Special Teams Spark Sandites to 39-14 Win at Putnam City West

Hunter Wilson scored the Sandites first points of the game with a blocked punt for a safety. (Photo by Charity Emigh).

When Bobby Klinck first arrived in Sand Springs in January of 2020, he held a meeting at HillSpring Church where he laid out his vision for the program to players, parents, and community stakeholders.

In that meeting he stressed the importance of special teams.

“Special teams have the ability to shift a game in either direction,” said Klinck. “Either negatively from failed preparation or positively from precise execution. Hidden yardage is the biggest advantage we will look for in special teams.”

In year four of the Klinck era, it’s clear that he wasn’t just talking. Thursday night at No. 9 Putnam City West (3-4, 0-4), it was the special teams who repeatedly shifted the game in the Sandites’ favor.

A blocked punt, two safeties, and kick returns averaging more than 35 yards were the difference maker in a 39-14 win from No. 5 Charles Page High School (4-3, 2-2) to remain undefeated against the Patriots.

“Coach (Jake) Bray, our special teams coordinator, is the best in the state,” said Klinck.

So when Bray came to Klinck this week and said he thought he could bring some pressure on the Patriot punting unit, Klinck said “let’s go get it, man.”

“Credit to the kids doing a great job and credit to Coach Bray for putting that game plan together and really taking advantage of our special teams.”

The first points of the game came on the Patriots’ second possession when Hunter Wilson blocked Brandon Garcia’s punt out the back of the end zone.

Alex Dudley returned the ensuing kick 40 yards to the Patriot 25 and Jace Arnold cashed in seven plays later with a four-yard wildcat run.

The Patriots’ next punt attempt was fumbled and recovered by Christian Freitus for a touchdown.

Then, Gatlin Gunn returned the next punt 41 yards to the Patriot 14, setting up a 9-yard run by Kenneth Page on the first play of the second quarter.

Two plays later, Owen Floyd forced a fumble that Marcum Sims recovered to set up a four-play scoring drive capped by Page’s 23-yard touchdown run.

Page was the workhorse for the Sandites all night, ending with 26 carries for 138 yards. The senior usually shares the load with Ali McCoy, who is missing this week and next with an injury sustained against Stillwater.

“It’s an absolute luxury,” said Klinck, about having two dynamic running backs.

“They’re stacking the box but we’re still able to get positive yards. We get some positive push up front, but then to have a big time tailback who knows where to hit the holes and then finishes runs - that’s a huge luxury to have.”

With a 30-0 lead just two minutes into the second quarter, it looked like the game would be a runaway rout, but the Patriots had other plans.

After holding Putnam West to only 13 yards in the first quarter, the Patriots exploded for 146 yards in the second quarter to make it a two-score game.

Shyheim Johnson led a methodical 10-play, 86-yard march and scored on a two-yard sneak to get his team on the board.

Then Marriceon Gilstrap recovered a fumbled hike to set up a six-play, 45-yard drive capped by a four-yard run from Dujuan Knight.

The Patriots stymied the Sandites’ last drive of the half and opened the second half with Aaron Edwards blocking a 40-yard field goal attempt by Dawson Puckett.

Jamar McCrary recovered the ball, but the Sandites had successfully eaten up nearly eight minutes of clock to slow the Patriots’ momentum.

“When it’s 30 to nothing, we’ve got to find a way to finish opponents and not let them back in the game,” said Klinck. “But I was glad we were able to have a long opening drive. I would have liked to have gotten some points out of that, but that was a good way to open the second half.”

The next three possessions were a series of turnovers on downs.

Freitus broke up a fourth-down pass intended for Mykel Ford in the end zone.

The Patriots responded by stuffing Arnold on fourth-and-one, but four plays later Johnson dumped an incomplete pass under pressure to give it back to the Sandites.

A 58-yard punt from Puckett pinned the Patriots deep in their own red zone and when Garcia failed to corral an errant long snap, the punter decided to toss the ball out the back of his end zone for the second safety of the night.

Dudley returned the ensuing kick 36 yards and Page cashed in a 36-yard screen pass from Easton Webb three plays later to pad the lead.

