Sand Springs Sports Roundup: Mack Taylor and Parker Haling take fourth at Skiatook tournament

A version of this story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

Cross Country

The Sandites got their first taste of the postseason Tuesday at the Frontier Valley Conference Meet in Bartlesville. The girls didn’t have a full lineup, but the varsity boys played eighth and the junior high boys placed seventh.

Jazmin Lopez led the varsity girls with a 5K time of 24:32 for 37th place. Alejandro Lopez led the varsity boys in 19:15 for 30th place, closely followed by Noah Hanlon in 19:22 for 33rd. 

Chloe Grona led the junior high girls with an 11:57 two-mile run for fourth place. Taigh Wright led the junior high boys with a time of 11:39 for 13th. 

The varsity teams will return to action Saturday, October 23rd at Mohawk Park in the 6A-East Regional.

Fishing

Sandite duo Mack Taylor and Parker Haling placed fourth at the Oklahoma BASS Nation trail event on Lake Skiatook Saturday, catching three fish totaling 6.29 pounds. On Sunday they caught one fish weighing 1.19 pounds for 37th place. 

Standings have not been updated with this weekend’s results yet, but the duo should rank among the top 10 in the state. The OBN season will take a winter break and return to action April 2nd at Lake Tenkiller.

Softball

The Charles Page High School softball team recently ended the season with an 18-15 record as Regional runners-up. 

Despite not advancing to the State tournament, the Sandites showed flashes of brilliance this year, including wins over Edmond Memorial and El Reno, who did go to State. They pitched three shutouts and won seven games by run rule.

Lauren Hammock led the team in batting average (.446), on-base percentage (.532), and hits (41). Kelsi Hilton batted .413 and led the team in slugging (.543) with a team-best four triples and 30 RBI. Raegan Rector led the team in doubles (11) and Jolee McNally led in runs (36).

Rector led the team in put-outs with 183, and Avery Tanner led in assists with 66. Rector turned 14 double plays and Tanner had 12. Rector was also among the most efficient fielders, holding a .995 fielding percentage on 204 opportunities.

Hilton was the team’s ace pitcher this season, collecting a 10-6 record with a 4.5 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, and a team-high 46 strikeouts. Nataley Crawford went 5-6 in the circle with a 4.2 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts.

The Sandites will graduate five seniors this year: Tanner, McNally, Hammock, Rector, and Taylor Skipper.

Volleyball

Sandite Volleyball wrapped up its season with a 14-20 record, going 2-6 in Frontier Valley Conference action, and winning its home tournament.

The girls played a tougher schedule than they have in the past few years, competing at several A-league tournaments, and 12 of their 20 losses came at the hands of eventual State Qualifiers. 

Payton Robbins led the offense with 259 kills, followed by Kasidy Holland with 204, Layla Lenex with 192, and Jacelyn Smith with 147. Robbins also led the team in aces with 49, followed by Charley Fahland with 36 and Smith with 34. 

Lenex led the team in blocks with 64, Robbins had 31, and Smith had 29. Fahland had a team-high 353 digs, Robbins had 265, and Teyha Johnson had 217. Johnson handled most of the setting, recording 689 assists.

Sand Springs will graduate Smith, Holland, Fahland, and Johnson this year.

Sand Springs Football falls 58-14 to No. 1 Bixby

A version of this story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

It’s hard to look for a silver lining in a 58-14 loss, but when your opponent is Bixby High School, you have to take what you can get.

The No. 1 Spartans (7-0, 4-0) won their 43rd consecutive game, a streak which includes three State Championships, and their eighth consecutive meeting with No. 4 Charles Page (5-2, 2-2) Thursday night at Spartan Stadium.

The Sandites held Bixby to an unusually low 9-0 lead after the first quarter, but the home team soon hit the gas for a 30-0 halftime advantage and never looked back.

“The biggest thing is that we didn’t give up in the second half,” said Sandites head coach Bobby Klinck. “I told them ‘hey I want it 0-0 this half, let’s see what happens.’ You go by that, it’s 28-14, so I was proud of our guys for not giving up.”

“This is Coach (Loren) Montgomery’s 12th season here so their culture is pretty ingrained and that’s what we’re trying to do,” added Klinck. Montgomery, a Charles Page alumnus, earned his 100th win as the Spartans’ head coach. 

