CPHS Basketball: Holly Kersgieter scores 20 as Sandites top Bishop Kelley 64-43

Junior guard Holly Kersgieter recorded her first double-double of the season with twenty points and ten rebounds in a game against Bishop Kelley. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

After a slow start against Class 5A No. 17 ranked Bishop Kelley (0-1 overall, 0-1 conference) the 6A No. 3 Charles Page High School Lady Sandites (2-0, 1-0) surged ahead in the second quarter for the 64-43 win to kick off conference play. 

The visiting Comets jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead against the defending Frontier Valley Champions after a steal and layup by sophomore Meaghan Cyr and a pair of free throws by Macy Craig. Much of the first half was spent at the charity stripe as the two teams combined for thirty free throw attempts before halftime.

Jacie Taber scored four points for the Lady Sandites, the Comets jumped back out to an 11-5 lead, then the home team went on a ten-point run for the lead with four free throws from Kansas-commit Holly Kersgieter, a two-pointer from Madison Burris, and a three from Taber. Grace Ritchie hit a layup for the Comets shortly before the buzzer and narrowed the game to 15-13.

Cyr scored the first basket of the second quarter, but the home team scored eight in a row for their first big lead. Destiny Johnson scored six, Kimi Presnell had four, and the Sandites were up 32-18 before Craig scored on a steal to end the half.

The Sandites put the game in the bag by winning the third quarter 21-7 and pushed their lead as far as 58-28 in the fourth before sending in the backups and allowing the Comets to cut the gap to a final score of 64-43.

Twelve Sandites got to see action, eight made their way in the scorebook, and Kersgieter led all scorers with twenty points and ten rebounds. Presnell added thirteen points and Johnson scored twelve. Two Lady Comets scored double digits: Craig led with thirteen followed by Cyr with eleven.

Sand Springs will return to action when they travel to No. 19 Sapulpa next Tuesday for a Highway 97 Rivalry matchup. The Comets will host No. 7 Bartlesville Tuesday for the Bruins' season opener.

CPHS 64 BKHS 43

1Q CPHS 15-13
2Q CPHS 17-7
3Q CPHS 21-7
4Q BKHS 16-11

Free throws: CPHS 27-of-38, BKHS 15-of-26.
Field Goals: CPHS 16-of-35, BKHS 14-of-47.
Offensive Rebounds: BKHS 10, CPHS 7.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 24, BKHS 17.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 31, BKHS 27.
Steals: CPHS 10, BKHS 9.
Blocks: CPHS 2.
Fouls: CPHS 19, BKHS 23.

(Sand Springs Individual Stats)
Scoring: Kersgieter 20, Presnell 13, Johnson 12, Taber 5, Burris 5, Berge 3, Regalado 5, Harris 1. 
Offensive Rebounds: Kersgieter 3, Taber 3, Johnson 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Kersgieter 7, Regalado 5, Johnson 2, Taber 2, Presnell 2, Webster 2, Harris 1, Solis 1, Berge 1, Burris 1.
Steals: Kersgieter 3, Regalado 3, Presnell 2, Taber 1, Johnson 1.
Assists: Kersgieter 2, Taber 1, Johnson 1.
Blocks: Regalado 1, Mong 1.
Fouls: Taber 4, Johnson 3, Kersgieter 3, Presnell 3, Regalado 2, Berge 2, Mong 1, Webster 1.

(Bishop Kelley Stats)
Scoring: Craig 13, Cyr 11, Davie 6, West 3, Ritchie 3, Poleman 3, Leslie 2, #21 1, Niver 1. 
Fouls: West 4, Ritchie 4, Craig 3, Poleman 3, Niver 2, Cyr 2, #21 2, Davie 2, Flusche 1.

Frontier Valley Standings

1. Sand Springs (1-0)
2. Owasso (0-0)
2. Bartlesville (0-0)
2. Broken Arrow (0-0)
2. Sapulpa (0-0)
2. Union (0-0)
2. Jenks (0-0)
2. Muskogee (0-0)
2. Bixby (0-0
10. Bishop Kelley (0-1)

CPHS Girls' Basketball Preview: No. 3 Sandites host No. 9 Ponca City Tuesday

Charles Page High School junior Holly Kersgieter is one of the highest-recruited players in the state with Division One offers from more than half a dozen schools. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

The Charles Page High School varsity basketball season will kick off this Tuesday at the Ed Dubie Field House as the Sandites host the Ponca City Wildcats in a non-conference matchup.

