Week Nine 6A-II Rankings and Predictions; a look at this weekend's games

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

The 2016 season has seen more parity than any year in recent memory. There is no longer a single team in Class 6A-II without a district loss. To make matters more difficult, there are teams with multiple losses to low-ranking teams and multiple wins over high-ranking teams. Looking at you, Choctaw. The number one team has fallen for the second week in a row, and now we'll try to sort out the mess.

No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (Last week No. 2) vs No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (15)

Muskogee (6-1, 3-1) has the worst of their schedule behind them now and, after taking a bye week to recover from their 26-25 loss to Sand Springs, they'll close out the regular season with the bottom two teams. 

Sapulpa (1-7, 1-4) picked up their first win of the season with a 31-27 upset over Ponca City (1-7, 0-5). The Chieftains dominated the Wildcats offensively, doubling them on total yardage, but gave up a pick six to keep the score close. 

The pick: Muskogee 56, Sapulpa 10.

No. 2 Sand Springs Sandites (1) vs No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13)

Charles Page High School (5-3, 3-1) may have lost to Booker T. Washington on the field, but on paper they destroyed the Hornets 267 yards to 124 and 15 first downs to 9, forcing 7 punts. The Hornets got lucky with 9:32 in the fourth quarter when Sandite QB Hunter Greathouse was unable to haul in a bad hike and the Hornets got the recovery at the 3 yard line. From there the Booker T. defense was able to stop three Sandite possessions for the win. Were it not for that one mistake, Sand Springs would still be undefeated in the district. 

The Bartlesville Bruins (4-4, 3-2) had a tough road match at Bixby (5-3, 3-1) and were throttled 63-14. They tried to keep up offensively and posted 342 yards on 79 plays, but the Spartans were explosive for 504 yards on 53 plays. 

The pick: Sandites 43, Bartlesville 32.

No. 3 Booker T. Washington Hornets (4) vs No. 4 Bixby Spartans (3)

The Hornets won their battle with Sand Springs on a fumble, and lost their game with Muskogee on turnovers after matching them offensively. The Spartans actually outperformed Muskogee offensively, but gave up two interceptions and a fumble. Against mutual opponents, the Hornets have the better defense and the Spartans have the better offense. Theoretically, this game should be fairly equally matched with the winner being decided on turnovers. 

The pick: Bixby 37, BTW 35.

No. 5 Midwest City Bombers  (5) vs No. 11 Enid Plainsmen (8)

The Bombers (5-3, 4-1) won an important district game Friday against Putnam City (3-5, 1-4) to continue to their quest for the district title in the district with the most parity. It was a low-scoring 7-0 affair made possible by the incredible Bomber defense.

The Plainsmen (3-5, 2-3) are coming off a 35-10 loss to Stillwater (4-4, 2-3). They gave up five turnovers, but forced three of their own. 

The pick: MWC 28, Enid 7.

No. 6 Putnam City West Patriots (7) vs No. 7 Lawton Wolverines (6)

The Patriots (6-2, 4-1) may not be the indisputable head of the district any more, but they're still in contention for the Title after a 27-17 win over Edmond Deer Creek (2-6, 2-3). The Pats have given up only two losses this season, 29-24 to the Sandites, and 21-16 to Midwest City. They have another big test at Lawton.

The Wolverines (4-4, 3-2) rode three straight wins with three close losses to quality teams. That changed Thursday with a 52-26 beat down from Choctaw (4-4, 2-3) to seriously damage their shot at a district title. With the incredible amount of upsets in the district, they're not out of contention yet, but they can't afford a loss. A win over Putnam will put them second only to Midwest City. 

The pick: PCW 26, Lawton 24.

No. 8 Choctaw Yellowjackets (12) vs No. 12 Deer Creek Antlers (10)

It's beginning to look like Choctaw (4-4, 2-3) can only win games they're picked to lose. The Yellowjackets have three wins against top-tier teams in Sand Springs, Midwest City, and Lawton, and upset losses to Enid, Putnam, and Stillwater.  

After their most recent 52-26 stunner over Lawton, they'll be looking to bring down Deer Creek and Putnam West to clinch a playoff berth. The Yellowjacket's high-powered offense averages 34 points per game while Deer Creek averages only 19 and gives up 35. The Antlers (2-6, 2-3) most recently went down 27-17 to Putnam City West.

The pick: Choctaw 42, Deer Creek 20.