Bixby outgained Sand Springs 555 yards to 81, forced ten punts, got a turnover on downs, sacked Ty Pennington five times, and totaled 16 tackles for loss.

“They were definitely more physical than us,” said Klinck. “That comes with off-season weight room stuff. We’ve just got to really grind and get into that to where we’re not missing weeks during the summer. That’s got to be our culture.”

Bixby has out-physicaled everyone they’ve played this year, including No. 2 Choctaw who they beat 70-7 the week prior. The Sandite defense actually held up well, considering their world-class opponent. 

Sand Springs forced one punt and three turnovers on downs, and got two takeaways deep in their own territory. Ryder Barnes picked off Spartan senior quarterback Christian Burke on Bixby’s first possession, and Trevor Stone recovered a fumble on the Spartans’ last possession. 

“I think that in the first quarter we showed some fight,” said Klinck. “Defensively we showed some fight. We kind of got off to a rocky start offensively, which hasn’t happened all year so that was pretty surprising.”

A quick three-and-out ended in a punt snap out the back of the end zone for a safety, followed by five more Sandite punts before they successfully moved the chains.

“I thought we had some good matchups,” said Klinck. “So we just need to watch the tape and see where we can get our playmakers in spots to get the ball. Because that’s what Bixby does. They’ve got some pretty good playmakers and do an unbelievable job of getting it to them in space.”

The Sandite defense matched up well against a loaded Spartan backfield, holding Bixby to a season-low 4.8 yards per carry.

“That’s kind of our staple here that we’re going to defend the run,” said Klinck. “We’ve just got to do a better job of pursuing the ball. You got guys like the Presley kid, I mean he’s going to OSU for a reason. When they put him in positions to make plays then that’s all about pursuit and effort and we’ve got to try to get that guy down.”

Oklahoma State-committed senior Braylin Presley accounted for 151 yards receiving and 51 yards rushing with four total touchdowns. Burke passed for 326 yards and four touchdowns against the Sandites.

Pennington passed 14-of-28 for 106 yards and two touchdowns for the Sandites, with both scoring throws going to Keaton Cambell, who was 6-82 receiving.

“I was proud of our guys’ fight,” said Klinck. “We’re a better team than that. That’s a really good football team, they’ve got some really good players. They’re well coached. But we’re better than that. I’m proud of our guys for the most part. We’ve just got to become more physical.”

“We’re going to reset this, we’re going to give the kids some time, we’ll see them on Sunday.  Let them kind of recover. Then we’re going to get right back at it. We’ll put it to bed, make corrections, and then we’ll come up with a brand new game plan and we’re gonna see what happens.”

The Sandites have one more big test in the regular season when they host No. 2 Choctaw (5-2, 3-1) Friday at 7:00 p.m. 

“It’ll be a measuring stick for our program to see how we respond to something like this” said Klinck.

Sand Springs Football Preview: Looking to Topple Bixby

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Throwback file: Sand Springs packed Union-Tuttle Stadium at the 2015 State Championship game vs. Bixby.

This Thursday marks a pivotal game in the trajectory of Sandite Football in a lot of ways.

If Class 6A-II No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School (5-1, 2-1) pulls off an upset of No. 1 Bixby (6-0, 3-0), it’ll without a doubt be the biggest win for the program since the 1966 State Championship. And although it won’t come with a gold ball, such a win could even be considered of far more importance to the program.

Even if they don’t win, if they’re at least competitive, it’ll show everyone around the state that this year’s Sandites are for real.

The Spartans aren’t just another top-ranked divisional program. They’re elite. Nationally elite. Bixby has won 42 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in Oklahoma history, and the fourth-longest active streak in America. Last week they rolled over No. 2 Choctaw 70-7 on statewide television to improve to the No. 20 ranking in the country according to MaxPreps.

This game will also be on statewide television, broadcast by Yurview on Cox Channel 3. To say that Sand Springs isn’t supposed to win would be an understatement. After the beating that Bixby put on Choctaw in a rematch of their last year’s State Championship, few even expect the Sandites to be competitive.

Few outside of Sand Springs, anyways.

But Bixby’s lofty resume won’t be intimidating the Sandites.