The Lady Sandites enter the year ranked third in 6A after a 24-2 season, Frontier Valley Championship, and State Semifinal appearance. They handily defeated No. 13 Mustang 42-24 in the quarterfinals before falling 64-54 to No. 4 Deer Creek. 

No. 9 Ponca City is coming off a 16-8 season, Regional Championship, and State Tournament appearance. They were defeated 58-43 by No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe in the quarterfinals. They are also the only team in 6A without a conference. 

Sand Springs lost their top scorer in Oklahoma State University freshman softball standout Sydney Pennington, who averaged 10.8 points per game. They also lose Kansas State University volleyball-commit Gloria Mutiri who will be graduating early, and Redlands Community College freshman Kierra McGee. Mutiri averaged 10 points per game and McGee had 8.7. Mutiri and Pennington led the team in rebounds and Mutiri led in blocks. 

The deep Sandite bench retains Destiny Johnson and University of Kansas commit Holly Kersgieter who averaged 10.2 points apiece. Johnson has received offers from Pittsburg State University, the University of Central Oklahoma, the University of Tulsa, and the University of Texas at El Paso. 

Kersgieter and Johnson will be joined by Kimi Presnell, Jacie Taber, and Isabella Regalado as the projected starters for Tuesday's game.

Taber, a University of Northern Iowa softball-commit, averaged two points per game last year and scored a career-high seven points on four occasions. Presnell didn't see any varsity action last year, but scored 21 points her freshman year. She led the Sandite Fast Pitch Softball team this fall in batting. 

Bella Regalado started six times last year, but was always first off the bench and saw nearly as many game minutes as the regular starters. She averaged 6.8 points per game and scored a career-high eighteen against Bishop Kelley. 

The biggest weakness for the Lady Sandites, according to Head Coach Dustin Morrow, is height with the tallest player a mere 5'10". Team strengths include overall athleticism with several division-one talents. 

The team doesn't have a single senior and Morrow will be looking to his eight juniors to step up and be leaders. "Madison Burris (sophomore) and Bree Berge (freshman) will make a big difference off the bench," says Morrow. "Madison has a high basketball IQ and is long and athletic. She's a monster on the boards. Bree can really handle the ball and knows how to play. She lives in the gym." 

Last season's success has left high hopes behind and Morrow doesn't shy from setting his expectations high. "Our goals are to win the conference, host a regional, and compete for the State Championship."

The girls' first conference game will be Friday when they host 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley. They will play the first installment of the Highway 97 Rivalry series next Tuesday at No. 18 Sapulpa.

2017-2018 Week 1 Girls Rankings

1. Putnam City West (8)
2. Choctaw (7)
3. Owasso (3)
4. Sand Springs (1)
5. Deer Creek (1)
6. Edmond Santa Fe (3)
7. Bartlesville (2)
8. Westmoore 
9. Ponca City
10. Edmond North
11. Edmond Memorial
12. Norman North
13. Midwest City
14. Mustang
15. Moore
16. Shawnee
17. Broken Arrow
18. Sapulpa
19. Norman
20. Yukon

()*First Place Votes

Girls 2016-2017 FVC Standings
1. Sand Springs (13-1)
2. Owasso (11-3)
3. Bartlesville (10-3)
4. Broken Arrow (8-6)
5. Union (8-6)
6. Sapulpa (6-7)
7. Jenks (5-9)
8. Muskogee (4-10)
9. Bishop Kelley (2-12)
10. Bixby (2-12)

CPHS Boys' Basketball Preview: No. 12 Sandites host Ponca City Tuesday

Colt Savage goes for a big jump shot in a game against Wichita. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

The Charles Page High School varsity basketball season will kick off this Tuesday at the Ed Dubie Field House as the Sandites host the Ponca City Wildcats in a non-conference matchup.

The varsity boys enter the season with the No. 12 ranking in Class 6A. The Sandites went 12-14 last season and finished seventh in the Frontier Valley Conference. They upset No. 9 Yukon 66-59 in the Regional playoffs but fell 85-73 to No. 12 Sapulpa in the Area Tournament.

Unranked Ponca City is the lone school in 6A without a conference. They went 3-18 and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs after a 79-23 beatdown by No. 1 Union. 

