jones

Kick Returns
13-196 Snodgrass
2-59 Mackey
2-38 McCallie
2-31 King
3-31 Roe

Kick-Avg
45-33 Weiser

Punt-Avg
2-39 Pennington
17-32 Smith
1-16 Weiser

PAT
27/30 Weiser

Field Goals
1-26 Weiser

Tackles
96 Cramer
43 Bratcher
37 Haley
32 Peterman
30 Adcock

For Loss
9-19 Bratcher
8-17 Cramer
6-23 Myers
6-16 Peterman
5-9 Glass

Sacks
4-17 Myers
3-11 Bratcher
1-3 Cramer
1-3 Peterman

Breakups
6 Adcock
5 Haley
4 Bratcher
2 Mackey

Interceptions
1 Dudley
1 Hawkins

Forced Fumbles
1 Bratcher
1 Cramer

Fumble Recoveries
2 Glass
1 Peterman
1 Rutledge

Blocked Kicks
2 Mackey

High School 6A-2 Football Rankings: Week 10

Class 6A-II Football Week 10 - Sandite Pride News Rankings

1. Stillwater (9-0)
   Shut out Putnam City 56-0, travels to Del City Friday.

2. Bixby (8-1)
   Defeated Shawnee 41-7, travels to Muskogee Friday.

3. Midwest City (7-2)
   Defeated Choctaw 41-21, hosts Putnam West Friday.

4. Del City (7-2)
   Defeated Lawton 55-28, hosts Stillwater Friday.

5. Booker T. Washington (6-3)
   Defeated Ponca City 27-7, hosts Sand Springs Friday.

6. Lawton (5-4)
   Lost 28-55 to Del City, travels to Putnam City Thursday.

7. Muskogee (6-3)
   Defeated Bartlesville 39-22, hosts Bixby Friday.

8. Sapulpa (6-3)
   Lost 34-48 to Sand Springs, hosts Ponca City Friday.

9. Choctaw (4-5)
   Lost 21-41 to Midwest City, travels to Deer Creek Friday.

10. Sand Springs (3-6)
    Defeated Sapulpa 48-34, travels to Booker T. Washington Friday.

11. Bartlesville (3-6)
    Lost 22-39 to Muskogee, travels to Shawnee Friday.

12. Shawnee (2-7)
    Lost 7-41 to Bixby, hosts Bartlesville Friday.

13. Deer Creek (3-6)
    Defeated Putnam West 38-14, hosts Choctaw Friday.

14. Putnam West (1-8)
    Lost 14-38 to Deer Creek, travels to Midwest City Friday.

15. Ponca City (0-9)
    Lost 7-27 to Booker T. Washington, travels to Sapulpa Friday.

16. Putnam City (0-9)
    Lost 0-56 to Stillwater, hosts Lawton Thursday.

OSSAA 6A-II District Standings

District I
6-0 Stillwater (78)
5-1 Midwest City (56)
5-1 Del City (47)
3-3 Lawton (11)
2-4 Choctaw (-12)
2-4 Deer Creek (-38)
1-5 Putnam West (-60)
0-6 Putnam City (-82)

District II
6-0 Bixby (89)
5-1 Booker T. Washington (61)
4-2 Muskogee (32)
3-3 Sapulpa (-23)
2-4 Bartlesville (-34)
2-4 Shawnee (-48)
2-4 Sand Springs (-4)
0-6 Ponca City (-73)

Top Offense
(Points Scored per game)
44.8 Stillwater
42.0 Bixby
37.9 Lawton
36.0 Del City
35.8 Sapulpa
32.4 Muskogee
32.0 Midwest City
31.3 Choctaw
28.6 Booker T. Washington

Top Defense
(Points Allowed)
11.2 Bixby
15.2 Stillwater
15.8 Booker T. Washington
18.0 Del City
19.9 Midwest City
26.3 Muskogee
28.6 Deer Creek
29.7 Choctaw
31.8 Sapulpa

Margin of Victory
30.8 Bixby
29.6 Stillwater
18.0 Del City
12.8 Booker T. Washington
12.1 Midwest City
6.1 Muskogee
4.0 Sapulpa
3.9 Lawton
1.7 Choctaw

CPHS Football: Pennington scores 7 TDs in 48-34 upset of Sapulpa, presented by YellowHouse Market & Boutique

Photo: Morgan Miller.

