Clayton Giddens places 5th at Flo Nationals

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Sixteen Team Big wrestlers showed up to the 2016 Flo Nationals last weekend at Expo Square Pavilion in Tulsa. The national-caliber junior high event pitted over 2000 wrestlers from more than 40 states against each other in five age divisions. 

Of the sixteen Sand Springs-area athletes, only one managed to place in the tough tournament. Clayton Giddens is a Mannford kid for now, but competes as part of Sand Springs's Team Big wrestling club.

Competing in Division III at 58 pounds, Clayton Giddens drew Illinois Intermediate Freestyle State Champion Dominick Marre (Gomez Wrestling Academy) in the first round, and teched him 15-0. Next up was 5X Virginia Challenge State Champion Noah Nininger (Virginia Elite) who only fared slightly better against the young beast, and went down by 12-0 major decision.

The next match, however, wouldn't be so easy. Luke Lilledahl (Purler Wrestling Academy) defeated our boy by a narrow 4-1 decision. The St. Louis stud is no one to be ashamed of losing to, however. In the last year, Lilledahl has won national titles at both USAW and ASICS, and he went on to take first at Flo also.

Giddens rebounded quickly with a 9-0 major decision over 2015 OKWA Division II State Champion Bryson Humphries, then defeated Minnesota Intermediate State Champion Mason Mills 6-0.

In the consolation semi-finals Giddens was defeated 6-0 by Davis Motyka of Kingston, Pennsylvania, but won the fifth place match over 2016 Cotton Bowl Nationals Champion and 2015 USJOC Runner-Up Eli Biermann of Midlothian, Texas by 9-3 decision. 

Giddens is the 2015 USJOC Division III Champion, OKWA State Championship Runner-Up, Sand Springs Freestyle/Greco Champion, USAOK Broken Arrow Freestyle Champion, OK USA Cushing Freestyle Champion, Owasso Tournament Champion, Sapulpa Tournament Champion, Glenpool Tournament Champion, and SS Team Big Tournament Champion. He also placed third at the Cotton Bowl Nationals, third at the Southern Plains Regional Freestyle Tournament, seventh at the ASICS/USAW Kids Freestyle Nationals, and sixth at the Flo Kickoff Classic.

He's already off to a great start in 2016, taking Runner-Up at the US Junior Open Championships, and first at the Berryhill Tournament. Last year he didn't place at all at the Flo Nationals, so a fifth place finish this year shows the young warrior is already working on an even more impressive resume for the new year.

Other Flo Nationals Team Big results are as follows:

Division I: Ages 6 & Under

49 Jayden Bussell

  • pinned in 0:39 by James Pahl (Olympus Wrestling)
  • defeated Kolby Wickham 6-3
  • pinned in 2:56 by Grey Williams (Lions Den)

Division II: Ages 8 & Under

43 Jaxon Grigsby

  • majored 12-2 by Alex Rodriguez (SOT Academy)
  • defeated 6-0 by Nicholas Garcia (Gomez Wrestling Academy)

55 Hunter Spencer

  • pinned in 1:52 by Manuel Amaro (POWA)
  • defeated 6-0 by Josef Garshnick (Lions Den)

61 Zane Swafford

  • defeated Trent Eck (Team Brawlers) 8-6
  • defeated by 7-2 sudden victory to Sean Stanton (Nebraska Boyz)
  • defeated Tharyn Hausler (Team Tulsa) 6-0
  • defeated 7-2 by Hayden Wright (Yukon Youth Wrestling)

75 Jaxon Trotter

  • defeated 6-2 by Carter Burnett (Wellington Youth WC)
  • defeated Elijah Schunke (Colorado Elite) 4-2
  • defeated 12-6 by Cale McPeek (Team Guthrie)

Division III: Ages 10 & Under

52 Jackson Martin

  • teched 16-0 by Dale OBlia (Pomona Elite)
  • pinned in 2:32 by Javin Douglas (Yukon Youth Wrestling)

52 Michael Johnson

  • defeated Andrew Beeson (Winfield WC) 6-3
  • majored 10-1 by Brandon Morvari (Pinnacle) 
  • defeated Javin Douglas (Yukon Youth Wrestling) 3-1
  • defeated 5-1 by Jacob Bond (Chattooga Indians)

