Sandite Wrestling returns to State Finals for second-straight year with 53-9 victory over Ponca

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 1 undefeated Charles Page High School wrestling team (19-0) is headed to the Dual State Championship finals for the second-straight year after dominating No. 6 Ponca City (10-3) 53-9.

CPHS 53 Ponca City 9

106 No. 1 Weir p. Linder 0:45
113 No. 3 Ward d. Bellmard 3-0
120 No. 4 Ritchey d. No. 8 Swenson 1-0
126 No. 3 Sargent d. No. 2 Schickram 8-6
132 No. 1 Fix t.f. No. 5 Schickram 20-5
138 No. 2 Karstetter d. No. 9 Hunt 12-10
145 No. 2 Bratcher p. Tipton 0:23
152 No. 1 Scott p. No. 5 Rubio 0:35
160 No. 9 Almy d. No. 10 White 5-1
170 No. 1 Basma p. No. 10 Newlin 1:22
182 Bratcher d. Arechiga 10-6
195 Pressnall d. Fain 3-2
220 No. 1 Jordan p. No. 5 Fry 0:10
285 No. 9 Bridges p. Edwards 2:21

The dual kicked off at 145 as Beau Bratcher (38-6 season, 129-29 career) pinned Tacoma Tipton in 0:23. Payton Scott (33-2, 54-10) was right behind him, pinning State Qualifier Ezequiel Rubio in 0:35.

The Wildcats put up more of a fight at 160. Sophomore Noah Almy (20-16) took on Grayson White and scored a takedown in the first period, started the second period with an escape, then took down White again. The Wildcat picked up a caution point to end the second period, and chose neutral in the third. He was unable to score any points and the Sandite prevailed by 5-1 decision for a 15-0 team lead.

Zane Basma (22-2, 84-27) took on Lane Newlin and scored an early takedown before getting the fall in 1:22.

Sophomore Luke Bratcher (4-1) made his return to the mat after missing a few weeks with a sprain. He took a quick 7-2 lead over Abram Arechiga with nearfall points and started the second period neutral. He scored another quick takedown, but Arechiga got an escape at the end of the second and the start of the third to cut it to 9-4. Arechiga scored his first takedown with 30 seconds left, but Bratcher quickly escaped and finished 10-6.

Gage Fain (26-12, 39-34) battled out of an early deficit against Bradyn Pressnall and tied it up at 2-2 with a second period escape. Pressnall started the third period on bottom and Fain elected to give him the escape, but was unable to score and let Ponca on the board with a 3-2 decision.

Delvin Jordan (37-2, 68-14) more than made up for it with a ten-second fall against State Qualifier Austin Fry and the Sandites led 30-3. Kris Edwards (4-3) was far outsized in his match. He scored a quick takedown against Brett Bridges, but the Wildcat got the upper hand in period two and pinned the Sandite in 2:21.

Riley Weir (33-6, 54-18) pinned Chase Linder in 0:45. Tanner Ward (29-9, 105-21) scored a takedown against Karson Bellmard late in the first, then escaped in the second for a 3-0 lead which he held to the end, essentially clinching the dual.

Michael Ritchey (32-8, 61-32) battled it out with Jacob Swenson and neither scored in the first period. Ritchey started the second period on bottom and scored an escape halfway through, then started the third period on top and held on for the 1-0 decision.

Blake Sargent (32-8, 84-22) picked up a huge win against State Qualifier Spencer Schickram, who has beaten him multiple times this season. Schickram got the first takedown, but Sargent quickly escaped and scored on the Wildcat before cutting him loose to end the first period 3-3. Sargent started the second period on bottom, reversed, then was reversed on to keep it knotted up. He took the lead once again with an escape and entered the third period on top with a 6-5 advantage. Schickram tied it right back up, but Sargent got the winning takedown with 30 seconds left.

Daton Fix (39-0, 157-0) worked his usual magic on Dylan Schickram and led 13-4 after the first period and ultimately won by 20-5 technical fall in 3:06.

The dual wrapped up at 138 with Jack Karstetter (25-1, 98-16) versus Dawson Hunt. Karstetter took a 7-3 lead into the second, earning backpoints once against the Wildcat, but getting taken down in the last seconds. The Sandite earned an escape point halfway through the second period, but got in trouble at the end. Hunt scored a takedown for nearfall points and the Sandite was saved by the buzzer, holding on to a 12-9 lead to start the third and prevailing 12-10 for a final score of 53-9.

