OSSAA Soccer: Sandites finish as District Runners-Up, will host Enid in playoffs

Not only is the Charles Page High School boys’ soccer team headed to the playoffs for the first time in recent memory, they also get to host their first round game after finishing as the District 6A-4 Runners-Up.

The Sandites (12-2) concluded the regular season last week with a 4-2 road win against Capitol Hill, putting them at a 5-2 district record. Also 5-2 is Owasso, who the Sandites defeated 5-4 last Tuesday for the tie-breaker win. Securing the district crown was the defending State Champions from Union (10-2, 7-0).

Sand Springs will host Enid (9-6) Tuesday, April 30th, at 7:00 p.m. The quarterfinals will be held Friday, May 3rd on the home field of the winner of Jenks vs. Norman. Semifinals are set for Tuesday, May 7th. The Championship round will be played either May 10th or 11th.

Sand Springs is having a historic season, winning their first nine matches and the Edison Green and White Tournament. They are 6-2 against 6A opponents, have won their last two matches, own four shutouts, and win by an average score of 3-1.

Enid is 7-4 against 6A foes and is coming off a win with an average score of 2-1. Neither team qualified for last year’s playoffs.

The Sandites previously beat the Plainsmen 2-1 in a non-district overtime shootout. Gustavo Saldana made a regulation penalty kick to tie the match and send it to overtime. Then Kaiden Cox, David Fancher, Fernando Saldana, and Gustavo Saldana all made PKs to win the shootout 4-3. Ethan Tippit got the win in the net with three saves.

Fernando Saldana, a sophomore, has been the bread and butter for the Sandite offense this season with fourteen goals. No Sandite but Saldana has scored a hat trick, and Saldana has two. He also has two braces and a four-point performance against Shawnee.

Sand Springs isn’t a one-hit wonder, however. Twelve players have scored and eleven have goals. Senior Gustavo Saldana and sophomore Jack Bratcher both have braces and are tied for second on the team in total scoring.

CPHS Season Stats

Goals
14 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
5 Gustavo Saldana
4 Luke Jeffus
1 Miguez Munoz
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Cameron Summerton
1 Kaleb Brooks

PKs
3 Fernando Saldana
3 David Fancher
2 Luke Jeffus
2 Gustavo Saldana
1 Kaiden Cox
1 Cameron Summerton

Total Scoring
17 Fernando Saldana
7 Jack Bratcher
7 Gustavo Saldana
6 Luke Jeffus
3 David Fancher
2 Kaiden Cox
2 Cameron Summerton
1 Miguel Munoz
1 Angel Esparza
1 Gustavo Franco
1 Dawson Quinton
1 Kaleb Brooks

First Round Pairings

Southmoore (7-7) at U.S. Grant (12-2).

• Grant went 6-1 for the District 1 title, with their only 6A loss coming 5-1 to Deer Creek. They win by an average score of 3-1, have recorded six shutouts and one mercy rule victory, and have won their last five matches. They are ranked 23rd in the nation by MaxPreps with wins over Putnam City, Westmoore, and Edmond North. Grant was eliminated in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

• Southmoore is 4-7 against 6A opponents and is riding a three-match losing streak. They win by an average score of 3-2, have five shutouts this season with one mercy rule win. Southmoore did not qualify for the post season last year.

Deer Creek (10-3-1) at Mustang (12-3).

• Mustang is ranked 23rd in the country by USA Today, and holds an 8-3 record against 6A opponents. They win by an average score of 4-1, have seven shutouts, one mercy-rule win, and are coming off a loss in the de facto district title game. They have wins over Southmoore and Putnam City.

• Deer Creek is 8-3-1 against 6A opponents with three shutouts, and is on a three-game win streak. They win by an average score of 3-2 and have victories over Southmoore, U.S. Grant, and Edmond North.

• The Broncos previously defeated Deer Creek 3-1 in the second game of the season. Last year Deer Creek upset Mustang 5-1 in the first round of the playoffs.

Bixby (8-7) at Union (10-2).

• Union went undefeated in District 4 and their only in-state loss was 2-1 to Jenks in the season opener. They win by an average score of 3-1, have six shutouts, and are on a four-match win streak. The defending State Champions are ranked 14th in the nation by MaxPreps and have wins over Broken Arrow, Norman North, Norman, Owasso, and Sand Springs.

• Bixby is 5-5 in 6A action, with an average score of 3-1. They’ve won five shutouts and are on a three-game win streak. Bixby did not qualify for last year’s playoffs.

