Week 1 Women's Basketball Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The 2016-2017 high school basketball season is finally here as the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) has posted the official Week 1 rankings. Here's the breakdown on what to expect this season as well as our Editorial Board's picks for the week one games.

No. 1 Choctaw Yellowjackets

Choctaw finished last season 23-3, dropping two games to Midwest City and the State Quarterfinal to Owasso. They graduated a whole mess of starters last season, but retained their top two in University of Oklahoma signee Ana Llanusa and junior Bailey Golden. The Yellowjackets will kick off the season on the 29th against 5A No. 10 Del City.

The pick: Choctaw 66 Del City 54

No. 2 Edmond Santa Fe Wolves

The Lady Wolves went 22-6 last year, falling 58-46 to Muskogee in the State Tournament. All six of their losses were to top-ten teams and only one was by double-digits. They return a highly experienced team after graduating only two seniors and keeping four of their top five scorers. They start the season with Edlam against No. 11 Edmond Memorial.

The pick: ESF 47 EDM 44

No. 3 Deer Creek Antlers

Deer Creek went 20-8 last season with a 54-43 first round loss to Broken Arrow at State. They return a solid lineup behind senior East Central University signee Maddie Rehl and will take on No. 16 Mustang on the 29th. 

The pick: DC 62 Mustang 54

No. 4 Putnam City West Patriots

Putnam West is coming off a a 19-7 season that saw losses only to ranked teams, six of which were top-ten. They graduated a few seniors, but retained top-scoring junior Ce'Nera Skanes to anchor a young and talented team. They will start the season off on the 29th against unranked Enid. 

The pick: PCW 66 Enid 40

No. 5 Owasso Rams

The Lady Rams finished last year 22-8 as State Runners-Up, falling 45-40 to Midwest City. Their only losses were to ranked opponents and four of those were to top-five teams. They graduated several starters, including ORU freshman Rachel Skalnik. They held on to their top three scorers, however, all juniors, led by Arkansas-commit Mya Bhinhar. Bhinhar is recovering from off-season knee surgery, but is expected to make it back by their first game against No. 6 Bartlesville on December 2nd.

No. 6 Bartlesville Bruins

Bartlesville finished last season 10-14 but is a historically good program. They lose only one of their top five scorers and return a young team with several talented sophomores who saw action last year and will anchor the team for years to come. The Bruins will start the season on the 29th with No. 10 Sand Springs.

The pick: Bartlesville 50 Sand Springs 54

No. 7 Westmoore Jaguars

The Lady Jags ended last year 24-3, starting 9-0, and finishing 10-0 before their State Tournament first round loss to Midwest City. They were hit hard by graduation, losing three of their top five scorers, but retain a deep bench of talented youngsters. They start the season on the 29th against unranked Southmoore. 

The pick: West 75 South 40

No. 8 Broken Arrow Tigers

The State Semi-Finalists from Broken Arrow finished last season 24-4. Their only losses were to State Champ Midwest City, State Runner-Up Owasso, No. 2 (at the time) Sapulpa, and No. 2 (at the time) Muskogee. They took heavy losses, graduating their top three scorers, and the next three scorers are seniors this year. The Lady Tigers will kick things off on December 2nd at 5A No. 12 Bishop Kelley. 

No. 9 Midwest City Bombers

The defending State Champions graduated four of their top-five scorers, including University of Texas freshman Chinna Fair after their 25-4 season. The new class of ballers will be lead by senior Coriauna Burkhalter. Their season begins on the 29th against No. 19 Putnam City. 

The pick: MWC 65 Putnam 60

No. 10 Sand Springs Sandites

The Lady Sandites are set up for their best shot at a State Tournament appearance in years after finishing 17-9 last season and only losing one senior. At one point they ran with an eight-game winning streak. Their season came to a close with a 58-42 loss to Owasso at Area. Led by Oklahoma State softball-commit Sydney Pennington and Ohio State volleyball-commit Gloria Mutiri, they run a deep bench with their second-straight freshman class of undefeated Conference Champions from the eighth-grade level. 

