CPHS Softball wins Bixby Tournament, remains undefeated in District Play

Junior pitcher Jacie Taber is undefeated on the mound this season.

The Charles Page High School fast pitch softball team (16-2 overall, 7-0 district) is in the middle of one of their best seasons in recent years, riding a nine-game winning streak and undefeated record in district play. 

Last week was a busy one for the Lady Sandites as they took on Stillwater in a district game before heading to the Bixby Tournament and sweeping the competition. On Tuesday the Sandites notched another district win over Ponca City, setting them up for a crucial conflict Thursday against the only other undefeated team in the district. The Sandites will take on Broken Arrow (24-3, 8-0) on the road Thursday before hosting the Tigers the following Tuesday.

While both the Sandites and Tigers boast impressive records, Broken Arrow in particular has been an offensive powerhouse, winning a large amount of their games by run-rule with double-digit leads. The two teams have played only four mutual opponents. While Sand Springs outscored their foes 53-14 over seven games, the Tigers hammered the same opponents 110-13 in eight games. 

Sand Springs has only two losses this year, 4-3 to Claremore (15-10) on the first day of the season, and 6-4 to 2A No. 1 Dale (26-1) last month. The Tigers have three losses: 8-3 to Moore (16-5), 3-1 to Edmond North (8-8), and 8-3 to Yukon (17-0). They are currently riding a thirteen-straight win streak. 

Last Tuesday the Sandites edged out Stillwater (7-8, 4-3) in a lackluster performance that could easily have gone sideways. University of Northern Iowa-commit Jacie Taber (11-0 season, 24-7 career) had an off night with eleven walks and six hits with only four strikeouts. 

Sand Springs scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the third as Jensen Arnold doubled to score Cameron Clemons and Kimi Presnell hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Rachel Jones. Taber walked in a run on loaded bases in the next inning. Stillwater landed three hits in the top of the fifth to tie the game, but Sabrina Usher doubled to bring in Presnell in the bottom of the inning. 

Kinsey Skaggs came in on a single from Felicity Horn in the sixth inning, but the Pioneers tied it right back up in the seventh and the game came down to the wire. Presnell and Usher both landed base hits but were unable to score and the game went to extra innings. The Sandites made quick work of the Pioneer offense in the top of the eighth, then Clemons singled and scored on a hit from Makenna Skaggs for the win.

The Lady Sandites needed only two and a half innings to run-rule Tulsa Edison (1-19) 12-0 in the first round of the Bixby Tournament. Presnell was three-for-three at the plate with three RBI and one run. Jones (1-0) saw her first varsity action on the mound and gave up one hit and one walk with one strikeout over two innings. Aliyah Taff pitched the top of the third and recorded a save with one strikeout. 

Glenpool (7-15) was a slightly tougher opponent for the Sandites, who went a whole five innings before the tournament time limit secured the 5-2 win. Usher, Madelyn Blair, Horn, Clemons, and Kinsey Skaggs each recorded runs. Taber struck out five but gave up five hits and three walks.

The Sandites jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead against 4A Cushing (14-11) in the top of the first before the Tigers struck back with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Neither team scored again till Presnell stole home in the top of the fourth. Blair (4-2, 17-4) got the win on the mound with one strikeout, one walk, five hits, and no earned runs.

On day two of the tournament the Sandites took on Union (18-8) and rolled to an 8-1 victory. The Redskins held a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but the Sandites scored runs in each of the next four innings. Presnell and Usher scored a pair of runs apiece and Makenna Skaggs batted in two runs. Taber was back to her usual self with seven strikeouts against only two hits and one walk. 

In the championship round, the Sandites breezed through Jenks with a 12-2 run-rule victory. Presnell, Usher, Elizabeth Luttrell each scored two runs apiece, complimented by runs from Makenna and Kinsey Skaggs, Blair, Horn, Clemons, and Taber. Blair was three-for-three at the plate and also got work done on the mound. She gave up three hits and two walks with two strikeouts. 

The Sandites extended their weekend success into district play Tuesday with a 3-0 shutout of Ponca City (17-8, 3-5). Horn scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Taber. Blair hit a single in the sixth inning and came in on Luttrell's second home run of the season. Taber struck out eight, walked two, and gave up five hits in the win. 