Owasso (9-6) at Broken Arrow (9-3).

• Broken Arrow is 7-2 against 6A opponents with their only losses coming to Union and Jenks. They’ve won four shutouts, beat Enid and Bixby, and are on a five-match win streak with an average score of 3-1.

• Owasso is 6-5 against 6A foes and is coming off a win. They own five shutouts this season, winning by an average score of 3-1, and have victories against Bixby and Norman.

• Broken Arrow previously beat the Rams 2-0 in their third match of the season, and beat them 4-0 in last season’s first round playoff.

Norman (10-3-1) at Jenks (15-0-1).

• The Trojans are one of only two undefeated teams left in the state, ranked 3rd in the nation by USA Today and 9th by Max Preps. They have a division-best nine shutouts and two mercy-rule wins, an average score of 4-0, with wins over Union, Broken Arrow, Bixby, and Enid. They are the returning State Runners-Up.

• Norman is 9-3-1 against 6A opponents with six shutouts and wins over Southmoore, Norman North, Westmoore, and Sand Springs. They win by an average score of 3-1 are returning State qualifiers.

Enid (9-6) at Sand Springs (12-2).

Edmond North (9-5) at Norman North (10-5).

• Edmond North is 8-4 against 6A opponents and has several impressive showings in their resume. They have wins over Mustang and Westmoore and only lost by a single goal to both Grant and Deer Creek. They have five shutouts, are coming off a victory, and win by an average score of 3-2.

• Norman North is 9-3 against 6A foes, riding a three-match win streak with a 3-2 win over Mustang to clinch the District 2 title. They win by an average score of 3-2 and own four shutouts, with wins over Westmoore, Putnam, and Southmoore.

• Both teams are returning State Semifinalists, and Norman North beat the Huskies 3-2 in the third match of the season.

Putnam City (9-5) at Westmoore (9-6).

• Putnam is 7-4 against 6A opponents and coming off a win over Southmoore. They have six shutouts and one mercy-rule win, beating their foes by an average score of 3-1.

• Westmoore is 9-5 against 6A opponents and have won their past two matches. They have four shutouts, lead the division with four overtime wins, and have beaten Mustang, Southmoore, Deer Creek, and Owasso.

CPHS Soccer: Demi Deshazo golden goal downs Capitol Hill in overtime

The Charles Page High School girls soccer team (7-7, 2-5) traveled to Oklahoma City Thursday evening for their regular season finale and ended the year with a .500 record after a 1-0 overtime win against Capitol Hill (3-9, 0-7). The match almost didn’t happen.

The Sandite teams arrived more than thirty minutes late after mechanical difficulty caused them to have to switch buses. They made it through the National Anthem and the team introductions, and were immediately sent back to the locker rooms after a lightning strike in the immediate vicinity.

The girls were cleared to take the field despite another storm cell threatening in the distance. The teams agreed to play 35 minute halves instead of 40s and finally the first match began, 75 minutes late. Thankfully, the next round of weather never arrived.

The game went through 70 minutes of regulation without a score, despite a lopsided offensive effort from the visitors. Capitol Hill didn’t get a single quality shot on goal, while the Sandites spent the majority of the game downfield. Sand Springs sent four shots a hair wide, had three saved, and bounced one off the goalpost.

The first half was uneventful, with the only close shot coming two minutes in from Ari Esparza. The second half was a melee. Esparza and Elizabeth Horn both had shots saved, and the Red Wolf goalie won several foot races against Sandite forwards to scoop up threatening balls.

After a scoreless second period they went to a ten-minute sudden victory overtime, and junior Demi Deshazo scored her second goal of the season to secure the victory in the 72nd minute of the match.

The girls’ 7-7 record matched their tally from the prior year, but they improved from 1-6 to 2-5 in district action, and had far better performances in each game. Offensively they averaged 1.86 points per game, compared to 1.71 from the prior year. But defensively they only gave up 1.93 compared to 3.5 the year before. It was their first season under Head Coach Matthew Watkins.

The Lady Sandites will be in good shape next season as they return 89% of their scoring power. They will only graduate four players in Amrey Lee, Alisha Carlisle, Brynlee Slankard, and Elizabeth Watts.