“We’re going to show up,” Sand Springs head coach Bobby Klinck said in a Sunday interview. “Our kids aren’t going to back down, our coaches certainly won’t. We’re going to try to put a game plan together where it gives our guys a chance to be successful, but it’s really up to them to go make the plays.”

Last year the Sandites lost 51-20 to the Spartans, after getting routed 49-0 by the Booker T. Washington Hornets the week prior. This year they held their own against the Hornets and only lost 37-32.

Of course, the law of transitive property doesn’t always apply in football, but if the Sandites play Bixby as hard as they played the Hornets, then the Spartans could have their hands full.

“I do hope and I do feel like we got a confidence boost from playing a really good Booker T. Washington team that’s very fast, has really good skill players, and I think we found some things out defensively and offensively and kind of figured out who we are and what our identity is,” said Klinck. “We’re going to take this next week and really push that on our kids. We’ll see what happens on Thursday, we’re excited.”

The Game

Spartan Stadium (Lee Snider Field) - Capacity 5,800, is located at 601 S. Riverview Drive in Bixby. Tickets are $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for students and can be purchased at this link.

Sand Springs

The Sandites saw their five-game undefeated streak snapped last week against Booker T. Washington but they’re still very much in the hunt this year, and could force a three-way tie for first place in the district with an upset of the Spartans.

The Sandites are in their second year under Head Coach Bobby Klinck, who holds an all-time coaching record of 25-18. While Sand Springs was a perennial playoff contender from 2012 to 2017, they hit a rough patch of three losing seasons before Klinck’s arrival spurred them from 2-8 in 2019 to 7-5 last year.

In the season opener they beat archrival Sapulpa 53-26, then they easily handled Bishop Kelley 34-13. Against defending Arkansas 4A State Champion Shiloh Christian they had to come from behind in a 40-33 shootout. In district action they have won 30-13 against Ponca City and 48-34 against Muskogee before falling to the Hornets.

Players to Watch

Ty Pennington (Sr. QB) is 95-147-1437-1 passing with 15 touchdowns, and is 84-335 rushing with six TDs. He has over 5,000 passing yards in his career and holds the school record.

Blake Jones (Sr. RB) is 108-746 rushing with seven touchdowns but was injured against Booker T. Washington and his status is unknown going into Thursday’s game. Backup Kenneth Page was 12-49 with one TD in relief.

Brody Rutledge (Jr. WR) is 2-3-49-0 passing with two touchdowns and 23-413 receiving with three TDs.

Keaton Campbell (Sr. WR) is 23-291 receiving with four touchdowns and averages 22.8 yards per kick return.

Jacob Blevins (Sr. WR) is 32-511 receiving with five TDs and averages 19 yards per kick return.

Ryan Shoemaker (Sr. TE) is 13-154 receiving with four TDs.

Jabe Schlehuber averages 45 yards per kick return with a school record-setting 99-yard TD.

Landon Hendricks (Sr. DE) has 43 tackles, 12 for loss, 6 sacks, 5 pass breakups, 1 fumble recovery, 3 forced fumbles, a safety, and a blocked PAT.

Brooks Dudley (Sr. LB) has 48 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Gabe Brown has 35 tackles, 4 for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a 75-yard scoop and score.

Conner Light has 38 tackles, 4 for loss, 1 pass breakup, and 1 forced fumble.

Drake Fain has 53 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 pass breakup, two fumble recoveries, and a 13-yard scoop and score.

Ryder Barnes has 29 tackles, 0.5 for loss, one interception, 4 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery.

Logan Wolfe (Jr. K) is 22-of-27 on PATs and 2-of-2 on field goals with a long of 34 yards.

Bixby

Bixby’s 42-game win streak includes three consecutive State Championships, six overall, and six of the last seven since the 6A split. Since their 2018 season-opening loss to Jenks, they have recorded nine shutouts and have scored 50+ points on 23 occasions. They have scored 70+ points on nine occasions, including three in a row this year.

The Spartans opened the year 69-14 against Mansfield Timberview, then won 23-15 at Jenks, 42-14 against Stillwater, 71-0 at Bartlesville, 81-6 at Putnam City West, and 70-7 at Choctaw. 12th-year head coach Loren Montgomery, a Sand Springs alumni, holds a career record of 99-39 at Bixby.