52 Zander Grigsby

  • teched 21-4 by Aydan Thomas (Texas School of Wrestling)
  • defeated Cole Welte (MWC Wrestling Academy) 4-0 
  • majored Hank Kriegler (MWC Wrestling Academy) 8-0
  • pinned in 2:37 by Miles Anderson (Nebraska Boyz)

64 Mitchell Smith

  • pinned Zao Estrada (SOT Academy) in 2:17
  • majored Lane Snyder (Pleasant Hill Youth Wrestling) 14-0
  • pinned in 1:28 by Brady Ison (Contenders Wrestling Academy)
  • defeated 4-0 by Brock Coleman (Greater Heights Wrestling)

110 James Winn

  • pinned in 1:29 by Payton Pierce 
  • defeated 7-0 by Garrett Ritter (Cowboy WC) 

Heavyweight Tyler Smith

  • pinned in 0:16 by Hayden Boyett (Muldrow Bulldog Pride)
  • pinned in 1:28 by Samuel Reynolds (Best Trained Wrestling) 

Division IV: Ages 12 & Under

64 Owen Martin

  • defeated Jason Athey (Dark Knights) by 4-2 sudden victory decision
  • majored 12-0 by Jore Volk (Pinnacle)
  • pinned Caden Holman (Choctaw) in 5:00
  • pinned in 0:30 by Justin Wells (Dethrone)

80 Sammy Naugle

  • teched 18-2 by Drew Lang (Team Legacy) 
  • defeated 6-0 by Jordan Bobier (MWC Wrestling Academy)

84 Ethan Norton

  • pinned in 1:29 by Dominic Hargrove (SOT Academy)
  • pinned in 1:50 by Nicholas Schutz (KWA Bulldogs)

92 Blake Jones

  • pinned in 2:23 by Nic Bouzakis (Team Greco)
  • defeated Logan Adamson (Bettendorf Bulldogs) 5-2
  • defeated 7-2 by Tanner Leonard (Hannibal Youth Wrestling)

#1 Sandites unstoppable with 2 shutouts and 4th place finish at Yukon tourney

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

What a time to be a Sandite! Our football and softball teams were State Runners-Up, Cheyenne Walden won the cross country State Championship, and now we're midway through our Winter sports and there's no sign that this outstanding class of athletes has any intention of slowing down. 

Both of our basketball teams won games by more than 40 points this weekend and are ranked top 15, and our wrestlers have had the craziest week in years. Last week the wrestlers (9-0) dominated #1 Broken Arrow (4-2) 33-19 to earn the top spot in the state and followed it up Tuesday with a 57-15 slaughter of Bixby (0-4).

Thursday the wrestlers traveled to Enid for the triple-header District Duals. The Sandites pulled off the highest-scoring dual possible against the Putnam West Patriots (3-6), winning all matches by pin for an 84-0 shutout. U.S. Grant (11-4) only fared slightly better, losing by 80-0 shutout, and Enid (4-4) was put down 65-6 to secure the Sandites' spot at Dual State.

Not only did the boys have to wrestle three duals in a single day, but they didn't even get a day off to rest before traveling to Yukon for the annual Jay Hancock Memorial Invitational. 

The Sandites placed fourth in the tournament with nine placers and three champions. Allen, Texas, ranked 25th in the nation by Flowrestling, took first place, followed by Choctaw in second and Plainview third. Choctaw is currently ranked 2nd in Tournaments and 3rd in Duals.  Plainsview is ranked #1 in both 3A categories.

The Sandites have two duals left this season. Tuesday night the boys will take on the #1 5A Collinsville Cardinals, and Thursday they'll battle the #15 Jenks Trojans. 

The Sandites are still missing 106 starting freshman #7 Riley Weir (15-8), who's nursing a hand injury, but they have plenty of capable fill-ins at the lower weights. 