District 6A-4 Standings
6-0 Owasso (13-1)
5-1 Sapulpa (12-2)
5-1 Norman (7-5)
4-3 Union (7-6)
3-4 Edmond Santa Fe (4-7)
2-5 Sand Springs (7-7)
1-5 Shawnee (3-8)
0-7 Capitol Hill (3-9)

District Schedule
4/19 Owasso @ Sapulpa.
4/19 Norman @ Shawnee.

CPHS Season Stats

Goals
6 Elizabeth Horn
4 Ari Esparza
3 Baylee Metcalfe
2 Karsen Lynch
2 Demi Deshazo
1 Elizabeth Watts
1 Jade Patton
1 Kasandra Burgess
1 Kaslynn Horton
1 Amrey Lee
1 Brynlee Slankard
1 Morgan Poletek

PKs
3 Elizabeth Horn
2 Karsen Lynch
2 Demi Deshazo
1 Elizabeth Watts
1 Josie Gelsthorpe
1 Ari Esparza
1 Kaslynn Horton
1 Alyssa Perry

Total Scoring
9 Elizabeth Horn
5 Ari Esparza
4 Karsen Lynch
4 Demi Deshazo
3 Baylee Metcalfe
2 Elizabeth Watts
2 Kaslynn Horton
1 Josie Gelsthorpe
1 Jade Patton
1 Kasandra Burgess
1 Amrey Lee
1 Brynlee Slankard
1 Morgan Poletek
1 Alyssa Perry

Jacie Taber commits to Missouri State University for softball

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This story was originally written for Vype.

Charles Page High School senior standout Jacie Taber is headed to Missouri State next summer, and hopefully to the 6A State Tournament this fall. 

Previously committed to the University of Northern Iowa, Taber decided to stay close to home and recently announced her decision to attend Missouri State University instead. 

“From the moment I went on my visit to Missouri State I fell in love with it,” says Taber. “The coaches are amazing. I knew that if I went there I would 100% succeed. Not only as a softball player but in the classroom, they do all they can to make school the biggest priority.”

Missouri State is coming off a 32-20 season with a 17-8 second place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference standings. The Bears are coached by Holly Hesse in her thirtieth season at the helm with a 749-747-2 record, five MVC regular season titles, five MVC tournament titles, and five NCAA Tournament appearances. 

“It’s such a family environment and there’s so much love shown between the coaches and the players. The emphasis they continue to put on your future and succeeding in life is so helpful. Going on my visit there felt like home and I realized that is where I want to be.”

Before she heads to Springfield, she has unfinished business in Oklahoma City. The Lady Sandites have won three-straight Regional Championships, making it to the quarterfinals the last two seasons and the finals in 2015. 

Taber finished the 2017 season with a .368 batting average, .471 slugging average, and .385 slugging average, and led her team with 32 RBI. On the mound she amassed a 2.04 ERA and 1.35 WHIP, throwing 64% strikes for a 16-3 record. She is currently .476 after 21 at-bats this season and holds a career pitching record of 30-10.

In addition to Northern Iowa and Missouri State, Taber also received offers from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Butler Community College, Oklahoma Christian University, and the University of Southern Arkansas. 

Taber has interests in psychology and social work, but hasn’t yet decided on a major. For now, her main focus is finishing high school strong, both academically and on the diamond. 

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

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

The 6A-II rankings just got a whole lot weirder as District One continues to duke it out with no clear top-dog, save for Putnam City West. With the exception of the Patriots, every team in District One has a loss to someone they shouldn't have, causing a big confusing circle. Even District Two isn't immune to the mess. 

In week two, the Sand Springs Sandites were defeated by Choctaw, and that's their only in-state loss to date. In week three, the Sandites defeated Putnam City West, and that's the Patriots' only loss to date. While the Patriots are the only team out West without a district loss, Choctaw has sustained a pair of district losses to Putnam City and Enid. This Friday Choctaw upset Midwest City, who was previously undefeated in the district with wins over Lawton and Deer Creek. Lawton has wins over both Putnam City and Stillwater. Oh, what a tangled web they weave.

With every team out there having some claim over each other, there's bound to be some disagreement with the rankings, but nevertheless we shall try to make some sense out of it all.

No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (Last week No. 1) vs No. 4 Sand Springs Sandites (5)

It's the marquee matchup for the whole division as the only two undefeated teams in District Two go head-to-head. The Muskogee Roughers (6-0, 3-0) are a powerhouse team once again behind four-time State Championship winning coach Rafe Watkins, formerly of Guthrie. 

