OSSAA approves postseason playoff scenario for all teams, regardless of record

Thus far on the season, the Charles Page High School football team hasn’t faced any COVID-19-related cancelations or postponements, but that is an anomaly for teams in Class 6A-II. Of the 16 teams in the division, only three have made it thus far without a cancelation. Nearly 20% of the games this season have been canceled.

In District 1, U.S. Grant canceled games against Midwest City and Stillwater. Northwest Classen canceled games against Del City, Lawton, Deer Creek, Stillwater, and Putnam North - the last two of which were actually non-COVID related and will be recorded as forfeits. District 1 teams also suffered a combined four non-district cancelations to start the season.

In District 2, Putnam West canceled on Bixby and Muskogee, then Muskogee canceled on Bixby, Booker T. Washington, and Ponca City, as well as a rescheduled makeup game against Putnam West. There were three non-district cancelations among District 1 teams.

All of these cancelations have made a mess of the typical post-season qualifications. In football, only the top four teams in each eight-team district advance to the playoffs. But you can’t discern the top four if not every team has played each other.

Because of this, the OSSAA has approved a playoff system similar to basketball and volleyball, where everyone is now eligible for the playoffs. Instead of typical district standings, playoff seeding will be decided by a coaches’ ranking system.

The first rankings debuted this week, but were promptly taken down by the OSSAA after a large number of coaches failed to participate. Only three of the eight coaches in District 2 submitted rankings, and the undefeated defending State Champions from Bixby ended up third.

The second round of rankings went up on Wednesday, and the Sandites are No. 4 in their district, and ranked ahead of both teams that remain on their schedule.

A play-in round has been added to the schedule for Week 11, with cross-district matchups where the higher-ranked team hosts. All teams are eligible, but also have the option to opt out of the postseason. Quarterfinal games will be hosted by the higher-ranked teams, semifinals will be played on neutral sites, and the Championship will be played at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Once the playoffs begin, there will be no postponements for COVID until the Championship round. If a team cannot play due to COVID, they will be eliminated from the playoffs. The opponent that team defeated in the previous round will have the option to fill in. If COVID poses an issue in the State Championship round, OSSAA staff will make a decision on how to proceed.

The OSSAA has also allowed for schools who have not played a full ten games to schedule additional non-playoff games through December 5th, though this will likely not affect Sand Springs.

CPHS Football: Choctaw stings Sandites 34-9 with 28 unanswered points

The Class 6A-II No. 7 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (4-4, 2-3) held a 9-6 lead over No. 5 Choctaw (5-3, 4-1) after two quarters at Bill Jensen Field Friday night in Choctaw, but the Yellowjackets adjusted well at halftime and rattled off 28 unanswered points for a convincing 34-9 victory in front of a small crowd of cold, dedicated fans.

The Sandites needed less than two minutes to make their way onto the scoreboard. Landon Hendricks recovered a fumble on the Yellowjackets’ first play from scrimmage, and four plays later Zach Heinen kicked a career-long 36 yard field goal for the lead.

Choctaw’s next drive ended in a punt, and Sand Springs drove all the way to the Yellowjacket 21-yard line before Bolton Hawkins and DeSean Brown combined on a sack for the turnover on downs.

Sand Springs got a three-and-out, and once again drove the field with ease before a fourth-and-one Drake Fain run at the 14 ended in a fumble. This time the home team found pay dirt with a ten-play 89-yard march for the lead. Quarterback Steele Wasel leaped up and over the pile, extending the ball for the one-yard touchdown run. A Choctaw penalty gave Tommy Yousey a 25-yard PAT attempt that was partially deflected to keep the visitors within a field goal.

Fain made up for his fumble by recovering a bad pitch from Wasel, and returned it 38 yards before Aaron McAffrey made the touchdown-saving tackle. Ty Pennington punched in the two-yard score on the next play, but his PAT run was stopped. The teams traded punts and entered the locker room with Sand Springs up 9-6.

The second half was all Choctaw.

