Junior High Boys Place Second at Home Tournament

The Sand Springs girls wrestling team took 16th place in its season opener at the Jay Border Wars with three medalists.

Kelsi Hilton placed fourth at 140 pounds with two pins, Laila Mirza was sixth at 120 with two pins, and Tyreyalle Davis was sixth at 135 with four pins.

The Lady Sandites will return to action December 16th at the Cleveland Tournament while the boys will open the season Thursday with home duals against Duncan and Rogers Heritage.

Junior High

The boys wrestling team took second place with two champions and four runners-up at its 51st annual home tournament. The girls program placed 11th in its first year.

Riley Kester won the heavyweight bracket with five pins and a technical fall, outscoring his opponents 35-5. In the finals he won a 5-0 decision over Marley Branscum.

Corbin Wooley picked up his fourth win of the season at 132 pounds, making a comeback after an overtime loss in pool play.

After falling 8-6 to Cameron Bowman in sudden victory, Wooley won his next five matches without giving up a single point, defeating Stillwater’s Caden Johnson 6-0 in the finals.

Jaxon Grigsby was runner-up at 98 pounds, recording five pins and a technical fall, outscoring his first six opponents 60-3 before falling 5-0 to defending junior high State champion Aiden Jalajel in the finals.

Matthew Moore was runner-up at 126, pinning six opponents before falling in a 5-2 decision to defending State champion Legend Ellis in the finals.

Isaac Sensintaffer was runner-up at 155 with four pins, falling 10-0 to State champion Jakoby Petree in the finals.

Hudson Sheppard was runner-up at 170, outscoring his first six opponents 17-0 while pinning each of them in an average time of only 39 seconds. He had to medical forfeit his finals match to Haydan Yocham.

Kaden Pope finished third at 119 with four pins, outscoring his opponents 52-9. His only loss was a 3-0 decision to defending State champion Justus Heeg.

Other top-ten finishers were: Gage Gunn (4th), Hunter Spencer (5th), Kasen McAffrey (5th), Caleb Childers (6th), Colt Chambers (6th), Josh Compton (8th), David Cline (8th), and Brody Wilson (9th).

Camben Garrison led the girls with a third-place finish at 96 pounds with two pins and Rylee Allen was fifth at 117 with four pins.

Ananiah King and Lyla Waldren placed 5th, Cassidy Cypert was 8th, and Cailey Miller was 10th.

Youth

The Keystone Kids placed sixth at the Owasso Takedown Classic with six champions.

Jase Morgan won 49 pounds with four pins; Jett Galloway won at 55 with two pins; Holden Yingst won at 66 with one pin; Ryker Dawes won at 64 with three pins; Collin Randall won at 82 with three pins; and Hunter Sims won at 76 pounds with three pins.

Rixon Hathaway, Jayde Parks, and Na’Kya Canady were also finalists.

Lady Sandites Go 3-0 at She Got Game Classic

After a lopsided defeat at Sapulpa to start the season, the Charles Page High School girls basketball team rebounded with a 3-0 performance at the She Got Game Classic in Mansfield, Texas over the weekend.

“I thought we learned a little bit from Tuesday and I thought we got better,” said head coach Josh Berry. “It’s going to be a growing process of everybody learning their new roles.”

Senior star Hailey Jackson averaged 23.3 points per game at the festival, earning MVP honors in each game.

“She wasn’t very aggressive that first game (against Sapulpa),” said Berry. “We’ve been talking about her being extra aggressive each and every game this year.”

“She did a great job of just staying aggressive the whole game while we were down there and hopefully she can continue to do that for us.”

On Thursday the Sandites won 63-60 against Boswell (5-6) behind a 24-point effort from Jackson, a career-high 18 points from Sakauri Wilson, and a career-high 16 points from Kiaryn Taylor.

Jackson scored 24 again in a 42-25 rout of Austin Westlake (6-9) on Friday.

On Saturday the Sandites rolled to a 60-26 win over Medgar Evers (0-2) behind a 22-point performance from Jackson. Freshman Calla Fueshko also had a breakout performance with 9 points.

“Kauri Wilson did a great job early on, especially that first game, of scoring the ball and finishing. We had a lot of production from different players throughout the weekend.”

“I know Kiaryn Taylor had a good game the first game where she was able to finish. Yanni (Morris) that last game where she got to see the ball go in the hole some.”

“I think that’s just kind of what it’s going to take is for some of our ones that aren’t used to doing those things consistently to just be more consistent. I thought defensively we got better.”

The Sandites lost their season-opener 61-21 to Sapulpa (2-0, 2-0) in conference play but will get a rematch in February.

Sand Springs was outgunned by a Sapulpa lineup that shot 43.6% in the field with nine players in the scorebook. Mataya Hall scored 15 and Taylor Bilby added 12 for the home team, while Jackson led the Sandites with 5 points and 8 rebounds.

