Week 6 Roundup

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

#1 Booker T Washington (5-0, 3-0) District 1

#10 Claremore (2-4, 0-3) District 1

No surprise here, the Hornets registered yet another dominating win, their first shut out of the season, over Claremore. OSU-commit Justice Hill rushed for 276 yards and five touchdowns and personally registered more than double Claremore's total yardage. 

The pick: BTW 52, Claremore 3

Results, BTW 40, Claremore 0. 

#2 Bartlesville (6-0, 3-0) District 1

#6 Muskogee (2-4, 2-1) District 1

Bartlesville keeps on winning, but they keep doing it sloppily and last minute. Simply looking at the score and you'd think it was a Bartlesville slaughter, but believe it or not, the Roughers led 21-7 at one point. Statistically, the teams were neck-and-neck and it looks like Rafe Watkins might finally be whipping the Roughers into shape. Muskogee could very well be shaping up to be a major contender next year.

The pick: Bartlesville 54, Muskogee 14

Results: Bartlesville 48, Muskogee 27

#3 Bixby (4-2, 2-1) District 1

#12 Ponca City (1-4, 0-3) District 1

Oh how the mighty keep falling. The Spartans were without go-to running back Nic Roller for most of the night, and while they firmly routed the Wildcats, it was far from the devastation that was expected of the former number one team. The defending state champions are far from out of contention for a playoff-repeat, but they need to get their stuff together quick. 

The pick: Bixby 47, Ponca 6

Results: Bixby 43, Ponca 21

#4 Sand Springs (2-3, 2-1) District 1

#13 Sapulpa (1-4, 0-3) District 1

Yet another exciting installment of the greatest rivalry in Oklahoma. Between QB Hunter Greathouse's 181 passing yards and Lane Lettich's 116 rushing yards, the Sandites dominated in air and on land, and the defense was outstanding as well, with numerous interceptions and fumble recoveries. 

The pick: Sand Springs 42, Sapulpa 35

Results: Sand Springs 44, Sapulpa 10. 

#5 Lawton (4-1, 3-0) District 2

#8 Stillwater (2-4, 1-1) District 2

Just when I thought Stillwater was starting to make a come-back, they go and get shut out. Four different Lawton players crossed the hundred-yard mark against Stillwater as the top team in District 2 affirmed their position.

The pick: Lawton 35, Stillwater 14

Results: Lawton 24, Stillwater 0

#7 Putnam City West (3-3, 1-1) District 2

5A Capitol Hill (1-5) 

Not going to lie, I'm jealous that District 2 gets to explore a little more. Non-district games are a lot more exciting to me. What I don't understand is why they waste their time with teams their JV could stomp. 

The pick: PCW 42, Capitol 7

Results: PCW 56, Capitol 0

#9 Midwest City (4-2, 2-1) District 2

#14 Enid (1-5, 0-3) District 2

Enid just keeps getting floored, and Midwest City found their feet after being upset last week by Stillwater.

The pick: MWC 35, Enid 12

Results: MWC 38, Enid 6

#11 Choctaw (4-2, 2-1) District 2

#15 Eisenhower (0-6, 0-2) District 2

The pick: Choctaw 38, Eisenhower 15

Results: Choctaw 59, Ike 27.

My Record

  • Week 1: 10-2 (.833)
  • Week 2: 12-2 (.857)
  • Week 3: 6-3 (.666)
  • Week 4: 6-2 (.750)
  • Week 5: 5-3 (.625)
  • Week 6: 8-0 (1.00)
  • Overall: 47-12 (.796)

 

Sand Springs Lady Sandite Softball is Headed to State

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By: Bradley Millican

The Sand Springs Lady Sandites showing off their Regional Championship plaque

Please spread the word. These ladies leave for State on Thursday at 11:00 AM. Please help us get as many people as possible to the Sandite Sporting Complex around 10:45 AM to send them off to the State Tournament. Feel free to bring homemade signs or anything else that wishes them well. Remember they are not only playing for Lady Sandite softball but for the whole Sandite Community. With school out we need as many people out there as possible. BRING HOME STATE! We are proud of you Ladies!