Week Three 6A-II rankings and predictions; a look at this weekend's games

No. 1 Bixby Spartans (Last week No. 1) vs. No. 10 Putnam City Pirates (11)

The defending Division II State Champions (1-1) suffered a 47-28 loss against Arkansas 7A Bentonville (1-1). The Spartans jumped out to 21-0 lead in the second quarter, but the Tigers closed out with five unanswered touchdowns and held the home team scoreless in the second half. Staton King was 18-31-191-2 passing and 17-82 on the ground. The Spartans gave up a full field worth of penalties, but performed well defensively with three fumble recoveries and an interception.

Putnam City (2-0) pulled off a massive victory against 5A El Reno (1-1), utterly dominating the Indians 63-6. AJ Newsome was 15-22-222 passing and scored six touchdowns, three by air and three by land. The Pirates picked up three fumbles, including a 35-yard touchdown return. 

The pick: Bixby 57 Putnam 29.

No. 2 Booker T. Washington Hornets (2) vs. Shawnee Wolves

Booker T. (2-1) dropped their first loss of the season 30-21 to Louisiana 5A State Runners-Up West Monroe (3-0) at the Battle on the Border. Phillip Wheatley was 19-40-310-0 with all three Hornet touchdowns. The ground game was nonexistent with 19 carries for 28 yards. 

5A Shawnee (2-0) is undefeated, but their wins were low-scoring against average teams. They topped Duncan 7-6 with a fourth-quarter 69-yard pass to take the lead. Hunter Heath was 11-21-135-2. The Wolves will be without their head coach, who was ejected in the game against Duncan (1-2).

The pick: BTW 39 Shawnee 10.

No. 3 Midwest City Bombers (3) vs. Del City Eagles

The Bombers (1-1) lost a 27-24 overtime heart-breaker to Booker T. two weeks ago and had a bye week to recover. 5A Del City (1-1) picked up their first win of the season 40-14 over Eisenhower (0-2).

The pick: MWC 32 Del 14.

No. 4 Muskogee Roughers (5) vs. Bentonville West Wolverines

Muskogee (1-1) lost a close 26-20 season opener to Midwest City (1-1), but ended on a high-note. They fell in a 26-0 deficit before getting on the scoreboard, then shut out McAlester 54-0 leaving them with a streak of 74 unanswered points over the last two games. Against McAlester, QB Jacob Medrano recorded 481 yards, finding Diante Crutchfield for 292 and three touchdowns. Defensively they held the Buffalo to less than 100 yards with five sacks. The Roughers are coming off a bye week and are all rested up and ready for action.

Arkansas 7A Bentonville West (2-0) easily handled 5A Pryor (0-2) 49-13 and Central Little Rock (1-1) 48-14. The Wolverines were 10-20-241-0 passing and 35-229 on the ground with zero fumbles and only four penalties. 

Virgil says: Bentonville 42 Muskogee 28.
Scott says: Muskogee 48 Benvontille 35.

No. 5 Lawton Wolverines (6) vs. Eisenhower Eagles

Lawton (1-1) steamrolled their 5A rivals from MacArthur (1-1) 50-20, thanks in part to junior running back Miles Davis who carried 18 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns. This week is another in-town rivalry game against Eisenhower (0-2) who fell 40-14 to Del City (1-1) last week.

The pick: Lawton 58 Ike 17.

No. 6 Choctaw Yellowjackets (7) vs Putnam City North Panthers

For the second-straight week the Yellowjackets (2-0) trailed at the half and came back for the win. This time they were down 13-7 to Sand Springs (0-2) before surging to the 21-20 victory. Hudson Woods was 17-27-222-1 passing and led the ground game with 21 carries for 65 yards. 

Putnam North (2-0) won their in-town rivalry game against Putnam West (1-1) with a hearty 30-7 beat down.

Virgil says: PCN 28 Choctaw 21.
cott says: Choctaw 35 PCN 21.

No. 7 Sand Springs Sandtes (4) vs. No. 13 Putnam City West Patriots (13)

Charles Page High School (0-2) took a 13-0 lead on Choctaw (2-0) last week before the Yellowjackets surged back in the second half for a 21-20 victory. The Sandite passing game improved from the week prior, but was still shoddy at 6-18-39-1. Payton Scott led the ground with 40 carries for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively the Sandites were solid with an interception and nine tackles for loss. 