The Lady Chieftains have now won four straight in the Highway 97 Rivalry series.

Sapulpa’s boys team (1-1, 1-1) snapped a three-year losing streak to the Sandites with a 60-51 victory.

Freshman Fabian Harris led the Chieftains with 18 points and Kylen Edwards added 14. The Sandites were led by seniors Michael Foster and Kade Holland with 12 apiece.

In junior varsity action, the Sapulpa girls won 38-37 despite a 21-point performance from Fueshko. The Sand Springs boys triumphed 38-35 on a buzzer-beater three from Krus Smith to avoid overtime.

The Sandites will return to action Tuesday with conference home games against Muskogee. The girls will play at 6:30 p.m. and the boys will play at 8:00.

Jenks-Transfer Corbin Wooley Having Successful Season in Sand Springs

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When Corbin Wooley was five years old, he wanted to play football. But after getting hit by a car as he was crossing the street, he missed signups while he recovered.

Following his uncle’s advice, he signed up for wrestling instead. Nearly ten years later and wrestling has long since replaced football as his passion.

“It’s like a daily ritual for me,” says Wooley. “I train almost every single day. The only day I don’t practice is my tournament days.”

In addition to wrestling with the Clyde Boyd Middle School junior high team, he also trains with the Keystone Kids wrestling club, Team Tulsa, and the Threestyle Wrestling club.

That commitment has paid off for the eighth-grader, who has already won three tournaments this November, with runner-up finishes in two others.

Wooley originally lived in Jenks before making the move to Sand Springs for middle school. He has fit right in as a Sandite and has also found a place on the conference champions eighth grade football team, playing safety and receiver.

Just as an injury helped Wooley find wrestling as a child, an injury also took him away from the sport this past year.

One year ago, at the Bixby Thanksgiving Classic, Wooley suffered a season-ending injury. His elbow was both broken and dislocated, requiring surgery and physical therapy.

“When it first happened I had a lot of things going through my head,” said Wooley. “I was definitely scared. I had so much adrenaline that it didn’t feel real.”

Fortunately, he has mostly recovered from the injury and hasn’t lost much mobility.

“There are definitely some occasions where I’ll be scared of something happening and I’ll have to give up a hold or something because of positioning, but besides that I really don’t worry too much about it.”

Prior to his injury, Wooley won a dozen tournaments in 2021, including OKUSA novice state titles in both freestyle and greco-roman.

This year he has already won the Bixby Junior High Open, the Union Open, and the Bixby Thanksgiving Classic. He was also runner-up at the Mat Gear Monster Brawl and the TTWC Veterans Day Classic.

Over those five tournaments he has gone 19-2 with 16 pins, outscoring his opponents 67 to 12.

“I feel like I’m doing pretty good this season,” said Wooley. “I’m hoping I can just keep this streak going. I know there’s definitely going to be some good kids in my bracket. I don’t worry too much about it, I just want to wrestle as best as I can.”

“He’s a good kid,” says Sand Springs junior high coach Cody Karstetter. “He didn’t get to compete as a seventh-grader, so he kind of missed out on that year, but I know he’s been working hard in the offseason and with his club team and on his own time, trying to get back from that injury.”

“He’s grown, he’s matured a little bit physically. I think right now we’ve just got to get him in the right mental spot and the sky's the limit for him.”

Because of his in-state success, he has also been selected to compete on the Oklahoma junior high team at the Holiday Duals National Tournament in Virginia Beach this December, but he needs a little help getting there.

The Wooleys are looking to raise $500 to help with the cost of travel before they leave on December 5th. Anyone looking to help can cashapp Rachelle Wooley at $ihav2angels or can email her at rachelleWooley@hotmail com.

The youth and junior high wrestling programs in Sand Springs have a lot more stars than just Wooley, and seven other Keystone Kids won their brackets at the Thanksgiving Classic.

“I expect to have a pretty good year,” said Karstetter. “We’ve got a lot of older guys and some younger guys who have kind of stepped into a little bit of a leadership role.”

“We’re starting to kind of click as a team. This week we get all of our freshmen in the room and those guys make a huge difference as well.”

Hagan Wolfenberger, Wes Wilson, Camon Martin, Ayreson Reiss, Kasen McAffrey, Ryker Dawes, and Brackton Upton all placed first in their divisions.

Carsten Reiss, Blaze Ingram, Karsen Waag, Collin Randall, Na’Kya Canady were runners-up; Kayden Worthington, Colt Combs, Gage Buchanan placed third; and Ty Galloway, Joshua Compton, Landon Replogle, Grayson Shoopman placed fourth.

Sand Springs will host its annual junior high home tournament December 2-3 at the middle school.