Wasel hooked up with La’Trell Ray for a 15-yard score on their first possession, then CJ Smith ran in a 37-yarder to make it 20-9. Smith nearly had a 68-yard score late in the quarter, but it was called back on a penalty.

Choctaw was knocking at the door to end the third quarter, but on the first play of the fourth Dylan Sallas made a goal-line interception for the Sandites. His offense wouldn’t capitalize, however, and Choctaw’s next drive ended in an 18-yard run by Wasel. Ray added a 16-yard scoring run with 5:04 to play for the final points of the game.

Pennington finished the game 4-of-16 passing for 61 yards and had 20 carries for 27 yards and a score. Wasel was 14-of-23 for 140 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and had 11 carries for 56 yards and two scores. Ray had 12 carries for 142 yards and a score, and Smith had 11 carries for 117 yards and a score.

The Yellowjackets held Sand Springs to only three first downs and 23 yards in the second half, while racking up 304 yards of their own.

Sandite Football will return to action next Friday with their final home game of the year against No. 12 Bartlesville (3-5, 2-3), while Choctaw will travel to No. 16 Putnam City West (0-6, 0-3).

Choctaw 34 CPHS 9
First Downs: Choctaw 14, CPHS 7.
Fumbles/Lost: Choctaw 2/2, CPHS 2/1.
Penalties: Choctaw 12-125, CPHS 8-60.
C-A-Y-I: Choctaw 14-23-140-1, CPHS 4-16-61-0.
Rushing: Choctaw 36-312, CPHS 43-80.
Offense: Choctaw 59-452, CPHS 59-141.

CPHS Football Preview: Sandites travel to No. 5 Choctaw Friday

The Class 6A-II No. 7 ranked Charles Page High School football team (4-3, 2-2) will look to get back to its winning ways Friday night on the road, but they won’t have an easy opponent. No. 5 Choctaw (4-3, 3-1) has proven they can play with the best this season, but they have also let lesser-ranked teams hang far closer than they should have. Sand Springs will look for the upset at 7:00 p.m. at 14300 Northeast 10th Street in Choctaw.

Sand Springs started the season 4-1 but they lost their last two games convincingly. After a shocking 49-0 shut out at No. 6 Booker T. Washington (5-2) they stepped up against No. 1 Bixby (6-0) and only lost 51-20. Granted, it was 51-6 until garbage time, but the Sandites amassed 149 yards in second half action, compared to only 57 in the entire game against the Hornets. The defense also performed admirably, only allowing scores on six of fourteen possessions, forcing three punts and two turnovers on downs with one interception.

The Sandites won 21-17 against 5A No. 7 Sapulpa (5-2) in the season opener, a team that has scored 60+ points in three different games this season. They led 5A No. 1 Bishop Kelley (6-0) till the final minute of game before dropping a 28-24 heartbreaker. They dealt Arkansas 4A No. 1 Shiloh Christian (4-1) their only loss of the season 27-26, then won 35-10 against No. 10 Ponca City (3-3) and 45-14 against Muskogee (0-6).

Junior quarterback Ty Pennington has completed 84 of 165 pass attempts this season for 1407 yards and ten touchdowns with only three interceptions. He also has 100 carries for 316 yards and eight more touchdowns. Blake Jones is the top running back with 59 carries for 300 yards and four touchdowns.

Keaton Campbell is 33-458 receiving with six touchdowns and averages 11 yards per kick return and 7.4 yards per punt return, and he has a forced fumble. Jamon Sisco is 19-455 receiving with three touchdowns and is 23-96 rushing. He also averages 22 yards per kick return with one touchdown, and has three blocked kicks. Jacob Blevins is 16-364 receiving with one TD. Ryan Shoemaker is 12-113 receiving.

Zach Heinen is 16-of-16 kicking PATs and is 1-of-2 on field goals with a long of 28. He also handles punting duty with an average of 32.6 yards. Greg Reed averages 48.4 yards per kick off.

Sango Whitehorn has 63 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two blocked kicks. Drake Fain has 63 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and a 41-yard interception return. Landon Hendricks has 61 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and four fumble recoveries. Brooks Dudley has 53 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception, and one forced fumble.