Putnam West (1-1) was hammered 30-7 in a rivalry game against Putnam North (1-1). The Patriots also relied primarily on the ground game, carrying 48 times for 231 yards.

The pick: CPHS 31 CPW 14.

No. 8 Bartlesville Bruins (8) - Bye Week

Bartlesville (1-1) kicked off the season with a 30-25 victory over 5A McAlester (0-2), but dropped their past two games 56-14 to 6A-I Owasso (3-0) and 48-29 to 4A Cascia Hall (1-1). Noah Sunday threw 15 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns. The Bruins fired their Head Coach last week, putting the reigns in the hands of interim coach Kyle Ppool. They will have some down time to adapt to the changes before returning to action against Muskogee next week. 

No. 9 Enid Plainsmen (9) vs. Bishop McGuinness

Enid (2-0) is off to a hot start with their best record since 2012, topping Guthrie (0-2) 34-23 and Ponca City (0-2) 61-34. Junior QB Mason Skrimager passed for 191 yards and three touchdowns against the Bluejays, then recorded 290 yards and two strikes against the Wildcats. 271 yards came in the first half alone. Marlo Hughes ran for 155 yards and three touchdowns, while Seth Ellis set a single-game record for the Plainsmen with four interceptions, including a 99-yard return. Enid jumped to a 21-0 first quarter lead and was up 34-14 at halftime. The Plainsmen are all rested up after a bye week.

5A Bishop McGuinness (2-0) is also on a strong start to the year, handling Del City (1-1) 32-23 and Bishop Kelley (1-1) 42-21. Sophomore running back Dominic Richardson carried 26 times for 273 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Brennan Mullins scored twice on the ground. 

Virgil says: Enid 32 McG 31.
Scott says: McG 42 Enid 35.

No. 11 Deer Creek Antlers (10) vs. Edmond Memorial Bulldogs

Deer Creek (1-1) started the season with a 21-13 win over Southmoore (0-1), but fell 38-21 to Edmond Santa Fe (2-1). Dylan Diaz had a marvelous 97-yard kick return, while quarterback Hunter Freese found Logan Huslig for a pair of scores through the air. Freese was 18-28-170-1, but the ground game went negative at 21 carries for negative seven yards. 

Edmond Memorial (1-2) dropped a 25-17 decision to Edmond North (1-1). Memorial was 11-22-94-0 passing and the dogs combined for 91 yards on 30 carries. 

The pick: DC 35 EDM 30.

No. 12 Stillwater Pioneers (12) vs. Mustang Broncos

Stillwater (2-0) easily handled Edmond Memorial (1-2) 23-7 in their season opener then topped Moore (0-2) 14-7. Gunnar Gundy was 7-8-188-0 passing for both touchdowns. The game was sloppy on both sides. Moore had three fumbles but recovered each, while Stillwater lost three of their four fumbles, but picked off two passes from the Lions. Stillwater won the first half 14-0 while Moore scored the lone points of the second half with a fourth quarter run. 

6A-I Mustang (2-0) is off to a dominating start with a 31-14 victory over Yukon (1-1) and a 48-14 win against Norman (0-2). Brayden Garrett was 9-18-171-0 through the air and the Bronchos combined for 241 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. 

The pick: Mustang 43 Stillwater 18.

No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (14) vs. Bishop Kelley Comets

Sapulpa (0-2) got off to a rough start this year, falling 28-12 to Duncan (1-2) and 27-20 to Choctaw (2-0). The Chieftains took a bye week to recover and will return to action against 5A Bishop Kelley (1-1). The Comets fell 42-21 to Bishop McGuinness (2-0) but rolled over Edison (1-1) 48-14 in week one.

The pick: Kelley 30 Sapulpa 18.

No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (15) - Bye Week

Ponca (0-3) will get a much needed bye week after being brutalized 48-0 by Guthrie (1-2), 61-34 by Enid (2-0), and 28-7 by Edmond Memorial (1-2). Justin Andrews was 14-28-116 against the Bluejays, but the ground game was practically nonexistent with 26 carries for a mere 44 yards. 

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
Overall: 15-7 (.681)
Last Week: 5-5 (.500)
Last Year: 48-21 (.695)

Virgil Noah
Staff Writer
Overall: 4-6* (.400)
Last Week: 4-6 (.400)
Last Year: 43-26 (.623)

*Virgil missed the first week of picks.

