February 08, 2016

Eleven Sandites have signed college letters of intent

February 08, 2016/ Scott Emigh

Story and Photos by: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Eight Charles Page High School seniors signed college letters of intent Wednesday morning. Four are members of the girls' soccer team and four are members of the State Runner-Up football team.

Linebacker Jacob Taber signed with Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. The FHSU Tigers compete in the NCAA Division II Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and finished last season with an 8-4, 8-3 record. Taber was third among the Sandites in tackles with 67 and 10 for loss. He has also started several games this season for the boys' basketball team which is currently ranked No.13 in class 6A with a 14-5 record.

Linebacker Cole Dixon was the leading tackler for the Sandites this season and signed to play for Northeastern State University in Tahlequah along with soccer player Madison Dye. The NSU RiverHawks are a NCAA Division II school that also competes in the MIAA with FHSU and finished last season 3-8 in football and 14-5-2 in soccer. Dixon finished the season with 73 tackles, 15 for loss. Dixon is also a member of the #1 ranked Sandite wrestling team and has a 4-4 record. He plans to study nursing. The two will also be joined by All-Metro Player of the Year Jessica Schuler of the State Runner-Up softball team who signed with the RiverHawks in the fall.

Lane Lettich Senior Year Receiving Stats

Cornerback Parker Taylor and runningback Lane Lettich both signed to Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. The Southwestern Moundbuilders compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and had a 3-8, 3-6 record last season.

Lettich rushed for 1,110 yards and 17 touchdowns as the starting runningback this past season and added another 232 yards receiving for 2 touchdowns. He's also a starter on the wrestling team with an 11-6 record this season at 182 pounds.

Parker Taylor was the leading punt returner, averaging 17 yards per return, and was fifth in total tackles with 45. He was also team leader in pass-breakups.

Parker Taylor Senior Year Defensive Stats

The Charles Page High School football team was a bit of a sleeper in the race for State this year, forfeiting their first two games due to an ineligible player. Their third game was called off shortly before the half due to lightning, and the fourth game was a loss to quarter-finalist Bartlesville.

Parker Taylor Senior Year Punt Return Stats

By the time the Sandites reached the playoffs they only had a 5-4 record and most eyes were on Booker T Washington and Bartlesville for the title. Instead, Sand Springs upset Washington 30-23, avenging a week 9 loss of 17-14, and Bixby upset Bartlesville by a staggering 61-27 after falling to the Bruins 50-33 in week 5. Ultimately Bixby would defeat the Sandites 38-28 to defend their 6A Division II State Title.

Kayla Foster signed for soccer and academics to Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. The Lady Miners compete in NCAA Division II in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and had a 1-14-2 record last season.

Brooklyn Eardley signed to play for Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. ORU is a NCAA Division I school that participates in The Summit League. The Golden Eagles went 10-8-2 this past season.

Kylee Cramer signed to play for Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee. The Bison are an NCAA Division II school and earned a 6-11 record during their first year in the Great American Conference after moving over from the NAIA for the 2015 season.

Other college-committed Sandites include Stella Millican (Mid American Christian University), and Kennedy "Goose" Salyers (Southeastern Oklahoma State University) who played on the State Runner-Up Softball team.

November 09, 2015

Stella Millican officially signs with MACU Softball

November 09, 2015/ Scott Emigh

By Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page Senior Katelyn Stella Millican put pen to paper today to officially join the 2016 Mid-American Christian University softball team. The outstanding right-fielder verbally committed to playing for the Evangels early this September after fielding offers from several other colleges, before settling on MACU.

Stella settled on the Oklahoma City-based college due to its Christian beliefs and their softball program. The senior's goals are to one day teach English and coach softball.

The 2015 CPHS Fast Pitch Softball team went 31-9 this season and lost by one run to Choctaw in the State Championship game.

