Sandites Survive Sapulpa in Wild 64-54 Shootout, RB Duo Page/McCoy Excels

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Ali McCoy rushed for 154 yard and three touchdowns in the win over sapulpa. (Photo: Charity Emigh),

For only the second time in series history, Sapulpa hung half a hundred on Sand Springs. But unlike that 60-19 game in 2002, this time around it wasn’t enough.

It was only fitting that the 97th installment of Highway 97 Rivalry would be the wildest spectacle in the history of the series.

At 11:36 p.m., a shootout totaling 118 points and 894 yards finally came to a close. Sand Springs secured its fourth consecutive win against Sapulpa and its ninth in the past decade, 64-54 after trailing 40-28 by halftime.

It was a close three-way tie for the game’s MVP. Kenneth Page carried the ball 23 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Ali McCoy carried it 22 times for 154 yards and three touchdowns. And the 100-degree heat index sent Chieftain after Chieftain to the turf with cramps that derailed their would-be win.

“Our strategy obviously worked, not to tackle wide receivers and not tackle the quarterback to the point that they cramped so we could win the game,” quipped head coach Bobby Klinck, who improved to 4-0 against the Chieftains since arriving in Sand Springs.

“That is an unbelievable football team. Number seven (Colton Howard) is an unbelievable quarterback. Number one (Kylen Edwards) is an unbelievable receiver. Coach (Tim) Holt is an unbelievable coach. We’re lucky to come out on top.”

Howard lit up the first half to the tune of 215 yards passing and six total touchdowns before cramps repeatedly sent him to the ground in the second half. Even so, he ended the night 15-of-32 passing for 374 yards and seven TDs.

His top connection, Edwards, had seven catches for 167 yards and four scores.

Although the heat hampered the Chieftains, it was just as hot on the Sand Springs side of the field, but the Sandites’ second half ground-and-pound offense seemed unstoppable.

Kenneth Page (Left) and Ali McCoy (right) celebrate after the game. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

“We leaned on our offensive line and our two tailbacks, and they got it done,” said Klinck.

Last year, Page bore the brunt of the Sandites offense, rushing for 205 yards and five touchdowns to beat the Chieftains, but this year he didn’t have to go it alone.

After Page scored on a 12-yard run to cut the Sandite deficit to 46-43 early in the third, McCoy followed it up with a 13-yard bruising run on the next possession, bullying past three would-be tacklers to regain the lead for the first time since midway through the first quarter.

“He can go and then I can go,” said Page. “We can rest, go out there and pound them, rest, then pound them again. We just kept going back and forth.”

“When I’m gassed out and tired, I know Kenny can come in, press the defense, and I’m back fresh and can do the same thing for him,” said McCoy.

Sapulpa threatened to regain its lead, marching to the Sand Springs’ 36-yard line before a devastating miscommunication between Howard and his center resulted in the ball being unexpectedly snapped right to the quarterback’s face as he looked toward the sideline.

Keagan Gilman recovered it and five plays later McCoy got loose on a 45-yard run, scoring behind a big downfield block from Wyatt Rutledge to pad the lead.

A sack from Waylon Jeffers forced a quick three-and-out and this time it was Page’s turn to score on a one-yard plunge, giving the home team a 64-46 advantage.

Sapulpa put two more scores on the board - a 36-yard completion to Carter Calvert, followed by a two-point bullet to Jaylen Friday. But those would be the last points of the game.

Jordan Reider wrapped up an onside kick attempt and the Sandites were able to drain three minutes off the clock before the two teams traded turnovers on downs. For the final possession McCoy bullied his way to the Sapulpa 22 before the Sandites assumed victory formation.

While the Sandite offense was lethal in the second half, it barely saw the field in the first quarter.

Caleb Goodman had 143 yards receiving and two total touchdowns. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

Both teams forced punts on their opening drives, but Sapulpa never got theirs off. A bad snap was scooped up by Caleb Goodman deep in the backfield and returned 20 yards for a touchdown.