Players to Watch

Christian Burke (Sr. QB) is 97-145-1409-2 passing with 18 TDs.

Conner Kirby (Jr. QB/LB) is 6-9-61-0 passing, 56-355 rushing for 10 TDs, and 1-18 receiving. He also has 10 tackles and two two-point conversions.

Oklahoma State University-commit Braylin Presley (Sr. RB) is 53-616 rushing with 9 TDs and 30-362 receiving with 3 TDs.

Zach Blankenship (Sr. RB) is 31-199 rushing with 5 TDs and 3-60 receiving with 1 TD.

Preston Solomon (Sr. WR) is 7-268 receiving with 2 TDs.

University of Oklahoma commit Luke Hasz (Jr. TE) is 18-229 receiving with 1 TD.

Jack Puckett (Sr. LB) has 53 tackles, 9 for loss, 6 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 forced fumbles,

Connor Stacy (Sr. LB) has 38 tackles, 8 for loss, 3 sacks, 1 interception,

Miles Hill (Sr. LB) has 32 tackles, 14 for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), and 1 forced fumble.

Connor Nolan (Sr. K) is 38-of-41 on PATs and 2-of-2 on field goals with a long of 37.

The Series

The Spartans lead the series 19-12, and have won the last seven consecutive 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 seven-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 in 2020. 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.

1922: Bixby 19-14.
1926: Sand Springs 30-12.
1927: Sand Springs 20-6.
1980: Sand Springs 10-7 (A).
1981: Bixby 14-12 (H).
1982: Bixby (Score unverified).
1983: Bixby 21-4 (A).
1984: Sand Springs 5-3 (H).
1985: Bixby 14-3 (A).
1992: Bixby 20-17 (H).
1993: Sand Springs 26-20 (A).
1994: Sand Springs 33-7 (A).
1995: Bixby 17-10 (H).
1996: Sand Springs 28-7 (A).
1997: Sand Springs 19-0 (H).
1998: Sand Springs 30-6 (A).
1999: Bixby 23-7 (H).
2010: Bixby 48-35 (H).
2011: Bixby 43-23 (A).
2012: Sand Springs 21-7 (H).
2013: Bixby 35-21 (A).
2014: Bixby 34-31 (A).
2014: Bixby 41-14 (N, State Semifinals).
2015: Sand Springs 20-0 (H).
2015: Bixby 38-28 (N, State Finals).
2016: Bixby 35-19 (A).
2016: Bixby 35-21 (N, State Semifinals).
2017: Bixby 41-21 (H).
2018: Bixby 35-0 (H).
2019: Bixby 75-0 (A).
2020: Bixby 51-20 (H).

Bishop Kelley Volleyball wins 36th consecutive Regional Championship

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A version of this story was originally written for the Tulsa World.

It’s hard to stop a freight train, and it’s hard to stop Bishop Kelley from reaching the State Tournament. The Class 6A No. 1 Comets (28-5) streaked their way to a 36th consecutive Regional Championship Tuesday night at the Eusebius S. Beltran Activities Center.

Moving up from 5A in 2020 has done little to slow down the powerhouse volleyball program, which won its 19th gold ball last year and appears to be on a collision course for another State Finals appearance.

The Comets swept past Ponca City (5-13) and Booker T. Washington (15-21) in straight sets, winning 25-4, 25-10, and 25-7 against the Wildcats, and 25-15, 25-11, and 25-14 against the Hornets. 

“We’re really proud to get to play Booker T.,” said head coach Jerri Berna. “They’re a fine team and we really enjoyed competing with them and the way they pushed us to have to overcome. We couldn’t be more excited to go to State.”

Bishop Kelley was led offensively by sophomore star Curry Kendall, who racked up 12 kills and two aces against the Hornets, with seven kills in the first set alone. 

“Curry is absolutely one of the best outside hitters in the state,” said Berna. “We’re really proud of the work that she does and the balls she puts away, but I know she would also give a big shoutout to her team.”

There was no shortage of offensive firepower from the team. Brooke Goen scored nine kills, and Madeline Barton added six. Kate Schneeberg recorded 30 assists, while Milee Jackson and Jessica Shildt led the team on defense. 

