Sandites Qualify 12 Boys, 4 Girls for State Wrestling Tournament

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Charles Page High School will be well represented at the OSSAA State Championship Thursday afternoon when 6A action starts.

Both the boys and girls will begin wrestling at 4:30 p.m. in Session II at Jim Norick Arena in the State Fairgrounds at Oklahoma City.

The Sandites qualified 12 boys for State after a strong second place finish at the West Regional in Moore on Saturday. It was their highest Regional placement since 2017 and their most total State qualifiers since at least 1996, if not ever. They also had their first Regional Champion since 2019 in Zander Grigsby.

The girls meanwhile qualified four for State at the East Regional in Glenpool on Tuesday, taking eighth place as a team. Bailey Copeland became the first-ever girls State qualifier from Sand Springs in the Sandites’ second year with a girls program.

The Sandites’ fourth and fifth placers from Regionals will be first to wrestle in the wrestle-in round on Thursday, followed by the quarterfinals at 6:00 p.m. Consolation matches will begin Friday at 5:00 p.m. followed by semifinals at 7:00 p.m. Consolation semifinals will be Saturday at 11:30 a.m. followed by 3rd place matches at 1:30 p.m. and finals matches at 6:30 p.m.

Girls Regionals

Copeland (17-4), a freshman, took third place at 100 pounds with three pins. Her only loss was a 2-0 decision to Broken Arrow’s Alina Peralta in the semifinals. In the placement round she earned a 6-1 decision over Ponca City junior Camila Bohon.

Laila Mirza (38-8) took fourth place at 115, going 3-2. She pinned her first foe and won a 5-2 decision over El Reno’s Brooklynn Huggins before falling 15-3 to returning Stillwater State qualifier Abigail Rivero. In consolation she pinned Claremore’s Cambry Suskey a second time but fell 11-4 to Bixby freshman Larra Mullin.

Kelsi Hilton (37-7) placed fourth at 135, pinning her first two opponents before falling to returning State finalist Mak Gregg in the semifinals. She added another pin in consolation before falling to returning State placer Adisyn Ivers from Ponca City. Hilton actually led 2-0 after the first period but was pinned after starting the second on bottom.

Freshman Ambrielle Chambers (22-8) took fifth place at 105 with three pins, falling to Durant senior Addison Polk, a returning State qualifier, in the quarterfinals. In the consolation semis she fell to Ada junior EllaBabe Fisher but bounced back with an 8-4 decision over Muskogee’s Grace Fraser to punch her ticket to State.

The girls finished in eighth place with 83 points, just one point behind Sapulpa and one point ahead of Shawnee. Broken Arrow won the Regional over runner-up Bixby. It was a drastic improvement for the Lady Sandites, who placed 42nd last year with no State qualifiers.

Boys Regionals

Zander Grigsby (38-2) manhandled the 165-pound bracket, outscoring his opponents 36-8 without giving up anything but escape points. He pinned two opponents and had a 24-7 technical fall en route to the finals, where he earned a 6-1 decision over top-seeded Brayden Lucas, a returning State placer from Edmond North

Freshman Jaxon Grigsby (18-9) placed second at 126, dominating Gavin Horn 12-1 before eking out a 3-2 overtime tie-breaker against two-seed Barrett Byers of Piedmont. In the finals he lost 3-0 to returning State finalist Christian Belford of Edmond North.

Mason Harris (34-3) was runner-up at heavyweight, winning his first three matches by fall. In the finals he lost a 1-0 decision to defending State Champion Ricky Thomas of Edmond North.

Matthew Moore (26-13) placed third at 132 with three pins, only losing a close 4-3 decision to top-seeded Hudson Hackbarth of Edmond North. In the consolation finals he pinned Deer Creek’s Parker DeGraffenreid in 5:36.

Jaxon Trotter (39-8) placed third at 175 with a 3-1 sudden victory overtime takedown against two-seeded Alex Wilson of Yukon, a returning State placer. He teched his first opponent in 4:31 before falling 3-2 to Westmoore State placer Cole Olguin. In consolation he pinned his next two opponents before decisioning Putnam North’s Ryan Gooch 3-1 in the semifinals.