No. 12 CPHS Volleyball sweeps No. 14 Owasso 3-0 in home thriller

The No. 12 ranked Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team (7-11) hosted a Frontier Valley Conference foe in the No. 14 Owasso Rams (8-9) Tuesday evening at the Ed Dubie Field House. It was the second meeting of the year for the two teams, and went much the way of the first. Sand Springs took the 3-0 sweep once again, but just like the first time, it was highly competitive.

CPHS 3 Owasso 0
Set One: 32-30 CPHS
Set Two: 25-22 CPHS
Set Three: 25-19 CPHS

Kills: CPHS 36, Owasso 25.
Blocks: Owasso 4, CPHS 2.
Aces: Owasso 13, CPHS 8.
Service Errors: CPHS 9, Owasso 7.

(CPHS Individual Stats)
Kills: Mutiri 21, Cypert 7, Burris 3, Campfield 2, Neely 2, Bradshaw 1.
Assists: Burris 29, Bradshaw 1, Campfield 1.
Aces: Wise 3, Burris 3, MaKenzie Ward 1, Mutiri 1.
Blocks: Neely 1, Mutiri 1.
Digs: Mutiri 7, Madison Ward 5, Taylor 2.

(Owasso Individual Stats)
Kills: Patton 8, Staggs 5, Henricks 5, Hendrix 4, Vancuren 3.
Assists: Hendrix 14, Berry 2, Staggs 1, Holderman 1.
Aces: Staggs 5, Hendrix 3, Daigle 2, Holderman 2, Vancuren 1.
Blocks: Staggs 1.
Block Assists: Hendrix 2, Vancuren 1, Staggs 1, Hendricks 1, Daigle 1. 

Sand Springs won the first set, but it was a lot closer than the last time the teams met. The set tied eighteen times in the highest-scoring game of the year for either team. Owasso led for the majority of the first half before Sand Springs won four straight for a 16-12 advantage. The Rams challenged right back with three in a row, including a pair of aces from Jenna Holderman, but Makenna Cypert lined up a kill with an assist from Madison Burris to end the streak.

The first set went into extra rallies and it was anyone's game from there. Avery Vancuren pushed her team to 25-24 but an Owasso error tied it up, then Gloria Mutiri scored a kill for the Sandite lead. Kylie Patton tied it back up, then the two teams exchanged errors before Patton scored the go-ahead point at 28-27. Cloe Campfield was next in on the action, followed by Mallory Hendrix, back to Mutiri, who then took the lead with a solo block at 30-29. It knotted back up with a service error from Kendall Wise, but Gabby Guerrero returned the favor to give Sand Springs the 31-30 lead. The Sandites' next serve was sent straight back to them as a free ball and Burris was ready with a spike to put the set to bed.

The second set didn't go into extra rallies, but was equally competitive with twelve tied scores. Once again, Owasso led out the gate and the scales began to tip toward Sand Springs midway through. After tying up at 22-22, the Sandites won three-straight for the win.

Hendrix served an ace for Owasso to start set three, but gave undid the damage with a service error and Mutiri scored an ace of her own for the lead. Game three belonged wholly to the Sandites who never once allowed the Rams to tie it up or take the lead after the first rally. Burris and Wise both recorded a pair of aces apiece and Mutiri capped the 25-19 win with a kill.

The Lady Sandites will return to action next Tuesday with a road match against Bixby (6-13). They will host 5A No. 5 Victory Christian (20-7) next Thursday at 6:00 p.m. 

CPHS Cross Country: Boys finish 4th of 18 at Broken Arrow, Girls take 14th

The Charles Page High School Cross Country team traveled to Broken Arrow this past weekend for their first 5K run of the season. The meet was both the longest run and the largest field of competitors that the Sandites have taken on this year, and the previously undefeated boys team slipped to fourth place for the first time after coming in first at their prior two runs. The girls team placed fourteenth.

Junior 800-meter National Champion Aden Baughman led the Sandites like always, but the longer distance pushed him back to eleventh in the overall standings after finishing in first and second place the prior two weeks. Baughman had a time of 17:12. Jacob Smith, who was sixth among the Sandites last week, improved to second on his team with a 26th place finish in 17:37. The Sandites were without Ian Baustert, who usually takes the number two spot. Lincoln Christian's Luke Murphy finished in first place with a time of 15:55. Bartlesville won the meet with four top-ten finishers. 