No. 11 Edmond Memorial Bulldogs

The Lady Dogs finished last year 16-10 after a 60-50 loss to Putnam City at Area. All of their losses were to ranked opponents. They took heavy losses this season, but retain Sophomore Taylor Norman and junior Kendra Levings, both of whom have been known to do damage. 

No. 12 Norman North Timberwolves

Norman North finished last season 12-14 and ending the season with a 64-60 loss to Putnam West at Area. They graduated a pair of starters, but return solid bones to build on. They will kick off the season on the 29th against No. 19 Edmond North.

The pick: NN 55 EDN 45

No. 13 Booker T. Washington Hornets

Booker T. finished last season 16-10 after a three-point loss to Sand Springs at Area. They only lost to ranked opponents and six of those losses were to top-five teams. They will kick off the season on the 29th at unranked 5A Edison.

The pick: BTW 70 Edison 30

No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains

The Lady Chieftains finished last season 22-5, falling to Midwest City at Area. They're in for a rebuilding year after graduating their top three scorers, including two Division One commits. Their season starts December 6th at Jenks.

No. 15 Moore Lions

Moore ended last year 11-13 with four losses to unranked teams. They will start the season on the 29th against unranked Yukon. 

The pick: Moore 55 Yukon 60

No. 16 Mustang Broncos

Mustang returns from a 13-11 season with a 59-50 Regional loss to Edmond Memorial after graduating two of their top six scorers. Seniors Logan Haller and Abby Niehus will anchor a young, but talented team that only lost to ranked opponents last season and went on an eight-game winning streak to close the regular season. 

No. 17 Union Redskins

Union returns four of their top five scorers after a 8-16 season came to an end at the hands of Sand Springs at Regionals. Of their sixteen losses, only three were to unranked opponents. Their season begins on December 6th against Bartlesville. 

No. 18 Putnam City North Panthers

Putnam North finished last season 15-11, falling to Midwest City at Area and return only one of their top-five scorers. They kick off the year on the 29th against 5A No. 20 Bishop McGuinness. 

The pick: PCN 45 BM 40

No. 19 (tied) Edmond North Huskies

Edmond North ended last season 13-11, dropping off toward the end of the year and losing five of their last six games. They return a solid but young team. 

No. 19 (tied) Putnam City Pirates

Putnam City ended the year 16-11 with only two losses to unranked teams. They went on a six-straight win streak toward the end of the year before finishing the regular season at Midwest City. They split wins at Regionals and Area to end the season with a 63-51 loss to Deer Creek. They lost their two highest scorers, but return junior Kelzie Orr to anchor the rebuilding year.

2X Sandite of the Week: Kasey Bales scores two touchdowns in Semi-Final loss

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Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

Charles Page High School senior Kasey Bales was selected as Sandite of the Week for his outstanding performance in the Sandites' 35-21 loss to No. 1 Bixby this past Friday.

The 5'10" 165 pound wide receiver hauled in seven receptions for 69 yards and 2 touchdowns in the semi-final playoff round, accounting for nearly 40% of total yardage for the Sandites. He also punted a career-high six times in the defensive battle, averaging 42 yards per punt, twice pinning the Spartans within their own 20. 

Bales picked up the first yards of the game with a four-yard reception on  shovel pass. He picked up five more on a screen not long after. On the Sandites' first scoring possession he brought in another five-yarder, then scored on a six-yard touchdown reception to cut the deficit to 14-7.

One turnover and 1:12 later he hauled in a 23-yard fourth-down pass to tie the game seconds before halftime. 

He picked up the first Sandite first-down of the second half on an eleven-yard pass, then received a thirteen-yarder to set up Payton Scott's four-yard touchdown run for the 21-21 tie. He didn't get another offensive play after that, but did register a nineteen-yard kick return in the final minute of the game, setting up the Sandites at the 34 for one final drive.

