State Farm Agent Eric Davidson Donates $10,000 to Sandite Youth Football

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This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there to support the Sand Springs football community. 

State Farm agent Eric Davidson presented a $10,000 check to the Sand Springs Youth Football Association Friday morning at Memorial Stadium as part of the company’s community grant program. 

Davidson was one of 100 agents across the country who was recognized for his community involvement and selected to submit a grant for a community program of his choosing. 

“We really take a look at what’s taking place in the community, the agent’s involvement with the community, and the program that the grant is focused on,” said State Farm representative John Burnett.

“SSYFA is overwhelmed by this gracious donation towards our youth football program,” said Director Dustin Little. “We want to thank Eric Davidson for his constant support of youth sports in our community, at all levels, both as a coach and through his philanthropy.”

“Eric has coached for us since 2014, both with basketball and football, and we’ve enjoyed watching his two sons grow and develop through the years.”

To Davidson, the program is less about the sport and more about the life lessons it teaches. 

“There’s so many kids out there that need guidance,” said Davidson. “They need direction, and coaching is one of the best ways to be involved in that.”

“To me there’s not a whole lot better than being able to coach some kids and hopefully leave them better off than when you started.”

The funds will be used to provide 87 sets of shoulder pads and 19 new helmets for the organization, which has 226 players from grades 1-7. The SSYFA also has a cheer program, bringing its total enrollment to over 400.

“We agreed to use this donation for a specific purpose and that’s to ensure the safety of our Sand Springs kids in playing the sport they love,” said Little.

“We try to replenish our equipment every year. We’re one of only a few clubs left that still provide the equipment for the kids.”

“With our demographics, it would be very challenging to tell parents they have to go out and buy this equipment.”

The organization only charges parents $200-250 per season, depending on when they register. It’s not uncommon to spend more than that on shoulder pads and helmets alone.

Having a feeder program like the SSYFA has been crucial to the success of Sandite football, says varsity head coach Bobby Klinck.

“It’s the lifeblood of any high school program. It’s really the front door to what I consider one of the best sports, if not the best sport, to play. So it’s vital.”

“It’s been great ever since I got here,” said Klinck, who is entering his third season at the helm.

“That was a goal of mine, to make sure that there’s a relationship and there’s an open door policy between the high school varsity staff and the SSYFA. It’s been a really great relationship so far.”

He also praised organizations like State Farm for supporting both the youth and prep programs.

“Football can be a major cog in raising young men and teaching them life lessons,” said Klinck. “So it’s a huge deal, and this community has been nothing but giving. Anything I’ve ever asked for, they’ve found a way to get it done. In my opinion, this is one of the best communities I’ve ever been a part of.”

Davidson’s oldest son, Brighton, will be a freshman on Klinck’s team this year, and his youngest, Kingston, will be in 7th grade. 

“From a life lessons standpoint, it’s kind of hard to put into words,” said Davidson. 

“Watching them grow into young men, not only learning things on the field but even more importantly off the field from a character standpoint, from ethics, morals, and how to work hard. There’s consequences and rewards in life and your decisions that you make determine how those are handled.”

“So being able to interject that into the kids as they grow and learn, it’s been a truly rewarding experience. That’s why I chose to partner with Dustin and do this.”

American Heritage Bank to sponsor 2022 Highway 97 Rivalry footbal lgame

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

One hundred years into one of Oklahoma’s most heated high school football rivalries, Sand Springs and Sapulpa are finally getting the respect their annual game deserves.

Players, coaches, and administrative officials from both schools came together Thursday afternoon at Sapulpa’s American Heritage Bank to announce a new partnership between the bank and the two school districts for the 2022 meeting.

“We missed a couple of years along the way, but this coming season will be the 96th edition of the rivalry,” said Sapulpa Athletic Director Michael Rose. “We’re going to see who comes out to take the lead.”

The American Heritage Bank Highway 97 Rivalry game will kick off August 26th at 7:00 p.m. at Sapulpa’s George F. Collins Stadium and will be broadcast state-wide on Cox Yurview.

