CPHS Football Preview: No. 2 Midwest City hosts No. 8 Sand Springs

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Current Pittsburg State freshman defensive end Delvin Jordan pressures Bomber quarterback Preston Colbert in the 2016 quarterfinals. (Photo: Virgil Noah).

For the third time in the past four years, the No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School football team (5-5) will travel to No. 2 Midwest City (9-1) for the first round of the Class 6A-II playoffs. The Sandites won their last two bouts with the Bombers, but this will be their toughest match yet.

In 2014 the Sandites made the playoffs for the third-straight year and notched their first playoff win since 1997 when they topped Midwest City 29-28 in overtime. The No. 4 Bombers (7-3) were the favorite to win, but No. 5 Sand Springs (8-4) sent the game into overtime with a field goal and won with a defensive stand on a two-point conversion attempt. The Sandites were defeated 41-14 by Bixby in the semifinals. 

In 2016 the No. 3 Sandites (7-5) topped the No. 4 Bombers (7-4) 23-14 for their fifth-straight playoff appearance and third-straight quarterfinal win. Hunter Greathouse was 13-20-159-2 passing while Payton Scott ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns. The Sandites were defeated 35-21 by Bixby in the semifinals. 

With only two meetings in school history, you wouldn't think there'd be much rivalry in the series, but Midwest City will be out to prove themselves after failing to win a playoff game since 2013 before the 6A split. 

The Bombers have had a stellar season thus far, with their only loss coming 27-24 in overtime against No. 1 Booker T. Washington (9-1). They defeated No. 3 Lawton 41-35, No. 4 Stillwater 35-21, No. 6 Putnam City 32-14 and No. 7 Muskogee 26-20.

The Sandites have had several impressive outings that fell short in the final stretches. They led No. 9 Choctaw 20-7 before falling 21-20. They led Muskogee 34-30 before falling 40-34. They were tied 21-21 with No. 5 Bixby in the fourth quarter before falling 42-21. 

The Sandites have finished three-straight seasons with quarterfinal wins and have had winning records for five-straight years. Both are school records. They'll have to win the State title to end with a winning record, but they can finish at an even 6-6 if they at least win this quarterfinal. 

MWC Average Box

Scored: 40
First Downs: 17
Fumbles-Lost: 2-1
Penalties: 12-99
Passing: 14-21-237-0
Rushing: 35-157
Plays-Offense: 56-394

Allowed: 19
First Downs: 15
Fumbles-Lost: 2-1
Penalties: 7-58
Passing: 13-23-141-2
Rushing: 39-119
Plays-Offense: 62-260
 

CPHS Average Box

Scored: 28
First Downs: 14
Fumbles-Lost: 1-1
Penalties: 3-28
Passing: 5-11-63-1
Rushing: 44-270
Plays-Offense: 55-333

Allowed: 27
First Downs: 17
Fumbles-Lost: 2-1
Penalties: 6-49
Passing: 16-25-187-1
Rushing: 36-192
Plays-Offense: 61-379

Sand Springs vs. Midwest City History

2016: Sand Springs 23-14 (A, Quarterfinals)
2014: Sand Springs 29-28 OT (A, Quarterfinals)

Sand Springs Season Statistic Leaders

Passing

47-104-584-5 Pennington, 5 TD
1-2-45-0 Foster, 1 TD

Receiving

11-148 McCallie, 1 TD
9-144 Scott, 1 TD
11-88 Millican
2-61 Hawkins, 2 TD
2-47 Fleischman, 1 TD

Rushing

314-2308 Scott, 31 TD
28-240 Nortey, 2 TD
68-66 Pennington, 1 TD
10-28 McCallie
13-31 Jones

PAT

33/37 Weiser

Field Goals

1/2 Weiser, Long 25

Punting-Avg

36-31 Smith
1-48 Pennington

Kicking-Avg

27-35 Weiser
22-38 Cox
1-51 Smith

Punt Return

Kick Return

10-182 Denton
7-113 Bratcher
3-91 Scott
4-38 Millican
3-15 McCallie

Tackles

92 Cramer
59 Fleischman
48 Edwards
40 Fain
33 Finch
33 Lyons

For Loss

12-36 Finch
9-26 Fain
7-35 Edwards
6-32 Lyons
6-26 Cramer

Sacks

4-30 Lyons
3-31 Edwards
3-15 Fain
3-11 Finch
1-12 Fleischman
1-12 Cramer

Interceptions

4-31 Askew
2-13 Cramer
1 Cartwright
1 Lyons

Breakups

5 Cramer
4 Bratcher
4 Mackey
3 Denton
3 Edwards
3 Lyons

Fumble Recoveries

3-2 Edwards
2 Askew
1-24 Mackey
1 Bratcher
1 Cramer

Forced Fumbles

1 K. Adcock
1 Cartwright
1 Finch
1 Lyons
1 Mackey

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

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The final eight were already decided going into last week's games, and now we have the final seeds for the fourth installment of the 6A Division Two playoffs.