No. 9 Putnam City Pirates (9) vs No. 10 Stillwater Pioneers (11)

The Putnam City Pirates (3-5, 1-4) put up a valiant effort against Midwest City before falling 7-0 while the Pioneers (4-4, 2-3) picked up a 35-10 win over Enid. Stillwater holds two-straight wins and all four of their losses were by a touchdown or less. A potential playoff berth is on the line and they're unlikely to leave their A game at home.

The pick: Stillwater 33, Putnam 23.

No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (14) vs 6A-I Norman Tigers

Barring a miracle, the Ponca City Wildcats (1-7, 0-5) are unlikely to get a win against Muskogee (6-1, 3-1) in week ten, so their last real shot at padding their record comes in their home-finale against 6A-I Norman (1-7, 1-4). The same can be said for the Tigers.

Ponca gave up a 31-27 upset to Sapulpa (1-7, 1-4) last week, while Norman went down 35-7 to Broken Arrow (4-4, 3-2). The Wildcats have been competitive all season, averaging 17 points per game, while the Tigers have scored 15. Norman gives up an average of 44 points and Ponca gives up 40, but Norman plays in a far tougher division and district. 

The pick: Norman 28, Ponca 26. 

Lady Sandite Cross Country qualifies for State as team, Aden Baughman qualifies individually

Photo: Scott Emigh

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Varsity Girls 5K

17:32 Cheyenne Walden 1st Place (PR-0:03)
20:01 Alexis Davis 15th Place
20:53 Tiqvah Soap 25th Place
22:27 Sara Abbet 54th Place (PR-0:37)
22:51 Elizabeth Watts 60th Place
23:27 Chezney Kelley 69th Place (PR-0:45)
24:32 Kaitlyn Walden 85th Place (PR-2:00)

Varsity Boys 5K

17:00 Aden Baughman 25th Place (PR-0:06)
17:28 Kaegan Murray 39th Place (PR-0:28)
18:36 Ian Baustert 65th Place (PR-0:06)
18:40 Phillip Elleman 67th Place (PR-1:38)
19:18 Nelson Yazzie 80th Place
19:19 Jaden Weiser 81st Place

It was a great weekend for the Charles Page High School varsity cross country teams. The girls took seventh place at the Regional 5K at Mohawk Park, just making the cut for State. This is their third time qualifying in four years, having just missed it last year. The boys failed to qualify as a team, but set several personal records.

The regional takes the top seven teams and the top seven individuals who weren't on qualifying teams. In 2015 the girls took eighth place, but sent three runners individually. According to Head Coach Chris Corbin, seniors Cheyenne Walden and Alexis Davis are now the first runners in the history of the program to qualify all four years. Sophomore Aden Baughman led the boys and qualified for the second straight year after placing fourth among runners who weren't on qualifying teams.

The girls finished seventh of fifteen teams with an average time of 20:45, their best "true" 5K of the season. Last week they finished in 20:27 at the Conference meet, but that track was a few hundred meters short. Oklahoma State-commit Cheyenne Walden secured her fourth Regional Title by an incredible margin of 53 seconds over the number two runner, Shay Stayton of Bartlesville. She also set a personal record of 17:32, a three-second improvement over last year's Regional time. This is her sixth first-place finish this year and 26th first-place finish of her career. The full qualifying squad is Alexis Davis, junior Tiqvah Soap, sophomore Sara Abbet, sophomore Elizabeth Watts, freshman Chezney Kelley, and freshman Kaitlyn Walden. Abbet, Kelley, and Kaitlyn Walden all set personal records. There were 106 runners in the girls race.

The boys took tenth of sixteen teams with an average time of 18:13, their fourth best this season. Senior Jacob Garbey, who usually finishes top-three among the Sandite boys, was unavoidably out of town for the race, and freshman Jaden Weiser was nursing a mild injury throughout the race and finished 28 seconds behind his previous performance. Garbey's presence might have made the difference between tenth and ninth place, but wasn't likely to help qualify the boys as a whole. Overall, the boys still performed well and finished with strong times all-around. Baughman set a personal record 17:00 finish, marking a six-second improvement over last year's Regional. Freshman Kaegan Murray set a personal record 17:28, improving 28 seconds over his previous best. He finished second among non-qualifying runners and was just nine seconds away from making the cut. Senior Ian Baustert finished his high school career with a PR 18:36, improving six seconds over his previous best. Junior Phillip Elleman also set a PR.