Police and Fire Departments will be providing a send-off escort for the girls.

The first game of State will be played Thursday at 6:00 PM against Mustang (33-8) at Hall of Fame Field 4 in Oklahoma City. Sand Springs is currently 29-8 and will need to win three games in a three-day single elimination tournament to win the State Championship.

The Path to State, Part 4: Sandites upset Union 3-0 at Regionals

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Lady Sandite pitcher Kennedy “Goose” Salyers stepped up to the mound. It was two o’clock on a Wednesday, and the Southeastern Oklahoma State University-committed senior had just pitched a 6-0 shutout against Claremore in round three of the Regional championship.

With only thirty minutes between games, the Charles Page High School varsity fast pitch softball team was tired, and they were only a third of the way through a triple-header uphill battle. The Union Redskins were far and above the better team over Claremore, and this would not be an easy game. Especially since Union had already beaten Sand Springs 5-2 in the second game of the season.

Sammi Ibison was the first batter up. With a full count, she connected for a fly ball into left field and was caught out by Caley Thompson. Next were Erika Reed and Sammi Dutton, both put out on infield flies by second-baseman Kimi Presnell, and just like that the Sandites were off to a good start.

Now it was Salyers turn at bat, and Paige Boyle was pitching for the Lady Redskins.

The first day of Regionals was marred by errors as the Sandites lost 2-1 to Claremore and barely scrapped by Ponca City 4-3, whom they had scored 21-0 against over two games earlier in the season. The 6-0 shutout in game one of day two was a step in the right direction, but if the Sandites were going to stand a chance against Union, they would need to come out hard and fast to make a statement early on in the game.

Salyers connected on an infield hit for a single and the home team was the first on base. Cameron Clemons replaced Salyers as a curtesy-runner, and Stella Millican bunted for a single-by-error thanks to Boyle.

Sydney Pennington swung hard for a fly ball to left field. Dutton scooped it up and sent it to third to force out Clemons, but third-baseman Clara Bewaley tried for a double play to out Pennington at first and instead threw the ball clear over Britton Clark’s head, resulting in a double-by-error for Pennington.

Up to the plate walked Jessica Schuler, a Northeastern State University-commit, first-baseman, and frequent home-runner. She never crossed home plate on her own this game, but she did connect for a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Millican and drew first blood.

The Sandites had brought their “A-game.”

The second inning played much like the first. No Redskins landed base hits, and Brylee Dickensen was struck out.

Jessica Collins was first at bat for Sand Springs and found second base on an error by Lexi Dobson. Caley Thompson bunted for a single, and Rachel Blair brought Collins home on a bunt single due to an error by Bewaley. Both teams had guns blazing, but the Sandites were shooting holes in the Redskins’ defense, and the Redskins were shooting themselves in the foot.

Finally, Union pulled their defense together. Over the next two innings, Boyle allowed only base hit, and struck out three Sandites. Salyers was right there with her, though, allowing only two base hits, no runs, and two strikeouts.

By inning five, the Sandites were tired of being sent to the dugout. Pennington hit a groundball into left field for a single, and Schuler drew a walk. Then, Kali Mallory, the catcher, entered the game and brought Pennington home with an RBI single and a 3-0 lead.

The Redskins had gotten their act together and stopped allowing errors, but the Sandites were equally disciplined, and the mistakes Union had made in the beginning were too costly to overcome.

Ibison, Reed, and Dutton all came out swinging, but each was put out before reaching base in the sixth.

Boyle registered her fourth and final strikeout of the evening, and didn’t allow another base hit for the duration of the game, but neither did Salyers, who struck out the final two batters of the game and brought in the win.

Both pitchers had excellent records, but Salyers stole the show, throwing 55.2% strikes, allowing only three hits, for a .428 WHIP and 0.00 ERA.