Muskogee and Sand Springs (3-2, 2-0) are fairly matched in the air, with both Hunter Greathouse and Jacob Medrano completing just over 50% of passes for right at 1,000 yards this season. Both teams employ a mess of solid multi-purpose players who can easily adapt to either the run or pass game as needed. Muskogee's stars include University of Tennessee commit Kamren Curl.

Sand Springs will need to rely heavily on their defense, who scored two touchdowns in their 56-35 win over Ponca City, to put up stops and force turnovers against the explosive Rougher offense. Muskogee has their own powerful defense though, with nine interceptions this season. They forced five turnovers against Booker T Washington Friday night. The two teams were perfectly matched on offense, but four fumbles and an interception paved the way for a 23-7 victory for Muskogee. 

The pick: Muskogee 45, Sand Springs 31.

No. 2 Bixby Spartans (3) vs No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (14)

The two-time defending State Champions (3-3, 1-1) had a rough start to district play, falling 45-42 to Muskogee, but got in the win column Friday in a 62-17 beat down against Sapulpa. The Spartans ran up 646 yards while holding the Chieftains to just over 200, and never once punted. QB Tanner Griffin is sitting around 1500 yards passing this season with 20 touchdowns by air. The Spartans also have a talented running back in Tucker Pawley who is just under 1000 yards this season. They also have a talented defense highlighted by Oklahoma State commit Brendon Evers. 

The Ponca City Wildcats (1-5, 0-3) proved Friday that they can hang with some of the best defenses in the State, passing for over 300 yards against the Sandites. They also struggled with turnovers, however, giving up two fumble returns for touchdowns and threw two interceptions. 

The pick: Bixby 66, Ponca 12.

No. 3 Booker T Washington Hornets (2) 

The powerful Booker T (4-3, 2-1) offense was stymied by Muskogee Friday night, and scored only once despite racking up nearly 300 yards of offense. They were plagued by penalties amounting to more than 100 yards. That, coupled with four fumbles and an interception were insurmountable. The Hornets will have a bye week before returning to action against Sand Springs.

No. 5 Putnam City West Patriots (7) vs No. 6 Midwest City Bombers (4)

This matchup would have been a lot bigger if the Bombers (3-3, 2-1) hadn't given up an upset to Choctaw last Friday, but regardless of district standings the two teams should still put on a quality show. The two teams boast the top two defensive squads in the district with each allowing less than 15 points per game. 

The Patriots (5-1, 3-0) are coming off a huge 42-10 rivalry win over Putnam City while Midwest City just dropped their first district game of the season to Choctaw. Putnam West has suffered only one loss this season, 29-24 to Sand Springs, and splits their offense pretty evenly between air and land. They hold one division one commit in Memphis-bound WR Nick Robinson. Midwest City has some impressive talent of their own in 6'2" safety Evan Fields, who's fielding offers from numerous Division One programs including several Big 12 schools. 

Midwest City's defense held tight against Choctaw, giving up only 14 points to a team that averaged 36 points per game going into the match. Unfortunately for the Bombers, they were plagued by penalties, miscues, and offensive inconsistency. They made three trips into the red zone and racked up 272 yards of offense while holding Choctaw to only 141, despite the loss. 

The pick: No consensus. Scott picks Midwest City 24-21, Virgil picks Putnam West 24-21.

No. 7 Lawton Wolverines (6) vs No. 8 Enid Plainsmen (10)

These two teams hold the same record both in and out of district, and their strength of schedule is still hard to determine. Enid's offense is coming in a lot hotter than in recent years, averaging 28 points per game.

Lawton (3-3, 2-1) isn't executing as well as they have in recent years, but they still boast some high powered athletes in QB Zach Hanna and RB Tre Curry. Friday saw the Wolverines gain the upper hand on Stillwater 21-14 in a low performance game that saw only 95 yards by air. The ground game was dominant for both teams and Curry racked up 121 yards on 13 carries.

Enid (3-3, 2-1) started off the season with a 22-19 loss to a Guthrie team that has long since ceased to be ranked. A 42-31 victory over Ponca City and a pair of losses after that pushed Enid towards the bottom of the rankings, but the Plainsmen have found their mojo for two straight district wins to prove they're not out playoff contention yet. After going down 35-10 to Putnam West, Enid got the edge on Choctaw in a 43-39 shootout and scored a major victory this week in a dominating 45-17 beat down of Deer Creek. The Plainmen picked off three passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown, presenting just the kind of defense that could give Lawton fits. 

The pick: Lawton 27, Enid 21.