Sand Springs will return to action at 6:30 p.m. in the Championship round against No. 3 Broken Arrow (9-2), who upset the defending State Champs in No. 2 Choctaw (9-1). The Tigers prevailed 36-28 in a dual that came down to the very last match.

No. 1 Sandite Wrestling dominates No. 11 Norman 74-3 with eleven pins

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 1 ranked and undefeated Charles Page High School wrestling team (18-0) won their quarterfinal match-up with the No. 11 Norman Tigers (15-4) Friday afternoon at Firelake Arena in Shawnee.

Sophomore Noah Almy (19-16) picked up a quick 0:51 pin, then Zane Basma (21-2, 83-27) pinned his foe in 0:48 for a 12-0 lead. Sophomore Hayden Cramer (9-8) took a 2-1 lead into the second period of his match, escaped to start the second and the third periods, then got the pin in 4:53. Gage Fain (26-11, 39-33) wrestled at 196 and got the pin in 1:42. Delvin Jordan (36-2, 67-14) put on a takedown clinic at 220, building a 12-4 lead in the first minute before pinning his foe at 1:11.

Kris Edwards (4-2) gave up a lot of weight at heavyweight and trailed 3-1 going into the third period. He was faster than his opponent, and quickly scored a second escape point, but Dami Oyesanya ended out on top of a 7-3 decision to spoil the potential shutout.

Riley Weir (32-6, 53-18) took a 5-0 first period lead over his opponent, added an immediate takedown to start the second, then got the pin at 2:35. Tanner Ward (28-9, 104-21) followed with a quick pin in 0:20 to unofficially clinch the dual victory. Michael Ritchey (31-8, 60-32) got a pin in 1:19, then Blake Sargent (31-8, 83-22) got the fall in 1:51.

Daton Fix (38-0, 156-0) took a 12-5 lead into the second period and was 20-8 going into the third. The Norman wrestler managed to stay on top of Fix for a full 11 seconds, which is more than most wrestlers can say, but the undefeated Sandites prevailed with a 23-8 technical fall in 4:16.

Jack Karstetter (24-1, 97-16) had a tough opponent at 138. The two remained neutral throughout the first period, then Karstetter took a 2-1 lead with only 0:20 to go in the second. He added an escape point to start the third and won by 3-1 decision.

Beau Bratcher (37-6, 128-29) got a fall in 0:33, then Payton Scott (32-2, 53-10) pinned his foe in 0:38 to end the dual 74-3.

The Sandites will return to action Saturday at noon against No. 6 Ponca City (11-2). Ponca tied No. 4 Edmond North (10-2) 31-31 and advanced on criteria, having received less unsportsmanlike penalties than the Huskies. Sand Springs already defeated Ponca City 59-3 earlier this season. No. 2 Choctaw (10-0) defeated No. 10 Stillwater (8-4) 56-21 in their quarterfinal and will take on No. 3 Broken Arrow (9-2), who defeated No. 5 Yukon (8-3) 51-19. Choctaw defeated Broken Arrow 38-22 earlier this year.

CPHS junior Colt Savage scores 1,000th career point at Broken Arrow

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School added another member to its 1000-point club Tuesday night at Broken Arrow High School, as junior Colt Savage scored a game-high 24 points in a close 63-57 loss to the eighth-ranked Tigers. 

SEE RELATED: Savage and Keener combine for 46 in close loss at No. 8 Broken Arrow

The 6'3" uncommitted guard has led his team in sixteen of the nineteen games he's played this season, and is currently averaging 22.42 points-per-game. Not only is he the leading scorer for Sand Springs, he's the leading scorer for the entire Frontier Valley Conference by a 1.2 margin over Sapulpa's Keenan Balance. 

Savage is the elder son of fourth-year Head Coach Eric Savage, previously of Tulsa Memorial. Coach Savage coached the Chargers to three State Championships in twelve seasons and holds a career record of 348-144. Clearly basketball runs in Colt's DNA. 