Bryson Chase has a blocked kick, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Brycen Peterman has two interceptions, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Lane Webster has 32 tackles on the season with 14 for loss and two sacks. Daren Hawkins has a fumble recovery and Micah Calico has an interception.

Choctaw has been somewhat inconsistent this season due to injuries and COVID-19. They lost their season opener 46-18 to unranked Springdale (2-5) and only won 28-10 against unranked Van Buren (3-4), but played a close game against Arkansas 6A No. 1 Greenwood (7-0) and only lost 23-12. They got a huge 26-22 win against Booker T. Washington, then only won 20-14 against Ponca City, a team that Sand Springs beat handily. They held Bixby to a season-low scoring output and only lost 24-13, but then only won 26-10 against Muskogee, who the Sandites dominated.

The Yellowjackets are in their fourth year under Head Coach Jake Corbin, who is 22-17 since arriving. He holds a 30-29 record as a head coach with a 6-5 stint at Del City in 2016 and a 2-7 stint at Sapulpa in 2015. He is 1-1 against Sand Springs as a head coach. His Sapulpa team lost 44-10 in 2015, but his Yellowjackets won 21-20 in 2017.

The Sandite offense ranks seventh in the division and Choctaw is ninth. The Sandite defense is eleventh and Choctaw’s is sixth.

The two schools have only met six times, and Choctaw leads the series 4-2. Choctaw won the first meeting 21-14 in 1992, but Sand Springs won 31-18 the next year. Choctaw’s biggest win was 37-0 in 2000, and Sand Springs’s biggest win was 29-6 in 2001. The highest-scoring game in the series was a 45-41 Choctaw win 2016, and the closest game was a 21-20 Choctaw win in 2017. Choctaw has never beaten a Sandite team with a winning record, but they’ve also never lost to Sand Springs at home.

Football, Cross Country, Volleyball rankings, Softball State results

Class 6A-II Sandite Pride Week 8 Football Rankings

1. Bixby (6-0) - Last week 51-20 over Sand Springs.
2. Stillwater (5-0) - Last week 70-17 over Lawton.
3. Putnam City North (6-0) - Last week 10-6 over Del City.
4. Midwest City (5-1) - Last week 53-0 over Deer Creek.
5. Choctaw (4-3) - Last week 26-10 over Muskogee.
6. Booker T. Washington (5-2) - Last week 49-0 over Putnam City West.
7. Sand Springs (4-3)
8. Lawton (3-2)
9. Del City (0-5)
10. Ponca City (3-3) - Last week 10-7 over Bartlesville.
11. Deer Creek (2-4)
12. Bartlesville (2-5)
13. Muskogee (0-6)
14. U.S. Grant (2-3) - Last week 28-12 over Northwest Classen.
15. Northwest Classen (1-1)
16. Putnam City West (0-5)

OSSAA 6A-II Football District Standings

District 1
3-0 Stillwater (5-0)
3-0 Midwest City (5-1)
3-0 Putnam City North (6-0)
1-1 U.S. Grant (2-3)
0-3 Del City (0-5)
0-2 Lawton (3-2)
0-3 Deer Creek (2-4)
0-1 Northwest Classen (1-1)

District 2
3-0 Bixby (6-0)
3-1 Booker T. Washington (5-2)
3-1 Choctaw (4-3)
2-2 Sand Springs (4-3)
2-2 Ponca City (3-3)
1-3 Bartlesville (2-5)
0-2 Putnam City West (0-5)
0-3 Muskogee (0-6)

OSSAA 6A Boys Week 1 Cross Country Rankings

1. Mustang
2. Edmond Memorial
3. Edmond Deer Creek
4. Edmond North
5. Westmoore
6. Broken Arrow
7. Union
8. Owasso
9. Bartlesville
10. Norman
11. Choctaw
12. Edmond Santa Fe
13. Jenks
14. Yukon
15. Southmoore