Freshman Joseph Farmer put the final nail in the Patriot coffin with an interception and the Sandites ended the night in victory formation.

Webb finished the game 7-of-15 for 83 yards passing. In addition to his 138 rushing yards, Page also had three catches for 57 yards.

Dudley led the defense with six tackles, followed by Floyd and Gunn with five apiece. The defense mustered five tackles for loss while holding Putnam West to only 184 yards, with only 25 yards in the second half.

Johnson was 9-of-25 passing for 125 yards and Knight had 15 carries for 77 yards to pace the Patriots.

Sand Springs improved to a perfect 6-0 all-time against the Patriots, though this was the closest meeting since 2017.

“Coach (Gregory) Johnson did a good job,” said Klinck. “Those kids were ready to go. They had a good game plan, they’re stacking the box. They did a good job taking away what we like to do, so hat’s off to them.”

“I was happy we were able to get some younger kids in to get some meaningful snaps and we had a freshman get an interception.”

“I think our program’s to the point of we’re disappointed in a 25-point win. Our kids know that we left some plays out there and that we need to finish an opponent off.”

Next up for the Sandites will be yet another Thursday night game, this time at home against No. 6 Bartlesville (3-4, 3-1), who fell 14-10 to No. 4 Stillwater in their Week 6 meeting.

Sand Springs has won three in a row against the Bruins, but Bartlesville leads the series 21-18. The series is one of the longest-standing rivalries for either school, having been played 22 consecutive seasons. The two teams have only missed playing each other twice since Bartlesville High School opened in 1982.

CPHS 39 PCW 14

First Downs: CPHS 10, PCW 7.
Fumbles/Lost: CPHS 4/2, PCW 5/2.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 8-16-83-0, PCW 9-25-125-1.
Rushes-Yards: CPHS 43-143, PCW 21-58.
Plays-Yards: CPHS 59-226, PCW 46-183.
Penalties-Yards: CPHS 10-65, PCW 13-95.

Scoring Summary

1Q (6:56) - Wilson Safety, CPHS 2-0.
1Q (4:23) - Arnold 4-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 9-0.
1Q (3:37) - Freitus Fumble Recovery, Puckett Kick, CPHS 16-0.
2Q (11:52) - Page 9-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 23-0.
2Q (9:51) - Page 23-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 30-0.
2Q (5:29) - Johnson 1-yard Run, Garcia Kick, CPHS 30-7.
2Q (1:56) - Knight 4-yard Run, Garcia Kick, CPHS 30-14.
4Q (7:12) - Safety, CPHS 32-14.
4Q (5:32) - Page 36-yard Pass from Webb, Puckett Kick, CPHS 39-14.

Football Preview: Sandites Travel to Putnam West on Thursday

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The Class 6A-II No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School football team (3-3, 1-2) is headed to No. 9 Putnam City West (3-3, 0-3) for a Thursday night district showdown at Patriot Stadium.

Sand Springs is coming off a 35-18 road loss to No. 4 Stillwater and looking to get back to .500 in district play while the Patriots are coming off a 31-28 loss to No. 6 Bartlesville and are looking for their first district win after an 0-3 run.

Patriot Stadium is located on the campus of Putnam City West High School at 8500 NW 23rd, Oklahoma City. The new 2019 stadium has a capacity of 3558, with limited visitor seating available in the north end zone. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

The game will be the sixth meeting in a series that Sand Springs owns 5-0. The two teams first met in 2016 when the Sandites prevailed 29-24 in a non-district home game. They won the next year 28-14 on the road.

The first district meeting was a 51-13 rout in 2020 that remains the highest-scoring and most lopsided in the series. The Sandites won 44-7 in 2021 and 44-14 in 2022.

Ali McCoy ran for 162 yards and five touchdowns in last year’s meeting.

Sand Springs has proven it can win in the trenches and run the ball against almost anybody this season, averaging 190 rushing yards per game. The Sandites have struggled to mesh in the passing game, however, averaging only 121 yards by air.

The task against Putnam West will be to get promising sophomore quarterback Easton Webb, who missed one game with injury, in sync with an all-new receiving corps. With only four games left till the playoffs, the Sandite offense needs to work on being more multidimensional.