October 19, 2015

Sandite Athletics Weekly Newsletter

October 19, 2015/ Scott Emigh

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Previously

9/28/15

8th Grade Football lost 48-6 to Bishop Kelley Red and fall to 1-4 for the season.
9th Grade Football beat Highway 97 Rival Sapulpa 45-6 and improve to 3-1. Garrett McCallie and Jacob Wright each scored two rushing touchdowns apiece. Cooper Mock also rushed for a touchdown and Jasanee Harjo recovered a fumble for the touchdown.
JV Football beat Bartlesville 22-7 at home and is 2-2 for the season. Ben Norte was the star of the show with two rushing touchdowns.

9/29/15

Varsity Softball defeated Skiatook 4-3 in extra innings to end the regular season 25-7 overall.
http://www.sanditepride.com/softball/150929skiatook
Varsity Volleyball lost 3-0 at #18 Bartlesville with sets of 25-20, 25-17, 25-18.

10/1/15

Varsity Volleyball lost 3-0 to #2 Jenks at home with sets of 25-16, 25-10, and 25-14, falling to 12-22 for the season.
Varsity Football forfeited two pre-district victories over Enid and Hale due to an ineligible player.

10/2/15

Varsity Football defeated Claremore 27-7 for Homecoming, beating the spread by 12 points due to several key Zebra players missing with injuries from Bixby. Greathouse threw for 145 yards and one touchdown to Fleischman who caught three passes for 108 yards. Lettich rushed for 62 yards and 3 touchdowns.
http://www.sanditepride.com/football/151002claremore

10/3/15

Cheyenne Walden failed to take first for the first time this season at the Fayetteville 5K, coming in second to a runner from Missouri. Walden and ten other Sandites had season-best times, including Austin McCaskey who led the boys for the first time. Overall the girls placed 42nd and the boys took 64th.

10/5/15

8th grade football defeated Bixby Red 7-6 on a run from Blake Goodman.
9th grade football lost to Bishop Kelley Red 14-12. Noah Almy caught an 80 yard reception from Hayden Cramer for the opening touchdown, and Cramer followed it up with a 1 yard rush in the second half. Both PATS failed, and the game ended with the Sandites threatening at the BK 6 yard line.

10/6/15

JV Volleyball lost on the wire against Muskogee 2-1.
Varsity Volleyball was dominated 3-0 by Muskogee on Senior Night. Gloria Mutiri led scoring for the Sandites with 9 of the team's 26 kills.
http://www.sanditepride.com/volleyball/151006muskogee

10/7/15

Varsity Fast Pitch Softball lost 2-1 to Claremore in a Regional upset and barely defeated Ponca City 4-3 in the losers' bracket to stay alive.
http://www.sanditepride.com/softball/151006regionals1 http://www.sanditepride.com/softball/15106regionals2

10/8/15

Varsity Softball rebounded at Regionals, shutting out Claremore 6-0 to take on Union in a double header for the ticket to state. The Redskins fell in back to back shutouts of 3-0 and 11-0 with NSU-committed senior Jessica Schuler hitting a Grand Slam for the run rule.
http://www.sanditepride.com/softball/151013claremore
http://www.sanditepride.com/softball/151007union1
http://www.sanditepride.com/softball/151007union2regionals
Varsity Volleyball lost 3-0 to Owasso in the first round of Regionals to end the season with a 12-24 record.

10/9/15

Varsity Football brought home another Highway 97 Rivalry win in a 44-10 beat down at Sapulpa. Hunter Greathouse threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Trace Fleischman was the receiver for two of those touchdowns and 126 yards. Lane Lettich caught the third TD pass for 41 yards in addition to his two rushing touchdowns and 116 rush yards.
http://www.sanditepride.com/football/151009highway97football

10/12/15

8th Grade Football was dominated 35-7 by Bartlesville and fell to 2-5 for the season. The lone score was a run by Blake Goodman.
9th Grade Football also had a single-score beatdown by Union with a pass from Cramer to McCallie and a missed PAT. A 21-6 loss brings the freshman team to 3-3 for the season.
JV Football against Sapulpa was cancelled.