OSSAA 6A Girls Week 1 Cross Country Rankings

1. Jenks
2. Owasso
3. Broken Arrow
4. Norman North
5. Yukon
6. Edmond Deer Creek
7. Edmond Santa Fe
7. Moore
9. Bartlesville
10. Edmond North
11. Choctaw
12. Edmond Memorial
13. Stillwater
14. Westmoore
15. Mustang
15. Putnam City West

OSSAA Class 6A Week 8 Volleyball Rankings (State Qualifiers Only)

1. Bishop Kelley (28-3)
2. Norman North (27-5)
3. Mustang (30-6)
4. Jenks (25-8)
5. Bishop McGuinness (28-4)
6 Edmond Deer Creek (21-6)
7. Edmond Santa Fe (22-7)
8. Edmond North (18-12)

Frontier Valley Conference FINAL Volleyball Standings

8-0 Jenks (23-8)
8-1 Broken Arrow (20-13)
5-3 Owasso (18-13)
5-4 Bixby (18-12)
4-5 Bartlesville (17-17)
5-3 Union (16-10)
3-5 Booker T. Washington (8-14)
2-7 Sand Springs (19-14)
1-7 Muskogee (9-18)
0-6 Sapulpa (16-14)

OSSAA 6A Fast Pitch Softball State Tournament Results

QF - Edmond Memorial 4-3 Stillwater
QF - Deer Creek 5-4 Mustang
QF - Owasso 12-1 Shawnee
QF - Southmoore 7-6 Jenks
SF - Owasso 4-1 Edmond Memorial
SF - Southmoore 2-1 Deer Creek
F - Southmoore 3-2 Owasso

CPHS Football: No. 1 Bixby routs Sandites 51-20, Pennington scores 2 TDs

The longest active win streak in Oklahoma high school football continued Thursday night at Memorial Stadium, as Class 6A-II No. 1 Bixby improved to 6-0 on the season, 3-0 in district play, and 31-1 over the past three seasons with a 51-20 win over No. 8 Charles Page High School (4-3, 2-2).

Bixby hasn’t lost a game since their 2018 season opener and is in pursuit of their third-straight State title. They haven’t lost to Sand Springs since 2015.

Mason Williams did what Mason Williams does, completing 21 of 38 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Braylin Presley caught three passes for 102 yards and a score, and carried the ball 14 times for 58 yards and two more touchdowns. Luke Hasz caught eight passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

On the Sandite side of the ball, Ty Pennington was 4-of-15 passing for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and also led on the ground with 15 carries for 53 yards. Blake Jones had 11 carries for 47 yards and a score. Jamon Sisco caught two passes for 73 yards and a score, and Keaton Campbell caught one for 20 yards and a score.

The Sandite defense had touches of brilliance, forcing a pair of three-and-outs to start the game and three total punts on the evening. They also got two turnovers on downs, an interception, five tackles for loss, and two sacks against the No. 2 ranked offense in Class 6A-II. Bixby only scored on six of thirteen possessions.

Bixby didn’t score till their third possession, and it was a one-play 13-yard drive. The Sandites attempted a punt fake on fourth-and-two from their own 18-yard line and Campbell’s run was immediately snuffed out. Williams connected with Luke Hasz to put the visitors on the board.

The Spartan defense forced a quick three-and-out, and Dylan Hasz returned the punt 52 yards for a score, then Jersey Robb ran in a two-point conversion. Bixby needed only three plays on their next possession and scored on a 42-yard pass from Williams to Luke Hasz for a 22-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Sand Springs needed only two plays to retaliate. Pennington ran for 11 yards and a first down to end the first quarter, then hit Sisco for the 69-yard score on the first play of the second. A two-point pass attempt to Campbell was stopped short.

Bixby’s next scoring drive was more methodical, marching 61 yards over 13 plays, including two fourth-down conversions. Robb ran in the five-yard touchdown, as well as the two-point conversion for the 30-6 lead with 6:36 in the half. Williams threw his third interception of the year to Drake Fain late in the half, and the Sandite returned it 34 yards, but his team failed to capitalize.

The Spartans scored on all three of their third quarter possessions to put the game safely out of reach. Presley had running touchdowns from 18 and three yards, then scored on a 78-yard catch and run to put his team up 51-6 with 5:18 left in the third.