Bales finished the season just shy of the 1000 mark with 68 receptions for 946 yards and eleven touchdowns. He also had seven runs for 44 yards this season. His career mark is 106 receptions for 1593 yards and seventeen scores. He was previously recognized as Sandite of the Week in October after scoring twice in a 30-14 win over Yukon.

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Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. The award is not given to anyone in consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of the Sandite Pride Editorial Board.

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.

Final Season rankings and State Championship analysis/prediction

Bixby's Tucker Pawley ran for 202 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Semi-Finals. Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 1 Bixby Spartans (Last week No. 2, preseason No. 1) vs No. 2 Lawton Wolverines (Last week No. 5, preseason No. 8)

The State Championship Semi-final games came to a close Friday with a big upset for Lawton, setting the Wolverines up for a rematch of their 2014 State Finals game. The two-time defending State Champions from Bixby defeated the Sandites for the third-straight year in a nail-bitter and will now take on their toughest offensive opponent since losing to Muskogee in week five. 

Bixby has the more explosive record against mutual opponents, winning by an average score of 44-18, compared to Lawton's 29-22, however, Lawton is 4-0 against mutual opponents while the Spartans are 3-1. Muskogee topped Bixby 45-42 in a week-five shootout after winning the turnover battle, while the Wolverines topped the Roughers 35-28 by winning the turnover battle. 

This season has seen an unprecedented amount of parity and circular losses as the Division-II teams that never had a shot in 6A-I are revitalizing their programs in a highly competitive year with numerous newcomers to contention. Choctaw upset Midwest City and Lawton; Lawton upset Muskogee; Putnam West upset Sand Springs; Stillwater upset Edmond Memorial and Mustang; Deer Creek upset Stillwater; Muskogee upset Bixby; Sand Springs upset Muskogee; Booker T. upset Sand Springs. In a season this wild, anything could happen.

That being said, Bixby is still the clear favorite to win--for many reasons. Bixby doesn't lose without major mistakes and miracle plays. They have three losses this season, and two were to annual powerhouse teams. 6A-I No. 1 Jenks was ranked as high as 23rd in the nation by MaxPreps before they lost in a 45-21 upset to No. 3 Union. The Trojans topped the Spartans in a close 38-34 come-from-behind battle in week two in their closest match of the season. The next Spartan loss was 44-34 to Arkansas 7A No. 4 Bentonville (10-2). Bixby's loss to Muskogee came on the heels of three turnovers in a game that the Spartans dominated offensively. 

Lawton has battled through a slightly weaker schedule with bigger losses and closer wins. They lost 56-41 to 5A No. 3 Carl Albert (11-1), 35-28 to 5A No. 1 MacArthur (12-0), and 20-17 to Midwest City (7-4). Though those were all respectable losses to quality teams, they have several other blights on their schedule. They gave up 37 points to Eisenhower (2-8), only beat Putnam City (4-6) by a close 26-14, and Stillwater (5-6) 21-14. They then gave up a massive 52-26 loss to Choctaw (5-5). Though their four-straight wins since then have been of solid quality, they simply don't match up to Bixby.

Bixby owns the number-two scoring defense, while Lawton comes in at fifth. Bixby is sixth in offensive points allowed, Lawton is seventh. Lawton has a slight edge on Bixby defensively when it comes to yards per play, both rushing and passing, but the Spartans have the most dominant scoring offense in the State, by a significant margin. While the Wolverines are fourth in scoring, the Spartans are first with 41.5 points per game. Lawton has the edge in the air, but Bixby has the top run game in the State.

Their overall records indicate a close game, but when you limit it to their four mutual opponents, Bixby emerges as the clear favorite. Lawton has actually under-performed their foes offensively, while winning on turnovers. Bixby out performs their opponents by nearly 200 yards, while also winning the turnover battle every time.

The Spartans are back-to-back defending State Champions with an 8-0 post-season record over the last three years. Lawton is 0-2 against the Spartans over the last two seasons, falling 35-21 in the 2014 State Title game to end the season 11-2. Last year the Wolverines lost to Bixby in the quarterfinals 36-6 to finish the year 8-2.