The Class 6A No. 11 ranked Charles Page High School football team (3-6, 2-4) pulled off a huge 48-34 upset of No. 7 Sapulpa (6-3, 3-3) Friday at Memorial Stadium. The game doubled as the Sandites’ biggest rivalry, and their Senior Night. It was the fifth-straight victory for Sand Springs in the Highway 97 Rivalry.

Coverage of the event brought to you by YellowHouse Market & Boutique. YellowHouse brings designer clothing in all sizes to downtown Sand Springs at 122 North Main Street.

The Sandites jumped out to a 20-0 lead with a 13-0 first quarter shutout before letting the  Chieftains back into the game. The bitter foes exchanged punches back-and-forth throughout the game, and the first-quarter was the difference maker in the fourteen-point win.

Senior quarterback Caden Pennington and the stellar Sandite O-Line were the stars of the show as Pennington carried 28 times for 212 yards and six rushing touchdowns. Six rushing touchdowns is the second-most ever scored in a single game by a Sandite, behind only Payton Scott’s seven-score performance in 2017. His 212 yards were a career-best and the second-best performance of the season for any Sandite. He also had a solid 8-9-123-0 passing performance for seven total touchdowns and 335 total yards.

Pennington scored on runs of one yard, three yards, and two yards for the 20-0 lead before Sapulpa got on the board. Jaden Weiser made two point-after kicks but a two-point play failed to convert after a bad hike. Pennington notched a career-best 61-yard run on the third scoring drive.

Cameron Smith recovered a fumbled kick after the second drive, but the Chieftains made their first defensive stop with a pass break-up at the end zone and forced a punt.

Sapulpa’s Marcus Esparza scored on an eighteen-yard run with a kick from Kaivon Mortazavii. The Sandites retaliated with a five-play 72-yard drive, featuring a spectacular 53-yard pass to Daren Hawkins, and three-yard touchdown run from Pennington. Chieftain quarterback Elijah Williams was next in the endzone on a 26-yard run for the final points of the half.

The Sandites kicked off the second half with a twelve-play 71-yard scoring drive and six yard touchdown pass from Pennington to Roberts. Esparza made a seventeen-yard scoring run just four plays later, but Mortazavi missed the extra point to make it 34-20.

The two treams traded three-and-outs, then Pennington scored on a 33-yard run at the start of the fourth quarter. Esparza scored from seven yards out, Pennington scored from one-yard, then Esparza scored again with fourteen seconds to play.

Roberts and Garrett McCallie successfully fielded onside kick attempts on the Chieftains’ last two drives to prevent any comeback attempt.

Daren Hawkins recorded five receptions on the night for 77 yards, Joel Mackey carried fourteen times for 75 yards and Trey Wilkerson had sixteen carries for 67 yards. Aaron King, Jacob Snodgrass, and Justin Roe averaged seventeen-yards per kick return, Cameron Smith averaged 28 yards per punt, and Hayden Cramer led the defense in tackles.

Sand Springs scored seven touchdowns on nine drives with two punts, averaging eight plays and 51 yards per possession. Sapulpa punted three times and gave up one turnover on downs, averaging 38 yards on six plays per possession.

The Sandites will return to action in their season finale Friday at No. 3 Booker T. Washington (6-3, 5-1). Sapulpa will host No. 15 Ponca City (0-9, 0-6). The Hornets defeated the Wildcats 27-7 in Week Nine.

Week 9 6A-II Results
Muskogee 39-22 Bartlesville
Midwest City 41-21 Choctaw
Deer Creek 38-14 Putnam West
Booker T. Washington 27-7 Ponca City
Bixby 41-7 Shawnee
Del City 55-28 Lawton
Stillwater 56-0 Putnam City

OSSAA 6A-II District II Standings
6-0 Bixby (89 District Points)
5-1 Booker T. Washington (61)
4-2 Muskogee (32)
3-3 Sapulpa (-23)
2-4 Bartlesville (-34)
2-4 Shawnee (-48)
2-4 Sand Springs (-4)
0-6 Ponca City (-73)