106 Scotty Patton (3-2)- 5th Place

  • teched 17-0 in 4:00 by #8 Trenton Higginbotham (Edmond North) 
  • pinned Bennett Siler (Westlake) in 0:49
  • majored Brendan Noetzal (Southlake Carroll) 16-7
  • pinned in 1:52 by #5 Braden Fowler (Yukon)
  • pinned Dominic Fitzpatrick (Moore) in 5:54

113 #5 Michael Ritchey (15-13) - 4th Place

  • pinned Davion Perkins (Lawton) in 1:59
  • defeated Chase Slatton (Jenks) 5-1
  • teched 15-0 in 4:20 by #1 Paxton Rosen (Edmond North) 
  • defeated Jonathan Warford (Sapulpa) 8-2
  • lost 10-3 to Logan Brown (Allen)

120 #6 Blake Sargent (26-9) - 5th Place

  • lost 5-0 to Jack Skudlarczyk (Westlake) 
  • majored Cameron Clark (Sapulpa) 12-3
  • pinned Zane Everett (Yukon) in 2:43
  • pinned Jaxson Roney (Plainview) in 3:54
  • lost 3-0 to Jack Skudlarczyk (Westlake)
  • pinned #5 Zane Taylor (Yukon) in 4:28

126 #4 Jack Karstetter (26-6) - Champion

  • pinned Ibrahim Crespo (Capitol Hill) in 1:00
  • pinned Kaiden Ogee (Choctaw) in 2:45
  • majored #3 Clayton Seleznoff (Moore) 9-1
  • defeated Zach Atencio (Plainview) 3-1 by sudden victory

132 Unattached Derek Davis (7-4) - DNP

  • defeated Tre Moore (Allen) 5-4
  • lost 7-2 to Dayton West (Deer Creek) 
  • lost 10-4 to Cole Shipman (Choctaw)

132 Daton Fix (31-0) - Champion

  • pinned Andrew Day (Jenks) in 0:52
  • pinned Garrett Griffin (Sapulpa) in 0:27
  • teched Hunter Hershey (Westlake) 23-6 in 3:57
  • teched Madison Roney (Plainview) 28-13 in 5:55

138 #2 Beau Bratcher (30-5) - Runner-Up

  • pinned Joseph Smith (Moore) in 0:59
  • pinned Noah Austin (Edmond North) in 1:12
  • pinned David Washington (Allen) in 4:34
  • lost 2-0 to #1 Jaxen Gilmore (Yukon)

145 Cody Mathis (10-11) - 6th Place

  • pinned in 1:41 by Ty Lucus (Plainview)
  • pinned Hunter Walsh (Edmond North) in 0:32
  • pinned Dylan Waklee (Choctaw) in 3:55
  • pinned in 0:38 by #1 Chase Vincent (Yukon)
  • defeated 7-1 by Gabe Moreau (Westlake)

At 152 #2 Payton Scott (11-3) is also taking some time to recover before State, and the Sandite roster has less depth in the upper weights. Every tournament this season has had at least one weight class forfeited, and the team would consistently place higher were they at full strength. 

160 #4 Zane Basma (22-9) - Champion

  • pinned Leon Larkpor (Putnam City) in 0:38
  • defeated #5 Chase King (Choctaw) 7-1
  • defeated John McCabe (Allen) 5-1
  • defeated Anderson Salisbury (Westlake) 3-1

170 Bryton Beck (8-13) - DNP

  • defeated Keith Thierry (Lawton) 7-2
  • lost 8-3 to #7 Jacob Schimmels (Deer Creek)
  • majored Cameron Hanson (Moore) 12-1
  • pinned in 0:51 by Eli Paul (Plainview)

182 #3 Trace Fleischman (6-6) - DNP

  • pinned Tres Davis (Westlake) in 1:27
  • lost 7-0 to #2 Noah Hooks (Edmond North)
  • pinned #9 Jak McCall (Deer Creek) in 1:46
  • lost 3-2 to #6 Jared Kerr (Bixby)

195 Zach Sims (17-18) - 4th Place

  • majored Zane Bailey (Edmond North) 14-5
  • defeated #4 Cody Adams (Bixby) 8-4 
  • lost 3-1 to Bodie Davis (Plainview) 
  • defeated Cole Dixon (CPHS) 6-1
  • lost 3-0 to #4 Cody Adams (Bixby) 