“This is probably the most parity there’s ever been in 6A,” said Berna. “We’re really proud of the way we played tonight. We’re really quite honored to be part of such a legacy of 36 years in a row and we’re just going to do the best we can to keep working up until the State Tournament, see what the draw looks like and give it our best shot.”

Joining the Comets at State will be Edmond Santa Fe, Jenks, Edmond Deer Creek, Norman North, Edmond Memorial, Broken Arrow, and Owasso.

The Hornets defeated No. 16 Sand Springs (14-20) in straight sets to reach the finals, with sets of 25-12, 25-18, and 26-24. Taryn McIntosh scored eight kills, Makenzie Johns had seven kills, and Sydney Thompson scored six. Brenna Weaver and Bridget Johnson recorded 11 kills apiece.

Leading the Sandites was Kasidy Holland with seven kills, Teyha Johnson with 18 assists, and Charley Fahland with 15 digs. 

Sports Roundup: Softball ends season at Owasso Regional

A version of this story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

The Sandite fast-pitch softball team wrapped up the season with an 18-15 record, going 2-2 at the 6A Regional playoffs at Owasso last weekend. 

The Sandites beat Muskogee 8-5 in the first round and again 6-1 in the loser’s bracket, but dropped games of 6-1 and 11-1 to the host team and returning State finalists.

In the first game the Sandites made the most of three walks, three errors, and four singles in the top of the first to take an 8-0 lead and held on for the win behind Kelsi Hilton’s pitching.

Avery Tanner scored the only Sandite run of the first game against Owasso on an error, but the Sandites only trailed 3-1 till the fifth when the Rams began to pull ahead.

In the Muskogee rematch Hilton held the Roughers to only one run with three strikeouts, while Lauren Hammock led the offense with two hits, one run, and two RBI.

The host Rams rolled to a six-inning run-rule win in the elimination match, however, with Tanner’s RBI double scoring Kaylei Rake for the lone Sandite run.

Volleyball

The Class 6A No. 16 Sandite volleyball team (14-19) picked up a 3-0 non-conference sweep of 5A No. 12 Glenpool (13-18) on Senior Night, October 5th, with sets of 25-18, 25-16, and 25-12.

Layla Lenex scored 14 kills, Payton Robbins scored 11, and Jacelyn Smith and Kasidy Holland scored 7 apiece. Tehya Johnson recorded 38 assists, Charley Fahland made 13 digs, and Olivia Dewitt served three aces.

On Thursday they fell 3-0 at No. 10 Union (23-9) to wrap up conference action with a 2-6 record. Robbins scored 8 kills with 17 digs, Johnson had 9 digs and 19 assists, and Fahland had 14 digs.

The Sandites will travel to No. 1 Bishop Kelley (26-5) Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. for Regionals with a first-round match against Booker T. Washington (14-20).

Sandites fall 37-32, Ty Pennington sets Sand Springs passing record

A version of this story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

Usually when a football team takes a knee to run out the clock, that means the game’s over. But with 1:21 left to play, Dominic Ornelas burst through the Booker T. Washington line and snatched a takeaway to give the host Sandites one last shot.

Unfortunately for the Sandites, the Hornets would also get a sudden takeaway in the dying moments, as Micah Tease snagged a fumble from Jacob Blevins just 16 seconds later, and this time the offensive line held up to the hungry Sandites.

Class 6A-II No. 3 Booker T. Washington (5-1, 2-1) led for most of the ballgame, but never comfortably, and held on for a 37-32 win at previously undefeated No. 4 Charles Page (5-1, 2-1). 

A far departure from last year’s 49-0 rout at S.E. Williams Stadium.

“Every time we’ve been out here it’s usually tough,” said Hornets head coach Jonathon Brown. “I’ve been out here eight years, and every time we come over here it’s usually a tough game. Coach (Bobby) Klinck is doing a hell of a job of building that team in his image. They’re hard-nosed and they fight and they do a hell of a job, so I’m proud of them and it was a hell of a game.”

“I think it’s just another year in the program and all the off-season stuff and just them being in our system more,” said Klinck. “We’re a little more familiar with what we’re doing. We told them that this game was going to be a measuring stick for our program and where we’re at. It would have been really nice to come away with a win, but I was very proud of the way we competed and we weren’t scared for sure, so that was very great to see.”