Webb was 15-of-33 last week against Stillwater, throwing for 168 yards and three interceptions. Wyatt Rutledge had three catches for a team-high 96 yards while McCoy ran the ball 12 times for 86 yards.

Owen Floyd led the defense with 11 tackles and one fumble recovery; Alex Dudley had 10 tackles and a blocked kick; Gatlin Gunn had nine tackles and a forced fumble; Hunter Wilson had nine tackles; and Landyn Barnes had seven tackles, a fumble recovery, and three pass deflections.

On the season:

Webb is 39-of-54 for 514 yards, 3 TDs, and 6 INTs with 1 rushing TD. Caleb Goodman has 25 catches for 319 yards and 3 TDs.

Kenneth Page has 93 carries for 489 yards and 6 TDs plus 1 TD reception. McCoy has 74 carries for 643 yards and 8 TDs.

Dawson Puckett is 19-of-22 on PATs and 1-of-1 on field goals, connecting from 30 yards on his only attempt.

The defense is led by Floyd with 48 tackles, Gunn with 35 tackles, Dudley with 33 tackles, and Waylon Jeffers with 29 tackles. Dudley and Gunn each have two interceptions.

Sandites Fall 35-18 at No. 4 Stillwater

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Stillwater tried its hardest to lose its Thursday night game to Sand Springs, but even with 190 yards in penalties the Pioneers managed to pull out a 35-18 district win on Homecoming.

The No. 4 ranked defending State Champions improved to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in district action with their fourth consecutive win.

No. 5 Charles Page High School (3-3, 1-2) only trailed 14-10 at halftime but struggled with its own penalties while failing to sustain any momentum on offense.

Despite the loss, head coach Bobby Klinck saw reasons to be optimistic.

“We’ve gotten boat raced the last two times we played these guys,” said Klinck.

“We lost by 50 points I think the last time and then in the playoffs it was like 42 to 6 or something like that. So we’re getting closer and we’re moving forward. I think we’re going to be a good football team towards the end of the year.”

The Sandites did indeed fall 58-7 to Stillwater last season at home, and lost 49-17 in a road playoff game during Klinck’s first season in 2020.

“I was very pleased with how we were able to keep up with their physicality. They’ve hung their hat on physicality for a long time and we’re trying to get to that point. I think that was a big step forward for our football program.”

Sand Springs had an opportunity to set the tone early, forcing a punt and getting a red zone turnover on downs in the first quarter before responding with a seven-minute march downfield.

On their second drive of the game the Sandites converted on three fourth-downs, including a punt fake, before things stalled out when a three-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Page was nullified for holding.

After watching second-and-goal from the three turn into third-and-goal from the 21, the Sandites ultimately settled for a 30-yard field goal from Dawson Puckett to open the second quarter.

Then Pioneer quarterback Chance Acord got hot, throwing for 219 yards and a touchdown while running for 23 yards and another to make it 14-3.

The senior’s two scores sandwiched a three-play drive that ended with Easton Webb’s second interception and momentum was firmly on Stillwater’s side.

The Pioneers forced a quick three-and-out and were working their way downfield again when Gatlin Gunn forced a fumble at midfield that Landyn Barnes recovered to give the Sandites new life.

Sand Springs turned the ball over on downs inside the Pioneer red zone, but forced a punt and got one last opportunity with two minutes remaining in the half.

On a second-and-eight from his own 32-yard line, Webb scrambled right from a collapsing pocket and lobbed a 20-yard pass down the sideline to Wyatt Rutledge who won a 68-yard foot race Talon Kendrick for the touchdown.

The chunk play left enough time on the clock for Stillwater to respond with a seven-play, 51-yard march, but Brodey Long’s 37-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Alex Dudley to end the half.

The two teams took turns trading three-and-outs to open the second half but the Pioneers managed to pad their lead with a 41-yard scamper by Holden Thompson.

Thompson added another score on a seven-yard run with 8:30 left to play to make it 28-10.

Sand Springs didn’t give up and put together a four-minute march downfield, scoring on a four-yard fourth-and-goal keeper by Webb. Page punched in a two-point run for the Sandites’ final points of the game.