The State Championship will be held Saturday, October 29th at Edmond Santa Fe High School. The school is located at 1901 W. 15th Street, Edmond, Oklahoma. 6A Girls will begin at 12:00 p.m. followed by 6A Boys at 12:45 p.m. The awards assembly will be held at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $7.00 for adults and students. 

No. 1 Sandites fall 17-12 to No. 4 Booker T. Washington after late fumble

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 1 ranked Charles Page High School varsity football team (5-3, 3-1) lost a heart-breaker Thursday night at Memorial Stadium, giving up a 12-10 lead in the fourth quarter to the No. 4 Booker T. Washington Hornets (5-3, 3-1). Sand Springs's stout defense had utterly shut down the Hornets all night, while the offense more than doubled their foes, but a fumble at the Sandites' three-yard line undid their hard work and allowed the Hornets to take the final lead.

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The Hornets averaged more than 350 yards per game going into Thursday night's matchup, and the Sandites held them to 124. They gave up nine first downs and only two yards in the air, while racking up twenty yards on six tackles for loss.

It was a defensive showdown from both teams from the very beginning. Booker T. received the ball to start the game, but Sand Springs held them to fourth and twelve to take possession without giving up a first down. The Sandite offense drove a mere sixteen yards on seven plays before punting it back to their foes. The Hornets picked up a first down on a ten-yard run from Rylan McQuarters, but were then pushed back to fourth and sixteen and punted away their second possession. 

Sand Springs's second possession wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. Senior quarterback Hunter Greathouse took a reverse and was ran out for an eight-yard loss. After a handoff to Payton Scott gained only one yard and a deep pass attempt intended for Kasey Bales was broken up by Daxton Hill, the Sandites were forced to punt. The punt was called back for an unsportsmanlike penalty that gave the Sandites renewed hope on fourth and two. 

Payton Scott picked up the first down to keep the drive alive. After being pushed back to third and fifteen, Greathouse found Mack Thompson for nineteen yards, then hit Bales for 22. Bales finished off the drive with a nineteen-yard reception to draw first blood. A two-point pass attempt fell incomplete and the Sandites led 6-0 with 1:45 in the first half.

Booker T.'s next drive was methodical and effective, using more than seven minutes to drive 61 yards over seventeen plays for a one-yard run by quarterback DJ Jones. With 6:22 in the half, the visitors took a 7-6 lead.

Both teams' next possessions fell flat, but the Sandites got one last shot at a march downfield before halftime. Greathouse connected with tight-end Dash Fleischman for twelve yards, then hit Thompson for 44 to park the offense at the Hornet six-yard line. That's where the magic ran out. Scott took a handoff for no gain. An endzone pass attempt was nearly intercepted. Greathouse was flushed from the pocket and had to scramble to avoid negative yardage on third down. At fourth and six Alex Hernandez attempted a 24-yard field goal but bounced the kick off one of his teammates and Greathouse managed to fall on it and end the half. 

Bales started off the second half with a bang, returning the opening kickoff 56 yards to the Hornet 22, but the offense was unable to capitalize and turned over the ball on downs at the sixteen. 

Booker T. had an equally difficult time making a play happen and punted away possession to the Sandite 45. This time the home team hit pay dirt. 

Scott picked up twelve yards in two runs, then Greathouse hit Thompson for ten. Greathouse hooked up with Scott for a 28-yard pass to roll up to the Hornet two-yard line. On third and short, the Sandites stuffed Greathouse into the endzone for the score. Once again the two-point conversion failed, but the boys held a 12-7 lead with 4:53 in the third.

 The visitors' next drive was held to a 36-yard field goal to cut the Sandite lead to 12-10 barely into the fourth quarter. That's when things began to fall apart.

The Sandites returned the kickoff to their 35, then Dalton Morgan fumbled it away to Isaiah Johnson. The defense was able to prevent Booker T. from moving the ball, but for the second possession in a row, the Sandites' gave up another fumble on the first play. This time Greathouse was unable to haul in a high snap and the Hornets got the ball at the Sand Springs two-yard line. After a pair of five-yard penalties for twelve men on the field, the Hornets finally found the endzone on a ten-yard run from McQuarters to take the 17-12 advantage.