Boyle’s record was outstanding as well, but there was no stopping Sand Springs. She threw 45.7% strikes for a 1.66 WHIP and 2.33 ERA.

Sand Springs had a solid .375 batting average, with Pennington leading the pack with a perfect 1.00 with three hits on three at bats for four bases, a 1.333 slugging average, and one run.

Union was held to a meager .125, with Tonie Weese leading with one base hit on one at bat for a single. Britton Clark hit a double and Sammi Dutton hit a single for a team total of only three base hits and zero walks.

Defensively, Kali Mallory led the Sandites with six putouts. Lexi Dobson led Union with five putouts in right field.

Ultimately the game boiled down to errors, as Union committed four and the Sandites were flawless.

It was an incredibly impressive game, but Sand Springs was now twice as tired as Union, having played two games back-to-back with one more game to go.

The next game would start in only thirty minutes.

Game Stats, Click to Enlarge

To purchase any of these photos without the watermark, please email Scottemigh2013@gmail.com. Digital copies are available for only $5 apiece. 

Sandites travel to Frontier Valley Conference XC

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Today is the Frontier Valley Conference XC, so tell any runners you know to break a leg! 

Current standings for FVC teams are as follows:

Girls

1) Bartlesville (#2 Ashley Barnes, #3 Rilee Rigdon, #17 Shay Stayton, #22 Greta Olsen)

6) Owasso (#4 Maya Boschee, #11 Lauren Haygood, #20 Haley Geissler)

8) Jenks

12) Sapulpa (#25 Monica Scott)

13) Sand Springs (#1 Cheyenne Walden)

14) Broken Arrow (#18 Kelsey Bottomly)

Unranked--Muskogee, Union, Bixby, Bishop Kelley

Boys

1) Jenks (#2 Matt Young, #7 Alex Jones, #9 Joe Bingham, #12 James Yanik, #15 Miles Jehlicka, #20 Cyle Famuliner, #25 Nehemiah Soap)

3) Bartlesville (#8 Henry Wililams)

9) Owasso (#18 Brooks Cataudella)

11) Sapulpa (#11 Nick Williams, #17 Jordan Tuttle)

13) Broken Arrow (#6 Joshua Webb)

16) Union

Unranked--Bixby, Muskogee, Sand Springs, Bishop Kelley

 

The Path to State, Part 3: Revenge against Claremore

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It all came down to noon, last Thursday. The Sand Springs Lady Sandite softball team had won 26 games, eight by mercy-rule, five by shutout. They had a 13-1 district record, and by all accounts should have had a clear and easy walk to the Regional title.

Instead, they found themselves 1-1 in a double-elimination tournament on their own home field. After a stunning 2-1 upset by Claremore, the girls barely held on with a 4-3 win over Ponca City. They were still alive in the tournament, but they would have to win a triple header to claim their ticket to state.

To add insult to injury, because it was a playoff game, the “home team” was decided by coin toss. Claremore was the “Sandites” on the scoreboard, and the true Sandites were the visitors on their own diamond.

Kennedy “Goose” Salyers stepped up to the plate. With a resounding crack, the Sandite pitcher nailed a lead-off single into right field. A sacrifice bunt from Stella Millican advanced Salyers to second, and a sacrifice hit by Sydney Pennington brought her to third. Up came Jessica Schuler with the goal of bringing Salyers home and drawing first blood.

Schuler leads the team in homeruns and grand slams this season, but that action would not be seen this inning. A groundball to the Zebra pitcher, Kiley Lawson, was sent to first-baseman Kaylea Carpenter and the Lady Sandites would have to settle for being the first on base.

Next it was Claremore’s turn to try for home plate. With one out on the board, Abbey Mayfield hit a groundball to Pennington at short stop, but instead of being put out on first, she capitalized on a throwing error for the double. Next up was McKenzie Thomas with a single and it was clear that the Zebras had no intention of splitting with the home team.  Both runners, however, would be left stranded.