Sapulpa soon tied it on a 7-yard pass from Howard to Edwards and the Sandites’ corresponding drive ended on a bad pitch that was recovered by Sapulpa. Two plays later and Edwards cashed in on an 8-yard completion.

Then came Alex Dudley with an 84-yard kick return to tie it back up.

Sapulpa would still end up on top to end the first quarter, however, scoring on a 57-yard catch by Edwards as time expired.

Sand Springs’ next possession ended in a fumble recovery by Christian Sonich after a bad hike sailed over Easton Webb’s head, and Future Ledbetter made the Sandites pay with a five-yard reception on the next play.

Continuing the shootout was Goodman with a 90-yard reception on the very next play, and McCoy tied it on the next possession with a 7-yard run.

Two plays later and Edwards Mossed a Sandite defender for a 59-yard score. Howard gave the visitors their final points of the half on a 4-yard scramble with 28 seconds left, though the PATs for both touchdowns were blocked.

While the one-two punch of Page and McCoy was the talk of the second half, it was an opening-play 49-yard pick six by Hunter Wilson that first disrupted the Chieftain momentum.

Wilson sniffed the play out immediately and jumped the route, going untouched till he shrugged off a cramping Howard near the end zone and waltzed over the goal line.

“That was huge,” said Klinck. “That was big time…Coach (Shane) Ingram came up with a great scheme…we changed some things up and that helped us right there.”

American Heritage Bank presented two checks for $5,000 to the Sand Springs and Sapulpa Athletic Departments as the Title Sponsor of the Highway 97 Rivalry. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

Sapulpa had an answer two plays later on a 70-yard toss to David Richardson, but a two-point pass attempt was broken up by Kehlan Corbbrey.

Soon after came the debilitating hammering by Page and McCoy, and the rest is history.

“I love those running backs,” said Klinck. “They’re super competitive. They want the ball in their hands, but they understand they’re better together than just one.”

“Without the O-line, the job wouldn’t get done, so you’ve got to thank the O-line for what they’re doing,” said Page. “It feels amazing to beat them four years in a row and just keep that legacy going for the next generation.”

“It feels great,” said McCoy. “We all work hard together so it feels really deserving to have this victory.”

While the running backs did most of the scoring this week, Webb and Goodman gave a preview of what will likely be another dynamic duo over the course of the season, connecting for 143 yards, despite there only being two pass attempts in the entire second half.

Sandites Hoist the trophy high after winning their fourth consecutive highway 97 rivalry. (photo: Charity Emigh).

Special teams were a strong point for the Sandites, who averaged 30.5 yards per return. Dawson Puckett was perfect on PATs, going 8-for-8 on the night, while Jace Arnold added a two-point wildcat run early in the third quarter.

Defensively, the Sandites were led by Owen Floyd, Hudson Sheppard, Marcum Sims, Gilman, Corbbrey, Gatlin Gunn, and Dudley.

Sand Springs will get a bye week before taking on defending 6A-I State Champion Bixby (1-0), who steamrolled Owasso 42-16 in its season opener on Thursday.

Sapulpa will play its home opener next Friday against Tahlequah in the Tigers’ season opener.

Box Score

CPHS 64 Sapulpa 54
1Q: Sapulpa 21-14.
2Q: Sapulpa 19-14.
3Q: CPHS 22-6.
4Q: CPHS 14-8.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 6-12-149-1, Sapulpa 15-32-374-1.
Rushing: CPHS 49-304, Sapulpa 31-67.
Offense: CPHS 61-453, Sapulpa 63-441.
Fumbles-Lost: CPHS 3-2, Sapulpa 4-2.
Penalties: CPHS 12-103, Sapulpa 10-73.