The home team scored 14 unanswered points to end the ballgame. Pennington had a career-best 59-yard run into the red zone, then completed a fourth-down 20-yard touchdown pass to Campbell late in the third.

Bixby traveled deep into Sandite territory before Fain and Sango Whitehorn made back-to-back sacks for a turnover on downs. On the ensuing drive Pennington tossed a 31-yarder to Jacob Blevins, setting up a 33-yard touchdown run from Jones.

Aidan Hill took a 68-yard run to the house on the Spartans’ final possession, but it was called back for holding and time expired before his team could score again.

Both teams’ kickers were perfect on the evening. Zach Heinen was two-for-two on PATs for the Sandites, and Connor Nolan was five-for-five for the Spartans. Whitehorn and Brooks Dudley led the Sandites on defense with six tackles apiece.

Sandite Football will return to action next Friday on the road at No. 5 Choctaw (4-3, 3-1), while Bixby will travel to No. 13 Muskogee (0-6, 0-3). Choctaw defeated Muskogee 26-10 in their game this week.

Bixby 51 CPHS 20
First Downs: Bixby 19, CPHS 4.
Fumbles/Lost: Bixby 1/0.
Penalties: Bixby 6-35, CPHS 8-75.
C-A-Y-I: Bixby 22-39-317-1, CPHS 4-15-124-0.
Rushing: Bixby 34-172, CPHS 33-107.
Offense: Bixby 73-489, CPHS 48-231.

(Sand Springs stats)
Passing: Pennington 4-15-124-0, 2TD.
Receiving: Sisco 2-73, 1TD. Blevins 1-31. Campbell 1-20, 1TD.
Rushing: Pennington 15-53. Jones 11-47, 1TD. Sissco 5-14. Fain 1-(-2). Campbell 1-(-5).
PATs: Heinen 2-of-2.
Kick-AVG: Reed 3-39.
Punt-AVG: Heinen 7-34. Campbell 2-30.
Kick Return: Sisco 4-57. Campbell 1-13.
Punt Return: Campbell 1-6.
Tackles: Whitehorn 6. Dudley 6. Fain 5. Light 5. Hendricks 5. Turner 4. Hawkins 4. Harris 3. Evans 3. Wooten 2. Webster 2. Sallas 2. Britt 2. Gaylord 1. Reed 1. Calico 1. Blevins 1. Ornelas 1.

(Bixby stats)
Passing: Williams 21-38-312-1, 3TD. Burke 1-2-5-0.
Receiving: L. Hasz 8-141, 2TD. Presley 3-102, 1TD. Rogers 5-30. Fugate 2-22. D. Hasz 3-17. Snyder 1-5.
Rushing: Presley 14-58, 2TD. Blankenship 7-42. Kirby 3-31. Williams 5-27. Robb 4-11, 1TD. Hill 1-3.
PATs: Nolan 5-of-5.
Kick-AVG: Nolan 8-54.
Punt-AVG: Nolan 3-33.
Kick Return: D. Hasz 1-45. Blankenship 1-15.
Punt Return: D. Hasz 2-62, 1TD.

CPHS Football Preview: Sandites host No. 1 Bixby Thursday

It’s Fall Break in Sand Springs, which means Thursday Night Lights for the Sandite football team. Class 6A-II No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School (4-2, 2-1) will host No. 1 Bixby (5-0, 2-0) at 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. Prior to the game, Church That Matters will be grilling up burgers, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches at a tailgate party benefitting Sandite Baseball.

Sand Springs

After three losing seasons and a 2-8 record last year, the Sandites pulled the trigger on a new coaching staff under first-year Head Coach Bobby Klinck, formerly a State Championship-winning Defensive Coordinator at Owasso. The students have bought into the new system and are 4-2 for the first time since 2016.

In week one the Sandites knocked off their rivals from Sapulpa 21-17 on the road. They barely lost 28-24 to 5A No. 1 Bishop Kelley after leading till the final minute, then won a 27-26 upset against Arkansas 4A No. 1 Shiloh Christian. They beat Ponca City 35-10 on the road and Muskogee 45-14 on Homecoming before the success train stalled out in a lopsided 49-0 defeat at No. 5 Booker T. Washington.