Both teams had short possessions from there, and Sand Springs got another crack at it with 5:18 left. Greathouse hit Bales for thirty yards, then found Scott for 18 to enter the redzone. The drive ran out of juice, however, and three incomplete passes and a tackle for loss gave Booker T. possession at their 10. 

The Sandites had one last shot with 1:07 left, but Greathouse was sacked, then called for intentional grounding. A third pass attempt fell incomplete and McQuarters picked off the fourth to end the game.

Greathouse finished the game 13-26-237-1 with one touchdown by air and one on the ground. Scott's streak of seven-straight games with hundred-plus-yard performances came to an end with 21 carries for 52 yards. Bales was the leading receiver with six receptions for 97 yards and a score. Delvin Jordan led the defense with eight unassisted tackles, including one for a loss of three yards. Nathan Simonton was next up with six unassisted and one assisted tackle for a loss of one yard. 

Despite the loss, the Sandites are still third in district standings with two games left in the regular season. They will return to action next Friday at No. 13 Bartlesville (4-4, 3-2), who just lost 63-14 to No. 3 Bixby (5-3, 3-1). Booker T. will host Bixby next week. 

Sandite of the Week: Hunter Greathouse leads Sandites to victory over Muskogee

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By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

Charles Page High School quarterback Hunter Greathouse has been selected as this week's Sandite of the Week for his outstanding performance in last week's district win over the previously undefeated No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (6-1, 3-1).

The No. 4 Sandites (5-2, 3-0) traveled to the Muscogee Indian Bowl last Thursday and outscored the host team 20-8 in the fourth quarter for a spectacular come-from-behind victory that Greathouse was a crucial component in.

Muskogee took an early 7-0 lead before the 6'3" 180 pound senior got on the field, but he quickly went to work, completing 3 of 7 passes for 39 yards to drive to the Rougher redzone before a fourth and nine pass fell incomplete giving Muskogee the ball shortly before the end of the first quarter.

After Muskogee added another touchdown the Sandites regained possession midway through the second quarter. Greathouse picked up seven yards on a pass to Kasey Bales, then picked up four more on an run. From there he sent an 11 yard pass to Caleb Wash. That drive mustered out like the first, but they got another try after a short four-play Rougher possession gave them the ball with 1:09 left in the half.

In exactly 60 seconds, the Sandites drove 88 yards to draw blood. Greathouse was two of five passing, picking up 16 yards for a first down, then sending a 43 yard touchdown pass to Wash.

After Muskogee started the second half with a field goal, Sand Springs took possession with 2:55 in the third and used the rest of the quarter to drive 67 yards to the two-yard line. Greathouse completed three of three passes for 33 yards plus a two yard run, setting up Payton Scott for the score on the opening play of the fourth quarter.

The Sandite defense held Muskogee to a three-play possession and Greathouse got the ball back with 10:37 to play, trailing 17-12. The first Sandite possession failed, but the defense saved the day with a forced fumble and recovery, and this time the visitors got the go-ahead score. 

Greathouse picked up a first down on a four-yard sneak, then capped off the drive with a seven-yard pass to Wash to take the lead 18-17 after a failed two-point conversion with 3:35 left.

The home team didn't go down without a fight and quickly marched 77 yard in 8 plays to regain the advantage. A two-point conversion made the score 25-18 with only 0:47 to play.

Greathouse sent a 25 yard pass to Scott to start off the possession, then sent an 18 yard pass to Mack Thompson. After his first pass attempt from the 18 yard line failed, he connected on his second attempt and found Bales for the score.

Trailing 25-24 with 0:06 to play, the Sandites had to choose between kicking their first PAT attempt of the game and playing for overtime, or attempting a two-point conversion for the fourth time after the first three failed. 

They went for two, and the play quickly fell apart after Greathouse tried to send a pass to Bales in the endzone, but was broken up by 6'6" lineman Keondre Davis. The pass traveled high enough into the air that it took a full two seconds to come back down, and Greathouse was ready for it. He hauled it in at the 11 yard line and ran it out of harms way, dodging a tackle, and ran an arc back to the 25.

As he was working his way forward, he had three defenders closing in on him at the 14. He had a pair of receivers open downfield, but was clear-headed enough to know he couldn't attempt a second forward pass. He made the heads up play to pitch a lateral to Josh Taber, who ran it in for the score, and the rest is history. 