Sara Abbet was first among the Lady Sandites, finishing in 31st place with a time of 22:32. Leading Lady Sandite Tiqvah Soap was absent from the race. Chezney Kelley improved to second in the lineup after finishing sixth the week before. She placed 65th overall in 24:15. Bartlesville's Rilee Rigdon won the race by a landslide, finishing in 18:41 and helping her team to a first-place finish. 

Lincoln Christian's Jade Crawford, who lives in Sand Springs, finished in 53rd place in 23:34.

Team Results
Varsity Girls 14th of 15.
Varsity Boys 4th of 18.
JV Boys 9th of 11.

Varsity Girls 5K
22:32 Sara Abbet - 31st
24:15 Chezney Kelley - 65th
24:54 Elizabeth Watts - 78th
26:12 Erika Baker - 88th
27:30 Madelyn Adams - 97th
27:31 Wanageeska Williams - 98th

JV Girls 5K
34:36 Ayden Meade - 73rd

Varsity Boys 5K
17:12 Aden Baughman - 11th
17:37 Jacob Smith - 26th
17:40 Nelson Yazzie - 28th
17:56 Jaelyn Jackson - 37th
18:46 Kaegan Murray - 64th
19:29 Danny Murray - 82nd
19:47 Cameron McCrary - 88th

JV Boys 5K
19:50 Phillip Elleman - 28th
21:45 Alex Newport - 84th
21:51 Chance Powell - 91st
23:34 Caleb James - 130th
23:55 Colton Sanders - 136th
24:12 Jacob Baker - 141st
29:01 Zac Davis - 178th
30:25 Nicholas Sango - 184th

Middle School Boys 1500 M
10:13 Michael Johnson - 64th
12:05 Kodah Gregory - 164th
12:53 Zac Davis - 195th

CPHS Football: Payton Scott rushes for 214 yards in 21-20 loss to Choctaw

Junior line backer Hayden Cramer starred on defense with seven tackles and an interception. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

The No. 4 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (0-2) had No. 7 Choctaw (2-0) right where they wanted them for most of the game, but despite impressive performances from most of the Sandites, the visiting Yellowjackets came from behind midway through the fourth quarter for a 21-20 victory Friday night at Memorial Stadium.

Choctaw 21 CPHS 20
1Q CPHS 7-0
2Q Choctaw 7-6
3Q All 7-7
4Q Choctaw 7-0

Passing: Choctaw 17-27-222-1, CPHS 6-18-39-1.
Rushing: CPHS 48-254, Choctaw 33-86.
Plays-Offense: Choctaw 60-308, CPHS 66-293.
First Downs: CPHS 17, Choctaw 15.
Penalties: Choctaw 10-59, CPHS 4-40.
Fumbles/Lost: Choctaw 1/0, CPHS 0/0.

Click here to view full photo gallery.

For the second-straight year, an under-ranked Choctaw dealt a top-five Sandite team an upset loss for an 0-2 start to the season. Last year the Sandites recovered from their 0-2 start to finish 7-5 with a Playoff Semifinal appearance. This year's team has a lot of the ingredients for a successful season, but first they have to figure out their passing game.

For the first half of the game, junior quarterback Caden Pennington was five yards long on his receivers for most pass attempts. In the second half he hit them dead-on, but they dropped the ball both literally and metaphorically.

While the passing unit figures out their game, running backs Payton Scott and Ben Nortey are picking up the slack, combining for 250 yards on the evening. Scott, 5'5" 180-pound senior and wrestling State Champion, accounted for 214 of those yards, marking the third-best performance of his career. He scored two of the Sandites' three touchdowns.

Sand Springs got off to a good start, holding Choctaw to negative yardage on their first possession, then marching 69 yards in twelve plays to score on a six-yard Scott run with 7:37 in the first quarter. J.T. Bristow snapped the ball to Pennington who held it for Jaden Weiser's kick, and the Sandites were up 7-0. 

The Sandites next two possessions came up dry while Choctaw's first four were all fruitless. On their first possession of the second quarter, Choctaw looked to be building some momentum. They picked up two first downs and 33 yards before junior line backer Hayden Cramer got the first Sandite pick of the season, returning it six yards before being brought down. 