Stillwater successfully covered an onside kick attempt but the Sandites quickly forced a three-and-out to keep the momentum.

Then the magic ran out. Sand Springs went for it on fourth-and-six and an errant snap traveled over Webb’s head and resulted in a turnover on downs deep in Sandite territory.

Four plays later and Thompson punched in his third touchdown from 25 yards out.

Sand Springs returned to the red zone once again with 13 seconds left but Webb was picked off for a third time by Kendrick to seal the victory for the home team.

Webb finished the night 15-of-33 for 168 yards and three interceptions as the Sandites once again failed to establish much of a downfield passing game. Sand Springs has only surpassed 200 passing yards once this season, with backup QB Jace Arnold at the helm in Week 3.

“The wind picked up a little bit and I think that kind of made some of his balls sail,” said Klinck. “But the kid showed toughness. He’s just a sophomore - he’s only going to get better.”

“I think it’s just the timing. It’s an all-new receiving corps. So I think as it gets going, we’re going to figure it out. I think we’re going to be a good football team moving forward.”

Rutledge led the Sandite receiving corps with three catches for 96 yards on the night while Ali McCoy led the ground attack with 12 carries for 86 yards.

Owen Floyd led the defense with 11 tackles and one fumble recovery; Dudley had 10 tackles and a blocked kick; Gunn had nine tackles and a forced fumble; Hunter Wilson had nine tackles; and Barnes had seven tackles, a fumble recovery, and three pass deflections.

For Stillwater, Acord was 27-of-38 passing for 325 yards. Trey Tuck had eight catches for 91 yards and Holden Thompson had 22 carries for 148 yards.

“The program is moving in the right direction,” said Klinck.“It’s just how soon are we going to get there? Are they willing to sacrifice and work to get there sooner?”

“We’re going to be a good football team towards the end of the year. I know it in my heart. I’m excited to get back to work.”

Sand Springs will return to action with another Thursday night road game at No. 10 Putnam City West (3-2, 0-2). Stillwater will travel to No. 6 Bartlesville (2-3, 2-0) next Thursday.

Box Score

Stillwater 35 CPHS 18
1Q: 0-0.
2Q: Stillwater 14-10.
3Q: Stillwater 7-0.
4Q: Stillwater 14-8.
First Downs Stillwater 19, CPHS 12.
Passing: Stillwater 27-38-325-0, CPHS 16-36-171-3.
Rushing: Stillwater 33-178, CPHS 38-126.
Offense: Stillwater 71-503, CPHS 74-297.
Fumbles-Lost: Stillwater 3-2, CPHS 1-0.
Penalties: Stillwater 17-190, CPHS 8-75.

Scoring Summary

2Q (11:56) - Puckett 30-yard Field Goal, CPHS 3-0.
2Q (9:28) - Jones 17-yard Pass from Acord, Long Kick, Stillwater 7-3.
2Q (7:21) - Acord 2-yard Run, Long Kick, Stillwater 14-3.
2Q (1:46) - Rutledge 68-yard Pass from Webb, Puckett Kick, Stillwater 14-10.
3Q (8:26) - Thompson 41-yard Run, Long Kick, Stillwater 21-10.
4Q (8:30) - Thompson 7-yard Run, Long Kick, Stillwater 28-10.
4Q (4:19) - Webb 4-yard Run, Page Run, Stillwater 28-18.
4Q (1:18) - Thompson 25-yard Run, Long Kick, Stillwater 35-18.

Sandite Recruiting Report: Ava Watts Commits to Texas A&M-Commerce & More

Charles Page High School senior Ava Watts is headed to Texas next year. The soccer star recently announced her commitment to Texas A&M-Commerce on Instagram.

The NCAA Division I program competes in the Southland Conference and is led by second-year head coach Ashley Gordon. The Lions just transitioned to the Division I level in 2022 and are 14-14-3 since moving up to the big league.

Watts led the Sandites in scoring this past season with 21 goals and five hat-tricks, including a seven-goal performance against Putnam City.

Baseball

Senior right-handed pitcher Eli Buxton (6’6” 185 pounds) committed on Wednesday to play college baseball at Arizona State University. Buxton went 4-3 last season as the Sandites claimed their first district title in school history.