Sandite Basketball Preview: Boys and Girls Poised for Success in 2022

The Charles Page High School varsity basketball season will officially tip off Tuesday, November 29th at Sapulpa.

The Sandite basketball teams went different directions last season. The boys will look to get back to form as they seek their first winning season since 2020, while the girls will look to build momentum off of last season’s state semifinal appearance.

After graduating a talented senior class that accounted for 75% of last season’s scoring, the boys will look to build a new identity behind a mostly young, inexperienced roster.

Fans can expect big things from sophomore Kooper Kelley, the lone returning starter, who averaged 6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1 steal last year.

Junior Alijah Roper also saw extensive action last season, averaging 2.9 points over 21 games. 6-foot-5 sophomore Blake Johnson also played in 21 games, averaging 1.3 points and 1.8 rebounds.

Kade Holland, Luke Hooper, Michael Foster, Jax Marshall, Mark Lair, and Sam Hayes will provide the team’s senior leadership.

The Sandites went 5-18 last season and were 7-11 in 2020, but have seen tremendous success under tenth-year head coach Eric Savage with four winning seasons, two Regional championships, and two State tournament appearances.

Savage holds a 423-218 head coaching record over 21 years and is 118-125 at Sand Springs.

The Lady Sandites are entering their fourth season under head coach Josh Berry, who holds a 50-21 record at Sand Springs and a 148-134 career mark.

The girls went 23-4 last season for their best record since 2017, winning the school’s eighth Regional title and seventh Area championship.

Sand Springs took big losses in Journey Armstead, Layne Kirkendoll, and Leyshia Morris, but still has lots of star power ready to make a name for itself.

6-foot senior Hailey Jackson averaged 13.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals last season, with three double-doubles and a career-best 31-point performance against Broken Arrow.

Juniors Taiona Morris and Sakauri Wilson also return as starters after combining for 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.9 steals per game last year.

Kiaryn Taylor, Fayth Walker, Abigaile Martin, Patience Pearce, and Tay'Ja Butler all saw solid playing time last season and will give the Sandites strong rotational depth. Freshman Calla Fueshko is also expected to make an impact.

When the girls tip off against Sapulpa at 6:30 p.m. they will be looking for their first Highway 97 Rivalry win since 2019. The boys, however, have won three straight meetings with Sapulpa since 2019.

The girls will then travel to the She Got Game Classic in Dallas over the weekend. The home opener for both teams will be December 6th against Muskogee with the girls playing at 6:30 p.m. and the boys at 8:00 p.m.

Sandites Place 5th at Union IceFighter Open with 7 Champions

The Sand Springs wrestling team took fifth place at the 31st annual Union IceFighter Open on Saturday with seven champions, three runners up, and 16 total medalists.

Jayden Pait and Jesse Moore won in the high school boys division; Laila Mirza won in high school girls; Jaxon Grigsby, Kaden Pope, Matthew Moore, and Corbin Wooley won in boys’ junior high.

Pait pinned his first opponent at 138 and won three straight decisions from there, beating Union’s Thomas Toteh 6-4 in the finals.

Moore pinned his first two foes at 150, then edged out Jaiden Johnson 2-1 in the semifinals before majoring Brett Cornett 10-2 in the finals.

Mirza pinned all four of her opponents at 120 pounds.

Grigsby pinned three of his four opponents at 98 points and outscored his opponents 27-6.

Pope recorded two pins and a tech fall at 119, outscoring his foes 35-0.

Moore had two falls at 126 and defeated defending junior high state champion Rayvon McClellan 6-3 in the finals.

Wooley pinned three of his opponents at 132 pounds and outscored his foes 24-5.

Gracie Young was runner up at 110; Kasen McAffrey was runner-up at 140; Sawyer Briscoe was runner-up at 89; and Chandler Copeland was runner-up at 80.

Kayden Worthington was third at 132 with five pins. Aayla Asher also placed third, and Brody Ensten, Kelsi Hilton, and Lyla Waldren placed fourth.

Volleyball

Charles Page High School senior Payton Robbins recently signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.

Robbins set the known school record in single-season kills at 290 this season and led the team in aces.

She will be joining former Sand Springs teammates Tehya Johnson, Charley Fahland, and Kasidy Holland, who are all freshmen at the NAIA private school.

Sandite Football Falls 48-29 to Choctaw in Playoffs

The No. 6 Charles Page High School football team (7-5) saw its season come to an end Friday night in Choctaw as the No. 2 Yellowjackets (10-1) prevailed 48-29 in the 6A-II quarterfinals.

The last time Sand Springs visited Bill Jensen Field, in 2020, the Sandites took a 9-6 lead before surrendering 28 unanswered points to end the game in a 34-9 loss.

