College Football National Championship trophy makes stop in Sand Springs

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The official 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy made a surprise stop in Sand Springs Saturday, on display at Walmart for a few short hours.

The trophy was in Sand Springs for only two hours before making its way to Skiatook. Walmart announced the visit via Facebook just 24 hours before the showcase.

Pictured is John Mark Griffith, owner of the Mark Griffith Funeral Home, in his game-day Sooner gear. 

The trophy is 25.6 inches tall, weighs 35 pounds, and is made of 24-karat gold, bronze, and stainless steel. The CFP trophy design was unveiled in 2014 to accompany the new playoff system. Ohio State University, the University of Alabama, and Clemson University are the only three teams to win the trophy.

Oklahoma has only three NCAA Division I teams.

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The University of Oklahoma Sooners are currently ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press preseason poll and No. 8 in the American Football Coaches Association poll. The Sooners finished last season with an 11-2 record, ranked No. 3 by the Coaches and No. 5 by the AP. They went undefeated in the Big 12 for their second-straight Conference Championship, ending the season with a ten-straight win streak and a 35-19 Sugar Bowl victory over No. 17 Auburn. The Sooners are the only Oklahoma team to make the playoffs, falling 37-17 to Clemson in 2015. 

The Oklahoma State University Cowboys are ranked No. 10 in the AP and No. 11 in the Coaches poll. They finished last season ranked No. 11 in both polls with a 10-3 record. They went 7-2 in the Big 12 for a Runner-Up finish. After falling 38-20 to OU in their regular season finale they topped No. 11 Colorado 38-8 at the Alamo Bowl.

The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane finished the 2016 season with a 10-3 record for second place in the American Athletic Conference West Division standings. They finished the season with three-straight wins including a 55-10 victory against Central Michigan at the Miami Beach Bowl.

Sandite Volleyball places third at tough Broken Arrow Tournament

The No. 19 ranked Charles Page High School volleyball team (5-9) took third place in the Broken Arrow Varsity Tournament this weekend, upsetting some of the top teams in the state in the process.

On Friday the girls defeated defending State Champs, No. 5 Edmond Memorial (4-2) and No. 11 Owasso (3-5), but fell to No. 9 Edmond North (9-3). In the first round Saturday they were pitted against State Runners-Up, No. 3 Norman North (11-1) and lost 3-0, despite leading for most of two of those sets. In the placement match they took on No. 16 Southmoore (3-6) and won 3-0.

The Lady Sandites brought their A-game, and easily handled the Sabercats. The first set was hotly contested with neither team winning more than three-straight rallies till the final stretch. At 20-17 Sand Springs turned up the power and scored five straight for the win. Sophomore Devree Youngblood scored a kill, Ohio State commit Gloria Mutiri aced, Madison Burris scored a kill, and Chelsea Neely recorded a solo block to clinch the win.

Southmoore notched the first two points of the second set, but Sand Springs went on a six-point run and never looked back. They led by as much as 24-12 before the Sabercats tried to rally, but Mutiri scored a solo block to finish 25-15.

The third set was far closer. Sand Springs only trailed briefly at the very beginning and after an ace from Cloe Campfield at 6-5, they never gave Southmoore the lead again. The game tied ten times, most dangerously at 24-24, but Mutiri scored a kill and a block to seal the deal.

Burris, a sophomore, finished with 21 assists and six kills. Mutiri had 15 kills and five blocks, and Youngblood had five kills.

Sand Springs will return to action Tuesday with a conference home game against 5A No. 3 Bishop Kelley (4-4) at 6:00 p.m.

Lady Sandite Volleyball falls to No. 3 Norman North, plays for third place at BA Tournament

After a 2-1 performance on day one of the Broken Arrow Tournament, the No. 19 ranked Charles Page High School volleyball team (4-9) found themselves in the Gold bracket on day two, taking on even tougher competition than the day before.

On Friday the girls defeated defending State Champs, No. 5 Edmond Memorial (3-2) and No. 11 Owasso (3-4), but fell to No. 9 Edmond North (9-3). In the first round Saturday they were pitted against State Runners-Up, No. 3 Norman North (11-1).

The first set served as a wakeup call for Norman North, who trailed for the majority of the game. Three-straight Timberwolf errors gave the Sandites the 5-3 lead, and they didn't relinquish it till the wolves went on an 8-0 run to make it 20-17. Sophomore Devree Youngblood scored back to back kills off Madison Burris assists to tie it at 20-20, but Norman won five of the next six rallies to finish 25-21.