No. 1 Booker T. Washington Hornets (Last Week No. 1) vs. No. 6 Putnam City Pirates (6)

The District Two Champions from Booker T. Washington (9-1, 6-0) will host Putnam City (7-3, 4-3). The Hornets won a relatively close (by their standards) 42-13 battle in Bartlesville (1-8, 1-5) while the Pirates won a solid 52-14 tuneup game in Enid (3-7, 1-6).

Washington's only loss this season was a 30-21 out-of-state exhibition with West Monroe, Louisiana (10-0). They even topped Midwest City 27-24 in overtime.

Putnam City played the tougher district and fell only 27-21 to Lawton and 39-32 to Stillwater but was dominated 32-14 by Midwest City. In their regular season finale AJ Newsome passed for 246 yards and four touchdowns with 38 yards on the ground for two touchdowns, all in the first half. 

The pick: BTW 46 Putnam 21.

No. 2 Midwest City Bombers (2) vs. No. 8 Sand Springs Sandites (8)

The District One Champions from Midwest City (9-1, 7-0) won a solid 35-21 outing with Stillwater (8-2, 5-2) almost entirely on the ground. The Bombers combined for 151 rushing yards while Preston Colbert was 18-22-234-1 by air. They gave up 95 yards in penalties and had one fumble. The Bombers have lost only one game this season, by an overtime field goal to the top-ranked Hornets. 

Sand Springs (5-5, 3-3) fell 42-21 to the defending State Champions from Bixby (6-4, 5-1) but it was all knotted up at 21-21 going into the fourth quarter. They tied 7-7 in the first, the Spartans won a second quarter 14-0 shutout, and the Sandites did the same in the third. Caden Pennington was 3-12-19-1 by air while Payton Scott carried 29 times for 148 yards and all three Sandite touchdowns. 

The pick: MWC 33 CPHS 19.

No. 3 Lawton Wolverines (3) vs. No. 7 Muskogee Roughers (7) 

Last year's State Runners-Up made their way to the finals with a 35-28 semifinal victory over Muskogee. The Roughers (5-4, 4-2) will get a rematch this year, and they'll need to bring their A-game. The Wolverines (8-2, 6-1) are coming off a dominant 56-28 victory in Deer Creek (4-6, 2-5) that started with a 42-7 lead by the second period. Alihas Hopper was 21-26-238 passing with five touchdowns. Miles Davis had 203 yards and two touchdowns on eighteen carries.

Muskogee rediscovered their typically potent offense after a lackluster 27-14 win in Sapulpa (1-9, 1-5), drubbing Ponca City (1-9, 1-5) 51-19 on the road. Jacob Medrano was 16-18-305 with five touchdowns by air and Kristian Hillmon carried 11 times for 93 yards They gave up 115 yards in penalties, but had no turnovers. 

The pick: Lawton 48 Muskogee 35.

No. 4 Stillwater Pioneers (4) vs. No. 5 Bixby Spartans (5)

The three-time defending State Champions (6-4, 5-1) pulled out a winning season and home playoff game with their 42-21 fourth-quarter stand against the Sandites (5-5, 3-3) but they'll have their work cut out for them against Stillwater (8-2, 5-2) whose season has looked far cleaner and more consistent. 

There have been two Bixbys this season. One Bixby beat Jenks 35-18, Muskogee 38-23, Ponca 68-7, and Sand Springs 21-0. The other Bixby lost three-straight including a 37-35 upset in Putnam City. They only beat Bartlesville 37-21, and they were shutout 21-0 by Booker T. Washington. In their regular season finale they squandered a 21-7 lead and allowed the Sandites to tie it up with a third-quarter shutout before rallying in the fourth. Staton King was 19-29-212-1 passing and Tucker Pawley ran for 229 yards and five touchdowns on 41 carries. 

There's only one Stillwater and they can be counted on to show up. The Pioneers started on a five-win streak before falling 43-29 to Lawton, then went on another three-win streak before falling 35-21 to Midwest City. In their regular season finale they went down swinging with a 263-yard running performance and three touchdowns from Tyler Disidore. They also fumbled three times, turning over two of them.

The pick: Bixby 38 Stillwater 32

No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (9) 

Choctaw (6-4, 3-4) once again missed the playoffs by a hair with a winning record and solid season. They went 3-0 outside of their district, including an impressive come-from-behind 21-20 win against Sand Springs. They shut out Enid 37-0 and drilled Putnam West (1-9, 0-7) 45-17 in the season finale. 