Scoring Summary

1Q (7:24): Goodman 20-yard Fumble Recovery, Puckett Kick, 7-0.
1Q (3:38): Edwards 7-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 7-7.
1Q (3:05): Edwards 8-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 7-14.
1Q (2:52): Dudley 84-yard Kick Return, Puckett Kick, 14-14.
1Q (0:00): Edwards 57-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 14-21.
2Q (10:26): Ledbetter 5-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 14-28.
2Q (10:12): Goodman 90-yard Pass from Webb, Puckett Kick, 21-28.
2Q (7:39): McCoy 7-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 28-28.
2Q (6:51): Edwards 59-yard Pass from Howard, Kick Failed, 28-34.
2Q (0:28): Howard 4-yard Run, Kick Failed, 28-40.
3Q (11:46): Wilson 49-yard Interception, Puckett Kick, 35-40.
3Q (11:10): Richardson 70-yard Pass, Pass Failed, 35-46.
3Q (8:02): Page 12-yard Run, Arnold Run, 43-46.
3Q (2:01): McCoy 13-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 50-46.
4Q (10:57): McCoy 45-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 57-46.
4Q (6:44): Page 1-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 64-46.
4Q (5:17): Calvert 64-yard Pass from Howard, Friday Pass from Howard, 64-54.

Season Primer: Sandite Football Kicks Off Friday vs. Sapulpa

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SAnd Springs hosts the highway 97 rivalry trophy after a 2022 road victory at sapulpa.

Since 1952, Sand Springs and Sapulpa have been connected by State Highway 97, but since 1922 something else has connected the two Tulsa suburbs.

Blood, sweat, pigskin, and gridiron have been bringing the two communities together for 30 years longer than the rivalry has had a name - and for the 97th time in the past 102 seasons, Sandites and Chieftains will be at each other’s throats on Friday, August 25th at Memorial Stadium

Both Charles Page High School and Sapulpa High School will open their seasons in Zero Week in the American Heritage Bank Highway 97 Rivalry.

The defending 97 Champs? Sand Springs by way of a 35-21 road win that saw now-senior running back Kenneth Page lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 205 yards and five touchdowns.

With their eighth win in the past nine years, the Sandites finally took their first series lead since 1943 at 46-45-5.

Both teams are looking to take a big step this season. After three consecutive seasons with playoff wins, the Sandites aim for their first State Finals berth since 2015. Sapulpa is coming off back-to-back winning seasons and is looking for its first playoff win since 2005.

Both teams will be eager to start the season on the right foot with a win against their chief rivals before a packed house on statewide television.

The Sandites started the year with a 21-7 half-game loss to Choctaw at the Jenks Football Preview on Friday, August 18th. The Yellowjackets took a 14-0 lead before Easton Webb connected with Wyatt Rutledge, the latest in a long line of Rutledge football stars.

“We were a little bit tired towards the end of that scrimmage, which is natural,” said fourth-year head coach Bobby Klinck, who owns a 22-14 record since arriving at Sand Springs.

“You can run and sprint and do all that stuff, but football shape is different. You’ve got to be ready for it. So I thought there were some plays that we left out there, but for the most part, when we watched film and went back and looked at it, I thought we’re a much-improved football team from last year and I look forward to showing that on Friday.”

Klinck isn’t one to gently test the water toes-first. Choctaw was last year’s State Runner-Up, beating the Sandites 48-29 in the quarterfinals. His team will also take on defending 6A-I State Champion Bixby in the second game of the season.

The Sandites’ strength this season will be their offensive line. Six-foot-four sophomore Ryley Kester is already receiving Division I offers, checking in at 270 pounds. 275-pound senior Tyler Smith stands six feet fall, as does 280-pound senior Marcus Sims. At center, State Tournament-placing wrestler Mason Harris will provide six feet and 260 pounds of intensity.

“Combine that with Ali McCoy and Kenneth Page, we’re looking to run the football,” said Klinck. “There’s no doubt we should be able to. I’ve always told the O-line that we’ll go as far as they go.”

Page was the workhorse for the Sandites last year, carrying the ball 210 times for 1022 yards and 17 touchdowns. McCoy also showed off his speed with 53 carries for 297 yards and 7 TDs.

Klinck expects to split the workload pretty evenly between the two this year. “Those guys love it because they understand that when they’re fresh, they’re a lot better."