10/13/15

Varsity girls took 6th at the Frontier Valley Conference 5K and the boys took 9th. Cheyenne Walden took her third conference title.
http://www.sanditepride.com/cross-country/151018xcconference

10/15/15

Varsity Football improved to 3-3, 3-1 with a 44-27 victory over Ponca City. Greathouse hit two receivers for touchdowns-by-air, and three Sandites scored by ground. Bales put in a field goal and the Sandites are now fourth in district play. Sand Springs will likely need to overcome Muskogee this Friday for a shot at the playoffs.
Varsity Softball made its third state appearance in the last four years and overcome the defending state champions from Mustang 14-6.
http://www.sanditepride.com/softball/151015state1mustang

10/16/15

Varsity Softball nailed three homeruns in a 5-3 victory over Moore for their first state final appearance since 1996.
http://www.sanditepride.com/softball/151016moore1

10/17/15

Varsity Softball lost the state champion ship 4-3 to Choctaw in the bottom of the 7th, ending the season 31-9.
http://www.sanditepride.com/softball/151017choctawstate
Charles Page wrestler Daton Fix defended his top ranking in the United States at a Flowrestling Who's #1? All-Star dual against #2 Rudy Yates at 126 pounds with a 5-2 decision in Pennsylvania.

Upcoming

10/19/15

8th Grade Football @ Broken Arrow Gold
9th Grade Football @ Bixby Red
JV Football @ Ponca City

10/23/15

Varsity Football vs Muskogee at home. With the top three spots virtually guaranteed for Bixby, Bartlesville, and Booker T, the fourth playoff position for District 1 will likely come down to this game between Muskogee and Sand Springs.

10/24/15

Sandite Cross Country will travel to the Regional 5K.

October 17, 2015

Lady Sandites fall 4-3 to Choctaw in State Championship game

October 17, 2015/ Scott Emigh

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It was an emotional night for the Sand Springs Lady Sandite softball team.

Years of hard work, a 13-1 district record, and a Regional Championship brought the girls further than any Sandite had been in their lifetime. The Sandite Magic failed to show itself in a Saturday night 4-3 loss to Choctaw, but the Sandite talent and hard work showed itself every step the way.

Though they may not have brought home the first ever state title for Charles Page, they did make runner-up for the first time since 1996. It may not be what they were hoping for, but still a damn impressive run and something to be proud of.

Sometimes teams lose because they don’t play their best. Sometimes teams lose because they didn’t want it badly enough. Neither was the case for the Charles Page sluggers. Sometimes things just don’t work out. One thing was clear, however. Nobody could have wanted that title more than our girls, and they gave their full 100% every step of the way.

Senior Kennedy “Goose” Salyers got the loss on the mound, only her second of the season, and finished with a 17-2 record. Salyers will go on to play for Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Chenise Delce, a University of Tulsa-commit, got the win for Choctaw.

It started off quickly enough as Paige Russell, the first batter up, connected for a single on the second pitch of the game. She wouldn’t remain on base for long, however, as she was thrown out at third by first-baseman Jessica Schuler.

Schuler is going on to play college ball at Northeastern State University.

Jamie White was the third Lady Yellowjacket to get on base with a single, but both her and Katie Long would end up stranded.

Delce pitched a no hitter in the first inning and brought her team in give their bats another try. They managed a single, but this time it was Erika Vessels left stranded.

Sand Springs finally got on base in the bottom of the second inning with a walk by Jessica Collins. Simply getting someone on base was a momentum starter for Sand Springs and Rachel Blair followed her with a single-by-error. Both were left stranded going into the third, but the team had found their legs.

The magic inning came in the third for Choctaw as Long and Jamie White both hit singles. Haley Pomplun connected for a massive double to score Brooke Edwards (the courtesy-runner for Long), and on the next play Allyssa Sievert hit a double of her own to score White. With a 2-2 count and two outs, Kennedy Henry found the right field fence for a 2RBI Single and a 4-0 lead. Those would be the only runs the Yellowjackets would score, but it would be enough.

Sand Springs came ready to do major battle. Madelyn Blair smacked a single into right field, Salyers smacked a single into left field, and Stella Millican drew a walk. With the bases loaded, Schuler grounded for a single that scored both Blair and Salyers. Unfortunately, the Choctaw defense was just too fast for Millican to find home plate. Sand Springs had closed the gap to 4-2 going into the fourth, but they wouldn’t find home plate again till the bottom of the sixth.