Wolverines (8-4, 5-2)

defeated Putnam City 26-14
defeated Booker T. 21-20
defeated Putnam West 35-28
defeated Muskogee 35-28

Average score: 29-23
First downs: 15
Allowed: 17
Fumbles-lost: 7-2 (total)
Recoveries: 3 (total)
Interceptions thrown: 3 (total)
Interceptions caught: 8 (total)
Penalties-Yards: 7-62

C-A-Y: 9-17-146
Average: 8.58
Allowed: 16-28-200
Average: 7.14

Rushes-Yards: 37-166
Average: 4.48
Allowed: 37-115
Average: 3.1

Plays-Yards: 54-312
Average: 5.77
Allowed: 65-315
Average: 4.84

Spartans (9-3, 5-1)

defeated Putnam City 56-20
defeated Booker T. 28-0
defeated Putnam West 49-7
lost 45-42 to Muskogee

Average score: 44-18
First downs: 23
Allowed: 10
Fumbles-lost: 6-3 (total)
Recoveries: 4 (total)
Interceptions thrown: 2 (total)
Interceptions caught: 9 (total)
Penalties-Yards: 10-92

C-A-Y: 24-38-256
Average: 6.73
Allowed: 14-30-220-2
Average: 7.33

Rushes-Yards: 44-196
Average: 4.45
Allowed: 21-40
Average: 1.9

Plays-Yards: 82-452
Average: 5.51
Allowed: 51-260
Average: 5.09

The Pick: Bixby 30, Lawton 24.

No. 3 Sand Springs Sandites (Last week No. 3, preseason No. 2)

The Charles Page High School Sandites (7-5, 4-2) don't have the record or the stats to indicate a top-four team, but they have the kind of Sandite magic that ends up on ESPN Sportscenter and upsets number-one ranked teams. The Sandite Defense is tenth in points allowed and ninth in yards per play allowed, but second in scoring. Offensively they were only eighth in yards per play, but fifth in scoring. The Sandites had several big wins, including a 35-7 rout of Highway 97 rival Sapulpa, a 56-35 shootout with Ponca City, a 26-25 upset of top-ranked Muskogee, and a 23-14 win at Midwest City.

No. 4 Muskogee Roughers (Last week No. 1, preseason No. 4)

Muskogee may not have won their first State Championship in thirty years, but they did finish with a District Title and their first winning record since 2008 at 9-2, 5-1. The Roughers boast the number one yards-per-play offense in the state and won several notable games. They bested District One Champion Midwest City 16-12, upset Bixby 45-42, dominated Booker T. Washington 23-7, and shut out Ponca City 48-0. Their offense was second in scoring, fifth rushing, and first passing. Their defense also played lights-out all season and are first in scoring and second in offensive points allowed with the second-best pass coverage. 

No. 5 Midwest City Bombers (Last week No. 4, preseason No. 5)

Midwest City finished an impressive season with a 7-4, 6-1 record and the District One Title, after being knocked out of playoff contention by the Sandites. High points included a 20-17 win over Lawton, and a 35-0 shutout of Deer Creek. The Bombers can boast one of the most talented defenses in the state with first place in points allowed and yards per play allowed against both passing and running offenses. They also hold the fifth-best passing offense in the division.

No. 6 Booker T. Washington Hornets (Last week No. 6, preseason No. 3)

The Hornets finished the season with a 6-5, 4-2 record that could likely have been much better with a healthy quarterback in the end of the season. High points included a 21-14 win over District One Champion Midwest City, a 47-0 shutout of Ponca City, a 45-0 shutout of Sapulpa, and a 17-12 upset over then-No.1 Sand Springs. Their season came to a close with a close 21-20 loss at Lawton. The Hornets hold the number four scoring defense and were fourth in points allowed. Their run-coverage was second only to Midwest City.