ASU is an NCAA Division I program in the Pac-12 conference, though the university will be moving to the Big 12 by the time Buxton enrolls.

The Sun Devils are a perennial power with 21 conference championships and five national championships but are coming off a 26-32 season under now second-year head coach Willie Bloomquist.

Senior OF/LHP Miller Tavaglione (6’2” 190 pounds) announced his commitment to play at Allen County Community College in Iola, Kansas on Friday.

The Red Devils compete in the NJCAA and went 25-29 last season under now seventh-year head coach Clint Stoy.

Miller will join fellow senior INF/RHP Jace Arnold (6’2” 180 pounds), who committed to Allen County in August.

Senior infielder Wyatt Rutledge (6’2” 170 pounds) announced his commitment on Friday to play at Northern Oklahoma College-Enid.

NOC completes in the NJCAA and is entering its first season under head coach Ryan Bay.

Rutledge will join fellow Sandites Jabe Schlehuber and Dom Ornelas, who are freshmen at NOC.

Senior INF/RHP Jackson Stewart (5’11” 195 pounds) announced his commitment to McPherson College on Sunday.

McPherson is an NAIA school competing in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs went 37-16 last season and are entering their first year under head coach Chris Dawson. McPherson is coming off a KCAC tournament title and three consecutive NAIA tournament appearances.

Football

Senior lineman/TE Evan Williams (5’10”, 215 pounds) announced that he received an offer to play football at Kansas Wesleyan University.

The Coyotes compete in the NAIA and the KCAC. Then first-year head coach Matt Myers led Wesleyan to an 8-3 record in 2022.

Williams also holds offers from Hendrix College, Lyons College, and Oklahoma Wildcats Prep.

Sophomore quarterback Easton Webb (6’3” 175 pounds) is committed to playing baseball at Oklahoma State University, but he recently received a Division I football offer from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

Sophomore lineman Ryley Kester (6’4” 270 pounds) has received Division I offers from UNLV, Houston, Tulsa, Georgia Tech, and Texas Tech.

Sophomore receiver Brock O’Dell (5’10”, 170 pounds) holds one college offer from Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

Senior offensive lineman Tyler “Tank” Smith (5’10” 285 pounds) holds one college offer from Hendrix.

Senior linebacker Owen Floyd (6’0” 190 pounds) has earned two offers this season from Hendrix and Oklahoma Wildcats Prep.

Junior receiver Kooper Kelly holds one offer from Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

Basketball

5’10” senior small forward Kiaryn Taylor recently announced she has received an offer from Western Texas College, an NJCAA program in Snyder.

The Lady Westerners went 5-21 last season but are entering a new era under first-year head coach Rachael Eubank.

Taylor also holds offers from Ranger College and Lincoln Trail College.

5’7” senior guard Taiona “Yonnie” Morris has received offers from Eastern Oklahoma State College, Coffeyville Community College, and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Softball

Senior RHP/3B/SS Kelsi Hilton is committed to playing at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma.

Sandites Throttle Tigers 41-7, Abbi Elder Named Homecoming Queen

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Abbi Elder was named Homecoming Queen and Mason HArris was Kissing Captain. Photo: Charity Emigh.

Tahlequah tried to set the tone early in its Friday night road game at Sand Springs. On fourth-and-one near midfield, the Tigers handed the ball off to Darryn Spahr and the senior back ran into a wall named Owen Floyd.

Two plays later Ali McCoy took the ball 57 yards to the house. Tone set.

McCoy ran for over 200 yards in the first half as the No. 5 Charles Page High School football team (3-2, 1-1) steamrolled to a 41-7 win over No. 6 Tahlequah (1-4, 0-2) on Homecoming.

“It wouldn’t be possible without the five guys up front,” said McCoy, who ended the night with 10 carries for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

“I expected us to do good on the ground, but I didn’t expect that outcome. It feels good sharing this moment with our seniors. We’ve been working really hard.”

One of those seniors was Kenneth Page, who had 12 carries for 132 yards and three scores. Another was wildcat quarterback Jace Arnold who ran the ball six times for 43 yards and another score.

When the clock finally ran dry the Sandites had amassed 392 yards on the ground, averaging a first down with every snap.