The Sandites caught a mild case of lethargy and fell 25-10 in game two. Burris scored the first point on a tipped ball, but Norman won the next nine and Sand Springs never recovered.

The Sandites were back to their normal selves in set three, however, and once again led for the majority of the game. Ohio State-commit Gloria Mutiri scored a block and a kill en route to a 6-1 lead that the Sandites held till 13-13. Mutiri scored once for the lead, Norman retaliated with three straight, then Sand Springs won four straight soon after to make it 19-18. The game tied again at 19-19 and 20-20, but the Timberwolves ended on a strong note with five-straight victories.

Mutiri finished with six kills, three blocks, three digs, and two aces. Youngblood scored three kills, and Burris, Makenna Cypert, and Kenzie Bradshaw scored one apiece. Burris recorded eight assists while MaKenzie Ward and Bradshaw contributed one apiece. Ward also had an ace.

The Lady Sandites will play the loser of Edmond North vs. No. 16 Southmoore (3-4) at noon for third place. The tournament is being played at Neinhuis Park Community Center at 3201 North 9th Street in Broken Arrow. Seating is limited, so bring a lawn chair if you have one! Tournament matches sometimes start ahead of schedule so plan on arriving early. Concessions are available on site.

Sandite Volleyball upsets defending State Champions 3-2 at Broken Arrow Tournament

The Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team (4-8) took down some top-tier talent Friday morning at the Broken Arrow tournament, defeating No. 5 Edmond Memorial (3-1), the defending State Champions, and No. 11 Owasso (3-3) in pool play.

CPHS 3 EDM 2
Set One: 25-23 EDM
Set Two: 25-17 EDM
Set Three: 28-26 CPHS
Set Four: 25-19 CPHS
Set Five: 15-11 CPHS

Kills: Mutiri 19, Youngblood 14, Bradshaw 3, Neely 2, Burris 2, Taylor 1.
Assists: Burris 29, MaKenzie Ward 7.
Aces: Taylor 2, Burris 2, Madison Ward 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 9, Youngblood 1.
Digs: Taylor 4, Madison Ward 3, Campfield 3, Mutiri 2. 

The Lady Sandites got off to a strong start, winning five straight rallies to take an 8-6 lead over Edmond Memorial. The game saw five lead changes and ten tied scores before the Bulldogs pulled ahead for the 25-23 win. The second game started out back and forth, but Memorial won six-straight rallies for an 18-10 lead and never looked back, ultimately winning 25-17.

The third game was hotly contest with the largest lead of the set coming at 16-12 in favor of the Sandites. The score tied thirteen times and came down to the wire. Ohio State-commit Gloria Mutiri scored a kill and a block to take the 25-24 lead, but the Bulldogs tied it right back up. Mutiri and Memorial exchanged blows once again before a pair of Bulldog errors gave the Sandites their first win at 28-26.

After losing the third set, the Lady Dogs were noticeably flustered and the Sandites were on fire, leading for all but one rally. After tying it up at 1-1, Edmond began to lag further and further behind. Sand Springs led by as much as 21-11 before their foes staged a rally attempt. Edmond went on two separate runs, cutting the deficit to 22-18, but Mutiri and Madison Burris combined for three more kills to tie the match.

In the fifth and final game, Memorial took a 6-4 lead before turning the ball over on a service error. Kylie Taylor served an ace and a pair of Memorial errors gave Sand Springs the 7-6 advantage. The score tied at 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, and 10-10 before Sand Springs took the lead once and for all with a kill from Youngblood. The Sandites prevailed 15-11 for the upset.

EDN 3 CPHS 0
Set One: 25-15 EDN
Set Two: 25-22 EDN
Set Three: 25-19 EDN

Kills: Mutiri 16, Youngblood 6, Burris 2, Neely 1
Assists: Burris 13, MaKenzie Ward 7.
Aces: Mutiri 1, Madison Ward 1.
Digs: Taylor 3, Madison Ward 2, MaKenzie Ward 1, Burris 1, Mutiri 1.

In round two the Sandites took on No. 9 Edmond North. The Huskies came out strong in the first game, winning 25-15, but Sand Springs challenged heartily in the second.

Mutiri scored three straight kills for a 5-1 lead and the Sandites didn't relinquish their advantage till the Huskies scored four straight to make it 19-16. The game tied again at 20-20, but the Huskies pulled ahead for the 25-22 win.