Greathouse finished 16 of 32 for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns for the evening and accounted for more than 60% of the team's offense. It was his highest single-game passing yardage of his career and tied the most passing touchdowns of his career. 

This is his third time being name Sandite of the Week. He was recognized in November of 2015 for a 7-14-171-0 passing record with 3 touchdowns to defeat Booker T. Washington in the playoff semifinals. He was recognized again in March of this year for an outstanding batting performance and pitching record at the Best of the West baseball tournament. 

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Sandite of the Week is a weekly recognition given to any one person with significant ties to the Sand Springs community who accomplishes remarkable achievements during the Sunday through Saturday week preceding the award. Prior achievements may be noted in the article, but do not bear direct influence on the selection committee which only considers prior week accomplishments. Candidates may be nominated by anyone by emailing SanditePrideNews@gmail.com. The award is not given to anyone in consecutive weeks, but any recipient may be nominated and awarded again in the future, so long as the weeks are not consecutive. Final selection is made by a majority vote of the Sandite Pride Editorial Board.

Businesses or organizations seeking to sponsor the Sandite of the Week award may contact the above email for inquiries.

No. 4 Booker T Washington at No. 1 Sand Springs: game preview

Photo: Morgan Miller

Sand Springs vs. Booker T History
Year, Coach, QB, result

1986 LD Baines, Blair Culley, 21-42 loss (A)
1987 LD Baines, Blair Culley, 15-12 win (H)
1988 LD Baines, Blair Culley, 14-28 loss (A)
1989 LD Baines, Brett Pennington, 0-35 loss (H)
1990 LD Baines, Brett Pennington, 17-31 loss (A)
1991 LD Baines, Brett Pennington, 15-14 win (H)
1992 LD Baines, Mike Quimby, 7-48 loss (H)
1993 LD Baines, Delvin Jordan, 14-21 loss (A)

2012 Dustin Kinard, Cody Hale, 21-7 win (A)
2013 Dustin Kinard, Cody Hale, 42-38 win (H)
2014 Dustin Kinard, Conner Sitton, 35-42 loss (H)
2015 Dustin Kinard, Hunter Greathouse, 14-17 loss (A)
2015 Dustin Kinard, Hunter Greathouse, 30-23 win (N)

Overall record: 5-8-0

Longest Streak: BTW 3
Longest Streak: CPHS 2

Shutouts: BTW 1
Shutouts: CPHS 0

Road wins: BTW 3
Road wins: CPHS 1

Biggest win: BTW 48-7
Biggest win: CPHS 21-7

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

By now just about everyone has heard of "The Play 2pt.0." The famous two-point conversion scramble utilized by Hunter Greathouse and Josh Taber to win a 26-25 upset at the Indian Bowl over previously undefeated No. 1 Muskogee. The ESPN SportsCenter Number One Play of the Day has seen national attention and received more than 13,000 views on the Sandite Pride Facebook page.

The play was very similar to a touchdown score by the Sandites in last year's State Championship loss to Bixby. That year Taber's big brother Jacob picked off a Tanner Griffin pass and pitched a lateral to Cruz Desjarlais for the score. This year it was Greathouse who received his own pass after it was batted fifteen feet up into the air. The QB scrambled and dropped back to his right to look for an option, then made the pitch to Taber as he was closed in on by a trio of Rougher defenders. Taber broke a pair of tackles and dove for the endzone like an arctic fox for the win.

While the end play received the headlines, the whole game, and the fourth quarter in particular, were marked by incredible Sandite athleticism and numerous outstanding plays. 

Greathouse was 16 of 32 for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns with only 1 interception, marking the first time this season the Sandites have relied on the pass game for more than 60% of their total offense. That's not to say the infamous Sandite run game wasn't still prevalent as junior Payton Scott finished his seventh straight game with 100+ yards. 

While the offense was salty as always and ultimately won the game with their quick thinking and adaptive play-making, it was made possible due to what was possibly the most exceptional performance of the season by the defense. The Sandites were coming off a high from the previous week when the defense scored the first two Sandite touchdowns of the game against Ponca City, both on forced fumbles and recoveries for big returns. They also had two interceptions.

The Sand Springs defense has been notorious on the ground for some time, but struggled both last season and this year when it comes to aerial assaults. Last year they were able to shut down the run game from both Bixby and Booker T, but were dominated by Bartlesville's air raid. That struggle carried over into this year as they gave up an upset to Choctaw and allowed Ponca to rack up more yardage and points than the Wildcats have managed all season. 