“We’re very excited about this,” said Rose. “We’re thankful for American Heritage Bank and their partnership.”

“Having someone back us like American Heritage Bank is awesome. It shows the importance of the rivalry. It shows the history of the rivalry. It just shows how big it really is, being the third-longest standing rivalry in the state of Oklahoma. I think it was due.”

“American Heritage Bank is a longtime sponsor of both of our programs,” said Sand Springs Athletic Director Rod Sitton.

“We came up with the idea about a year ago to start putting this together, and we approached them to see if they would be interested in naming rights. We talked to (American Heritage Marketing Director) Tami Fleak and they just jumped on it.”

The naming rights sponsorship is currently only a one-year deal, but Sitton says he hopes that the partnership will continue in the future.

The Sapulpa-based bank purchased a brand new traveling trophy for the rivalry, only two years after the first-ever trophy was introduced. Sand Springs will be keeping the previous trophy after winning a 53-26 meeting last year, but Sapulpa players were quick to quip that they would be taking home the new trophy.

The bank will also be making donations to both athletic programs prior to the season-opening zero-week game next month. 

“This is one of our marquee games of the season,” said third-year Sandite coach Bobby Klinck. “It’s a big game for our community and it’s a big game for our players.”

“It’s a great way to tie our two communities together,” said second-year Sapulpa coach Tim Holt Jr. 

“We all know what this rivalry is all about, and it’s something that both sides talk about all the time. So we’d like to embrace that and tie the two communities together the best that we can.”

The history of the game dates back to a warm September evening in 1922 when Sapulpa football coach Virgil Jones led his Chieftains to a 36-0 shutout win, but he couldn’t have known then what a historic occasion it would come to be.

Sapulpa and Sand Springs have met every year since 1930 and Sapulpa has led the rivalry since 1945. Sand Springs, however, has won seven of the last eight, including both games under coach Klinck.

Both teams are looking to capitalize on a season-opening win as they look to build on last season’s success. The Sandites went 8-4 last year in Class 6A-II, while Sapulpa went 6-5 in 5A.

The trash talk began before the conference had even officially begun, as Klinck quipped at Holt that the “classier” Sandites had arrived in blue jeans and boots instead of athletic shorts, like the Chieftain players. 

Members of the bank wore shirts representing the two teams and one media member in attendance cracked jokes about the Sandite mascot. For the record, it’s a Minuteman, not a sand flea. 

Sand Springs senior linebacker Drake Fain predicted a final score of 62-7, which will almost certainly put some fire in the veins of any Sapulpa players who read this story. 

“We’ve hated that town and they’ve hated us,” said Fain. “That’s just how it is.”

“My dad told me that Sapulpa is the worst town and school in the state. I believe it and I will forever say that.”

Of course, all the smack talk is good natured, and the two communities are closer than either side will admit.

“This is a game that both sides want to win extremely badly just because we’re so close together, and the kids know each other and the coaches know each other,” said Holt. 

“Coach Klinck and I have coached together (at Broken Arrow). We’ve known each other for a lot of years and we want it to be a great football game and great for both communities at the same time.”

“Everybody loves football and the brand of football in northeast Oklahoma is unbelievable and it really helps put both teams on the map as far as exposure for the kids and all that stuff, playing on TV. It’s something that we always look forward to.”

Of course, there will be plenty of pressure on Holt to make up for last year’s loss. It’s a longstanding tradition in both communities to tell new coaches, “it doesn’t matter if you don’t win a single other game, you have to win Highway 97 Rivalry.”

As for American Heritage, the bank couldn’t be happier to be involved.

“It was a no-brainer for us to go ahead and pull together our resources inside the bank and work with these teams,” said Fleak. 

“You can see from my shirt where my loyalties lie, but there’s a lot of great people in both communities and we just want to support these kids.”

Her shirt was Chieftain blue, by the way. Now the bank will have its own in-house rivalry to contend with as they try to figure out who gets to sit in the suite during the game.

Sandite Football looking for new leaders to step up in 2022 season

Senior linebacker Drake Fain is expected to have a big impact in the 2022 Sandite football season.