It looked like the Sandites might squander their good fortune after a sack and a bad pass put them third and twelve at the 25, but Scott came to the rescue with a fifteen yard run through a hole opened up by Nicolas Hancock for the first down. Two plays later, Pennington connected with Dash Fleischman for a seven-yard touchdown reception, his first of the season. Unfortunately for the Sandites, Weiser's point-after attempt was blocked, and it would come to haunt the home team.

Trailing 13-0, Choctaw pulled it together for a 71-yard march and 42-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Hudson Woods to Zane Coleman, accompanied by a kick from Jacob Dunning to cut the deficit to 13-7 before the half.

Both teams failed to convert on their first possessions of the second half, but on their second try Sand Springs powered their way downfield behind Scott, Norte, and the Ford-tough offensive line where Scott leaped over a dogpile for a one-yard touchdown. This time Weiser's kick rang true and the Sandites were back out front at 20-7.

The Yellowjackets were quick to retaliate as Woods connected with Ethan Crews from 21 yards out just two minutes later. 

In the fourth quarter Choctaw took their first lead of the game, and the only lead that counts. With a 36-yard passing catalyst, the Yellowjackets pushed 90 yards in twelve plays. Dunning's kick gave Choctaw the one-point advantage that should have simply tied things up.

Sand Springs didn't go down without a fight. Scott ran for 33 yards in five plays, setting up the Sandites at the 27 yard line. Scott took the handoff, pitched it back to Pennington, who heaved it at the endzone into the waiting arms of his receiver. The only problem was, it wasn't his receiver. Instead of a friendly Sandite, he found Tae Gibbs who promptly returned the ball all the way to the Sandite 25. A block in the back returned it to the Choctaw 18, but possession remained theirs and the clock was winding down.

After holding Choctaw to seven fruitless possessions, the Sandite defense was finally out of gas. Woods picked up three first downs to drain the clock before finally taking a knee at the fifty yard line to seal the deal. 

The Sandites will return to action next Friday with their first road game of the season at No. 11 Putnam City West (1-1). Choctaw will take on Putnam City North (1-1) who hammered the Patriots 30-7 Friday night. 

---

Sand Springs Individual Statistics

Passing: Pennington 6-18-39-1.
Rushing: Scott 40-214, Nortey 6-36, Pennington 2-4.
Receiving: King 3-18, Millican 1-9, Fleischman 1-7, Scott 1-5. 
Punting: Smith 6-219.
Kicking: Weiser 2-71, Smith 1-51.
Tackles: Edwards 11, Fleischman 9, Cramer 7, Fain 4, Bratcher 4, Mackey 4, Lyons 3, Finch 3, Haley 3, Wright 1, Denton 1.
Tackles for loss: Finch 2-7, Fleischman 1-4, Cramer 1-3, Fain 1-2, Edwards 1-1.
Sacks: Finch 1-6. 
Breakups: Lyons 1, Cramer 1, Shipman 1.
Kickoff Returns: Denton 2-43, Bratcher 1-15, Adcock 2-9. 
Interceptions: Cramer 1-6. 

Choctaw Individual Statistics

Passing: Woods 17-27-222-1.
Rushing: Woods 21-65, Curry 10-19, Navarro 1-6, Nealy 1-(-4).
Receiving: Coleman 3-60, Navarro 3-52, Crews 2-36, Curry 3-25, D. Armstrong 2-21, C. Armstrong 3-16, Moore-Johnson 1-9.
Punting: Crews 5-158.
Kicking: Zook 4-184.
Kickoff Returns: C. Armstrong 3-55, Navarro 1-3.

Week Two 6A-II rankings and predictions; a look at this weekend's games

No. 1 Bixby Spartans (Last week No. 1) vs Bentonville Tigers

The defending Division II State Champions from Bixby (1-0) started off the season with a bang, hammering 6A-I powerhouse Jenks (0-2) 35-18 with 21 points in the fourth quarter. RB Tucker Pawley rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns while Staton King passed for 191 and two scores. The Spartans will be taking on Bentonville, Arkansas (0-1). The Tigers went 10-3 last season and lost their season opener 35-8 to Rockhurst, Missouri (2-1). 

The pick: Bixby 47 Bentonville 17.