Also taking advantage of that powerful line will be 6’4” sophomore quarterback Easton Webb, who was 127-of-203 passing last season for 1,564 yards and 13 touchdowns after winning the starting job in week four.

But despite the football hype, Webb’s primary sport is baseball. In fact, he was recruited by and committed to Oklahoma State University as a freshman before he had ever played a varsity minute.

“In the summer, when you’re that type of athlete, you’ve got to juggle your time between baseball and football,” said Klinck. “And he needs to do that because he excels at both. We’re happy now that it’s coming up on fall and we get him full time.”

“His command, his physicality, the way he’s grown physically. Obviously we’re looking for great things from him.”

Webb also shows strong potential as a dual threat, carrying the ball for nearly 200 yards and four touchdowns last year.

“He’s a lot faster than what people think,” said Klinck. “He definitely wants to throw, but he’s not afraid to tuck it down and put his shoulder pads down when he has to. He’s an all-around type of player and we’re looking for him to make major strides this year.”

Untested for the Sandites will be their receiving corps after graduating their top four from last season.

“Wyatt Rutledge has really come on,” said Klinck. “I think (Caleb) Goodman is going to show some things this year. It’s a bunch of guys that are unproven but we feel that they have the talent to get it done. They’ve just got to prove it on Friday night.”

Defensively, the Sandites will be returning only a handful of their top guys from last season, but Klinck expects big things nonetheless.

“This is a group that they’ve been in the system for a minute and they’re playing fast. We’re going to be aggressive this year. We think that’s kind of our mentality and our nature.”

Gatlin Gunn, Keagan Gilman, Dallas Elifrits, Waylon Jeffers, and Alex Dudley are all expected to make a big impact as some of the top returning tacklers from last season.

As for the leadership this season, the team captains will be Harris, Sims, Dudley, and Gillman.

“We vote team captains. I allow the players to do that,” said Klinck. “They’ve done an unbelievable job. When it’s hot, when guys want to get testy, they’re the ones stepping in saying ‘we can’t be doing this, we’re on the same team.’”

“At the end of practice Alex Dudley’s telling all the scouting guys ‘thank you so much for helping us, it’s a big deal what you’re doing.’ It’s the old adage, ‘when players lead, those are the best teams.’ They’re doing it right now; it’s exciting.”

Sand Springs is hoping to #Sellout97 in what would be the first sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium since it was expanded to a 6,700-seat capacity in 2007. Fans who don’t like crowds will be able to tune in on Yurview (Cox Channel 3). The game will start late at 8:00 p.m. to help dodge the sun.

For game coverage, follow @SSEmigh on X (formerly known as Twitter) during the game. Check in on SanditePride.com for the game story and consider subscribing for only $4.00/month to support local, independent coverage of all things Sand Springs.

Sandite Volleyball Falls 3-0 to Union in Thriller

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For the second match in a row, the Sandite volleyball team played excellently as a team but just couldn’t quite find an answer for their opponent’s star power.

Last week it was a 3-2 heartbreaker to 5A No. 11 Booker T. Washington (5-2, 1-1), whose sophomore star Arriana Brown put up 29 kills.

This Tuesday it was a 3-0 sweep by Union (3-5, 2-1), whose senior star Brittney Smith recorded 22 kills.

Sand Springs dropped to 5-5 on the young season and is 0-3 in conference play.

The RedHawks jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the first set but the Sandites battled back to take a 10-9 advantage on a kill from Brooklyn Shope.

The most the Sandites would lead was 12-10, however, before Union went on a nine-point run.

Sand Springs got the side out on a kill from freshman Adelynn Ray, who has been showing high potential this season. The visitors made the rest of the set competitive but couldn’t quite dig out of the hole, falling 25-18.

Game two was neck-and-neck from the very start with 12 tie scores and six lead changes. Neither team led by more than a point till Union went up 8-6, but the Sandites responded with a three-point run and an ace from Evyn Morrow.

The RedHawks finally began to build momentum late in the game on a deadly combination of low set-pieces by Jayden Smith (each team had their own Jayden Smith) and hammer-fist kills by Brittney Smith that were nearly impossible to dig.