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

For the first time since 2016, the Sand Springs quarterback won’t be named Pennington when the Sandites take to the field this fall. 

After five years of being guided by brothers Caden and Ty Pennington, the Sandites will have a new set of hands under center, and it won’t be those of last year’s backup, Brody Rutledge, either.

“We’re pretty close” to naming the starter, said third-year head coach Bobby Klinck. 

“Brody has done such a good job at wide receiver. We talked to him, talked to his dad, and that’s kind of the position that he feels comfortable at and the position that we feel he has the best shot at going to the next level. We’ve kind of let him concentrate on that.”

The talented receiver ended last season with 697 yards and six touchdowns, but he’ll be relying on a fresh set of hands to get him the ball this fall.

Right now, the battle is between a senior and a freshman.

6’2” 215-pound transfer Marek Matheson comes to Sand Springs with an impressive resume as a two-year starter at Kiefer, where he guided the Trojans to a 12-10 record, including their first winning season since 2015.

“He’s done a good job of getting to know the guys and understanding the culture and working out,” said Klinck. “He’s doing a good job in terms of meeting our expectations.”

Matheson put up prolific numbers as a sophomore, throwing for 2,713 yards and 30 touchdowns with 11 interceptions, while running for 208 yards and five scores.

As a junior he put up 1,213 passing yards and 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions, while running for 305 yards and 11 scores. 

His father, Mark Matheson, played four years at quarterback for the University of Tulsa from 1989 to 1992. 

Then there’s the freshman. It’s rare to see a freshman starter at the 6A level, but Easton Webb has a resume of success. The 6’4” multi-sport star led the eighth grade Sandites to an undefeated season last year and conquered the INFC’s top division in seventh grade.

“He’s got all the tools that you want a quarterback to have. Size, athletic ability. He’s got a great arm and a really good demeanor. The physical part - he’s more than capable. It’s just the processing, the decision making, and all that stuff.”

“You can see he’s getting better with each week, with each opportunity. He’s going to be a really good football player here at Sand Springs. We’re just going to challenge him and keep encouraging him, but there’s no doubt that he’s going to be an unbelievable football player.”

“We’ve split reps coming up here just to see if anyone’s going to take the lead,” said Klinck. “The guys have done a really good job of just competing and getting after it. We’re going to take the competition into fall camp and hopefully make a decision pretty quick.”

The two have gotten plenty of reps the last two weeks after competing at a passing camp at Sapulpa, and 7-on-7 tournaments at Bixby and Owasso. 

After winning last year’s silver bracket at the two-day Owasso tournament, the Sandites actually made it to the gold bracket this time around. 

“Kind of the evolution of how we’re doing,” said Klinck. “Seems to be that we’re improving.”

The passing game isn’t all that’s been improving. The team has also been investing in its linemen - sending two dozen players to a Bixby camp for the first time.

“Coach (Jason) Medrano and Coach (Kevin) Avey got a bunch of guys together and it’s an opportunity for those guys to get more work in. It’s kind of the evolution of our program.”

“I think we’re definitely headed in that direction” of being more physical up front, said Klinck. “Coach Medrano has done a good job of really building that culture of being a big, strong, nasty human being. It’s kind of fun to see that take shape.”

Klinck also expects sophomore Kenneth Page to have a big impact after rushing for 183 yards and a touchdown as a backup last season.

“He can be one of those breakout tailbacks. We feel that’s just going to add on to our linemen and make them feel more confident.”

Webb isn’t the only highly anticipated freshman joining the Sandite ranks. Hudson Sheppard is expected to get some minutes in relief of Page, and Ryley Kester has already earned a starting spot.

“Ryley Kester is going to end up starting at offensive line for us,” said Klinck. “With his physicality and demeanor and everything - just cemented himself in that offensive line. Then we go to team camp and as a freshman he’s just a man amongst boys. He’s definitely a tone setter and we’re very excited to get his career going here.”

Another name Klinck expects fans to hear more of this fall is Blaine Phillips. 