David Ritchey (20-9) placed fourth at 120, pinning his first opponent and winning a 5-1 decision in the quarterfinals before falling 9-0 to two-time State Champion Cash Donnell from Piedmont. In consolation he pinned Southmoore’s Noah Reynolds before falling 7-0 to Yukon’s Hayden Wright.

Preston Reyna (26-11) finished fourth at 150, pinning his first foe before falling to Piedmont’s Jayden Fuston. In consolation he won a major decision, a pin, and a 9-5 upset of four-seed Axton Wright from Moore before falling once again to Fuston in the placement match.

Dawsen Briscoe (23-13) took fifth place at 106, winning his first match by 5-1 decision against Yukon’s Caleb Schneider, who also finished a State qualifier, before falling to top-seeded Jake Goodin from Edmond North. In consolation he fell 6-1 to third-placer Blake Thomas of Piedmont before earning a 6-5 decision over Putnam North’s Jaaziel Benman.

Jayden Pait (17-5) placed fifth at 138, losing his first match 3-1 to Westmoore’s Gannon Morales before winning his next two matches by fall. In the consolation semis he fell 8-4 to Yukon’s Dillon Ryan but he won his placement match by 9-1 major decision against Piedmont’s Ethan Applebee.

Jesse Moore (28-10) placed fifth at 144, losing his first match 3-2 to Moore’s Seth Shouse. In consolation he pinned one foe and teched another in just 3:10 before taking a 6-3 loss against Piedmont’s Kolton Mullings. In the placement round he got a rematch with Shouse and this time won 5-2.

Brody Ensten (30-15) placed fifth at 157, bouncing back from an opening 7-5 loss to Westmoore’s Sam Gibson with three dominant wins. He pinned his next two foes and earned a 16-1 technical fall before falling 11-2 to two-seeded Barrett Weathers of Deer Creek. In the placement round he won a 2-1 rematch with Gibson, scoring an escape in overtime.

Peyton Callis (36-13) placed fifth at 190, winning his first match by decision before falling 4-3 to Yukon’s Ryan Martindale. In consolation he received a medical forfeit then pinned his next opponent before falling to Piedmont’s Jackson Blackburn. In the placement round he won a 9-2 decision over Norman’s Lance Eubanks.

Alijah Roper Leads Sandites to Senior Night Win over Bartlesville

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Alijah Roper has been having a bit of a quiet season offensively, but that changed last Tuesday night as the senior went off for a game-high 21 points in a 66-53 Senior Night win over Bartlesville (3-19).

“We didn’t get the outcome that we wanted,” said Roper. “We wish we could have played our seniors the whole fourth quarter…but we came out with the win and just persevered.”

The No. 13 ranked Sandites (15-8) previously beat Bartlesville 77-50 in January but the Bruins never quite let Sand Springs pull away in the rematch, shooting 12-of-26 from three-point range to keep things close.

“The seniors got to start so I was happy for them,” said head coach Eric Savage. “I wish all of them could have scored or got more playing time, but Bartlesville shot the ball really well tonight.”

“That kept the game close and kept them in striking distance. It seemed like every time we pulled away a little bit they had a three-point answer.”

Despite the hot hands from the Bruins, Roper led all scorers, going 4-of-5 from three-point range in the first half in a duel with Riley Duony, who had 20 for Bartlesville.

“I feel like I got a little more confidence,” said Roper. “I haven’t shot the best this season, so that helps a lot. It was good energy all night, Senior Night, so I had fun.”

Bartlesville jumped out to a 6-3 lead after the Sandites started all their seniors instead of their typical lineup, but after swapping in some of the usual suspects, the Sandites went on a 13-0 run and never trailed again.

The home team took an 18-12 lead into the second quarter but Bartlesville tied it up at 22-22 on a three-pointer from Trae Collins at the 3:12 mark.