No. 7 Putnam City West Patriots (Last week No. 7, preseason No. 14)

The Patriots may not have made it past the first round of the playoffs, but they had their best season in decades and were unfortunately paired with the top-scoring team in the State. The Pats finished 7-4, 5-2, with the number five defense in the state in points allowed, and second in yards-per-play allowed. Offensively they were seventh in scoring, and sixth in yards-per-play. High points included winning the Putnam rivalry with a 16-5 win over North and a 42-10 win over Putnam City. 

No. 8 Stillwater Pioneers (Last week No. 8, preseason No. 10)

Stillwater finished the season 5-6, 3-4, but were a much better team than their record indicates. Starting QB Jace Brownlee has struggled all season with a shoulder injury and has missed several games. Even when he could play, the team was rarely able to pass. High points included a 24-7 upset of Edmond Memorial and 34-26 upset of Mustang. The defense was third in the division in offensive points allowed, and their offense was second in rushing.

No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (Last week No. 9, preseason No. 9)

The Yellowjackets finished a hit-or-miss season with a 5-5, 3-4 record and just barely missed the playoffs. High points included a 45-41 upset over Sand Springs, a 14-7 upset over Midwest City, and most impressively, a 52-26 upset over Lawton. Choctaw holds the number three offense in the State in scoring, and is fifth in yards-per-play. They struggled defensively, however, and finished ninth in points-allowed with almost every game being a shootout.

No. 10 Putnam City Pirates (Last week No. 10, preseason No. 7)

Putnam finished 4-6, 2-5. High points included a 16-7 win over in-town rival Putnam North and a 52-6 blowout of El Reno. They also upset Choctaw 36-32 and finished the season on a strong note with a 42-21 victory over Enid. They finished eleventh in offensive scoring and ninth in total offense and were sixth in the air. Their defense was solid at eighth in points allowed and fifth in yards-per-play allowed.

No. 11 Enid Plainsmen (Last week No. 11, preseason No. 12)

Enid managed only three wins, but two were quite impressive, upsetting Choctaw 43-39 and dominating Deer Creek 45-17. They finished the season 3-7, 2-5 with a 42-21 loss to Putnam. They finished with the number ten offense and number twelve defense and were sixth in yards per rush.

No. 12 Bartlesville Bruins (Last week No. 12, preseason No. 6)

The Bruins struggled off and on throughout the year, but finished strong despite three-straight losses. They gave it their all against Sand Springs and Booker T. and legitimately challenged both. They finished 3-6, 2-4 with wins of 42-20 over Ponca City and 51-28 over Sapulpa. They held the number six offense in points scored, but were actually fourth in yards-per-play with the number three passing record in the division. Defense was their struggle and they finished fourteenth in points allowed, eleventh in yards per play, but an impressive fifth in yards per pass.

No. 13 Deer Creek Antlers (Last week No. 13, preseason No. 11)

The Antlers had a rough start to their 6A debut season, finishing 2-8, 2-5 with wins of 21-14 over Stillwater and 20-14 over Putnam. They were shutout 49-0 in the finale at Lawton and finish with the number fourteen offense and number thirteen defense.

No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (Last week No. 14, preseason No. 13)

Sapulpa has been in a rebuilding year under new head coach Robert Borgstadt, but the Chieftains (1-9, 1-5) have shown promise. They only won a single game, 31-27 over Ponca City, but lost close ones of 24-21 to Duncan, and 52-42 to Choctaw. They finished thirteenth in running, scoring, and total offense, and tenth in the air. Defensively they were fifteenth in points allowed, run coverage, and total defense, and thirteenth in pass coverage.

No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (Last week No. 15, preseason No. 15)

The Wildcats finished 2-8, 0-6, but had several solid performances. They lost 42-31 to Enid, defeated Guthrie 9-0, and posted 35 points against Sand Springs. They barely lost 31-27 to Sapulpa and defeated Norman 10-6. Ponca finished the season fifteenth in total offense and tenth in offensive scoring. They were eleventh in points allowed, fourteenth in yards per play allowed, fifteenth in pass coverage, and eleventh in ground coverage.