“He’s really stepped up. He’s always been a hard worker. Some opportunities came up and he stepped in and has done a really good job. He’s kind of worked himself in to where we’ve got no choice but to give him some playing time. He’s one of those program kids who you root for. He just works hard, he’s a good athlete and he’s finally kind of found his niche to get some playing time.”

Klinck is entering his third year at the helm after guiding Sand Springs to a 7-5 mark in 2020 and an 8-4 record last season. They made the 6A-II quarterfinals in his first season and the semifinals in 2021.

The 2022 season will open on August 26th at Sapulpa in the 96th installment of Highway 97 Rivalry. Last year the Sandites evened the record at 45-45-5 and will now look to take the lead for the first time since 1944.

Jolee McNally finds closure at All-State Softball game

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This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

For most of the girls at the OFPCA All State softball games, the exhibition match between the state’s best seniors was just the final game in their high school uniforms, but for Jolee McNally it was the final game of her career.

As the announcer read off name after name, almost all of them were signed to play at the next level, but due to issues with her back, the Sandite outfielder will spend the next few years at Tulsa Community College where there are no athletic programs.

“It’s heartbreaking, and it’s not by choice,” said McNally. “At least I got the closure I needed.”

She went out with a bang, going two-for-two at the plate with a pair of singles, two RBI, and scored the final run in a 10-7 loss for the Large School East while playing three innings in left and right field.

McNally wasn’t the only Sandite at Oklahoma Christian University’s Tom Heath Field Saturday. Reagan Rector also donned the black and gold one last time. She didn’t get a hit, but saw three innings of action at first base and one inning in right field.

Rector will continue her career alongside Avery Tanner, who was in the stands as an alternate, at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville.

Keaton Campbell added a few extra innings to his high school career at the OBCA All-State baseball game in Enid on Sunday, June 5th. 

The Cowley College-bound senior played third for the East team and recorded an assist and one put-out with no errors.

At the plate he was 1-of-4 with a triple off the outfield wall in the bottom of the third, and scored one run in the East’s 5-4 victory.

Ty Pennington was also selected for the All State team, but was unable to attend the game. He was also selected to the All-State football team alongside teammate Gabe Brown, but that game won’t be played till Friday, July 29th.

In soccer action, first-year Sandite head coach Cisco Chavez got to coach Karsen Lynch and the All-State East team in a 2-0 loss against the West Thursday night at Bishop Kelley High School. 

Lady Sandite basketball coach Josh Berry got to coach Journey Armstead one last time as the OGBCA East fell 72-55 to the West on Saturday, June 4th in Mustang.

Armstead didn’t score any points but collected a handful of steals and assists. She will also play in the Oklahoma Coaches Association All State Games later this summer, and will continue her career at Hutchinson Community College.

Fishing

Nathaniel Griffin and Jaxon Trotter took fifth place at the Oklahoma Bass Nation High School State Championship on Keystone Lake, Saturday, June 4th. The duo caught three fish weighing 8.13 pounds. They also placed 28th in the regular season.

Gabriel Castellano and Dallas Elifrits placed 26th at State with a 2.39 pound catch and were 57th in the regular season.

Mack Taylor and Parker Haling placed 28th at State with a 2.12 pound fish and finished third in the regular season standings.

Eli Rogers and Caden Shea didn’t fish the State Championship but placed fifth in the regular season. Cruz Norris and Gunnar Casey also didn’t fish at State but were 83rd in the regular season.

Caden Strawn and Drew Turner placed third in the youth division with a 2.79 pound catch, while Hayden Lowrence and Hunter Spencer placed fourth with a 1.94 pound fish.

Taya Freese leads seniors to powder puff championship

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This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

Taya Freese doesn’t play any sports, but perhaps if the OSSAA had girls football she might be a household name in Oklahoma. 

The senior put on a show Thursday night at Memorial Stadium, leading the senior powder puff team to wins over the juniors and underclassmen. 

“It was a crazy experience,” said Freese. “I didn’t expect any of it, but it was very fun. It was kind of competitive but fun at the same time; it was a perfect mix.”