When the Sandites lost co-defensive coordinator Robert Borgstadt to Sapulpa and graduated the majority of their State Runner-Up starters, the future of the Sand Springs defense was in question. It didn't take long for the team to prove they still had what it takes, however. The unit has been steadily improving all season and made a huge statement against Muskogee.

Booker T. also graduated a lot of players from last year's team that split with the Sandites. Starting QB Dakaria Willis graduated, but newcomer Philip Wheatley has been an improvement in the air, throwing 122-202-1222-3 with eight touchdowns this season. The Hornet aerial game will be a huge obstacle for the Sandites as Wheatley has already completed as many passes this season as Willis even attempted. 

The Hornets are a whole different beast from last season when they ran 44% of their offense through now-Oklahoma State freshman running back Justice Hill. Last season a mere 27% of Booker T's yards came through the air, as opposed to 52% this season. Wheatley isn't quite the double threat that Willis was, but he still is third in his team on the ground with 26 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. Rylan McQuarters and Tyler Holmes split the bulk of the running with over 700 yards between them and five touchdowns each. Six running backs have scored this season as well as six receivers, meaning the Sandites won't be able to focus their coverage on any single player.

Booker T's defense is equally stout, bringing in seven interceptions for two touchdowns this season, plus six fumble recoveries. They've also racked up 29 sacks this season. 

Here's how the two teams matched up against their three mutual opponents.

No. 1 Sandites (5-2, 3-0)

defeated Sapulpa 35-7
defeated Ponca 56-35
defeated Muskogee 26-25

Average score: 39-22
First downs: 18
First downs allowed: 15
Fumbles-lost: 2-1 (total)
Fumble recoveries: 3 (total)
Penalties-Yards: 4-29

C-A-Y-I: 11-20-157-1
Average: 7.85
Allowed: 17-26-181-1
Average: 6.96

Rushes-Yards: 39-233
Average: 5.97
Allowed: 32-148
Average: 4.63

Plays-Yards: 59-391
Average: 6.62
Allowed: 58-329
Average: 5.67

No. 4 Hornets (4-3, 2-1)

defeated Sapulpa 45-0
defeated Ponca 47-0
lost 24-7 to Muskogee

Average score: 34-8
First downs: 15
First downs allowed: 12
Fumbles-lost: 6-6
Fumble recoveries: 2
Penalties-Yards: 7-90

C-A-Y-I: 16-26-180-0
Average: 6.92
Allowed: 9-22-92-1
Average: 4.18

Rushes-Yards: 39-223
Average: 5.71
Allowed: 30-82
Average: 2.73

Plays-Yards: 65-403
Average: 6.2
Allowed: 52-174
Average: 3.31

The pick from Sandite Pride is Sand Springs 29-24. The Hornets will likely get a few interceptions, but the Sandites haven't given up a pick-six this season and I don't expect that to change. I would be surprised if the lead doesn't get exchanged a few times. Booker T. will likely find most of their offense in the air, and if they don't limit their turnovers they'll be hard pressed to overcome Sand Springs's phenomenal defense.

On paper, the Sandites have the better offense and the Hornets have the better defense, but in actual application we'll likely see it go the other way. The Hornets aren't as disciplined as the Sandites and will likely give up a lot of penalties and turnovers that the Sand Springs defense will more than capitalize on.

While Booker T. and Muskogee were nearly perfectly matched offensively, the Roughers had the decisive win thanks to turnovers. If both Sand Springs and Booker T. play the same way against each other that they did against Muskogee, Sand Springs will win. There is a lot of parity between the two, however, and when it comes down to the field anything can happen. If stats on a page won games, then Muskogee would have dominated the Sandites. Sand Springs has always had a fourth quarter magic, however. Sand Springs has the home field advantage, but the number one ranking often puts a monkey on your back. 

No matter who wins, it's likely to be every bit as exciting as last week's game against Muskogee, and it should be a packed house, especially with it being Senior Night. The Church That Matters tailgate crew will be hosting their weekly fundraiser for the athletics department before the game and will be selling hot dogs, burgers, and chicken sandwiches with chips and a drink, so come early and come hungry! 