195 Unattached Cole Dixon (3-3) - 6th Place

  • defeated Nathan Seaton (Edmond North) 10-4
  • lost to Dalton Madole (Allen) 7-4
  • pinned Bracken Campbell (Plainview) in 1:00
  • pinned Jake Johnson (Southlake Carroll) in 1:31
  • lost 6-1 to Zach Sims (CPHS) 
  • lost 8-3 to Dakota Carnes (Sapulpa) 

220 Delvin Jordan (7-4) - DNP

  • pinned Conner O'Neal (Plainview) in 0:49
  • lost 7-3 to #1 Nic Roller (Bixby)
  • pinned Colin Foster (Yukon) in 0:40
  • lost 4-2 to Tyrel Bell (Choctaw)

285 Gage Fain (7-16) - DNP

  • pinned in 3:23 by Dorian Fagan (Plainview) 
  • defeated Hunter Richard (Edmond North) 2-1
  • lost 2-1 in tie-breaker to Ashraf Mohamad (Edmond North)

#11 Lady Sandites hammer Bishop Kelley, 67-46

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief, with Morgan Miller, Staff Writer

The #11 Charles Page High School varsity girls' basketball team (9-2) wreaked havoc on the 5A #16 Bishop Kelley Lady Comets (4-7) Tuesday night in the first meeting of the season for the two conference opponents. Three Lady Sandites doubled, three Lady Comets doubled, and for much of the night it looked like the Sandites would double Bishop Kelley entirely. 

The Sandites led 20-6 after the first period and 35-8 at the half before they finally began to run the bench and allow the Comets to play catch-up. Cierra Scott had one of the best performances of her career, nearly beating her career-high with 17 points, and shooting 5-of-6 from three-point range. 

Gloria Mutiri doubled for her third-straight game, scoring 10, and Sydney Pennington added 10 of her own. Pennington has only failed to double once this entire season. 

Twelve Sandites saw action and eleven of them scored in the sixth 20-point win of the season for the Lady Sandites. Jacie Taber and Maddie Ward both scored season-highs. 

The Lady Comets actually outscored the Sandites in each of the final two periods, but they were too far behind to even come close to catching up, trailing 54-31 after the third and finishing 67-46. 

The Lady Sandites will return to action Thursday night at the three-day Interstate Classic tournament in Coffeyville, Kansas. 

#13 Sandite dribblers snap losing streak at #15 Bishop Kelley

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief with Morgan Miller, Staff Writer

After a rocky start, the #13 Charles Page High School varsity basketball team (8-4) finally snapped out of a three-game losing streak Tuesday night at Bishop Kelley. 

The 5A #15 Comets (5-6) got off to an early lead, limiting the Sandite scoring action to a series of Kyle Keener free throws for most of the first quarter. Finally, Brooks Haddock sank a three to get the Sandites back on the right track. 

Mack Thompson struck a series of field goals midway through the second period to help carry the Sandite momentum, and the boys began to lead for the duration of the half. 

The Comets, however, came out firing in the third to take a 39-35 lead before the Sandites once more found their feet and began to build some cushion. 

Trailing by four with a minute to play, the Comets began a series of desperation fouls, but were unable to close the gap, thanks to the near-perfect free throw capabilities of the Sandites, and the visitors returned home with a 57-53 victory. 

Kyle Keener led the Sandites with 15 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the charity stripe, 4-of-5 from field goal range, and adding 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in an outstanding performance consistent with what we've come to expect from the talented giant. 

Mack Thompson and Colt Savage were right behind Keener, each scoring 14 points, with Savage shooting a perfect 6-for-6 on free throws. Brooks Haddock also doubled with 10 points. Haddock has doubled in all but one game this season, and Thompson tied his career-high. 

The Sandites return to action on Thursday night in Coffeyville, Kansas against Nathan Hale at the Interstate Classic tournament.  

#1 Undefeated Sandite wrestling breezes through Bixby, 57-15

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief, with Morgan Miller, Staff Writer

It was a strange night for the #1 Sandite varsity wrestling team (6-0), as half of them didn't even get to touch the mat. The Bixby Spartans (0-5) forfeited the first half of the night's matches, so nobody from 106-145 got to wrestle. 

