Kenneth Page scores 5 TDs in 35-21 win over Sapulpa

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This story was originally written for the Tulsa World.

Junior running back Kenneth Page blasted his way into the history books Friday night with 205 yards and five touchdowns to lead Sand Springs past Sapulpa, 35-21, in the American Heritage Bank Highway 97 Rivalry. 

The game was played before a maximum capacity crowd of over 3,500 at George F. Collins Stadium, with a state-wide broadcast from Cox YurView, and the Sandites took their first lead in the series since 1943.

It’s been 100 years since the two teams first met, and the Sandites now lead the series 46-45-5.

“A lot’s going through my head right now,” said Page. “My line did their job. I’m thankful they did their job. Without them, I wouldn’t have that.”

Highway 97 Rivalry football games are defined by chaos, and the 96th installment didn’t disappoint with five fumbles, two interceptions, and lots of big momentum swings.

On the third play from scrimmage, the snap bounced off Sandite quarterback Marek Matheson’s hands and was immediately recovered by Isaac Shelton.

One play later and Colton Howard found Marco Smith for a 37-yard touchdown and an early lead. 

Sand Springs responded with a methodical 15-play, 75-yard drive to score on Page’s 2-yard plunge. 

Chieftain quarterback Colton Howard put his team back ahead on a 15-yard scramble after shaking off a near-sack to end the first quarter 14-7.

The home team would only get three opportunities to make a play in the second quarter after an 18-play, 89-yard Sandite drive ate more than 9 minutes off the clock, capped by another 2-yard dive from Page.

A sack from Cash Lucas gave Sand Springs a quick three-and-out and they threatened again but Noah Ferguson picked off Matheson to end the half.

Jabe Schlehuber picked off Howard to give his team a red-zone opportunity in the third quarter but the Chieftains forced a turnover on downs to keep it tied. 

Sapulpa’s next drive was unsuccessful, however, and the Sandites took their first lead on a 5-yard Page run, set up by a 51-yard run on the first play of the drive. 

Smith tied it up for the final time on a 15-yard run, but Page added scores of 15 yards and 54 yards in the final stanza. 

“He’s only scratched the surface of what he can do,” said Sandites head coach Bobby Klinck. “He’s got a lot to work on, but there’s a lot to work with. I was very proud of him.”

The Sandite defense came away with eight tackles for loss, led by senior linebacker Drake Fain with 12 tackles. 

“He’s the leader of our defense,” said Klinck. “Him and Dominic Ornelas. We’re counting on those guys and we’re only gonna get better.”

Matheson also impressed in the fourth quarter, shaking off his early interception and completing two incredible Mahomes-ish completions to Jacob Blevins, including a crucial fourth-down conversion that set up the go-ahead score.

Matheson finished the night 11-of-21 for 154 yards. Howard was 7-of-13 for 111 yards for the Chieftains.

Despite Page’s performance, the Sandites were far from a well-oiled machine. 

“We’ve got to get better,” said Klinck. “Just got to clean some stuff up. I think we’re gonna be a good football team, but we’ve got to get a lot better in a hurry in the next couple of weeks before our next opponent.”

The next opponent being 6A-1 No. 3 Bixby (1-0), who is riding a 50-game win streak. The Sandites will get a bye week before traveling to Bixby Friday, September 9th. 

Sandites show promise in 24-7 preseason loss at Jenks

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

It would be easy to try and justify the Sandites’ 24-7 preseason loss to the defending 6A-1 State Champions from Jenks.

After all, the Trojan program has twice the enrollment of Sand Springs, a wealthier community, and a blue blood tradition that includes 18 gold balls. 

But third-year Charles Page High School coach Bobby Klinck doesn’t make excuses for his team and he doesn’t let them make excuses for themselves. 

“I was a little disappointed in the way we came out,” said Klinck. 

“Obviously it’s Jenks. They over-physicalled us a little bit, but what we’ve been trying to instill in these guys is a belief in themselves that no matter who we’re playing, you have an opportunity.”

Klinck doesn’t shy away from giants, hence why the Sandites eagerly scheduled Jenks in the preseason and 6A-1 No. 3 Bixby in the second game of the year. 

“We’re never going to back down and I want our guys to know what that looks like and feels like,” said Klinck.

“We’ve just got to keep grinding, keep pushing. We’re going to keep getting better. I’m never satisfied, but we’re gonna keep getting better.”

The Sandites enter next week’s season opener ranked fifth in Class 6A-2 at 5A No. 9 Sapulpa in the 96th installment of Highway 97 Rivalry. 

It still remains to be seen who will be under center for Sand Springs. 

The obvious front runner is Kiefer move-in Marek Matheson. The 6’2”, 225-pound senior showed confidence and promise as he led his new team on their first four series. 

Matheson was 2-of-4 passing for 15 yards and was sacked twice while the team primarily leaned on Kenneth Page’s 9 carries for 26 yards.

On the final drive of the game, they turned to freshman Easton Webb, who methodically led a 12-play, 65-yard scoring drive against a Trojan unit that had swapped out many of the starters. 

Webb was 6-of-9 for 43 yards and connected on a 14-yard touchdown to Brody Rutledge to avert the shutout. 

“(Matheson)’s been getting the majority of the reps with the ones, but just like anything, whoever’s the week one starter doesn’t mean they’ll be the starter the next week. That’s for every position. It’s a constant, competitive deal every week.”

Jenks’ quarterback Ike Owens was 7-of-10 passing for 98 yards and one score while Jaiden Carroll carried the ball nine times for 79 yards and two touchdowns. 

“We’ve got to become better tacklers, be more physical, and come better mentally prepared,” said Klinck. 

The Trojans scored on each of their drives in the two-quarter game that didn’t allow punt returns or rushing the kicker, and each team started their possessions at the 35-yard line in lieu of a kickoff. 

Jonathan Daniels averaged 38 yards per punt for the Sandites while Drake Fain, Carder Hoffman, Dallas Elifrits, and Dominic Ornelas led the defense. 

The Sandites played a clean game with no penalties or fumbles. 

“I think Kenneth (Page) did a better job running the ball and you know we’ve got two of the best receivers,” said Klinck, referencing Rutledge and Jacob Blevins.

“If we can give our quarterbacks time to get the ball off, we’ve got opportunities in jump ball situations. They’re going to make great catches for us this year.”

Sand Springs is coming off an 8-4 campaign and will see some new faces in district action. The Sandites’ district replaced Bixby, Ponca City, and Choctaw with Stillwater, U.S. Grant, and Tahlequah, while retaining Booker T. Washington, Muskogee, Bartlesville, and Putnam City West. 

The first home game of the year will be September 16th in a non-district battle against Ponca at 7:00 p.m.

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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Courtesy.

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.