The Sandites lost a quarter of their scoring power in University of Central Oklahoma freshman Kyle Keener who averaged 16.6 points-per-game. They return the top-scoring player in the entire conference in senior Colt Savage who averaged 22.6. 

Sand Springs is currently in a bright spot for the program, going 38-36 over the past three seasons and 46-54 under fifth-year head coach Eric Savage. The Sandites went 3-40 in conference play, finishing dead last for three-straight years before Savage moved up from the 5A circuit. During his time at Tulsa Memorial he led the Chargers to three State Championships, and in 2015-2016 he led the Sandites to their first winning record since 2000. 

Colt and Cale Savage, Matthew Price, Cole Durkee, and Davon Richardson are expected to start the game against Ponca City.

• Colt started 25 games last season and led his team in scoring on nineteen occasions with a personal-best 34 points against Bixby.
• Cale started 24 games and tied his personal best of eleven points on three separate occasions.
• Price was a mid-season transfer, starting once and seeing action in fourteen games. He scored a season-best nine points against Bishop Kelley.
• Durkee started fifteen games and scored a season-best eight points against Broken Arrow. 
• Richardson transferred from Tulsa Central where he was a 4A State Tournament Semifinalist. He made headlines last December when he came off the bench in the second half to score twenty points and upset 5A No. 4 East Central. 

"We have five players on the floor who are very well rounded, that can all handle and shoot" says Coach Savage. "We will need to develop some depth as the year progresses. Only two seniors on the team and two returning starters, we are a young team." 

Colt Savage, who has received offers from the University of Central Oklahoma, Rogers State University, Cameron University, Oklahoma Baptist University, and Missouri Western State University, will be looked to for leadership as the team's only four-year starter and most experienced player. 

"Several young guys will be counted on to be difference makers," says Coach Savage. "Sophomores Davon Richardson and Josh Minney, freshmen Marlo Fox, Kendrick Williams, and Cason Savage could see significant minutes." 

The Sandites' first in-conference opponent will be 5A No. 9 Bishop Kelley this Friday at home. They will play the first installment of the Highway 97 Rivalry Series against No. 18 Sapulpa next Tuesday.

2017-2018 Week 1 Boys Rankings

1. Putnam City North (12)
2. Broken Arrow (3)
3. Edmond Santa Fe (1)
4. Midwest City
5. Westmoore
6. Union (1)
7. Edmond North (2)
8. Putnam City West (1)
9. Norman
10. Norman North
11. Edmond Memorial
12. Sand Springs
13. Stillwater (1)
14. Muskogee
15. Owasso
16. Putnam City
17. Shawnee
18. Sapulpa
19. Deer Creek 
20. Mustang

()*First Place Votes

Boys 2016-2017 FVC Standings
1. Union (14-0)
2. Broken Arrow (11-3)
3. Sapulpa (9-4)
4. Muskogee (9-5)
5. Owasso (7-7)
6. Bixby (6-8)
7. Sand Springs (5-9)
8. Bartlesville (4-9)
9. Bishop Kelley (3-11)
10. Jenks (1-13)

CPHS Basketball: Holly Kersgieter commits to University of Kansas Jayhawks

Holly Kersgieter enters the court prior to the 2016 Area Championship game. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

Charles Page High School junior basketball standout Holly Kersgieter has committed to play collegiate ball for the University of Kansas. 

Kersgieter was a starting player on the Lady Sandite Frontier Valley Conference Championship team that went 24-2 last season before being eliminated in the 6A State Semifinals. She was named the FVC Defensive Player of the Year and made the All-Conference Second Team.

Despite sharing the ball with three other Division One recruits, Kersgieter amassed 271 points on the season, or 10.42 per game. She was the second-highest scorer behind Oklahoma State University-bound softballer Sydney Pennington. She had the team-high in nine different games with a single-game best of 19 points. She was third in total rebounds, first in steals, second in blocks, and second in assists. She shot 81.25% at the charity stripe, 41.46% from outside the arc, and 50.29% on total field goals. 

The University of Kansas went 8-22 overall last season for last place in the Big 12 Conference. They are coached by Brandon Schneider who is 14-47 after three years heading the program. The Jayhawks play at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. 