Avg Score: 26-23

No. 10 Deer Creek Antlers (10)

Deer Creek (4-6, 2-5) notched wins against 6A-I Southmoore and Edmond Memorial, as well as a 38-24 district win against Enid and a 34-7 performance against Putnam West. Their season finale was a 56-28 home loss to Lawton. 

Avg Score: 25-34

No. 11 Enid Plainsmen (11)

Enid (3-7, 1-6) won their opening two games 34-23 over Guthrie and 61-34 against Ponca City, and made headlines with a 49-42 double-overtime comeback win against Putnam City West who led 42-7 after three quarters. Despite a potent offense, that would be their only district victory and they closed the season with six-straight losses and a 52-14 finale against Putnam City. AJ Newsome passed for 246 yards and four touchdowns with 38 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the loss. 

Avg Score: 30-44

No. 12 Putnam City West Patriots (12)

Putnam West (1-9, 0-7) won their season-opener 16-15 against Duncan, but wouldn't notch another win this year. They had a few solid performances, putting up 42 points against Enid and only falling 21-11 to Putnam City, but ended the year with a 45-17 loss to Choctaw. 

Avg Score: 15-38

No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13)

Bartlesville (1-8, 1-5) found their lone win in game six, 9-2 against Sapulpa. They also defeated McAlester 30-25 in the season debut, but forfeited the game later due to an ineligible player. After the suspension, then resignation of their former head coach, the Bruins were in a holding pattern under interim coach Kyle Ppool. 

Avg Score: 16-39

No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (14)

Sapulpa (1-9, 1-5) started the season with seven-straight losses before trouncing Ponca City 42-14. They had several solid performances, including a 27-20 game against Choctaw, and a 27-14 loss to Muskogee, but never could cross the finish line. They ended the year with a 54-13 loss to Broken Arrow and managed 132 rushing yards against 6A-I powerhouse team. 

Avg Score: 13-34

No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (15)

Ponca City (1-9, 1-5) edged out Bartlesville 14-12 in week five to avert a winless season and ended the year with a 51-19 battle against Muskogee. Justin Andrews was 20-44-254-1 passing for both Wildcat touchdowns. 

Avg Score: 14-44. 

Scott Emigh
Editor-in-Chief
Overall: 68-18 (.791)
Last Week: 8-0 (1.00)
Last Year: 48-21 (.695)

Virgil Noah
Staff Writer
Overall: 58-15* (.794)
Last Week: 8-0 (1.00)
Last Year: 43-26 (.623)

*Virgil missed the first week of picks.

CPHS Softball: Destanie Garrett signs with Southwestern Christian University

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Charles Page High School senior softballer Destanie Garrett signed a letter of intent Wednesday morning to play collegiate ball for Southwestern Christian University in Bethany, Oklahoma.

The Eagles are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC). They also compete in the National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) Division One. 

The Southwestern softball team went 11-39 in the 2016-2017 season and finished last in the SAC. They are led by seventh-season head coach Kent Williams who has amassed an 80-209 record in his time with the program. 

CPHS Golf: Carson Griggs signs with University of Denver

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Charles Page High School senior and OSSAA 6A State Runner-Up golf star Carson Griggs signed a letter of intent Wednesday morning to play for the University of Denver (DU).

DU is a four-year private university participating in NCAA Division One athletics. The Pioneers have been members of The Summit League since 2013 and they placed sixth in the conference championship this past season. Their last conference title was in 2014 and their last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2011. They are led by Head Coach Erik Billinger in his fourth season. 

Griggs is coming off a second-place finish in the OSSAA 6A State Championship last May, finishing just two strokes behind the Champion in a field of 72 competitors. He shot four strokes under par in a three-round tournament at the Golf Club of Edmond. He tied for 20th place as a sophomore and 19th place as a freshman.

Last year Griggs took first place at the 6A State Preview at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, but the Championship location was relocated due to spring flooding at its usual site. He also won the Sand Springs Invitational and the Frontier Valley Conference Championship, and placed second at the Bartlesville Bruin Invitational.

CPHS Track: Tiqvah Soap signs with Friends University

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Charles Page High School senior Track and Cross Country star Tiqvah Soap signed a letter of intent Wednesday morning to run for Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.

Friends is a four-year non-denominational Christian private school competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC). 

The Falcons finished last season with a KCAC Championship in Cross Country and placed thirtieth at the NAIA Championships. They placed first in the KCAC Indoor Track Championships and tenth at the NAIA Championships. They also placed first at the KCAC Outdoor Track Championships and finished fourteenth at the NAIA Championships.

Soap led the Lady Sandites on three occasions this past fall. At the Pryor Invitational she had a 25th place finish, running an 1850-meter course in 8:09 and placed eighth at the Sapulpa Invitational with a 5:50 mile. At the Holland Hall 5K she took 35th place in 24:24. In 2016 the Lady Sandites qualified for State as a team and Soap placed 25th in 20:29.5. 