Sand Springs played the third set almost entirely from the hole after allowing the Huskies to take an early 8-2 lead. The Sandites rallied as close as 17-15 and battled back and forth in the final stretch before being undone 25-19.

CPHS 3 Owasso 0
Set One: 25-22 CPHS
Set Two: 25-20 CPHS
Set Three: 25-19 CPHS

Kills: Mutiri 17, Youngblood 8, Burris 4, Cypert 3, Neely 1.
Assists: Burris 22, Cypert 1, Youngblood 1. 
Aces: Youngblood 1, Mutiri 1, Burris 1, Cypert 1, MaKenzie Ward 1. 
Blocks: Mutiri 2, Johnson 1, Neely 1.
Digs: Madison Ward 2, Campfield 2, Youngblood 2, Mutiri 1, Burris 1.

The final match of the day was against a Frontier Valley Conference foe, the No. 11 Owasso Rams. Owasso scored the first three points, but the Sandites caught fire with nine straight. Youngblood scored three off assists from Burris, who added one of her own on a tipped ball. Owasso rallied soon after and scored seven straight to tie it at 11-11. Sand Springs retook the lead, briefly allowing Owasso to tie it once more at 20-20 before surging ahead to a 25-22 victory on a kill from Makenna Cypert.

The second set was much like the first. Owasso took an early 5-2 lead, Sand Springs surged ahead to 7-5 and never looked back. The Rams cut things as close as 21-18, but the Sandites had too much momentum and prevailed 25-19.

In the final game the Sandites quickly emerged to a 6-2 lead and never looked back. Owasso tied it up at 2-2 but never once led. The Sandites' biggest lead came on the final rally, finishing 25-19.

The Lady Sandites qualified for the Gold bracket and will play at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning. The tournament is being held at Neinhuis Park Community Center at 3201 North 9th Street, Broken Arrow. 

CPHS Softball wins sixth-straight with run-rule rivalry victory over Sapulpa

The Charles Page High School fast-pitch softball team (7-1 overall, 4-0) took on Putnam City North (3-5) in their first home game of the season Tuesday and won the district double-header by scores of 3-1 and 12-3. On Thursday they carried that momentum into a Highway 97 rivalry matchup with Sapulpa and run-ruled their foes 12-1.

Sand Springs took the lead out of the gate in game one as Jacie Taber scored Makenna Skaggs with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first. She struck out the side in the next inning, clearing the way for two more runs in the bottom of the second.

Rachel Jones singled and scored on a hit from Felicity Horn, while Elizabeth Luttrell doubled and scored on an error. Skaggs came close to scoring again in the bottom of the fourth after hitting a double, but was caught running for home on a single from Taber.

The visitors notched their lone run in the top of the seventh but were unable to stage a rally.

Sand Springs outhit Putnam twelve to two, while Taber struck out eleven on the mound against five walks.

Sand Springs actually did less hitting in the second game, but benefited from six walks and four errors. Horn scored three times, Makenna Skaggs and Kimi Presnell scored twice, and Kinsey Skaggs, Taber, Sabrina Usher, Madison Lee, and Luttrell also crossed home plate.

Madelyn Blair got it done on the mound and at the plate, batting in three runs on three hits while also striking out six batters. 

The Sapulpa game was another slugging clinic as the Sandites recorded thirteen hits for a .500 team average. 

Sapulpa threatened early with two walks and a single, but stranded loaded bases in the first inning. Horn drew a walk and came in on a single from Taber, who then struck out the side in the top of the second. 

Cameron Clemons and Luttrell scored in the second and Jones scored in the fourth, while Sapulpa's lone run came in the top of the third. 

The Sandites put the game away in the bottom of the sixth as Horn and Blair walked and Taber singled, loading the bases. Usher doubled in Makenna Skaggs and Drew Hawkins, Presnell doubled in Blair and Usher, then Clemons doubled in Presnell. Jones, Luttrell, and Clemons all scored on a single from Horn, thanks to an error and some long throws to clinch the game at 12-1.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Friday at the Stillwater festival.

CPHS Volleyball drops seven-straight matches against top-ten foes

The Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team (2-7) is riding a rough streak of seven-straight losses following a 2-0 start to the season. After opening the year with straight-set victories against Bartlesville (0-4) and 5A No. 13 Booker T. Washington (3-5), they suffered their first defeat 3-1 at No. 8 Union (5-4). They returned to Union for a tournament this past weekend and lost all five matches, then fell to No. 7 Jenks (7-7) on Tuesday.