Kersgieter received offers from:

• University of Texas at Arlington, Sun Belt Conference, 22-9 last season.
• Oklahoma State University, Big 12 Conference, 17-15 last season.
• Missouri State University, Missouri Valley Conference, 16-15 last season.
• Austin Peay State University, Ohio Valley Conference, 14-16 last season.
• Texas Tech University, Big 12 Conference, 14-17 last season.
• University of Missouri-Kansas City, Western Athletic Conference, 10-19 last season.
• University of Tulsa, American Athletic Conference, 10-21 last season.

Kersgieter also played volleyball last year and tallied 181 kills, 299 digs, and 35 aces over 104 sets, helping her team to a 24-14 record. She sat out the 2017 season to focus on basketball. 

Sand Springs Volleyball program seeing success from the ground up

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The Lady Sandite Junior Varsity Volleyball team took second place at the Victory Christian Tournament. (Courtesy Photo).

The volleyball culture is changing in Sand Springs. Not too long ago, the Sandites were playing 3A and 4A tournaments and hoping for a break-even season record. Now they're scheduling the toughest competitors in the State and focusing more on the post-season than anything. 

While the Charles Page High School varsity team currently holds a losing record at 7-11, they're ranked No. 12 in Class 6A and are posing a legitimate threat to everyone they encounter. Thus far this season they have managed to upset the defending State Champions, placed third at a tough Broken Arrow Tournament, and won sets against powerhouse opponents like No. 8 Union, No. 4 Stillwater, and No. 5 Victory Christian. 

Head Coach Janna Green is in her fourth year at the helm of the Sand Springs program, meaning the current group of seniors is the first class to go through the program completely under Green's guidance. Last season the Sandites went 25-14, but peaked at the No. 13 ranking and saw their season come to a close at No. 4 Edmond Santa Fe, who hasn't lost a home Regional in a quarter-century. Green was recognized as the Frontier Valley Conference Coach of the Year.

The Sandites have been improving every week, most recently sweeping No. 14 Owasso in straight-sets, and doing so without their number two scorer in sophomore Devree Youngblood. They have ten matches left to improve their ranking before the Regional pairings are released. At least three of those matches are against ranked opponents that could earn the Sandites some points in the standings.

A major part of their success is that the whole team is developing the skill sets needed to compete at the top level. While the Sandites are anchored offensively by Division One recruit Gloria Mutiri, they have proven that every player on the court knows how to do her job and do it well. 

Sixteen players have seen varsity action this season and twelve have recorded kills. While the Sandites will graduate 69% of their scoring power this year, they'll retain their number-two hitter in Youngblood, their number-one setter in sophomore Madison Burris, and a whole mess of younger talent. 

Sophomores Gillian Wicker, Raylynn Mong, and Vanessa Wyrick have all seen varsity action this year. Cloe Campfield has proven herself as one of the most energetic players on the team. One freshman has even gotten in on the action in Madison Blaylock. A dozen other high-school athletes are seeing time on the JV and freshman teams, working hard to develop their potential and carry on the tradition in the years to come. 

The JV squad recently took on the B-teams from other top-level schools and placed second at the Victory Christian Tournament last week. The girls defeated the host school 2-1 with sets of 25-19, 15-17, and 15-11. They swept Catoosa (25-10, 25-19), topped Collinsville (25-16, 19-25, 15-12), then beat out Skiatook (12-25, 25-14, 15-11) in the semifinals before falling 17-25 and 19-25 to Lincoln Christian in the Championship round. The varsity programs from Victory Christian, Catoosa, Skiatook, and Lincoln Christian are all ranked top-ten in their classes.

While Sand Springs will no doubt miss the likes Mutiri, Madison and Makenzie Ward, libero Kylie Taylor, outside hitters Makenna Cypert and Kenzie Bradshaw, among others next year, the program will be more than capable of moving forward in their new tradition of competitiveness. 

With a dozen players seeing action on any given night, successful underclassman programs, a growing number of club athletes, and the dedicated coaching of Green, Alyssa Bargas, Brannon Scott, Lindsey Schwager, and Abby Harp, the Lady Sandite volleyball program is in good shape for years to come.

