Sandites hammer Northwest Arkansas to continue undefeated streak

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Photo: Morgan Miller

The Sand Springs' boys varsity basketball team finished off their run at the inaugural Tulsa Memorial Invitational with a 85-54 beat down of the Northwest Arkansas Hornets for a 3-0 tournament streak.

Fifteen Sandites saw action Saturday, fourteen of which put points on the board. Colt Savage, Brooks Haddock, Kyle Keener, and Mack Thompson led the team, each scoring double digits. 

Sand Springs took an easy 24-7 lead in the first quarter, then added another 24 in the second and 23 in the third. The Hornets only managed to outscore Sand Springs in the fourth period, 26-14, but by then a comeback was impossible and Sand Springs was on its third string. 

The #19 Sandites improve to 5-0 for the season with 2 wins over ranked opponents, and will next take on Greenhill High School from Addison, Texas in the first round of the Ardmore Invitational on Monday, December 28th. 

Scoring Summary: Colt Savage 17, Haddock 15, Keener 11, Thompson 10, Xavien Warren 7, Arvionte Nichols 5, Jacob Taber 4, Jacob Garbey 3, Cale Savage 3, Blake Shockley 3, Tyler Smith 2, Cole Durkee 2, Konner Rugg 2, Josh Taber 1.

World Champion Kyle Snyder visits Sand Springs Wrestling Tournament

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Sand Springs has more than its fair share of great wrestlers right here in town. Saturday, however, we were blessed with the opportunity to host the youngest FILA junior world champion from America in more than 20 years.

Sand Springs' Team BIG hosted Kyle Snyder as their weekly technician and the champ put on a technique clinic before the Team Big tournament at Ed Dubie Field House Saturday morning. 

Snyder is only 20 years old, and last year he won his title in Las Vegas at only 19. In his first three years of high school he amassed a staggering 179-0 record to win 3 state championships in Maryland. His senior year he decided to forgo high school wrestling and compete internationally as a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

As an Ohio State Buckeye freshman Snyder became the NCAA runner-up. Now Snyder is taking an Olympic red shirt to prepare for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Pictured is Snyder signing autographs for the young people at Saturday's event. The novice portion of the tournament just began at 12:30 so it's not too late to go cheer on Sand Springs's Team Big and meet Snyder.

Sandites dominate in 75-44 rout of Wichita

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Photo: Morgan Miller

The Wichita Defenders were outclassed and outplayed by the far larger Charles Page team. Fifteen Sandites saw action in the Thursday Night tournament opener at Tulsa Memorial High School's Veterans Arena, meanwhile Wichita only even brought seven boys to play. They weren't without talent, simply facing a giant. This time Goliath crushed David. 

The Sand Springs boys didn't start the season with a tune-up game like they normally do, instead jumping right into the action with back-to-back wins over ranked opponents for a 2-0 season start. Now they're finally getting to slow down and test their depth in a tournament schedule that should be a breeze. 

#19 Sand Springs improved to 3-0 over the now 3-8 Kansas team. Three Sandites saw double digits, ten got to score. It was Wichita sophomore Noah Roberts with the game-high 23 points, however. 

Most of Wichita's baskets were free throws and the team shot 17/23 from the line against Sand Springs's team record of 3/8. 

Sophomore starters Brooks Haddock and Colt Savage starting off the scoring melee with a series of three-pointers for a 12-5 lead, demonstrating quickly the type of game to come. Those two were the top scorers for the night--Savage with a team-high 16, Haddock with 13.

Kyle Keener, the team giant, was next in on the action, scoring 6 in the first period and ending with 10 for the night. At 6'6" he also registered a team-high 4 blocks to add to his 2 defensive rebounds. 

By the end of the first period Sand Springs had doubled their opposition 28-14, and began to send in the second-string to run the score up to 39-21 for the half.

The third period was by far the most exciting as the Sandites outscored their opponent 23-4 and only allowed 1 field goal. 

Cale Savage saw his first varsity action for the season, leading the second string with a perfect 3-for-3 scoring 9 points. The freshman was followed closely by senior Tyler Smith with 8.

Charles Page will next take on Tulsa NOAH (5-2) tonight at 6:30. The Jaguars are coming off back-to-back losses to Memorial of 103-42 and 75-38.

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Sandite of the Week: Sand Springs Dance

This week Sandite Pride would like to recognize the achievements of the Sand Springs Dance program who are an invaluable asset to our community.

The dance team works year round to support our other sports programs through cheering them on at events and making posters and more, in addition to their own competitions.

This past weekend the 8th grade dance team won a state championship in mix category and the JV/9th Grade squad won a state championship in Hip Hop, while coming in third in Pom. 

Gabby Miller is the 8th grade coach, Megan Faulkner is the 9th grade coach, Rachel Ellis is the JV coach, and Michelle Spears is the Varsity/Head Coach.

Pictured is the JV/9th Grade performing their Hip Hop routine.

Sandites win Highway 97 rivalry

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It was a game of free throws. 48 of the game's 129 points came from penalties. Sand Springs shot 25/33 against Sapulpa's 23/33. Kyle Keener shot a perfect 8/8.  

The greatest rivalry in Oklahoma never failed to live up to the hype in a drag out battle royale that the Sandites claimed 69-60.

Sapulpa scored first on a free throw, but the Sandites took an early lead and held it till midway through the second when the Cheiftains tied things up twice before taking a brief 28-25 lead. 

Keener, Savage, and Nichols brought most of the first early fireworks, then Haddock tied things back up with a three pointer early in the first.

Sapulpa took the lead back briefly by as much as 41-34 before a Sandite resurgence brought it to 51-46 to close the third.

It was a back and forth affair from there but ultimately the Sandites pulled ahead for a 69-60 finish. 

Four Sandites finished in double digits. Nichols and Savage shared the lead with 15, followed by Keener with 13 and Haddock with 12. 

Sapulpa's Julian Smith led all scorers with 25 points, followed by Keenan Balance with 14 and  Alex Ogunseye with 11. 

Sand Springs is now 2-0 for the season.  

Sapulpa comes from behind to top Lady Sandites

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The #14 Charles Page varsity girls basketball team led, and led, and led. The Sapulpans tied it five times but never once took the lead until there was less than four minutes in the game before a series of controversial calls allowed them to come from behind for a 54-43 win.

Freshman Holly Kersgieter Drew first blood, then Sapulpa's Brice Calip tied things up at 2-2.

Sand Springs took a 7pt lead off a series of field goals by Gloria Mutiri, Cierra Scott, and Kersgieter.

Then Chelsea Dungee went to work, scoring 6, interrupted by a goal by Destiney Johnson, then 3 more to tie things up at the end of the first. 

The Sandites wouldn't be stalled for long, however, and Sydney Pennington, Johnson, and Kersgieter combined for 12 to carry a 23-19 lead into the half. 

The Sandites extended that lead by as much as 7 points before Sapulpa once more evened things up at the 33-33 late in the third.  

Calip went on a solo scoring streak to start the fourth, shooting 7 points before Pennington got the Sandites on the board, then Dungee and Bailey Mader wrapped things up while the Sandites had multiple sketchy calls negate any attempt at a comeback, despite three great uncounted baskets by Johnson.

Johnson led the Sandites with 14 points (should have been 20) followed by Pennington with 11.  

Mutiri and Kersgieter each had 6 rebounds, followed by Pennington with a beastly 5 rebounds, 1 block, and 3 steals.  

Dungee and Calip tied in points, each with 22. No other Sapulpan had more than 4.