From there it was all Sandites, with back-to-back treys from Roper kicking off a 13-2 run to end the half. Roper scored a buzzer-beater through contact from Duony and converted the four-point play to make it 35-24.

Duony and Collins hit a pair of threes to cut it to 37-30 early in the third quarter but the Sandites got hot late in the quarter once again and took a 52-35 advantage into the fourth.

Despite never allowing Bartlesville back within striking distance, the Sandites also never pulled away enough to run their bench till late in the quarter.

“We didn’t play the best in the second half,” said Roper. “We just kept letting them knock down shots and not playing the greatest defense, but we put up a win.”

“They’re well coached,” added Savage. “They play hard and they didn’t give us anything easy, they made us earn our baskets.”

Roper’s 21 points were just a bucket shy of his career-high 23 in last year’s season finale. Joining him in double-digits were juniors Khalil Allen with 15 and Deke Thompson with 12.

“It was fun playing with my best friends, starting with the seniors who I’ve been playing with all these years,” said Roper. “It was a good experience.”

Sand Springs will return to action Thursday at 7:30 p.m. against Southmoore (10-12) in the first round of the Regional playoff at Choctaw.

The Sandites will be looking for their first playoff win since 2021, but thanks to a new postseason format this year, the first game won’t be an elimination game. The winner will play at 7:30 p.m. on Friday while the loser will play at 6:00 p.m. in an elimination game.

CPHS 66 BHS 53

1Q: CPHS 18-12.
2Q: CPHS 17-12.
3Q: CPHS 17-11.
4Q: BHS 18-14.
Free Throws: CPHS 17-of-28, BHS 1-of-6.
Field Goals: CPHS 21-of-44, BHS 20-of-44.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 11, BHS 5.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 17, BHS 12.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 28, BHS 17.
Steals: CPHS 6, BHS 3.
Blocks: CPHS 4, BHS 1.
Fouls: CPHS 13, BHS 20.

Sand Springs Stats

Points: Roper 21, Allen 15, Thompson 12, Evans 9, Mitchell 3, Kelly 2, Johnson 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Evans 3, Johnson 2, Allen 2, Roper 1, Thompson 1, Kelly 1, Fueshko 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Thompson 3, Allen 3, Evans 3, Roper 2, Kelly 2, Mitchell 1, Collins 1, Johnson 1, Fueshko 1.
Total Rebounds: Evans 6, Allen 5, Thompson 4, Roper 3, Kelly 3, Johnson 3, Fueshko 2, Mitchell 1, Collins 1.
Steals: Thompson 3, Evans 2, Allen 1.
Assists: Roper 3, Allen 2, Mitchell 1, Thompson 1.
Blocks: Thompson 2, Kelly 1, Evans 1.
Fouls: Mitchell 3, Johnson 3, Allen 2, Evans 2, Fueshko 2, Collins 1.

Bartlesville Stats

Points: Duony 20, Collins 13, Clark 12, Veit 6, Robertson 2.
Fouls: Veit 4, Robertson 3, Wilson 3, Collins 3, Clark 2, Duony 2, Duncan 2, Zervus 1.

Oklahoma 6A Week 13 Basketball Rankings

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Girls

  1. Edmond North (21-1)

  2. Putnam City West (21-1)

  3. Choctaw (22-0)

  4. Edmond Memorial (20-3)

  5. Owasso (18-5)

  6. Sand Springs (17-6)

  7. Putnam City North (18-5)

  8. Broken Arrow (16-7) +1

  9. Bixby (17-6) -1

  10. Mustang (17-6)

  11. Edmond Santa Fe (13-9)

  12. Yukon (17-6)

  13. Norman (14-8) +2

  14. Union (13-9) -1

  15. Westmoore (14-8) -1

Boys

  1. Union (21-2)

  2. Owasso (20-3)

  3. Edmond North (19-3)

  4. Edmond Deer Creek (18-5)

  5. Moore (17-5)

  6. Norman (18-4) +1

  7. Edmond Memorial (15-7) -1

  8. Choctaw (18-4)

  9. Broken Arrow (16-7)

  10. Piedmont (16-7)

  11. Mustang (14-9)

  12. Lawton (14-8)

  13. Sand Springs (15-8)

  14. Westmoore (13-9) -1

  15. Edmond Santa Fe (13-9)

Lady Sandites Rout Bartlesville, Will Travel to Broken Arrow for Regionals

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Bartlesville didn’t contest the tip off and didn’t bring any pressure on the opening possession as Sakauri Wilson took the ball down the court and passed it off to Kiaryn Taylor.