Junior quarterback Ty Pennington has completed 81 of 153 passes this season for 1287 yards and eight touchdowns with only three interceptions. He also leads the team on the ground with 87 carries for 260 yards and eight more scores. Blake Jones is the top running back with 47 carries for 253 yards and three touchdowns.

Keaton Campbell is 31-430 receiving with five touchdowns, Jacob Blevins is 16-342 for one TD, and Ryan Shoemaker is 13-116. Jamon Sisco is 17-382 receiving with two touchdowns, 19-91 rushing, averages 29 yards on five kick returns with one score, and he has blocked three kicks.

Zach Heinen is 14-of-14 on PATs and 1-of-2 on field goals with a long of 28. Jonathan Daniels is 3-of-4 on PATs and 2/2 on field goals with a long of 26. Heinen averages 32 yards per punt, and Greg Reed averages 50 yards per kick.

Sango Whitehorn has 56 tackles with 12 for loss, four sacks, and two blocked kicks. Drake Fain has 55 tackles with 5.5 for loss and a forced fumble. Landon Hendricks has 50 tackles, with 14.5 for loss, 3.5 sacks, and four fumble recoveries. Lane Webster has 30 tackles with 13 for loss and two sacks. Bryson Chase has 21 tackles, a forced fumble, a recovery, and a blocked kick. Brycen Peterman has 15 tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and four recoveries.

Both the offense and defense rank eighth in the division.

Bixby

Sandite alumnus Loren Montgomery is in his 11th year leading the Spartans, with an 87-38 record at Bixby and a 96-39 mark in his career. Since the creation of Class 6A-II in 2014, the Spartans have played for the gold ball all six years, and have won five of them. They haven’t lost a game since the 2018 season-opener and their 30-game win streak ranks 10th in the nation. They are ranked 49th in the country by MaxPreps.

The Spartans opened the season with a 34-0 shutout of Union, then won a 42-35 shootout with Jenks. They dominated Bartlesville 74-7 and then-5A No. 1 Carl Albert 56-14 in a battle of defending State Champs. The Titans have won the past four-straight 5A titles. Bixby is coming off a surprisingly-close 24-13 win over No.5 Choctaw. The Yellowjackets held the Spartans to their lowest-scoring output since the 2018 Semifinals.

Senior quarterback Mason Williams is 92-133-1109-2 passing this season with 14 touchdowns, while junior running back Braylin Presley is 92-788 on the ground with 13 scores, and is 30-295 receiving with four more. Zach Blankenship is also a rushing threat with 25 carries for 143 yards and three TDs. They have the No. 2 scoring offense in 6A-II.

Jack Puckett, Connor Stacy, Beau Bertelli, and Ky Roller lead the team in tackles for loss. The Spartan defense has made only eight sacks this season, and forced only one fumble, with two recoveries and five interceptions. They have also played a brutally tough schedule, however, against several top offenses. Their defense ranks third in the division in points allowed.

Special teams are also solid in Bixby. The return team averages 20.4 yards on kicks and 6.2 on punts. Connor Nolan is 30-of-30 on PATs and 2-of-3 on field goals.

The Series

The Spartans lead the series 18-12, and have won the last six-straight meetings. At the beginning of the 6A split, the two teams met in the playoffs for three-straight years. Bixby beat the Sandites in the 2014 and 2016 semifinals. The Sandites shut out Bixby 20-0 in the 2015 regular season, but the Spartans got revenge 38-28 in the State Championship.

Bixby’s current six-game streak is the longest win streak in series history. Sand Springs has won three in a row on two separate occasions. Sand Springs’s biggest win was 33-7 in 1994, and Bixby’s was 75-0 last year, which also happened to be the worst Sandite defeat in 95 years. The lowest-scoring game was a 5-3 Sandite win in 1984, and the highest-scoring game was a 48-35 Spartan win in 2010.