Cheyenne Walden wins fourth Conference Championship, all Sandites perform well

Photo: Virgil Noah

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Varsity Girls 5K (4900)

17:31 Cheyenne Walden 1st Place
19:43 Alexis Davis 7th Place
20:16 Tiqvah Soap 13th Place
22:09 Sara Abbett 33rd Place
22:36 Elizabeth Watts 40th Place
24:58 Chezney Kelley 60th Place

Varsity Boys 5K (4900)

17:22 Kaegan Murray 25th Place
17:36 Jacob Garbey 32th Place
17:53 Aden Baughman 37th Place
17:54 Nelson Yazzie 38th Place
18:41 Ian Baustert 51st Place

JV Girls 5K (4900)

23:59 Kaitlyn Walden 32nd Place
24:03 Stephanie Genn 35th Place
25:12 Madison Englestead 51st Place
25:36 Nia Byrd 58th Place
28:29 Kaileeann Worthington 92nd Place
28:29 Lily Reed 93rd Place
29:59 Erindira Cuevas 107th Place
30:48 Ayden Meade 112th Place
31:02 Hope Pollard 114th Place

JV Boys 5K (4900)

18:05 Phillip Elleman 11th Place
18:18 Jaelyn Jackson 17th Place
18:31 Jacob Smith 25th Place
19:17 Danny Murray 51st Place
20:18 Nathan McKnight 95th Place
20:46 Charlie Everett 113th Place
21:07 Alex Newport 129th Place
22:14 Cody Pulscher 143rd Place
23:24 Russell McCaskey 156th Place

JH Girls 3K (2900)

10:49 Kalea Fleming 3rd Place
12:57 Julia Reshetov 40th Place
14:46 Kenzie Burkes 86th Place
15:11 Sidney Cross 95th Place
15:34 Kaitlyn Converse 103rd Place
16:26 Evelin Marino 116th Place

JV Boys 3K (2900)

12:37 KJ Clark 88th Place
12:39 Blain Baldridge 90th Place
13:13 Caleb James 104th Place

The Charles Page High School Cross Country teams traveled to Muskogee last week for the Frontier Valley Conference 5K at Bacone College. The course was about 100 meters short, but several Sandites' times would have been impressive even on a full 5K.

The Varsity Girls team took fourth place out of ten teams with an average time of 20:27. Cheyenne Walden led the pack with one of the best times of her career. Her PR for a 5K is 17:35.02, set at last year's Regionals. At this course she finished in 17:31 and beat the runner-up by 0:26. Alexis Davis placed top ten for the third time this season with a 19:43 finish for seventh place. Tiqvah Soap finished in thirteenth place with a time of 20:16. Her 5K PR is 20:27, set during her freshman year at Jenks.

Varsity Boys had a rough week with two runners out and finished in eighth place out of ten teams with an average time of 17:54. Freshman Kaegan Murray led his team with a 25th place finish in 17:22, likely a personal record. His previous best was 17:56, set two meets ago in Fayetteville. It's unlikely that 100 meters would have bumped him back 34 seconds. Senior Jacob Garbey finished with one of the best times in his career for 32nd place in 17:36. 

The JV Girls took fifth of eighth teams with an average of 25:28, led by freshman Kaitlyn Walden in 32nd place with a 23:59 personal best, and Stephanie Genn in 35th place with a time of 24:03. 

The JV Boys placed fifth of nine teams with an average time of 18:54, led by junior Phillip Elleman in 11th place with a time of 18:05, a personal best, followed by Jaelyn Jackson in 17th with a personal best of 18:18. 

Clyde Boyd Middle School Eighth Grade student Kalea Fleming led the Junior High Girls team on the 3K (2900) course with a time of 10:49, trailing first place by 0:20. The girls finished eighth of nine teams with an average time of 13:52. 

The Junior High Boys only had three runners and were unable to place. KJ Clark finished in 88th place with a time of 12:37, followed closely by Blain Baldridge in 90th with a time of 12:39. 

The Varsity runners have only two more races left and will have to overcome some adversity at this weekend's Regional Championship. Jacob Garbey will be absent from the race, and several Sandites are nursing mild injuries. 

Sand Springs will run at Mohawk Park in Tulsa against Bartlesville, Bixby, Booker T. Washington, Broken Arrow, Choctaw, Deer Creek, Enid, Jenks, Muskogee, Owasso, Ponca City, Putnam City, Sapulpa, Stillwater, and Union. The Girls race will begin at 12:00 p.m. followed by the Boys at 12:45 p.m.