After falling behind 21-16, Sand Springs clawed its way back with kills from Claire Day, Ray, and Averi Tippit before Alia DeBerry served an ace to tie it 22-22.

Brittney Smith and Ray traded kills to tie at 23-23 and again at 24-24, but Brittney Smith got the final kill of the set and Jayden Smith served an ace for the win.

In game three Union jumped out to a fast 5-1 lead, Sand Springs cut it to 8-6, then the RedHawks went on a six-point run to make it 14-7.

Day and Shope scored three kills in a row and Morrow added an ace to cut it to 14-12, but the Sandites never could quite tie it up and ultimately fell 25-20 on an ace from Bailee Mueller.

Day led the Sandites offensively with 10 kills, followed by Jayden Smith with 8, and Ray with 7. Hannah McKelvey had 19 assists and Ray had 17. Morrow recorded 17 digs.

Sand Springs will return to action Friday at the Claremore tournament in a battle of the spouses as current Sandite coach Skylar Jackson leads her girls against her husband, former Sandite coach Derek Jackson.

The Sandites and 5A No. 2 Zebras (11-2) will play at 4:00 p.m. but first the Sandites will take on Collinsville (1-13) at 9:00 a.m., 5A No. 4 Sapulpa (11-5) at noon, and 5A No. 12 Edison (8-4) at 2:00 p.m.

On Saturday they will play Tulsa Memorial (2-2) at 9:00 a.m., 4A No. 7 Verdigris (7-5) at 11:00 a.m. and Tulsa Will Rogers (1-5) at 2:00 p.m.

The tournament will be a small world reunion of Sandites as in addition to the Jacksons, former Sand Springs coaches Wally Poplin (Collinsville) and Caleb Horton (Verdigris) have both coached in Sand Springs and Memorial coach Audra Estrada lives in Sand Springs.

Union 3 CPHS 0 (25-18, 26-24, 25-20)
Kills: Union 43, CPHS 40.
Blocks: Union 2, CPHS 1.
Aces: Union 3, CPHS 9.
Errors: Union 12, CPHS 28.

(Sand Springs stats)
Kills: Day 10, Smith 8, Ray 7, Tippit 5, DeBerry 5, Shope 4, Pearce 1.
Assists: H. McKelvey 19, Ray 17, Morrow 2, Smith 1.
Blocks: Ray .5, Pearce .5.
Digs: Morrow 17, Smith 6, Pearce 5, Ray 3, DeBerry 3, F. McKelvey 2, Day 1, H. McKelvey 1.
Aces: DeBerry 3, Ray 2, Smith 2, Morrow 2.

Sandites Go 1-2 at Tough Owasso Festival, Beat Bartlesville

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The Charles Page High School fast-pitch softball team (8-3) got a preview of the post-season this weekend at the Owasso Festival, sandwiching a win against Bartlesville between a pair of losses to last year’s top dogs.

On Friday the Sandites fell 10-0 to undefeated host Owasso (13-0) in a four-inning affair before winning 6-3 against Bartlesville (3-8). On Saturday they suffered another setback, 7-0 against defending State Champion Edmond Memorial (7-4).

Winners of six in a row coming into the Friday showcase, the Sandites fell behind early against the Rams as Jayelle Austin hit a homer on Owasso’s first at-bat.

The Rams loaded the bases on two walks and a single before the Sandites swapped Kelsi Hilton (1-1) out for Addison Hughes (5-1), who gave up a grand slam to Karson Holson.

Owasso scored four more runs on a pair of errors in the third and fourth innings then capped it off with an RBI single from Tulsa-commit Brookley Foster for the walkoff.

Preslee Downing got the win for the Rams, surrendering only one hit with eight strikeouts.

Kylie King (2-1) got the girls back on track, pitching four hits and three strikeouts against the Bruins. Seven different players recorded one hit apiece and six players scored runs.