Both teams had brought their offense to this game, but it was the defense that came out on top for the first two innings. The Sandites left Kali Mallory stranded on second in the top of the second inning, and the Zebras left Kassidee Flowers on second in the bottom of the inning. Salyers got the first of her three strikeouts against short-stop Holland Rader.

Finally, in the top of the third, Salyers connected with the center field fence for a double and was soon joined by Stella Millican who drew a walk. Pennington brought home Salyers on a fence-hitting double of her own, but Millican was put out at third on a pass from McKenzie Thomas to Loren Shockley. Schuler was the next batter-up and brought home Pennington with an RBI single into right field. Schuler would be left stranded on first base, but the home team had taken a 2-0 lead, and wouldn’t slow down from there.

Claremore threatened, putting runners on first and second, but Julie Warren was struck out and the Sandites were back at it again.

Jessica Collins found first base on an error by Rader, then Caley Thompson hit a single of her own and once again Collins was the beneficiary of another Zebra error, this time by Thomas.

Kimi Presnell was put out on first after a sacrifice bunt that advanced both runners, then Madelyn Blair stepped up with the biggest hit of the tournament, thus far. Connecting with the left field fence for a 2RBI double, she ended up on second after scoring Collins and Thompson and forcing Claremore to change pitchers.

Lawson ended her time in the game with an 8.408 ERA, a 2.702 WHIP, and a .282 strike percentage.

In her place was Kaleigh Schumacher. Salyers got back on base after bringing Blair home on an RBI single thanks to an error by Brooke Dicus, but she and Millican would both end up stranded.

Schumacher began to demonstrate her skills at the mound, striking out Collins and Blair, and only allowed one more base-hit till the seventh inning. Then she slipped up, and the tide turned back in the Sandites favor.

Schuler was hit by the first pitch of the inning, and curtesy runner Carsidy Perdue took her spot on first base. Then came Kali Mallory, swinging for the fence. Her first swing was a foul ball that completely cleared the neighboring athletic building. The second swing was on point. The ball just barely stayed in the diamond, hitting the fence as Mallory reached second base.

Finally, Collins came to bat for the final score of the game, bunting to bring home Perdue for a 6-0 lead and a sixth Sandite shutout.

Salyers got the win on the mound, allowing no runs, eight hits, and one walk with a 1.285 WHIP and a .406 strike percentage. Schumacher got the loss for Claremore with a 1.912 ERA, a 1.912 WHIP, and a .420 strike percentage.

Sand Springs dominated at the plate with 13 base hits, including four doubles, and a .481 team batting average. Claremore managed only eight hits for nine bases and a .285 batting average. Salyers and Mallory both batted .750 and Millican batted a perfect 1.00.

They had won the battle, but the war was far from over. The celebration was hearty, but it wasn’t long, as the Lady Sandites had only thirty minutes to prepare for the Union Redskins (27-13) who had already beaten them 5-2 in the second game of the season.

Sandites vs Claremore: Game 2 Stats. (Click to enlarge)

Sandites vs Claremore: Regional Stats (Both Games). (Click to enlarge)

 


#4 Sandites dominate Highway 97 rivals at Sapulpa

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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Obviously, every player on the field is crucial in a football game. You’re only as strong as your weakest link, after all. But if I had to single out five names for you to remember, here they are.

Junior Hunter Greathouse, first year starting quarterback. Greathouse led the Sand Springs Sandites in a 44-10 rout of archrival Sapulpa Friday night in a blowout at the Chieftain high school. Completing 10 of 17 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns, when Greathouse takes to the air, you better make sure his receivers are covered.

Who are his receivers?

The go-to man is Senior Trace Fleischman. Fleischman is the son of Coach Jay Fleischman and has 421 yards this season on only 18 receptions. That’s an average of 23 yards per pass. Tonight was a season-best for Fleischman with 126 yards and two touchdowns.

Next is Lane Lettich. Primarily a running back, Lettich did catch two screens against Sapulpa for 41 yards and a touchdown. Add to that his 116 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns and you can bet that the Chieftains wish he had stayed home. This game was also a season-best for Lettich.