Jenks 3 CPHS 0
(25-7, 25-22, 25-21)

Kills: Mutiri 12, Youngblood 5, Burris 2, Bradshaw 1, Madison Ward 1.
Assists: MaKenzie Ward 8, Burris 7, Bradshaw 1, Mutiri 1. 
Aces: Mutiri 1, Taylor 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 2.
Digs: Taylor 4, Madison Ward 3, Burris 1, Mutiri 1. 

The Lady Sandites won only two of seventeen sets in the tournament, but Head Coach Janna Green wasn't too disappointed with the results. "This last tournament was rough, but we got a lot better and played some very competitive teams even though we went 0-5."

"Very competitive" may have been an understatement. All five teams are ranked in the top-ten of their division, and three are ranked in the top five. Sand Springs, meanwhile, just cracked the rankings at No. 19 in Class 6A.

Despite a winning 24-14 record last season, the Lady Sandites are still considered underdogs in the eyes of traditional powerhouse programs. They lost Holly Kersgieter who decided to focus exclusively on basketball, for which she has received seven NCAA Division I offers. However, they still boast a senior-heavy squad of experienced players led by Ohio State University-commit Gloria Mutiri.

On Friday the girls fell 3-0 to 5A No. 3 Bishop Kelley (4-3) who were the State Runners-Up last season. The Lady Comets defeated Sand Springs 25-15, 25-12, and 25-20. Then Sand Springs took on No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (7-0) who made the State Semi-Finals last season. The Lady Wolves prevailed 25-17, 25-16, and 25-14. Finally, the closest round of the tournament was a rematch with Union. The Redskins won 3-0, but each set was highly contested at 25-21, 25-23, and 25-21. 

Saturday was another day of close losses to highly skilled competitors, and the Sandites notched set wins against each of their opponents. Against No. 4 Stillwater (8-3) they won the third set 28-26, but lost the other three 25-19, 25-13, and 28-26. Against 5A No. 7 Victory Christian they won the second set 25-18, but fell 25-22, 25-20, and 25-20 in the other games.

On Tuesday the girls took on another tough opponent in No. 7 Jenks (6-6), who was undefeated against Oklahoma teams. All of their losses came at the John Turner Invitational in Houston, Texas. Jenks was also coming off a State Semifinals appearance.

The Lady Sandites got off to a rough start, falling in a 4-0 hole before receiving a point off a Trojan error. All of the Sandites' early points came from Jenks's mistakes, and the home team worked up a 15-5 lead before Devree Youngblood scored the first Sandite kill of the game. Youngblood's two kills, both with assists from Madison Burris, were the only kills of the set for the Sandites, who lost game one 25-7.

The second game was a whole different story. Mutiri came alive with a kill, a block, and an ace en route to a 7-3 lead. Youngblood added a kill, Burris and Chelsea Neely combined for a block, and in just a few minutes the Sandites had outscored their entire first set. 

Sand Springs held on to the lead till 10-10 when Jenks went on a six-point run, but the visitors retaliated with a seven-point streak including five points from Mutiri and a kill from Kenzie Bradshaw. 

Things continued to stay all knotted up, but Jenks didn't take the lead again till 22-21 when Ally Stoner served an ace. Unfortunately for the Sandites, they would only score one more point on a campfire kill from Youngblood. Despite trailing for most of the set, Jenks rallied in the end for a 25-22 win. 

The third set was another close one with eight tied scores, though Sand Springs led for the majority. Jenks took the lead out of the gate, but MaKenzie Ward set up Mutiri and Madison Ward for back-to-back kills and an 11-9 advantage. The game tied a few times, but Jenks didn't lead again till 19-18 when they surged ahead in the final moments for a 25-21 win.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Friday at the Broken Arrow Tournament at Centennial Middle School. They will play on Court #2 against No. 5 Edmond Memorial (1-0) at 11:00 a.m., against No. 9 Edmond North (4-3) at 2:00 p.m., and against No. 11 Owasso (2-1) at 3:30 p.m. Bracketed matches will be played on Saturday beginning at 9:00 a.m. Other teams participating in the tournament include No. 3 Norman North (6-1), No. 10 Broken Arrow (2-2), No. 16 Southmoore (1-2), and Bartlesville.