Colt was the number-two scorer on the team as a freshman, averaging 10.29 points-per-game with a season-best 18 points against the Wichita Defenders. He led his team in six games that year and finished with 247 points. He was second on the team again last year, averaging 14.46 points with a season-best 25 against Nathan Hale. He led the team eight times and finished with 347 points as the Sandites celebrated their first winning season in sixteen years. 

As impressive as those first two years were, he has already dwarfed those performances and is at 426 points, bringing his career total to 1020. He set a new career-high of 34 points against Bixby, then scored 30 against Owasso. He is also averaging 6.6 rebounds per game and has recorded two double-doubles this year.

As a sophomore, Colt was named to the Ardmore Invitational All-Tournament Team, and he was named to the Interstate Classic All-Tournament team the past two years. 

The last Sand Springs player to cross the 1,000 mark was Sydney Pennington, who did so last year as a junior. 

SEE RELATED: Sandite Junior Sydney Pennington scores 1000 career points

Savage and Keener combine for 46 in close loss at No. 8 Broken Arrow

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

BAHS 63 CPHS 57

1Q Broken Arrow 21-16
2Q Broken Arrow 15-5
3Q Sand Springs 16-7
4Q All 20-20

Free Throws: CPHS 15-of-22 BAHS 12-of-24
Field Goals: CPHS 19-of-45 BAHS 21-of-43
Fouls: CPHS 18, BAHS 20

Scoring: (CPHS) Colt Savage 24, Keener 22, Garbey 9, Taber 2. (BAHS) Huffman 14, Dennis 13, Hall 9, Lane 8, Smith 6, Everette 4, Boyer 4, Ensminger 3, Gonzales 2.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 6, Colt Savage 1, Price 1, Garbey 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Keener 8, Colt Savage 2, Price 2, Cale Savage 1, Garbey 1, Golightly 1.
Steals: Keener 3, Taber 1, Cale Savage 1.
Assists: Taber 1.
Blocks: Keener 3. 
Fouls: Price 5, Keener 4, Taber 3, Colt Savage 2, Garbey 2, Wash 1, Golightly 1.

Sand Springs won the second half, but they couldn't win the war. No. 8 ranked Broken Arrow (15-5) hosted the unranked Sandites (9-11) Tuesday afternoon, and were nearly caught sleeping. After rolling to a 36-21 halftime advantage, they barely stayed above water in the final stretch.

The Sandites tried to hang tight with their foes throughout the first quarter, but trailed by seven multiple times before a two-point shot from Josh Taber cut it to 21-16 at the end of the period.

Broken Arrow brought the rain to start the second quarter, as Braden Boyer, Camryn Dennis, Cory Lane, and Taylor Gonzales all hit field goals to make it 30-16 before Colt Savage broke the streak with a pair of free throws. Jacob Garbey scored the only other Sandite points of the quarter on a three pointer, and the Tigers took a 36-22 advantage into the locker room.

Whatever Coach Savage said to his boys at halftime worked and they came out to score the first seven points of the second half. Tony Hall regained the double digit lead with a three-pointer, Keener hit a two, Boyer hit a pair from the free throw line, then the Sandites went on another seven-point run. Caleb Huffman hit a pair of free throws to end the quarter, but Sand Springs won the third 16-7.

Huffman started off the final stanza with a three, but Savage scored six-straight to make it 46-43. Huffman posted another three, followed by a pair of free throws from Garbey, then Dennis hit a two. Keener scored five-straight and the Sandites were officially within a point.

Then came the foul war. Keener committed two fouls in a row. Dennis sank both of his. Boyer missed his fortunately, but the Tigers went right back to the line on a foul from Savage. Dennis missed his 1-1, but Huffman rebounded for two. Keener was next to go to the line but missed his second shot, rebounded, and missed the field goal.

Dennis hit a layup on the next possession, then Taber sent Major Smith to the line for two.

With 48.6 left, Savage scored a layup to cut it to 59-53, then Keener blocked a shot on the Tigers' corresponding possession and returned it for two. Price fouled Smith, who made one, then Huffman rebounded the second and sent it to Lane for a bucket.

By this point both teams were in the double and Huffman was next to the line and made one. Savage rebounded the second, but it was too late in the game, and his deep three fell short and the home team prevailed 63-57 after tying 20-20 in the fourth.