No. 2 Booker T. Washington Hornets (2) vs. West Monroe Rebels

Booker T. (2-0) is off to a great start this year, topping 6A-I powerhouse Edmond Santa Fe (1-1) 35-21 and Midwest City (1-1) 27-24 in overtime. Hornet QB Phillip Wheatley recorded 197 passing yards and a touchdown. This weekend they'll travel to Shreveport, Louisiana for the Battle on the Border Football Showcase in Independence Stadium. The Hornets will take on West Monroe, Louisiana (2-0), last year's 5A State Runners-Up.

Virgil picks: BTW 33 Monroe 28.
Scott picks: Monroe 35, BTW  24.

No. 3 Midwest City Bombers (4) - Bye Week

The Bombers (1-1) lost an overtime heart-breaker to Head Coach Darrell Hall's former school, Booker T. Washington. QB Preston Colbert scored a 40-yard touchdown with a pass to Declaudio Irvin. Elliot Janish sent the game into overtime with a last-second field goal, but the Hornets came out on top 27-24.

No. 4 Sand Springs Sandtes (3) vs. No. 7 Choctaw Yellowjackets (6)

Charles Page High School (0-1) started the season with a 59-21 loss to Pulaski Academy, an Arkansas team with three-straight State Championships who always goes for fourth downs and almost always onside kicks. Caden Pennington was only 3-4-11-1 passing and nearly the entirety of the Sandite offense came from Ben Nortey and Payton Scott on the ground. Sand Springs stymied the Bruins well on the ground, but gave up 433 yards by air. 

Choctaw (1-0) trailed Sapulpa 7-6 at halftime last week but came back in the second half for a 27-21 road win. Hudson Woods was 18-28-227 passing with one touchdown and ran for 115 yards and three touchdowns. Jaryn Curry racked up 162 yards on 13 carries. 

The pick: CPHS 39 Choctaw 25.

No. 6 Lawton Wolverines (5) vs MacArthur Highlanders

It's rivalry week in Lawton as the 6A-II Wolverines (0-1) look to get in the win column against 5A MacArthur (1-0). The Wolverines lost their season debut 33-32 to the defending 5A State Champions from Carl Albert (1-0) and will have another tough match against the State Semi-finalists who trounced Eisenhower (0-1) 56-29 last weekend. 

Carl Albert held a 14-point lead midway through the fourth before Lawton staged a comeback attempt. Fortunately for the Titans, Lawton's last extra-point attempt failed on a bad snap, preventing a tie game. Miles Davis led the Wolverines on the ground with 297 yards.

MacAthur steamrolled Eisenhower with 531 offensive yards, 138 of which came from sophomore QB Race Felter who scored five running touchdowns. Nick Mahan led the ground game with 212 yards on 37 carries with one touchdown.

Virgil's pick: Lawton 31 MacArthur 28.
Scott's pick: MacArthur 31 Lawton 28.

No. 5 Muskogee Roughers (7) - Bye Week

Muskogee (1-1) had a solid start to the season, despite losing their first game. The Roughers finished last season with their first winning record since 2008 under former Guthrie Head Coach Rafe Watkins, going 9-2 and making the State Semifinals after a brief appearance at the No. 1 ranking. Now they have to prove themselves all over again after graduating nearly their entire starting offense. 

Muskogee lost a close 26-20 season opener to Midwest City (1-1), but ended on a high-note. They fell in a 26-0 deficit before getting on the scoreboard, then shut out McAlester 54-0 leaving them with a streak of 74 unanswered points over the last two games. Against McAlester, QB Jacob Medrano recorded 481 yards, finding Diante Crutchfield for 292 and three touchdowns. Defensively they held the Buffalo to less than 100 yards with five sacks.

No. 8 Bartlesville Bruins (8) vs. Cascia Hall Commandos

Bartlesville (1-1) kicked off the season with a 30-25 victory over 5A McAlester (0-2), but they had a far tougher opponent in the 6A-I Owasso Rams (2-0), who prevailed 56-14 on the Bruins' home turf. Bartlesville didn't get on the board till the second half after trailing 42-0 at intermission. Noah Sunday was 14-30-103-0 passing and the Bruins were held to only 51 yards on the ground. 4A Cascia Hall (0-1) started the year with a 21-7 rivalry loss to 2A Holland Hall (2-0). The Commandos fell in a 13-0 hole before scoring their lone touchdown. Lewis Guillory rushed for 103 yards on 14 carries, accounting for the bulk of Cascia's 199 total yardage. 