Defensively, the Sandites excelled, stranding three on loaded bases in the fourth. Sydney Pennington, a junior Oklahoma State University-commit, caught a pass from Kimi Presnell to out Brown on second and assisted Schuler on outing Delce at first in a beautiful double-play in the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, Salyers hit a single and Millican tried to sacrifice bunt to move Salyers ahead. Unfortunately, the Yellowjacket defense opted instead to out Salyers and Millican would be ultimately be stranded at second with Pennington on first.

Of the six Sand Springs seniors we’ll be losing, Stella is the third to be going to college, having committed to Mid-American Christian University earlier this season.

The final Sandite run would come in the bottom of the sixth. Collins hit a lead-off double into the left field fence. Rachel Blair was next at bat and sacrificed herself on a line drive to White. White tried to catch Collins off base on second, but instead, Collins capitalized on a massive overthrow error and came home to thunderous applause.

Presnell tried to tie things up, drawing a walk before stealing second on a catcher’s error. Unfortunately an infield fly from Salyers left her stranded and it came down to the final inning.

Seivert singled and Brown nailed a double and it looked like Choctaw was lining up to put icing on the cake. Instead, it was Pennington who stole the show, catching a line drive from Henry then tagging out the runner on second for a single-handed double play to bring in the Sandites for one last chance.

Pennington grounded for a single, but it would be the final hit of the season for the Lady Sandites.

Head Coach Shelli Brown expressed tremendous pride in her team. “We were almost put out on that first day of regionals,” she said, “but they bounced back and have been in the zone ever since.” The Sandites committed only two errors Saturday night at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, and it was clear they had played their hardest. “We got beat by a great team tonight. It was a great game to watch and a pleasure to coach.”

This game reminded me of the classic question, “what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?” Ultimately, it wasn’t that the Sandites were outclassed, or even that they beat themselves. It was just the luck of the draw as both teams showed up and played their hearts out.

October 16, 2015

Lady Sandites Slaughter State Champion 14-6

October 16, 2015/ Scott Emigh

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It’s been a long, hard ride for the Sand Springs Lady Sandite softball team, and it’s been incredible.

The current seniors were part of the first team in over a decade to win a Regional title, and they’ve done it not just once, but three times.

In their first trip to the State Championship, they were shut out 2-0 by Yukon who went on to win the state title. In 2013, they lost 6-2 to Moore who went on to be the State Runner-Up.

This year it was the Sandites’ time to shine.

Goose Salyers (16-1) got the start and the win on the mound for Charles Page High School, while Abbey Brickey got the loss for the defending state champions from Mustang.

The Lady Broncos emerged to an early lead as MacKenzie Donohoo hit a groundball into left field to be the first player on base, and was soon brought home on an RBI double by Madison Perrigan.

With two outs and Perrigan on third base, Salyers walked Zoe Jones and Alexia Vargas to load the bases. Karis Clark was at bat and it looked like Mustang might be about to explode offensively. With a full count, Clark hit a groundball to second-baseman Kimi Presnell and was put out on first base.

The Lady Broncos had run-ruled seven games before tonight, but that threat had been adverted—for now.

Sydney Pennington was the lone Sandite on base in the bottom of the first and she was left stranded as Sand Springs failed to find their legs to start the game.

Mustang came in to bat once again, and this time there would be no stopping the hits. Brooklyn Sparkman was struck out, but from there it was a swinging contest. Kaitlyn Thomas struck a single and Audrie Morrison brought her home on an RBI double.

Next was Perrigan with a second RBI, this time a triple, on her second at bat, confirming herself as a major threat. Perrigan was hands down the best batter of the night, with a perfect batting average, a perfect on-base percentage, and a 2.50 slugging average. She was also the fastest base-runner out there.

The lumber-jacking didn’t stop there. Kylie Dodson brought Perrigan in with a single, and were it not for a tremendous catch by center-fielder Jessica Collins, it would have kept going from there. Zoe Jones slammed the first pitch thrown at her and it almost cleared the field, but Collins was in the air, barely snagging the ball as she collided with the fence to avert a potential home-run and bring the Sandites in, trailing 4-0.