Savage led all scorers with 26, followed by Keener with 22. Keener's 22 tied his career-high, and he also pulled in 14 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Huffman and Dennis were the only Tigers in double digits, but nine players got on the board for Broken Arrow, as compared to four for Sand Springs.

The Sandites will return to action Friday when they host No. 18 Bartlesville (9-9), who has already beaten them 53-39 and 63-53 this season. The Tigers will host No. 1 Union (20-0), who defeated them 60-56 in December. 

No. 3 Sand Springs rolls over No. 15 Broken Arrow 54-32 behind Kersgieter's 16

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

CPHS 54 BAHS 32

1Q Sand Springs 11-6
2Q Sand Springs 11-5
3Q Sand Springs 16-7
4Q Sand Springs 16-14

Free Throws: CPHS 11-of-16 BAHS 5-of-6
Field Goals: CPHS 19-of-46 BAHS 10-of-42
Penalties: CPHS 7 BAHS 12

Scoring: (CPHS) Kersgieter 16, Johnson 7, Regalado 7, Pennington 7, Mutiri 7, McGee 6, Collins 4. (BAHS) Cuellar 9, Smallwood 7, Callen 6, Moore 4, Bowker 3, West 3.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Mutiri 7, Pennington 1, Kersgieter 1, Johnson 1, McGee 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Pennington 7, Kersgieter 5, Johnson 5, Mutiri 3, McGee 2, Taber 2, Collins 1. 
Steals: Johnson 2, Pennington 1, Kersgieter 1, McGee 1, Collins 1.
Assists: Pennington 4, Kersgieter 1, McGee 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 2, Kersgieter 1.
Fouls: Taber 3, Regalado 1, McGee 1, Mutiri 1, Johnson 1.
 

The No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (17-1) visited the No. 15 Broken Arrow Lady Tigers (11-9) and dealt the home team a twenty-point loss for the second time this season. Sophomore standout Holly Kersgieter led all scorers with 16 points, and four Lady Sandites scored seven-apiece. None of the Lady Tigers broke double digits. 

It took the Sandites a few possessions before they found their offensive mojo, leading only 11-6 after the first quarter while shooting 30% on field goals. Jalise Smallwood hit a three for the Lady Tigers to start the second period, followed by a two-point response from Kierra McGee.

The Sandites finally turned up the heat midway through the quarter and shot 50%. Sydney Pennington snagged a steal, was fouled on a layup, and made the free throw. Holly Kersgieter scored on back-to-back possessions and the visitors held a 20-9 lead. Smallwood put an end to the streak, but Pennington got the final say of the half, rebounding a free throw from Mutiri for the final points, then rebounded Kinsey Callen on the opposite end of the court to carry the 22-11 advantage into the locker room.

Sand Springs came out pumped after halftime and scored the first points of the half on a free throw from Mutiri and a layup from Pennington. Angelica Cuellar hit a two, then Kersgieter, Cuellar, and Bella Regalado all sank threes. Danyell Moore hit a pair from the charity stripe on a foul from Regalado, then sent Regalado to the stripe for a pair. Johnson closed out the period with two field goals and a penalty shot for the 38-18 lead.

The fourth quarter started out even better for the Sandites. Mutiri hit a two and Kersgieter added a three before Brook Bowker hit a three for the Tigers. The Sandites went on a seven-point run from there and finally subbed in the second string with 3:00 remaining and a 50-21 advantage. Jessica Collins got into the scoring action for Sand Springs and finished with four points as the home team outscored the visitors 8-4 in the final minutes to end the game 54-32.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Friday when they host No. 14 Bartlesville (11-7), who they have already defeated 51-34 earlier this season. Broken Arrow will host No. 17 Union (10-9), who they lost to 41-36 earlier this year.

2017 Dual State Preview: No. 1 Sandites enter post-season undefeated 17-0

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 1 CPHS (17-0) 
No. 2 Choctaw (9-0)
No. 3 Broken Arrow (8-2) 
No. 4 Edmond North (10-1) 
No. 5 Yukon (7-2) 
No. 6 Ponca City (8-2) 
No. 10 Stillwater (8-3) 
No. 11 Norman (15-2) 

The brackets have been released and the countdown to Dual State has begun, with only three days left till the eight best teams in Class 6A converge at Firelake Arena in Shawnee. 