Virgil's pick: Bartlesville 41 Cascia 3.
Scott's pick: Cascia 27 Bartlesville 14.

No. 9 Enid Plainsmen (9) - Bye Week

Enid (2-0) is off to a hot start with their best record since 2012, topping Guthrie (0-2) 34-23 and Ponca City (0-2) 61-34. Junior QB Mason Skrimager passed for 191 yards and three touchdowns against the Bluejays, then recorded 290 yards and two strikes against the Wildcats. 271 yards came in the first half alone. Marlo Hughes ran for 155 yards and three touchdowns, while Seth Ellis set a single-game record for the Plainsmen with four interceptions, including a 99-yard return. Enid jumped to a 21-0 first quarter lead and was up 34-14 at halftime. 

No. 10 Deer Creek Antlers (10) vs Edmond Santa Fe Wolves

Deer Creek (1-0) started the season with a 21-13 win over Southmoore (0-1), but will likely have a tougher time with Edmond Santa Fe (1-1) who just steamrolled Edmond North (0-1) 43-7 last week. The Antler defense shined in their win with a pair of goal-line stands, while QB Hunter Freese recorded 236 passing yards with two touchdowns. It's a new era at Deer Creek under first-year Head Coach Wade Standley, who previously coached 4A Ada to an 11-10 record in two seasons.

The pick: ESF 39 DC 21.

No. 11 Putnam City Pirates (11) vs El Reno Indians

Putnam City (1-0) will host 5A El Reno (1-0) in week two after topping in-city rivals 6A-I Putnam City North (0-1) 16-10 last week. AJ Newsome was 18-31-235-0 with one touchdown in the affair and also carried ten times for 52 yards. Julian DeLoera scored a field goal and Kevonte Lloyd scored an interception return. El Reno defeated Piedmont (0-1) 27-14 in their debut. 

The pick: PC 26 El Reno 11.

No. 12 Stillwater Pioneers (13) vs Moore Lions

Stillwater (1-0) easily handled Edmond Memorial (1-1) 23-7 in their season opener thanks in part to a 10-17-170 performance from sophomore Gunnar Gundy who scored two touchdowns. Freshman running back Qwontrel Walker carried 28 times for 135 and a touchdown, completing a lethal duo of young talent that will make Stillwater a solid contender for the years to come.

Moore (0-1) had a rough start to the year, taking a 50-18 beating in their rivalry game against Westmoore (1-0). The Lions were only 14-27-151-1 passing and 48-76 rushing with four fumbles and 95 yards in penalties.

The pick: Stillwater 36 Moore 20.

No. 13 Putnam West Patriots (12) vs Putnam North Panthers

Putnam West (1-0) barely edged out Duncan (1-1) 16-15 in week one thanks to the kicking prowess of Dylan Smith. Duncan scored first, then Putnam responded with a touchdown and three field goals ranging from 23 to 30 yards for a 16-7 advantage before a Demon touchdown and two-point pass made it a one-point game. Putnam North (0-1) went down 16-10 to Putnam City (1-0) in their season debut.

The pick: PCW 17 PCN 14.

No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (15) - Bye Week

Sapulpa (0-2) got off to a rough start this year, falling 28-12 to Duncan (1-1) and 27-20 to Choctaw (1-0). The Chieftains were held to a pair of field goals in the second and third quarters against Duncan before Garrett Williams connected with Gerquan Sanders in the fourth from 66 yards out. Sapulpa took a 7-6 lead into halftime against Choctaw but gave up more than 500 yards to the Yellowjackets and were outscored 21-13 in the second half. 

No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (14) vs Guthrie Bluejays

Ponca (0-2) will travel to Guthrie (0-2) this Friday and at least one of them will notch their first win of the season. The Wildcats lost their first game 28-7 to Edmond Memorial (1-1) and were hammered 61-34 by Enid (2-0) last week. Justin Andrews was 18-30-244-0 passing against Edmond, but the Wildcats were held to a mere 187 total yards against Enid. Guthrie also suffered at the hands of Enid, going down 34-23 in week one, then falling 27-13 to Shawnee. 

The pick: Ponca 21 Guthrie 10.