Cody Mathis (8-8) wrestled up from his normal 145 to 152 for the first time since December, taking on Gavin Staton for the first time this season. Staton took an early lead with a 2-point takedown. Mathis got the escape, then briefly took a 3-2 lead with a reversal, but Staton reversed it back for the 4-3 lead. With 12 seconds left in the second period, Mathis escaped to even things out going into the third. Staton took the down position and scored an escape leaving Mathis fighting for a takedown, but unable to find it and suffering a 5-4 decision.

At 160 it was Zane Basma (18-9) taking an early 7-0 lead over Phillip Tyree with a pair of near-falls before finally letting his opponent out to take him down for the third time, this time for good. The two had yet to meet this season, and after a 1:50 fall, Tyree is unlikely to want to encounter Basma again.  

170 Bryton Beck (6-11) got off to a hot start against Max Guyer, scoring a 2-point takedown early on. He scored an easy escape to start the second period, then got the takedown for a 5-0 lead before finally letting Guyer up just to take him down once again. Beck had a slight mishap where he struggled so hard to prevent an escape that he put himself off balance and inadvertently gave up a takedown. He quickly corrected that mistake with a reversal before letting Guyer out with a 9-4 lead. The match ended with one more takedown shortly before the buzzer and Beck broke a three-loss streak with an 11-4 decision and nearly all the riding time. 

Lane Lettich (4-4) saw action at 182 against state-placer Jared Kerr. Lettich scored first with a pair of 2-pt takedowns, each punctuated by an escape for a 4-2 lead. In the second period, however, Kerr started off with an escape and then scored a takedown, and Lettich broke free to tie things up 5-5. Both wrestlers began to tire out and big moves became few and far between. Lettich took a brief 6-5 lead to start the third. Lane tried to score a takedown with a trip, but Kerr ended up on top for the lead with 40 seconds left. With under 30 to go Lettich fought his way free and sent the match into overtime where Kerr got the takedown for sudden victory, 9-7. 

At 195 Zach Sims (14-16) rematched 2015 Regional Runner-Up Cody Adams, whom he had an 0-3 record against in previous matches. Most recently Adams defeated Sims by 7-2 decision this past weekend at the Bobby Lyons Invitational. Sims had Adams on one leg for nearly ten seconds before Adams managed to squirm out of it and take Sims down instead. Sims tied things up with a pair of escapes, but was taken down once more shortly before the end of the second period. Adams took the down position for the third period and never managed to escape, but despite riding him the entire period Sims was unable to score points and gave up a 4-2 decision. 

The Sandites forfeited 220 to allow Delvin Jordan to continue resting a tweaked ankle and wrapped up the night at 285 with Gage Fain (6-14) against Austin Hiser. Fain qualified at 220 but has been wrestling up to heavyweight for most of the season. Despite being drastically outclassed in terms of weight, he had no problem scoring a quick takedown and turning it into a pin in only 1:07.

From there Riley Weir (15-8), Michael Ritchey (12-11), Blake Sargent (22-7), Jack Karstetter (22-6), Daton Fix (27-0), Derek Davis (6-2), and Beau Bratcher (27-4) all accepted forfeits for a final score of 57-15. 

Erin Kennedy was named Homecoming Queen and was escorted by Beau Bratcher, Blake Sargent, and Marshall Tate. Other Queen candidates include: Blyte Lester escorted by Daton Fix and Sage Singleton, Shelby Tillman escorted by Jack Karstetter and Zane Basma, Madison McIntosh escorted by Payton Scott and Bryton Beck, and Chandler Lindsey escorted by Trace Fleischman and Zach Sims.

The Sandites return to action Thursday night at Putnam City. 

Sandite of the Week: Gloria Mutiri

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief, with Morgan Miller, Staff Writer

Photo: Morgan Miller

This week Sandite Pride would like to recognize CPHS Sophomore Gloria Mutiri as Sandite of the Week for her outstanding season-high 20 point output in a 67-46 rout of Jenks Friday night at Frank Herald Field House. She was 8-of-9 on field goals and also put up multiple rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. 

She also had a double-double against Owasso last Tuesday, scoring 10 points with 13 rebounds. 

Mutiri is currently fifth in Lady Sandite scoring output for the season with 75 points over ten games. 

The Sandites return to action Thursday night at the Coffeyville Interstate Classic.