The Charles Page High School powder puff games aren’t held every year. COVID-19, lack of volunteers, and low interest have caused it to be canceled in years past, but the Senior Celebration committee pulled off a successful event this time around, raising $2722 for the annual celebration of the school’s seniors. 

Every year, the night of graduation, the town puts on an all-night lock-in celebration with free food, games, entertainment, and giveaways at the Case Community Center. 

The powder puff teams are all coached by high school boys, and the boys also put together all-male cheer teams for the halftime entertainment. 

The juniors won the first game of the evening, 6-0 against a combined underclassmen team of sophomores and freshmen.

After a scoreless regulation, Hailey Jackson made a key interception for the Hoosier Mommyz in overtime, then caught the game-winning 10-yard touchdown pass from Lilly Oakley to knock off the Benchwarmers. 

The juniors met their match in the Bad News Babes, however, and the seniors won 6-0 behind a 22-yard touchdown run from Journey Armstead late in the first half. 

Oakley and Jackson both intercepted Freese to keep the game close, but Karsen Lynch picked off Oakley on the final drive to seal the win. 

In the senior vs. sophomore game, Freese connected on a 40-yard pass to Avery Tanner to set up a 19-yard touchdown run from Lynch. 

Freese also appeared to toss a 43-yard TD to Tanner as the first half expired, but it was called back as the Benchwarmers apparently called for a timeout just before the snap. 

Getting to play together with a team was a special experience for Freese. “I’ve never played a sport before, so playing this was a first for me.”

“I just tried to teach her what I was taught,” said coach Ty Pennington. “She’s got a cannon.”

Pennington just wrapped up a three-year career as the Sandites’ starting quarterback and enjoyed getting to coach. “It was kind of cool, a different experience”

He was most impressed with Journey Armstead. “She played great on both sides of the ball.”

Ten Sandites Sign College Letters of Intent

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The Sand Springs athletic department celebrated ten student-athletes Wednesday morning at the Ed Dubie Field House, who have all signed letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level.

For the first time in school history, two Sandites signed to compete in collegiate shooting sports. Gunnar Casey and Sammy Naugle are both headed to Connors State College after building impressive careers with the FFA shooting team.

“We actually started the program back in 2008,” said coach Randy Evans. “Both of these boys have shot with me for the last four years. It’s the first set of kids we’ve ever actually sent to college to shoot.”

Casey was the 2019 SCTP State Skeet Champion, 2019 20-gauge Oklahoma State Skeet Champion, 2020 28-gauge Oklahoma State Skeet Champion, and was on the five-man HOA State Championship team in 2019. 

Naugle was on the 2021 2nd-place team at the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Sporting Clays Championship and placed second at the Dewey Invitational. 

“Our school board and our administration is extremely supportive of that whole program,” said Evans. “They realize the kids never actually have guns in school and when we practice there’s eight to ten adults around, so it’s a really safe and secure thing.”

“I actually started watching these kids when they came to my contests about four years ago,” said Connors State coach Sierra Walker. “They’ve been on my radar since eighth grade. They just have a really unique technique and style about them and they are really good.”

“Even in eighth grade they were making the hits and killing the targets, so I was really excited to get to have them come to Connors.”

The Sandite football team will have three players continuing their careers at the next level.

Quarterback Ty Pennington received a full ride scholarship to play football at Pittsburg State University in Kansas. 

“Pennington, you know, statistically is the greatest quarterback in Sand Springs history,” said Sand Springs coach Bobby Klinck. “I’m going to have to actually coach now that he’s gone. I’m very proud of him and what he’s accomplished.”

Pennington follows in the footsteps of his position coach Darrack Harger, who played for the Gorillas from 2012 to 2013. 

The three-year starter set single-season records of 2,831 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, and 39 total touchdowns while leading the Sandites to an 8-4 record and semifinal appearance in the OSSAA 6A-2 playoffs.

He also set career records of 6,455 passing yards, 54 passing touchdowns, and 79 total touchdowns.

“It checked all the recruiting boxes academically and athletically. I know I made the right decision,” said Pennington, who also had offers from Central Oklahoma, Missouri Southern, Washburn, Central Missouri, East Central, and a preferred walk-on opportunity at Oklahoma State.