The Sandites were ready to respond. Kali Mallory drew a walk and was replaced on base by curtesy-runner Caley Thompson. Thompson stole second while Collins was at bat, then Collins was walked to join her. Presnell bunted for a single to load the bases and now it was Rachel Blair’s turn to do some damage.

With a full count, Blair finally connected for the biggest hit of the night, a 3RBI triple into center-field.

Jacie Taber was put out at first and Salyers and Millican were both struck out, but the damage was done. Blair had shown Mustang that the Sandites were here to fight.

The Lady Broncos managed only one base hit in the third inning, and Sand Springs was thirsty for blood.

Pennington found first base on a bunt and an error by Jones, and was soon joined by Schuler with a single into left field. Mallory connected for an RBI double and was replaced by Thompson once again. Collins bunted for a single, thanks to an error by Clark, and the bases were loaded with no outs.

Presnell was batting now, and the Bronco errors continued to worsen. Schuler was paying attention, and was ready when Perrigan, the catcher, allowed an errant ball to travel past her. By the time the catcher found the ball and realized what was happening, Schuler had stolen home plate and tied the game.

Presnell finished her at bat with a line drive right over Brickey’s head to score Thompson and claim first base. The Sandites had taken the lead, and wouldn’t slow down or look back.

Presnell stole second with Salyers at bat, and Salyers connected for a 2RBI single with some help from an error by Britani Sanders on first base. The inning came to a close on the next at bat, and the Sandites had taken an 8-4 lead.

The State Champions attempted to rally in the top of the fourth. Donohoo pulled off a single and Perrigan brought her home with an RBI triple. Dodson hit a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 8-6, but those would be the last runs the Broncos ever scored.

In the top of the fifth, Vargas, Sparkman, and Thomas hit singles to load the bases, but the Sandite defense managed to ward them off once again. Schuler dived into the dugout net to catch a foul ball from Clark, Donohoo was put out at first with an assist from Presnell, and Caitlin Cantrell was struck out.

What the Broncos had expected to be their magic inning instead turned into a nightmare.

Rachel Blair drew four straight balls for a walk, and Mustang decided it was time for a change on the mound. It was quite probably the worst call of the game.

Sparkman took over as pitcher, but the pressure was too much for the poor girl. Visibly shaking, she walked Madelyn Blair, Salyers, and Millican, and brought home Rachel Blair for a free run. Pennington sacrificed herself to score Madelyn Blair and that was enough for Mustang to realize they had made the wrong call.

Brickey went back to the mound, but it was too late to stop the Sandite tide.

Schuler let loose a centerfield fly to load the bases and Mallory hit an RBI single to bring Salyers in. Presnell hit a single to score Schuler and the Sandites ended the inning with a 12-6 lead.

Perrigan continued to impress with yet another double, but Dodson and Jones were both put out in the infield. Vargas hit a foul ball and Millican gave one of her signature diving catches to snag the put out and once again it was time for Sand Springs to do some damage.

Salyers hit a single and was brought home by Pennington with a double. Schuler followed suit, bringing Pennington in with a double of her own for a 14-6 lead.

The seventh inning was a no-hitter, and just like that Sand Springs had won their first state quarterfinal game in nearly two decades.

The Lady Sandites will next take on Moore at 2:30 on Friday. Moore (34-4) defeated Muskogee (22-18) 11-1 in their quarter-final game.

Sand Springs (30-8) has not played Moore this season, but when it comes to mutual opponents Sand Springs has a slight edge. The Sandites win by an average of 7.4-2.4, whereas Moore wins by an average of 6.2 to 2.7

No matter what, it’s bound to be one exciting game! The winner will advance to the Championship round Saturday at 5:00 PM.