“I really like how we came out after a disappointing performance last week,” said head coach Bobby Klinck, referencing a 51-13 loss to No. 1 Muskogee.

“(The offensive line) is the heart and soul of our football team and they’re getting better each week.”

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Kenneth Page scored 3 touchdowns against Tahlequah on Homecoming. Photo: Charity Emigh.

As dominant as the offense was, the defense was equally in control, recording two takeaways, seven tackles for loss, and two turnovers on downs. The Sandites forced four punts on the night and only allowed 79 yards in the second half.

“It was really good to see our secondary as a whole just continue to get better,” said Klinck. “Our secondary hadn’t been our strong point defensively, so for them to kind of lead and do some big things, I’m very happy with them.”

That secondary stepped up time and time again with Landyn Barnes breaking up a pass to force a punt on the Tigers’ second possession before intercepting Cash McAlvain on their third possession.

The pick was crucial for keeping momentum on the Sandites’ side as Tahlequah’s Jacob Morrison had just intercepted Easton Webb on the previous drive.

Two plays later, McCoy had another mad dash for a 49-yard touchdown.

Spahr got the visitors on the board with a 14-yard run to open the second quarter, but Page responded with a 19-yard run, the Tigers went three-and-out, and Arnold scored his 10-yard run to make it 27-7 after a failed PAT.

Two Tiger penalties set the Sandites up for a kickoff from deep in Tahlequah territory and they used the opportunity to practice their onside kick.

Dawson Puckett’s first attempt only traveled eight yards before going out of bounds, but that kick was nullified as the Sandites had lined up offsides and got a re-do.

This time it was flawlessly executed and recovered by Cooper Guardado to set up a 33-yard touchdown run by Page.

Tahlequah successfully moved the ball 61 yards on its next drive before Mason Harris sacked McAlvain and forced a fumble that was snatched up by Keagan Gilman with 42 seconds in the half.

The Sandites nearly punched in another but ran out of time after driving 52 yards on five plays to enter the red zone.

The starters got one more drive to open up the second half and Page scored his third touchdown on a one-yard plunge for the final score of 41-7.

From there, both teams played mostly backups and took turns exchanging punts till the clock ran out.

Sand Springs will take to the road next week with a key district match-up at No.4 Stillwater (3-2, 2-0), who prevailed 48-13 over No. 8 Booker T. Washington in their Week 5 game.

The Pioneers have won their past two meetings with Sand Springs and lead the series 32-12 all-time.

CPHS 41 Tahlequah 7
1Q: CPHS 14-0.
2Q: CPHS 20-7.
3Q: CPHS 7-0.
4Q: 0-0.
First Downs: CPHS 14, Tahlequah 15.
Fumbles-Lost: CPHS 1-0, Tahlequah 3-2.
Penalties: CPHS 9-85, Tahlequah 7-80.
Passing: CPHS 7-11-97-1, Tahlequah 16-25-128-1.
Rushing: CPHS 36-392, Tahlequah 32-114.
Offense: CPHS 47-489, Tahlequah 57-242.

Sandite Football Falls 51-13 to No. 1 Muskogee on the Road

With under six minutes in the opening half, junior running back Ali McCoy took a handoff on the first play of the drive, rolled out around the right side of his line and engaged in a one-on-six foot race, taking the ball 72 yards to the house.

No. 5 Charles Page High School (2-2, 0-1) pulled within a field goal of No. 1 Muskogee (3-1, 1-0) in a district-opening road game.

From there it was all Muskogee. The Roughers scored 35 unanswered points and prevailed 51-13 to solidify their status as the team to beat in Class 6A-II. 

“I got totally out-coached,” said head coach Bobby Klinck. “That’s a really good football team, a really good coaching staff. I’ve got to do a better job of getting our kids in a position to make plays.”

“We’ll go back to the drawing board. This coaching staff will do better and we’ll figure some things out.”

The Sandites have had a tough time with athletic quarterbacks this season. Sapulpa quarterback Colton Howard passed for 379 yards in the season opener. Ponca City’s Tay Moore passed for 151 yards and ran for 153 last week. 