The senior Ranger College commit tapped in the easy bucket and immediately burst into tears after making her final appearance in black and gold.

Taylor tore her ACL in a December 8th matchup with Bishop Kelley but got to suit up one last time in Tuesday’s 55-39 Senior Night rout of Bartlesville (11-11) at the Ed Dubie Field House.

It was the regular season finale for both teams, but for the Sandites it was a tune-up game with nothing to win or lose after already clinching the three-seed in the district.

“I think we did a fair job tonight, we kind of executed against the zone,” said head coach Josh Berry. “We’ve got to do a better job of finishing some plays that we’re leaving out there, but we can figure that out going forward and defensively we need to get some things tied up.”

After giving Kennedy Nubel an uncontested basket to tie it at 2-2, the Sandites went on an 8-0 run and ended the first quarter up 22-6.

Bartlesville actually won the second quarter 6-4 after the Sandites only went 2-of-14 from the field, but the lid on the basket was lifted for both teams in the third quarter, which Sand Springs won 15-13.

The Bruins never got back within 11 points of the home team after the first quarter, with Sand Springs taking its biggest lead at 37-17 late in the third.

It was the Sandites’ tenth consecutive win against Bartlesville in a streak dating back to 2018.

Sand Springs is now 17-6 overall for its tenth consecutive regular season with a winning record. The girls went undefeated at home for the first time since the 2018-2019 season.

“Great season for the seniors,” said Berry. “The seniors have been a great group for me - they’ve been here four years, been a part of a lot of winning and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Sand Springs celebrated Taylor, Wilson, Taiona Morris, and Patience Pearce in between the boys and girls games. Taylor, Wilson, and Morris will each continue their basketball careers at the next level.

Wilson led all scorers with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 8 assists. Hope Bump added 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals while Morris had 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Mikka Chambers was the only Bruin in double digits with 10 points.

Last week the No. 6 ranked Lady Sandites went 2-1, falling 59-44 on the road to No. 4 Edmond Memorial (20-3) in Thursday’s district championship game.

The girls previously defeated Memorial 41-33 in the season opener and 58-54 at the Carl Albert tournament, but couldn’t pull off the threepeat despite leading 28-26 at halftime.

Bump scored 12 points in the first half but was held scoreless in the second as the Sandites were outscored 33-16. Wilson also scored 12 and Morris had 9 in the loss.

They bounced back on Friday with a trip to U.S. Grant (4-17) where they easily won 64-25 behind 20 points from Bump, 19 from Morris, and 10 from Tianna Butler.

Sand Springs will return to action Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Broken Arrow Regional against Ponca City (7-16). On the other side of the bracket is No. 9 Broken Arrow (16-7) against Enid (8-14).

Bartlesville will play No. 8 Bixby (17-6) in the first round of the Owasso Regional.

Unlike past years, the loser of the first-round matchups will not be eliminated from the postseason and will instead advance to a Regional consolation bracket.

CPHS 55 BHS 39

1Q: CPHS 22-6.
2Q: BHS 6-4.
3Q: CPHS 15-13.
4Q: Tied 14-14.
Free Throws: CPHS 9-of-12, BHS 9-of-15.
Field Goals: CPHS 21-of-54, BHS 13-of-42.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 9, BHS 7.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 20, BHS 14.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 29, BHS 21.
Steals: CPHS 12, BHS 4.
Blocks: CPHS 3, BHS 2.
Fouls: CPHS 15, BHS 12.