Friday’s rematch briefly looked like it might go the same way. The visiting Sandites took a 9-0 lead and Choctaw surged back to another 34-9 advantage, but this time the Sandites wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“We’re not going to quit; we’re not ever going to give up,” said third-year head coach Bobby Klinck. “That’s ingrained in this community and our town. It shows in our football team and I’m very proud of these guys.”

The Sandites went toe to toe with the Yellowjackets in a 21-20 second half but couldn’t overcome six turnovers and 156 yards in penalties.

“I put every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears into this and I’m just sad we came up short,” said senior linebacker Drake Fain, who led the team with 9 tackles on Friday and 101 this season.

Choctaw quarterback Steele Wasel took an intentional grounding penalty for a safety late in the first quarter to avoid a sack by Dom Ornelas, and the Sandites opened the second quarter with a touchdown.

Easton Webb connected with senior receiver Jacob Blevins, who broke a tackle and bullied his way into the endzone for a 25-yard touchdown.

Then the wheels fell off the wagon.

Wasel, an Akron-commit, scored on throws of 4 yards to JuJu Smith and 30 yards to La’Trell Ray to take the lead.

The Yellowjackets recovered two muffed kicks and two interceptions in the second quarter and Wasel and Smith connected for two more touchdowns from 25 and 21 yards.

The home team opened the second half with a 10-yard scoring run by Ray and it was starting to look like 2020 all over again before the Sandites rallied.

Gatlin Gunn picked off a fake punt pass attempt by Smith to set up a 5-yard scoring strike from Webb to Brody Rutledge.

Fain blocked a field goal attempt to open the fourth quarter and the Sandites threatened deep in Choctaw territory before Drake Fittro snagged the Yellowjackets’ third interception of the night.

Wasel found Connor Stover wide open for an 84-yard score on the next play, but the Sandites responded with a 12-yard touchdown strike from Webb to Blevins.

Choctaw returned the favor with a 22-yard scoring toss from Wasel to Nathan Keiffer, but the Sandites had the final say of the night with a 57-yard toss from Webb to Jabe Schlehuber.

“I’ve been here three years, so I remember when these seniors were puppies,” said Klinck.

“We’re not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. We’ve got some things we’ve got to do better, but just the heart and the attitude and the love that these kids showed each other; it was pretty cool.”

The class of 2023 saw its team go 2-8 as freshmen, but since Klinck’s arrival in 2020 they’ve finished in the top half of the district and won playoff games all three years.

“You spend more time with these kids than your own family, especially during football season,” said Klinck. “You have no choice but to get close.”

“It stinks right now. It happens every year. Only one team can not lose at the end. But I told them, the cool thing that happens is when I get invited to their weddings and meet their kids and see how they become successful men; because ultimately that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Webb was 19-of-33 passing for a career high 257 yards. Schlehuber had five catches for 74 yards, Rutledge had six catches for 72 yards, and Blevins had five catches for 67 yards.

Kenneth Page ended the night with 11 carries for 29 yards, surpassing 1,000 in his junior season.

Wasel was 23-of-33 passing for 453 yards and six total touchdowns for the Yellowjackets. Smith was his top receiver with 13 catches for 173 yards. Ray ended the night with 18 carries for 105 yards and also had two catches for 43 yards.

Choctaw will advance to the semifinals for the third time in the past four years and the seventh time in school history. The Yellowjackets will play No. 4 Muskogee (10-1) at a location to be determined.

Scoring Summary

Choctaw;0;27;7;14–;48
SS;2;7;7;13–;29

First Quarter
SS - Ornelas safety, 2:05

Second Quarter
SS - Blevins 25 pass from Webb (Daniels kick), 7:59
CHO - Smith 4 pass from Wasel (Yousey kick), 6:37
CHO - Ray 30 pass from Wasel (Yousey kick), 4:36
CHO - Smith 25 pass from Wasel (run failed), 4:20
CHO - Smith 21 pass from Wasel (Yousey kick), 0:38

Third Quarter
CHO - Ray 10 run (Yousey kick), 9:28
SS - Rutledge 5 pass from Webb (Daniels kick), :01

Fourth Quarter
CHO - Stover 84 pass from Wasel (Yousey kick), 5:24
SS - Blevins 12 pass from Webb (Daniels kick), 4:48
CHO - Keiffer 6 pass from Wasel (Yousey kick), 3:25
SS - Schlehuber 57 pass from Webb (pass failed), 2:31

Team Statistics:

First Downs: CHO 16, SS 15. Rushes-Yards: CHO 26-129, SS 26-109. Comp-Att-In: CHO 23-33-1, SS 19-33–3. Passing Yards: CHO 453, SS 257. Total Yards: CHO 582, SS 366. Fumbles-Lost: CHO 2-0, SS 4-3. Penalty Yards: CHO 157, SS 156. Punts-AVG: CHO 0-0, SS 2-44. Records: CHO 10-1, SS 7-5.