“When people describe Sand Springs it’s ‘they play hard, they’re disciplined and tough,’” said Klinck. “Nobody ever says ‘well they’ve got good football players.’ I think we proved last night that we’ve got good football players. I’ll say it again, Ty Pennington’s the best quarterback in the state and he proved it going against a secondary that’s got two or three Division I guys in there. Our receivers are getting open as well. We’ve got good football players at Sand Springs. That’s a huge takeaway that I took away from it.”

Pennington was 14-of-27 for 270 yards and two passing scores, and had 62 rushing yards with two more touchdowns. His Hornet counterpart Lathan Boone was 21-of-29 passing for 253 yards and three touchdowns.

Pennington’s yardage was enough to set the Sand Springs career passing record at 5,061, surpassing his own quarterback coach, Darrack Harger.

“If anybody’s going to do it, I’m glad it’s that guy,” said Harger. “I’ve told him for the past three years that my goal for him was to beat my record. That dude is a baller and he’s going to go on to the next level and do all kinds of great things.”

The visiting Hornets took the lead on their first possession with a 25-yard strike from Boone to Tease, but the Sandites quickly responded.

After completing a 22-yard pass to Brody Rutledge to set the new school record, Pennington dove in for a one-yard touchdown to tie it up. He then found Blevins for a 30-yard score to take the 13-7 lead, but Logan Wolfe’s kick was blocked.

Deon McKinney, Jr. tied it up for the Hornets on an 11-yard run, but Charles Gaylord blocked Jackson Marsh’s kick to pay back the Hornets. 

Boone gave the visitors the lead soon after on a 17-yard fourth-down strike to Demitrius Prudom and the Hornets went to the locker room up 20-13 at the half.

The Sandites got possession to start the third quarter and Pennington walked untouched into the end zone on a 13-yard draw, and Jonathan Daniels kicked the point after to tie it up.

McKinney Jr. put the visitors right back on top five plays later with a 43-yard run late in the third, then Marsh kicked a 36-yard field goal early in the fourth to make it 30-20.

Kenneth Page entered the game for Sand Springs after star running back Blake Jones left with an injury in the first quarter, and scored his first varsity touchdown on a 13-yard run, but Daniels’ kick missed off the left upright. 

The Hornets retaliated with a 40-yard pass from Boone to Tease, then the Sandites struck right back with a 9-yard throw from Pennington to Keaton Campbell. A two-point pass came up a yard short, and the final score settled at 37-32.

Rutledge led the Sandite receiving corps with 94 yards, followed by Blevins with 81 and Campbell with 73. Page rushed for 49 yards on 12 carries. Drake Fain led the defense with 14 tackles, Gabe Brown had six tackles and a sack, and Conner Light had seven tackles with two for loss.

Jones’s undisclosed injury isn’t expected to be season-ending, but Klinck is confident in Page’s ability to perform while Jones is out. 

“For a sophomore he was pretty dang impressive. I was scared about ball security, we’ve done so well with our ball security. He did a fantastic job. Great for him to get some early varsity action. I hate how it happened, but Blake’s a tough kid and he’ll come back, and it’s good to have a guy like Kenneth Page to fill in for the time being.”

Klinck was also impressed with his receivers’ ability to compete against one of the best secondary units in the state. 

“Brody Rutledge, Keaton (Campbell), and Jacob Blevins. Great route runners, good hands, we’ve got speed and size. Ty’s able to fit it into windows and they make big plays. Again, as a coaching staff, we learned that our guys can make plays against the best in the state, so we’re going to take that moving forward into the rest of the season.”

Sand Springs will have another tall task Thursday at No. 1 Bixby (6-0, 3-0), who just beat No. 2 Choctaw 70-7. The Spartans have won 42 consecutive games and three State titles in a row. 

“We’re going to show up,” said Klinck. “Our kids aren’t going to back down, our coaches certainly won’t. We’re going to try to put a game plan together where it gives our guys a chance to be successful, but it’s really up to them to go make the plays. I do hope and I do feel like we got a confidence boost from playing a really good Booker T. Washington team that’s very fast, has really good skill players, and I think we found some things out defensively and offensively and kind of figured out who we are and what our identity is. We’re going to take this next week and really push that on our kids. We’ll see what happens on Thursday, we’re excited.”