Stellar defense not enough as No. 2 Spartans spoil Sandites' playoff hopes

Photo: Morgan Miller.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Scoring Summary:

1Q 6:23 Griffin 40 yard pass to Presley. Campbell PAT. 7-0 Bixby.
2Q 5:27 Pawley 44 yard run. Campbell PAT 14-0 Bixby.
2Q 1:24 Greathouse 6 yard pass to Bales. Hernandez PAT 14-7 Bixby.
2Q 0:12 Greathouse 23 yard pass to Bales. Hernandez PAT 14-14.
3Q 7:56 Griffin 16 yard pass to Barbour. Campbell PAT 21-14 Bixby.
3Q 3:36 Scott 4 yard run. Hernandez PAT 21-21.
4Q 5:50 Pawley 5 yard run. Campbell PAT 28-21 Bixby.
4Q 1:45 Pawley 16 yard run. Campbell PAT 35-21 Bixby.

Note: Coverage of the Sandite-Spartan Semi-final game presented by Morgan's Relax Packs.

For the third-straight year, the No. 3 Charles Page High School varsity football team (7-5) was eliminated from the playoffs by the No. 2 Bixby Spartans (9-3). The Sandites put up a valiant effort, but the two-time defending State Champions progressed to their third-straight State Championship finals appearance with a 35-21 win at Sapulpa's George F. Collins Stadium.

The game was an incredible defensive showdown that saw the two teams punt a total of sixteen times with two interceptions, one fumble recovery, and one turnover on downs. The Spartans won the battle, however, forcing ten punts and racking up 63 yards in tackles for loss. 

Sand Springs failed to find a rhythm offensively, completing only ten first downs and eleven passes on 32 attempts. The team struggled to hold on to the ball, fumbling four times, and dropping numerous passes that should have been completed.

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On the Sandites' first possession they quickly picked up 21 yards on a run from junior running back Payton Scott, but then senior quarterback Hunter Greathouse's first pass of the night sailed into the hands of Ethan Hall for an interception. In a strange turn of events, Spartan quarterback Tanner Griffin's first pass was also an interception, caught by sophomore Hayden Cramer, to hold the Spartan possession to a mere ten seconds.

Passing
CPHS: Greathouse 10-31-125-1, 2TD. Pennington 1-1-(-2)-0.
Bixby: Griffin 18-29-238-1, 2TD.

Rushing
CPHS: Scott 24-86, 1 TD. Greathouse 3-(-21). Pennington 1-(-13).
Bixby: Pawley 33-202, 3TD. Griffin 4-25. Presley 1-9. Riddle 1-9.

Receiving
CPHS: Bales 7-69, 2TD. Thompson 1-42. Taber 1-11. Scott 2-1.
Bixby: Kerr 3-80. Presley 5-74, 1TD. Swanson 5-58. Barbour 2-18, 1TD. Riddle 1-8. Pawley 1-3. Watkins 1-(-3).

Tackles (CPHS Only)
Morgan 9, Tolbert 6, Jordan 4, Taber 4, Motes 4, Fain 4, Freeman 4, Simonton 4, Bratcher 3, Cramer 3, Fleischman 1, Delozier 1, Moyer 1, Thompson 1.

The Sandites were unable to capitalize, however, and Greathouse soon punted the ball away without a first down. Bixby had little difficulty moving the ball this time, driving 84 yards in six plays to score on a 40 yard pass to freshman receiver Brennan Presley. Jason Campbell's kick was good and the Spartans were up 7-0.

Eight possessions later, the Spartans caped an 87-yard drive with a 44-yard touchdown run by junior running back Tucker Pawley to make the score 14-0 with 5:27 left in the half.

Sand Springs came alive from there, finally scoring on their seventh possession of the night, aided by a series of personal fouls by the Spartans. Sand Springs grabbed one first down on a facemask penalty, added another on a roughing-the-passer call, then went to work offensively at the Spartan 32. Between Scott's runs and Kasey Bales's receptions, the Sandites inched down to the six yard line where Greathouse connected with Bales for the score. Alex Hernandez sent in the point-after, and the Sandites were closing the gap with 1:24 in the half.