Last spring Soap took sixteenth in the 800-meter run at the State Championship with a personal-record performance of 2:30.79. Her season-best 1600-meter run was 5:54.3. She was also a member of the State-qualifying 3200-meter relay team that placed eleventh with a time of 10:29.79. 

Youth Wrestling: Sandites crown eleven champions at Claremore Invitational

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The future of Sandite wrestling is looking as bright as ever as the 2017-2018 youth wrestling season kicks off. A few weeks into the season, the Sandites have had strong showings at each tournament with several first and second place finishes.

The Sand Springs Team Big wrestling club crowned eleven champions at this past weekend's Claremore Youth Invitational and had seven runners-up. 

Champions

Michael Johnson (4-0) took first place in Division Four at 64 pounds. He pinned Jackson Martin in 1:33 and Simon Hartline in 0:22, and scored decisions of 6-0 and 4-0 against Jagen Jones and Iziah Tusler, respectively. 

Bentley Furr (4-0) took first place in Novice Division Two at 64 pounds. He pinned Hayden Smith in 23 seconds, Mateo Baldez in 2:29, and Colton Waldon in 28 seconds before scoring a 9-4 decision against Zavier Campion in the finals.

Chris Kirby (3-0) pinned Veronica Cooper in 22 seconds and Jose Flores in 24 seconds before scoring a 16-1 tech fall over Jonathan Gatz in the Division Five 155-pound finals.

Clayton Giddens (3-0) breezed through Division Four, pinning Joaquin Moralez in 2:48 and Keith Sanders in 3:52 before teching Dylan Abbott 18-3 in the finals.

Jaxon Grigsby (3-0) won Division Three at 58 pounds in dominating fashion. He pinned Owen Kiesel in 1:20 then teched Zane Filtz and Ty Michael Clark 15-0 each. 

Blayton Collins (3-0) took first place in Novice Division Two at 61 pounds with a thirty-second pin of Hunter Belcher and a 12-4 major decision against Maleah Zinn.

Owen Martin (2-0) took first place in Division Five at 84 pounds, pinning Korbyn York in 1:52 and teching Julian Briones 17-2. 

Skyler Wood (2-0) took first place in Novice Division Three at seventy pounds with a 1:57 pin of Edward Jones and a 15-2 major decision against William Laffoon.

Kasen McAffrey (2-0) won Division Two at 70 pounds, pinning Noah Boulware in fifteen seconds and Ethan Starks in 3:29. 

Rollin Fish (2-0) won Division One at 66 pounds, defeating David Tusler 13-9.

Connor Beals (2-0) won Novice Division Three at 76 pounds, pinning Mia Adams in 2:41 and scoring a 14-6 major decision against Bobby Brockman.

Runners-Up

Abraham Flores (2-1) took second place in Division Four at 120 pounds. He pinned Adrian Flores in 0:32 and Cameron Braswell in 0:21 but fell 2-0 to Blake Gilkey of Collinsville.

Carter Wood (2-1) pinned Josiah Moss in seventeen seconds and Caiden Estrada in 24 seconds, but fell 9-0 to Mason OBanion in Division Two at seventy pounds.

Ethan White (1-1) was majored 10-0 by Nathan Dekker in the Division Five 134-pound bracket, but pinned Thomas Moralez in 2:14 for second place.

Zander Grigsby (1-1) pinned Kynndrick Brooks in 3:31 but fell 2-0 to Bryson Humphries in the finals.

Ethan Starks (1-1) competed in Division Two at seventy pounds and teched Noah Boulware 18-3 before falling to teammate Kasen McAffrey.

David Cline (1-1) placed second in Novice Division Three at eighty pounds, edging out Drake Blue 6-5. 

Taytum Parker (1-1) placed second in Novice Division Two at 52 pounds with a pin of Tucker Daniels in 1:19.

Consolation Champions

Mitchell Smith (4-1) took third in Division Four at 84 pounds. He pinned Jim Watkins in 1:50 and defeated Jaxson Humphries 6-2 before falling 6-3 to Blade Walden. In the consolation bracket he pinned Dayton Moison in 44 seconds and repeated against Humphries with a 10-7 decision.

Robert Burke (3-1) took third in Division Three at seventy pounds, pinning Jace Simms in 1:55 and teching Aaron Wyrick 20-5. His lone loss was a close 7-5 decision to Daxton Sullivan. 

Asher Giddens (3-1) competed in Division One at 46 pounds. He defeated Rowden Benavidez twice, once in the first round and once in consolation. He was pinned by Parker Ingram but scored an 11-0 major decision against Kyson Buckner and a 9-0 major decision against Venvidez to win consolation.

Matthew Moore (2-1) competed in Division Three at 64 pounds. He defeated Jack Hooe 5-2 and Jimmy Groden 9-0.