A pair of first-inning errors gave Bartlesville its only lead but Bella Wilson, Morgan Rector, and Hilton hit back-to-back-to-back doubles, followed by singles from Lakelyn Harger and Kaylei Rake.

Harger scored on a groundout by Ashlyn Clark, Rake scored on a passed ball, then Kenzie King scored on a groundout by Bailey Copeland for the 6-1 lead before the inning came to a close.

Two more errors set up Chloe Robbins for an RBI single in the second, then Isabell Daniels scored on a groundout by Mady Nachbor in the fifth for the final run of the game.

Hughes took her first loss of the season against the Bulldogs, tossing seven hits, three walks, and two strikeouts in 3.2 innings before being relieved by King, who surrendered three hits in 1.2 innings.

UCF-commit Beth Damon got Edmond Memorial on the board with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first, then Kensington Perrotti hit an RBI double in the third. ACU-commit Ari Maxwell added a solo homer in the fourth to kick off a three-hit, four-run inning.

Sand Springs stranded six runners on five hits in the shutout loss. Keegan Baker got the win with a five-strikeout two-hitter.

The Sandites will return to action Thursday at home with a district double header against Moore (9-2, 1-1).

Moore will be the fourth team thus far that the Sandites have played from last year’s State Tournament. The Sandites may have fallen to Edmond Memorial and Owasso, but they also won a district double-header against Southmoore on Tuesday.

Hughes Strikes out 8, Sandites Throttle Collinsville 8-0

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It was a dominant trip to Claremore for the Charles Page High School softball team (7-1) as the Sandites didn’t allow a single run in either game of the Rogers State University Festival.

After defeating Coweta 3-0 in the first game, Sand Springs won an 8-0 shutout against Collinsville (3-3) to wrap up the day. It was the sixth consecutive victory for the Sandites and the third shutout of the season.

Addison Hughes (5-0) kept her undefeated season alive in style, pitching a four-inning two-hitter with eight strikeouts to drop her already-impressive ERA to only 0.77.

Bella Wilson, Morgan Rector, and Lakelyn Harger all recorded two hits apiece with Rector batting in a team-best three RBIs while Kylie King and Bailey Copeland scored two runs apiece.

Wilson hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the first and came in soon after on a two-run single from Harger. Rector hit a two-run single in the second to score Kylie King and Copeland.

In the third inning Kenzie King hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Harger, then Kylie King hit a double to score Kaylei Rake. Wilson’s second double of the day brought home Kylie King, then Copeland scored on an RBI single from Rector for the final run of the game.

The game clock ran out midway through the bottom of the fourth as the Sandites had one on base and no outs.

Sand Springs is off to its hottest start since 2020 and will continue its busy week with a three-game outing at the Owasso Festival.

On Friday the Sandites will play host Owasso (9-0) at 10:00 a.m. in their biggest test of the young season. The Rams have won their last four meetings with Sand Springs, last losing to the Sandites in 2020.

Sand Springs will also play Bartlesville (1-5) at noon on Friday and Jenks (4-3) at noon on Saturday.

Sandites Shut Out Coweta 3-0 at RSU Festival

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Sandite Softball picked up its fifth consecutive win and second shutout of the season Thursday morning in Claremore, winning 3-0 against Coweta (1-6) in the Rogers State University Festival.

Sand Springs improved to 6-1 after out-hitting the Tigers 6 to 3 in the time-limited six-inning affair.

Freshman Kylie King (1-1) got her first win in the circle, surrendering 3 hits with 1 strikeout and no walks.

Ashlyn Clark scored the opening run on a single from Bailey Copeland in the top of the second but the Sandites stranded loaded bases after a force at home and a strikeout from Karsyn Lydens.

Sand Springs put two on base in the third but gave up a double play and stranded one, then stranded two more in the fourth. The Sandites ultimately left seven runners on base throughout the game.

Kaylei Rake hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth to bring in Kelsi Hilton and Copeland added another RBI with a single to score Kenzie King in the sixth.

The Sandites will return to action at 11:45 a.m. against Collinsville (3-1).