“At first I thought about going to OSU, but once I started to figure out the kind of school Pitt State was, it was pretty obvious where I wanted to go,” said Pennington. 

Pitt State has won two national championships at the NCAA Division II level. The Gorillas went 8-3 last season in their second year under head coach Brian Wright 

Pennington was recently named to the All-State East team and will play in the All-State game on Friday, July 29th alongside defensive end Gabe Brown.

“It was a marathon, not a sprint for Gabe,” said Klinck. “He played a position that he wasn’t quite sure of and ended up being an All-Stater at it… He’s one of those guys that kept chopping wood and is very deserving of everything that he’s getting now.” 

Brown signed with Northeastern State University after a senior campaign that included 69 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two fumble recoveries, including a 75-yard scoop and score.

NSU competes at the NCAA Division II level in the MIAA. The RiverHawks went 2-9 last season under third-year head coach JJ Eckert. Sandite Justis Myers is also on the roster at NSU. 

Outside linebacker Conner Light signed with Southwestern College, an NAIA school in Kansas that competes in the KCAC. 

Light tallied 74 tackles for the Sandites this season, along with 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. He received All-District and Academic All-Conference Honorable Mentions.

“I couldn’t be more proud of that young man,” said Klinck. “He just maxed out his ability and ended up being a really good football player for us.”

“He’s one of those kids that you’re going to miss seeing. I’m very happy for him going off to school. He’ll be successful in whatever he does.”

The Moundbuilders are entering their eighth season under head coach Brad Griffin. They recently finished their most successful season since 1999 after posting a 9-2 mark and making it to the NAIA Championship Series. Light will join fellow Sandite JT Bristow, a sophomore tight end, at Southwestern.

“All three of those guys are great ambassadors for our football program,” said Klinck.

Shortstop Keaton Campbell signed to play baseball at Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City, Kansas. 

Campbell batted .299 last season with 23 runs, 30 RBI, a .465 slugging average, a .392 on-base percentage, with 10 double plays, and one save on the mound. 

In addition to his baseball accomplishments, he was also an All-District selection in football after making 55 receptions for 774 yards and 9 touchdowns this fall, and he received Academic All-Conference accolades for both baseball and football.

The Tigers compete in the NJCAA and have won four consecutive KJCCC East Division titles, finishing 47-10 last season with a fifth-place finish at the JUCO World Series. They are coached by Darren Burroughs. 

Karsen Lynch signed to play soccer at Rogers State University, an NCAA Division II program competing in the MIAA. The Hillcats went 9-8-1 last season and are about to enter a new era under recently appointed head coach Chris Jones.

Lynch is a four-year starter for the Sandites, who are about to start their first season under head coach Cisco Chavez. She also plays for the Side FC 92 semi-pro team, which placed third in its inaugural season in the UWS. Last season she made the Academic All-Conference team and was team offensive MVP.

She will be reunited with former Sandite goalie Alison Day, who is a freshman at RSU.

Cassidy Tiepelman signed to play soccer at Southwestern College. The Moundbuilders went 13-5-1 last season and were the KCAC tournament runners-up. Tiepelman will join fellow Sandite Teagan Smith under head coach Joe Schwartz. Tiepelman was Academic All-Conference last season.

Charley Fahland and Tehya Johnson both signed to play volleyball at Friends University, an NAIA school in Wichita that competes in the KCAC. The Falcons are coached by Martin Ayin and went 12-19 last season.

Fahland and Johnson helped the Sandites to a 14-20 record this season. Fahland was second on the team in aces with 36 and led the team with 353 digs. Johnson had 217 digs and a team-high 689 assists.

Johnson was named to the Frontier Valley All-Conference Second Team and Academic All-Conference. Fahland received an All-Conference honorable mention and both made the Sandite Invitational All-Tournament Team.

The Sandites have now signed 13 athletes from the Class of 2022. Raegan Rector and Avery Tanner previously signed to play college softball in November and John Keim signed to play baseball.