October 15, 2015

The Path to State: Part 5: Regional Champions

October 15, 2015/ Scott Emigh

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It was the final game of the Regional Championship, and stakes were high. The Sand Springs Lady Sandites had just fought their way up through the losers’ bracket after being upset in game one by Skiatook. In the last game, Union was dealt their first loss of the tournament in a 3-0 shutout by the Sandites. For the Lady Sandites, it was a triple header.

Goose Salyers (15-1) had pitched the last three wins of the tournament, so Oklahoma State University-commit Sydney Pennington (11-6) stepped to the mound for this game. For the Redskins it was Mikael Willard replacing Paige Boyle after the last game.

The first inning was a no-hitter for both teams.

In the top of inning 2, Makenie Addis got on first base for the Redskins with a groundball and up stepped Brylee Dickensen with a groundball to Cody Cheatham at third. Cheatham threw out Dickensen at first and Jessica Schuler tried for a double play back to Cheatham to out Addis, but instead connected with the base runner’s ribs and the game was delayed while Addis decided if she could continue. The Union girl was tough and shrugged it off, but was left stranded on the next play.

It would be a rough game for the Redskins.

Jessica Schuler was first at bat for the Sandites and set loose a centerfield fly for a single and was replaced on base by Caley Thompson. Kali Mallory hit a single and Kimi Presnell was walked, but Jessica Collins and Cameron Clemons were both put out. The pressure was on Madelyn Blair to bring the girls home, and she did not disappoint. Had she put just a little more on it and it would have cleared the fence for a grand slam. Unfortunately, it fell just a tad short, hitting the fence for a 3RBI Triple.

Salyers was next at bat for an RBI double and just like that, Blair had outscored the entire last game.

The Sandite defense also had all pistons firing and didn’t allow a single hit in the third inning either, though Dickensen did draw a walk. With one out and Dickensen on first, Sammi Ibison hit a line drive straight to Salyers in left field who sent it in to Schuler for the double play.

Union was restraining themselves from the errors of the last game, however, and Willard struck out Pennington and Collins to end the inning. The lone Redskin error of the game came in the bottom of the fourth as Cameron Clemons stole second on a catcher’s error.

Finally, in the bottom of the fifth, Sand Springs started swinging for the fence again. Pennington and Collins hit homeruns for the 6-0 lead and Willard was replaced on the mound by Boyle.

It was the top of the sixth and the Redskins needed a big rally to stay alive. Sammi Dutton bunted for a single and Lexi Dobson nailed a double into the centerfield fence. After a brief Sandite timeout, however, the girls were left stranded. Their only chance would be for a major come-back in the top of the seventh.

Unfortunately for them, they would never make it to the seventh.

Clemons and Salyers both hit singles and Stella Millican drew a walk. Sydney Pennington batted in Clemons on a single and the bases were still loaded when Schuler, a Northeastern State University-commit, connected on a grand slam to finish the game 11-0 by run-rule.

After four unimpressive games, the Lady Sandites had found their mojo from earlier in the season and registered three straight shut outs for the Regional Title.

At this moment, the girls (29-8) are in Oklahoma City preparing for the first game of the State Championship tournament against the defending State Champion from Mustang (33-8). The battle will begin at 6:30 PM, and it will be a rematch for the two teams.

Early in the season, the Sandites defeated the Broncos 3-1 at the Broken Arrow tournament, dealing them their second loss of the season. At that point Mustang was 5-2 and Sand Springs was 9-1.

When it comes to mutual opponents, Sand Springs has a 6-2 record and Mustang has a 10-1 record. Sand Springs outscored mutual opponents by an average of 7.62 to 2.625, while Mustang outscored them an average of 5.81 to 3.27.

Sand Springs has pitched eight shutouts and won nine games by run-rule. Mustang has pitched ten shut outs and won seven games by run rule.

On paper, Sand Springs is the better team, but unlike Football and other Oklahoma sports, Softball is a lot less top-heavy and has a lot more talent across the state. All eight teams at this tournament have a legitimate shot at winning, and anything can happen in a playoff game.

The Sandite spirits are high across the town and everyone is rooting for our girls to bring home their first state title. The team left town at 11:00 this morning and were given a large send-off at the Sandite Sporting Complex and a police/fire escort from town.