Sand Springs Stats

Points: Wilson 14, Bump 13, Morris 11, Simone 7, Pearce 4, Ti. Butler 4, Taylor 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Bump 3, Morris 2, Ti. Butler 2, Wilson 1, Simone 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Wilson 5, Morris 5, Ti. Butler 5, Bump 2, Crain 2, Pearce 1.
Total Rebounds: Morris 7, Ti. Butler 7, Wilson 6, Bump 5, Crain 2, Pearce 1, Simone 1.
Steals: Bump 4, Wilson 3, Morris 3, Ti. Butler 1, Simone 1.
Assists: Wilson 8, Ti. Butler 1.
Blocks: Bump 1, Pearce 1, Simone 1.
Fouls: Bump 4, Simone 4, Wilson 3, Ti. Butler 2, Morris 1, Ta. Butler 1.

Sandite Recruiting Report: Nine Sandites Sign College LOIs

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#55 Marcus Sims, middle, signed with NWOSU and #2 Kenneth Page, right, was offered by NSU. (Photo by Charity Emigh).

Nine seniors from Charles Page High School signed letters of intent to play collegiate sports Wednesday morning at the Ed Dubie Field House on National Signing Day.

For the football team:

Offensive linemen Mason Harris, Marcus Sims, and Marcum Sims and linebacker Keagan Gilman signed to play at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

Marcus, a 6’1”, 270-pound guard picked Northwestern over offers from Southwestern College, Langston University, and Kansas Wesleyan University.

Marcum (5’11”, 225-pounds) didn’t announce any other offers prior to committing to Northwestern on Tuesday, nor did Harris, a 6’0”, 260-pound center.

Gilman (5’10”, 190 pounds) picked Northwestern over Bethel College. He had 58 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries this season.

Marcus and Gilman were All-District selections this year while Marcum was an All-District Honorable Mention. Harris was an All-District and OCA All-Star selection.

Northwestern is an NCAA Division II program competing in the Great American Conference. The Rangers went 1-10 this year in a rebuilding season under first-year head coach Ronnie Jones.

The assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the program is Jason Medrano, who coached offensive line at Sand Springs for two seasons before joining the Rangers.

The four seniors will be reunited with fellow Sandites Blake Jones, Drake Fain, Kyle Morrall, and Jacob Blevins, who also followed Medrano to Northwestern.

Offensive lineman Tyler “Tank” Smith (5’10,” 285 pounds) signed with Hendrix College, a Division III program in Conway, Arkansas.

The Warriors compete in the Southern Athletics Association and went 3-7 last season under 11th-year head coach Buck Buchanan.

Smith was an All-District selection and chose Hendrix over offers from McPherson College and Southwestern College.

Lineman Evan Williams (5’10”, 215 pounds) signed to play at Bethel College, an NAIA program in North Newton, Kansas.

The Threshers went 6-5 last season in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Championship under first-year head coach A.B. Stokes.

Several other football players have received offers but have yet to commit or sign.

Senior linebacker Owen Floyd (6’0” 190 pounds) holds offers from Oklahoma Baptist University, Hendrix College, Oklahoma Wildcats Prep, and Kansas Wesleyan University.

Senior running back Kenneth Page (6’0” 190 pounds) holds two offers from Northeastern State University and Northwestern Oklahoma State.

Senior defensive end Dallas Elifrits (6’1”, 230 pounds) holds offers from McPherson College and Bethel College.

Sophomore lineman Ryley Kester (6’4” 270 pounds) holds offers from North Texas, UNLV, Houston, Tulsa, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, and Northwestern Oklahoma State.

Sophomore quarterback Easton Webb (6’3” 175 pounds) is committed to playing baseball at Oklahoma State University, but he also holds a Division I football offer from UNLV.

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

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

Girls Basketball

5’10” forward KiAryn Taylor signed with Ranger College, an NJCAA program in Ranger, Texas.

Taylor averaged 8.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals over the first five games of the season before tearing her ACL. She chose Ranger College over Cleveland Community College, Western Texas College, and Lincoln Trail College.