Muskogee junior star Jamarian Ficklin, who holds a handful of Division I offers, presented the same issue, passing for 215 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 152 yards and five more scores. 

“I thought we could get pressure on him,” said Klinck. “That guy did an unbelievable job of eluding and making some big plays with his feet. He’s an outstanding football player.”

Sand Springs opened the game strong with Gatlin Gunn breaking up a third-and-long around midfield to force a punt. The senior earned a single-digit jersey this week for his strong performance against Ponca.

Ficklin’s punt, however, was downed at the three-yard line and Treyveon Houston took down Kenneth Page for a safety two plays later.

Sand Springs forced another punt soon after and put together a 12-play, 46-yard drive, converting on third and fourth down before Deyonn Bowler broke up a fourth-down pass intended for Caleb Goodman.

Muskogee ended the first period with a strong drive, setting up a two-yard plunge from Ficklin on the first play of the second quarter to go up 9-0.

The visitors quickly responded with a 9-play, 74-yard march to score on a 34-yard strike from Easton Webb to Goodman, who also received a single-digit uniform this week.

Not to be outdone, the Roughers used only four plays to score, padding their lead with a 43-yard run from Ficklin.

19 seconds later came McCoy’s marathon touchdown, but from there it was all Muskogee.

Ficklin scored on a 14-yard run, Sand Springs went three-and-out, then Ficklin tossed a five-yard strike to Ondraye Beasley to end the half up 30-13.

Sand Springs punted three times in the second half, lost a fumble to Bowler, and ended the game with a 9-play, 49-yard march that ran out of time inside the Rougher red zone.

“We’ve got to do better at sustaining some drives and not hurting ourselves,” said Klinck.

Muskogee scored on three of its four fourth-quarter possessions, punting once. Ficklin added scoring runs of four and two yards while Israel Martin added the last two-yard dive.

Webb was 8-of-16 passing for 77 yards in his first game back after a shoulder injury against Bixby. Goodman had four catches for 50 yards to lead the receiving corps.

McCoy led the Sandite offense with 10 carries for 107 yards. 

Ficklin ended the night 16-of-23 for 215 yards while carrying 18 times for 152 yards. Kayden McGee had six catches for 93 yards and Martin had 13 carries for 83 yards.

Defensively Sand Springs was led by Gunn with nine tackles and three pass deflections, followed by Alex Dudley and Dallas Elifrits with eight tackles apiece.

Next up for the Sandites is Homecoming against No. 6 Tahlequah (1-3, 1-0), who is fresh off a 29-19 win against No. 9 Putnam City West (3-1, 0-1).

“Next week is a really good football team,” said Klinck. “We can’t afford to take anybody lightly. We’ve got to go to work. We’ve got to figure out how we can sustain drives and how we can get people off the damn field.”

Last year the Sandites won 25-21 on the road after falling behind 21-6 early in the game. Sand Springs leads the all-time series 14-8-1 against the Tigers.

Muskogee 51 CPHS 13

1Q: MHS 2-0.
2Q: MHS 28-13.
3Q: MHS 7-0.
4Q: MHS 14-0.

First Downs: MHS 23, CPHS 11.
Passing: MHS 16-23-215-0, CPHS 9-17-85-0.
Rushing: MHS 39-297, CPHS 29-160.
Offense: MHS 62-512, CPHS 46-245.
Fumbles/Lost: MHS 2/0, CPHS 3/1.
Penalties: MHS 10-93, CPHS 8-37.

Scoring Summary

1Q (8:41): Houston Safety, MHS 2-0.
2Q (11:52): Ficklin 16-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 9-0.
2Q (7:14): Goodman 34-yard Pass from Webb, Kick Blocked, MHS 9-6.
2Q (5:56): Ficklin 43-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 16-6.
2Q (5:37): McCoy 72-yard Run, Puckett Kick, MHS 16-13.
2Q (1:53): Ficklin 14-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 23-13.
2Q (0:03): Beasley 5-yard Pass from Ficklin, Espinosa Kick, MHS 30-13.
3Q (4:51): Ficklin 4-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 37-13.
4Q (11:56): Ficklin 2-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 44-13.
4Q (4:52): Chaplin, 2-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 51-13).