On the Spartans' second play of the corresponding drive, Griffin found Presley again for a gain of twelve, but the freshman lost control of the ball and senior Treyce Tolbert got the recovery to set up Sand Springs for the game-tying drive. 

Greathouse hit Mack Thompson for 42 yards, and after a series of incomplete passes, he found Bales from 23-out to tie the game at half time.

The Sandites didn't ever take the lead, but they won the third quarter defensively, holding Bixby to only 86 yards and three completions on eight attempts. The Spartans did score on their opening drive of the half with a 16 yard pass to Clayton Barbour, but Sand Springs responded two possessions later. 

After a Sandite drive fell flat at the fifty, Greathouse pinned Bixby in at their own one-yard line. Three plays later the Spartans had to punt into a headwind and gave the Sandites prime real estate at the 19-yard-line.

Sand Springs wasted no time in scoring as Bales hauled in a thirteen yard pass and Scott ran it the final four to tie the game.

Soon after, the Spartans pushed eighty yards in eight plays to score on a six yard run from Pawley. With 5:50 to play, things began to fall apart for the Sandites.

Tight-end Dash Fleischman was injured on a play and had to come out for the game. Greathouse found Josh Taber for a first down, but then had to come out for a play. A direct snap attempt to Scott sailed well over his head and he barely recovered the ball for a loss of fourteen. Bales had to punt into a headwind and the Spartans got possession at the Sandite 49.

Four plays later, Pawley scored his third touchdown of the night to make it 35-21.

Sophomore Caden Pennington came in at quarterback with 1:45 to play. Another errant snap pushed the Sandites back to second and 23 at their 22, then a screen pass to Scott ended in another loss, followed by a delay of game penalty. The final play of the game was a run from Scott for no gain, and the clock ran out for the Spartan victory.

The Spartans will advance to their third-straight State Championship appearance Friday, December 2nd at against the No. 5 Lawton Wolverines (8-4). The Wolverines were the sleeper of this season's playoffs, defeating No. 6 Booker T. Washington 21-20, then upsetting No. 1 Muskogee 34-24. This will be Lawton's first State Championship appearance since 2014 when they fell 35-21 to Bixby. 

No. 3 Sand Springs vs No. 2 Bixby: State Semi-finals tonight in Sapulpa

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The third-ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (7-4) is making a semi-final playoff appearance for the third straight year Friday night at Sapulpa's George F. Collins Stadium. Morgan's Relax Packs is sponsoring tonight's game coverage.

This is the Sandites second-straight year playing in Sapulpa, their third-straight year of playing a post-season game against No. 2 Bixby (8-3), and their second semi-final meeting against the Spartans in the last three years. Thus far, the Sandites have never beaten the Spartans in the post-season, and the Spartans haven't lost a post-season game in three years. 

The Sandite-Spartan rivalry is a brutal one, with six meetings in three years and a 4-1 record in favor of Bixby. Though the Spartans hold an all-time record of 14-12-0 against Sand Springs, it's been the last three years that have mattered the most, with Bixby serving as a constant roadblock in the Sandites' path. 

In 2014 the Sandites gave Bixby their closest game of the season before falling 34-31 at Spartan Stadium in the regular-season finale. The Sandites rebounded with an overtime win at Midwest City to make their first semi-final appearance since 1997, but were plagued by injuries and handily defeated 41-14 in Broken Arrow. The Spartans went on to defeat Lawton for their first ever State Championship title. 

Last season the Sandites got vengeance with a 20-0 victory at home, dealing the Spartans their first shutout loss since 2008. The Minutemen went on to blow out Stillwater on the road, then topped No. 1 Booker T. Washington in Sapulpa before meeting the Spartans in their first State Championship game since 1966. The defending State Champs prevailed, however, dealing the Sandites a 38-28 loss at Union High School. 