The Rangers are 4-19 this season under first-year head coach Mark Morefield.

5’7” guard Taiona “Yonnie” Morris signed with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, an NJCAA team in Miami.

Morris is averaging 10.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game this season, leading the team in scoring six times.

5’3” senior guard Sakauri Wilson signed a letter of intent to play at Southwestern Oklahoma State University on Wednesday, November 8th.

Boys Golf

Zane Downey signed with Southern Nazarene University, an NCAA Division II program in Bethany, Oklahoma.

The Crimson Storm competes in the Great American Conference, taking third place in the GAC Preview tournament in September and seventh in last year’s GAC Championship in April. They are coached by Derrick Taylor in his 13th year.

Downey was an Academic All-Conference selection last year, placing as high as third at the Muskogee tournament last season.

Mason Ward signed with Coffeyville Community College, an NJCAA program in Kansas. The Red Ravens placed 10th in the KJCCC Championship last season under fourth-year head coach Conner Murrell.

Ward was an Academic All Conference selection in 2022 and an All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2023 as a State qualifier. Ward took first place at the Jenks S.L.A.M. event last year.

Baseball

Senior RHP/OF Cole Pearson (6’2” 150 pounds) signed to play at McPherson College next season.

McPherson is an NAIA program competing in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs went 37-16 overall and 26-7 in conference play last season. The program is led by Chris Dawson in his first year.

Six Sandite baseball players signed letters of intent to play college ball on November 8th.

Senior INF/RHP Jackson Stewart (5’11” 195 pounds) signed with McPherson College.

Senior RF/LHP Kayden Campbell (5’9” 165 pounds) signed with Cowley County Community College.

Senior right-handed pitcher Eli Buxton (6’6” 185 pounds) signed with Arizona State University.

Senior OF/LHP Miller Tavaglione (6’2” 190 pounds) and senior INF/RHP Jace Arnold (6’2” 180 pounds) signed with Allen County Community College.

Senior INF Wyatt Rutledge (6’2” 170 pounds) signed with Northern Oklahoma College at Enid.

Softball

Senior RHP/INF Kelsi Hilton signed an LOI with Southern Nazarene University on November 8th.

Junior RHP/IB/OF Addison Hughes announced on X this week that she has received an offer to play at Southwestern Christian University in Bethany. She also holds offers from East Central University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, and Coffeyville Community College.

Boys Basketball

6’4” junior guard Deke Thompson holds one offer from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Soccer

Two senior soccer players signed LOIs on November 8th.

Senior Ava Watts signed to play Division I soccer at Texas A&M-Commerce.

Senior Kate Webb signed to play at University of the Ozarks.

Coaches, players, and parents can send recruiting updates to sanditepridenews@gmail.com.

Oklahoma 6A Week 12 Basketball Rankings

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Girls

  1. Edmond North (19-1)

  2. Putnam City West (20-1)

  3. Choctaw (21-0)

  4. Edmond Memorial (18-3)

  5. Owasso (17-5)

  6. Sand Springs (15-6)

  7. Putnam City North (17-5)

  8. Bixby (17-5)

  9. Broken Arrow (15-7)

  10. Mustang (16-6)

  11. Edmond Santa Fe (12-8)

  12. Yukon (16-6) +1

  13. Union (13-8) +1

  14. Westmoore (14-7) +1

  15. Norman (13-8) -3

Boys

  1. Union (20-2) +1

  2. Owasso (19-3) +1

  3. Edmond North (17-3) -2

  4. Edmond Deer Creek (17-5)

  5. Moore (15-5)

  6. Edmond Memorial (15-6)

  7. Norman (17-4)

  8. Choctaw (17-4)

  9. Broken Arrow (16-6) +2

  10. Piedmont (16-6) -1

  11. Mustang (13-9) -1

  12. Lawton (13-8) +2

  13. Westmoore (13-8) -1

  14. Sand Springs (14-8) -1

  15. Edmond Santa Fe (12-8)