Payton Scott will be a household name by the time he graduates. With 247 rushing yards this season and 326 yards total offense, you wouldn’t believe this kid is just a sophomore. As the only freshman to regularly start last season, he’s already established himself as a major threat.

Now that you’ve got your cast, here’s your story.

The Highway 97 rivalry is one of the longest running, most passionate rivalries in the state. Fights are almost a guarantee at every game and tonight was no exception. Sapulpa has the edge on overall wins with a 45-41-3 record against the Sandites, but the Minutemen have won the last two meetings 79-23 and are 7-3 over the last decade.

It was clear going into the game who the favorite was, but in a rivalry matchup, you just never know what might happen.

It didn’t take the Sandites long to prove this game would be far from an upset. On the second play of the game, less than 20 second in, Greathouse connected with Fleischman on a 56 yard pass and kicker Kasey Bales sent home the point-after to establish the lead.

Sapulpa threatened immediately, however, and it looked like the game might very well be shoot-out. It wouldn’t be the first time the two teams went total offense against each other. In 2013 the Chieftains won a home game 49-32 against the Sandites and in 2009 the Sandites trumped Sapulpa 49-45.

Sophomore wide-receiver Gerquan Sanders caught a 9-yard pass from Sapulpa quarterback Jarrett Dilley for a first down, then on the next play caught a pass for 40 yards and was barely pushed out of bounds at the Sand Springs’ one yard-line. Penalties pushed the Sapulpa offense back to the Sandite 27, but they kept bringing the heat up until your fifth key player stepped up.

Enter junior Treyce Tolbert with an endzone interception to squelch the Sapulpa heat and remind the Chieftains why Sand Springs is known to have the best defense in the state.

Twelve plays later, Sapulpa showed some defense of their own and finally put a bit of a stop up against the Sandites on third and 16. They couldn’t, however, put up a stop against a 26 yard field goal by Bales and the visitors took a 10-0 lead.

The Cheiftains took possession at their 25 but were unable to convert a first down and sent the ball right back to their rivals.

Sand Springs converted two first downs before the first quarter reached its end and barely two minutes into the second period Lettich found the endzone on a 16 yard run. After a failed 2pt conversion, the Sandites led 16-0.

Sapulpa could barely even keep their hands on the ball and fumbled it on the very next play. The Sandites capitalized on it with a 7 yard carry by Lettich and an extra point by Bales for the 23-0 lead and a first half shut-out.

Sapulpa received the ball to start the second half and finally got on the board after what began as a successful drive finally sputtered out. The Chieftains were held from the endzone, but Senior Paige McCracken was able to connect on a career-long 38 yard field goal.

Eight snaps later, Greathouse found Lettich for a screen that resulted in a 34-yard touchdown and a 30-3 lead.

Once again, the greatest defense in the state struck on an interception by Cole Dixon before the Sapulpans had even moved the ball three yards. Greathouse connected with Fleischman for a 31 yard touchdown and the Bales PAT was good for a 37-3 lead.

Bales kicked off and I’m starting to feel like I’m repeating myself. Treyce Tolbert right away with a fumble recovery on the first play of Sapulpa’s drive. Two handoffs to Payton Scott later and it was time to send in the JV crew after Sand Springs led 44-3.

Sapulpa finally set foot in the Sand Springs end zone after an 8-play 70-yard drive with less than four minutes in the game on a 16-yard run by Dae Williams. The McCracken PAT brought the game to a final score of 44-10.

Running back Dae Williams was the stand-out player for Sapulpa with the lone touchdown and 112 yards of total offense.

Sapulpa drops to 1-4 overall and 0-3 in district play with their lone win being a 55-0 shutout of 5A Nathan Hale. Sapulpa will travel to Bixby next Thursday.

Sand Springs is 2-3 overall and 2-1 in district play after having to forfeit two pre-district victories due to an ineligible player. Sand Springs will next take on Ponca City at home on Thursday night.