The top-seeded teams were no surprise. No. 1 Sand Springs (17-0) and No. 2 Choctaw (9-0) ended up on opposite sides of the bracket, setting up a potential rematch of last year's State Finals, where the Yellowjackets upset the top-ranked Sandites 41-18 for their first Dual State Championship since 1997. 

While the Sandites and Yellowjackets have been the heavy favorites throughout the season, there are several other talented teams that could have legitimate upset potential. All four quarterfinal duals will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, with the semifinals at noon Saturday, and the finals at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

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No. 1 Sand Springs (17-0) has been on a warpath this season, winning five shutouts and the Second Annual Ram Duals tournament. The Sandites are 12-0 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 68-9. They won their district 248-0 against Enid, U.S. Grant, and Putnam West. They pinned the entire Grant team in 14:02. They beat the No. 1 team in Kansas 53-24, Broken Arrow 46-21, Ponca City 51-12, Stillwater 59-9, and 3A No. 1 Perry 48-18. The Sandites have ranked wrestlers in twelve divisions and ten State Qualifiers.

The Sandites' first opponent will be No. 11 Norman (15-2). The Tigers have had an outstanding season, but it's tough to assess them against the rest of the Oklahoma field as half of their opponents were out of state. They placed fifth at the Grapevine Duals but they didn't wrestle a single Dual State-qualifying 6A team. Their toughest Oklahoma opponents were No. 9 Mustang and No. 8 Westmoore. They topped the Broncos 42-24, but barely edged out the Jaguars 39-37. They are 7-0 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 48-23. The only mutual opponent between the Sandites and Tigers is Midwest City, who fell 69-9 to Sand Springs and 58-13 to Norman.

No. 2 Choctaw (9-0) is still riding the seventeen-straight win streak they started last season. They topped Broken Arrow 38-22 and Edmond North 31-29. The Yellowjackets are 6-0 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 53 to 18. They have ranked wrestlers in ten divisions and seven State Qualifiers.

Choctaw will take on No. 10 Stillwater (8-3) in the quarterfinals. The Pioneers are 5-2 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 35-33. They fell 59-9 to Sand Springs and 41-24 to Ponca City. Choctaw and Stillwater have two mutual opponents in Deer Creek and Southmoore. Choctaw defeated the SaberCats 69-12 and Stillwater won 56-21. Choctaw defeated the Antlers 60-15, and Stillwater won 35-30. The Pioneers have wrestlers ranked in five divisions and five State Qualifiers.

No. 3 Broken Arrow (8-2) dropped a 38-22 dual to Choctaw and fell 46-21 to Sand Springs, but since then they've returned 195 State Champion Skyler Haynes to their lineup, who was out with a football injury for most of the season. They've recorded two shutouts this season, 73-0 against Muskogee and 78-0 against Bixby. They also topped No. 7 Union 38-20. The Tigers are 7-2 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 51-18. They have ranked wrestlers in twelve divisions and seven State Qualifiers.

Broken Arrow's quarterfinal opponent will be No. 5 Yukon (7-2). The Millers hold a 36-30 win over No. 9 Mustang and nearly shut out Lawton at 70-3. Their only losses their season are 40-19 to Edmond North, and 59-0 to 4A No. 1 Tuttle. They are 6-1 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 44-25. They have ranked wrestlers in seven divisions and three State Qualifiers. They will travel to Norman Tuesday night in their final dual of the regular season.

No. 4 Edmond North (10-1) may as well be undefeated. They went 10-0 this year before falling 31-29 in their regular season finale at Choctaw. That dual came down to the final match and was far too close to be considered decisive on who would win in a rematch. They have topped No. 9 Mustang 47-24, Yukon 40-19, and No. 8 Westmoore 46-20. They shut out Moore 69-0 and nearly shut out Putnam City West 73-6. All eleven of the Huskies' duals were against 6A opponents, and they won by an average score of 51-16. They have ranked wrestlers in ten divisions and three State Qualifiers. 

Edmond North will take on No. 6 Ponca City (9-2). The Wildcats have a 41-24 win over Stillwater, and a 43-17 win over No. 7 Union. Their only losses are 51-12 to Sand Springs and 36-27 to 3A No. 1 Perry. They are 8-1 against 6A opponents, winning by an average score of 49-21. They have ranked wrestlers in nine divisions and three State Qualifiers.