Varsity Mid-Season Stats

Sets Played
62 Madison Burris
62 Gloria Mutiri
61 Madison Ward
59 Chelsea Neely
58 Makenzie Ward
58 Kylie Taylor
52 Cloe Campfield
50 Makenna Cypert
47 Devree Youngblood
38 Kendall Wise
35 Kenzie Bradshaw
30 Kailie Johnson
25 Vanessa Wyrick
6 Raylynn Mong
3 Madison Blaylock
1 Gillian Wicker

Blocks
52 Gloria Mutiri
19 Chelsea Neely
7 Madison Burris
7 Makenna Cypert
7 Vanessa Wyrick
4 Devree Youngblood
2 Kailie Johnson
1 Kenzie Bradshaw
1 Cloe Campfield

Kills
282 Gloria Mutiri
94 Devree Youngblood
43 Madison Burris
28 Makenna Cypert
18 Kenzie Bradshaw
18 Cloe Campfield
16 Chelsea Neely
6 Vanessa Wyrick
4 Kailie Johnson
3 Kylie Taylor
2 Madison Ward
1 Kendall Wise

Digs
74 Kylie Taylor
59 Gloria Mutiri
51 Madison Ward
28 Madison Burris
21 Cloe Campfield
17 Makenzie Ward
9 Kendall Wise
5 Devree Youngblood
1 Makenna Cypert
1 Raylynn Mong

Assists
294 Madison Burris
96 Makenzie Ward
9 Kenzie Bradshaw
7 Gloria Mutiri
5 Raylynn Mong
4 Makenna Cypert
3 Cloe Campfield
3 Kailie Johnson
3 Kylie Taylor
2 Chelsea Neely
1 Madison Ward
1 Devree Youngblood

Aces
18 Gloria Mutiri
13 Cloe Campfield
13 Makenzie Ward
11 Madison Burris
10 Madison Ward
9 Kylie Taylor
8 Kendall Wise
8 Devree Youngblood
1 Makenna Cypert
1 Vanessa Wyrick

CPHS Volleyball: Lady Sandites sweep Booker T. Washington 3-0

While the halls of Charles Page High School may not be clamoring with students quite yet, school is officially in session for the varsity volleyball team. The Lady Sandites have been schooling their competition for the past week, sweeping Bartlesville (0-1) and Booker T. Washington (0-1) in straight sets to start the season 2-0.

CPHS 3 BTW 0
Set 1: CPHS 25-12
Set 2: CPHS 25-15
Set 3: CPHS 25-12

Kills: Mutiri 12, Campfield 3, Burris 1, Taylor 1, Wyrick 1.
Assists: Burris 8, MaKenzie Ward 8, Mong 1, Neely 1, Johnson 1.
Block Solo: Mutiri 1.
Block Assists: Burris 1, Mutiri 1.
Digs: MaKenzie Ward 4, Burris 3, Taylor 2, Madison Ward 2, Campfield 1, Mutiri 1, Mong 1.
Aces: Mutiri 2, Campfield 1, MaKenzie Ward 1, Madison Ward 1.

SEE RELATED: Lady Sandite Volleyball sweeps Bartlesville 3-0 in season opener

On Thursday the Sandites hosted their first match on the new Ed Dubie Field House floor and christened it by outscoring their opponents 75-39 over the three set match. 

The first set wasn't even close at 25-12. Cloe Campfield and Ohio State-commit Gloria Mutiri scored a pair of kills each, Mutiri added a pair of blocks, Vanessa Wyrick scored a kill, and Madison Ward served up an ace.

It took the Sandites a little while to find their rhythm in the second set, but once they did they were unstoppable. The game tied six times before Sand Springs took the lead once and for all. Mutiri scored a pair of kills with assists from Madison Burris, MaKenzie Ward served an ace, and Mutiri added another block to pull ahead to 16-12. The teams traded punches from there before Sand Springs won the last seven-straight rallies for the 25-15 victory.

In the third and final set the Sandites took a 13-1 lead before Cami Cole scored the first Hornet kill. Washington went on a five-point run from there with a pair of Sandite errors and a pair of aces from Laydyn Turner, but ultimately Sand Springs pulled ahead once again and secured another 25-12 victory capped by a kill from Cloe Campfield.

The Lady Sandites will travel to Union (1-0) next Monday at 6:00 p.m. in a Frontier Valley Conference match-up. Last year the Sandites came out on top of a competitive 3-2 victory with four of the five sets being decided by four points or less. Union started the season Tuesday with a 3-0 victory against Broken Arrow (0-1), defeating the Tigers 25-11, 25-23, and 25-11.