This season the Spartans got the win at home, 35-19 over the No. 2 Sandites, to sabotage Sand Springs's district title. Had Sand Springs won, it would have been their first district title since 1997 and their first home playoff game since they hosted Westmoore in 2013. Sand Springs traveled to No. 4 Midwest City once again and prevailed 23-14 while Bixby trashed No. 7 Putnam City West 49-7.

Bixby had the home field advantage in the last game, and the two teams have a habit of splitting wins. Last year Bixby lost to both Sand Springs and Bartlesville in the regular season, then beat both in the playoffs, while the Sandites lost to Booker T. Washington in the regular season and won in the playoffs. The parity of the division means anything is possible, and Sand Springs already has a win over No. 1 Muskogee (9-1), who beat Bixby 45-42. 

Bixby boasts the top scoring offense in the State with 45 points per game, while the Sandites are fifth with 28 points per game. Sand Springs, however, has a habit of playing to their opponents' skill level. The Spartans have the number one run game and number two passing offense in the state, while the Sandites are only ninth in run coverage and eleventh in pass coverage. The two teams are tied for defensive scoring with both teams holding 28 total points this season. The Sandite offense is fifth in scoring, seventh in yards-per-play, and sixth in yards-per-rush. The Spartan defense is nearly identical to the Sandite defense in all areas but pass coverage, where they're significantly better. 

The winner of the match will progress to the State Championship against the winner of No. 1 Muskogee vs No. 5 Lawton (7-4). It's the 50th anniversary of the Sandites' lone State Championship season, so regardless of the victor, you can expect to see some wild game-play and Sandite magic. 

SEE RELATED: Week 12 6A-II Rankings and Playoff predictions; a look at this weekend's games

SEE RELATED: Payton Scott scores twice, Defense shines in 23-14 victory over Midwest City

SEE RELATED: Sandites secure fifth-straight playoff berth, travel to Midwest City Friday

Sandite of the Week: Delvin Jordan records three sacks against No. 4 Midwest City

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School senior Delvin Jordan is one of the most explosive line backers in recent memory for the No. 3 ranked Sand Springs Sandites (7-4) and leads his team this season with fifteen tackles for loss totaling 91 yards. 

The 6'0" 224-pound wrestler has also been awarded Sandite of the Week once before after winning the Regional Championship last winter. This is his first recognition on the gridiron and it comes on the heels of a 23-14 playoff victory over District One Champion No. 4 Midwest City, that can be credited majorly to the defense. 

Jordan was second on his team in total tackles, recording six, but led in tackles for loss with three sacks for 27 yards, a personal best for the young star. The Midwest City game brings his season-total to eight sacks for 64 yards. Last season he managed eight sacks (over thirteen games) for 36 yards and had fifteen tackles-for-loss totaling 64 yards. With at least one more game before him, possibly two, he has easily surpassed his already incredible record. He also recorded his third forced-fumble of the season.

His first tackle of the night came on a seventeen-yard kickoff return by Declaudio Irvin. Next he stopped a six-yard run by Tyree Young, followed by a seventeen-yard run by Young. He picked up his first sack in the third quarter, laying out Preston Colbert for a ten-yard loss on third down to force a punt. He found Colbert again on the Bombers' next possession, this time for a loss of twelve, to set them up at third and 32. The Bombers would punt again soon-after. Colbert just couldn't keep away from Jordan, who hit him once again for a strip sack on their next possession and a loss of five with ten minutes to play. 

Ultimately the Sandites prevailed over the home team thanks to turnovers, despite under-performing offensively. 

Jordan's father, Delvin Jordan Sr., was also a star on the Sandite football team when he was quarterback from 1993-1994. The Sandites went 7-4 during Jordan Sr.'s junior year and fell 24-7 in the playoffs to the eventual State Champion, No. 1 Jenks (13-1). 

The Sandites will take on No. 2 Bixby (8-3) this Friday night at Sapulpa in their third-straight State Semi-final appearance. They met Bixby in the semi-finals in 2014 and were defeated, then lost to Bixby last year in the State Championship.

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Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. The award is not given to anyone in consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of the Sandite Pride Editorial Board.

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.