No. 9 Putnam City Pirates (8) vs No. 11 Deer Creek Antlers (9)

A crucial match for both teams, Putnam (3-3, 1-2) started off the season with a series of big wins before giving up two straight to Lawton and Putnam West. Deer Creek (1-5, 1-2) started the season with a tough pre-conference schedule including three-straight losses to high-ranked 6A-I teams. They were expected to be a big contender for the district, but after a close 21-14 win over Stillwater they were blown out 35-0 by Midwest City and 45-17 by Enid. Both teams need a win this week to stay alive in playoff contention.

Putnam has struggled through the air this season, racking up over 1,000 yards but at a 38% completion rate. The defense has been effective, however, averaging 3 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery per game.

The Antlers employ a solid QB in Hunter Freese, who sits at 51% passing for over 1,200 yards. The run game is nearly nonexistent with the whole team accounting for less than 500 yards.  

The pick: Putnam West 23, Deer Creek 17.

No. 10 Choctaw Yellowjackets (11) vs No. 12 Stillwater Pioneers (12)

Stillwater (2-4, 0-3) has lost four games this season, all by a touchdown or less, and they have two quality wins over 6A-I talent. While the playoffs are looking more and more unlikely for the team, they're not out of reach yet. Clearly the Pioneers have talent, especially in RB Josiah Castleberry who holds over 700 yards this season on 7 yards per carry. But they have struggled in the air, doing the quarterback shuffle after their starting senior missed the first half of the season. 

Choctaw (3-3, 1-2) has been hit or miss all season, relying on a powerful air raid offense that has rarely been stymied. After netting a pair of close shootout wins over Sapulpa and Sand Springs to start the season, they lost three-straight, all by a touchdown or less, to Putnam City, Putnam North, and Enid, before getting in the win column with a 14-7 upset of Midwest City. QB Dylan Weaver is right at 50% for nearly 1400 yards this season, but was held to under 100 for the first time against Midwest City. The run game has always been a factor with Choctaw, but they really proved how good it could be when they took on Enid and ran up 321 yards on 38 carries. 

The pick: Choctaw 42, Stillwater 21.

No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13) vs No. 15 Sapulpa (15) 

This is a bigger game for Bartlesville (2-3, 1-1) than it is for Sapulpa (0-6, 0-3). While the Chieftains are technically still in playoff contention, they only have three district games left and don't stand much chance against undefeated Muskogee. Bartlesville, on the other hand, has the kind of aerial offense that could present an upset over Sand Springs. But first they need to get past Sapulpa. 

The Chieftains have a double-threat quarterback in Cameron Elder who is throwing 63% this season for right at 1,000 yards and also leads his team on the ground. They have six losses this season and only two could be described as close.

Bartlesville won a close one in their season opener then dropped three straight before getting back in the win column with a powerful 42-20 win over Ponca City two weeks ago. The Bruins are coming off a bye week and look to AJ Archambo, Garrett Meidl, and Deandre Young to lead them to victory.

The pick: Bartlesville 38, Sapulpa 17. 

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

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

No. 1 Bixby Spartans (Last week No. 1) vs. 6A No. 4 Westmoore Jaguars

The 6A-II back-to-back defending State Champions (1-2) bit off the second-toughest pre-conference schedule in the division and paid the price, starting with an 0-2 record. They also reaped the reward of experience and dolled out that experience on the Putnam City Pirates (2-1) Friday night. The Pirates stood little chance and what few scores they managed were the result of opportunistic slips in the Spartan defense. The whole of their offense was ineffective against the Spartans and the Bixby tide rolled to a 56-20 victory. Bixby held Putnam to a mere six first-downs and 187 yards against twenty-nine first downs and 473 yards of total offense. QB Tanner Griffin connected on 31 of 44 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns and the run game was alive and well with Tucker Pawley who needed only two quarters to run 28 times for 167 yards and four touchdowns.

Westmoore (3-0) received a nice bump in the 6A-I rankings after upsetting in-town rival No. 3 Southmoore 34-28 in overtime in week two for their second ranked win after beating rival No. 10 Moore (2-1) 51-41 in week one. This past Friday they handled unranked Edmond North (0-3) 21-7. Their offense was slow and only scored one touchdown with five drives ending on downs. The defense saved the game with a pick six and a forced fumble, and the third touchdown came on a punt return.

The Pick: Bixby 38, Westmoore 34

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No. 2 Booker T. Washington Hornets (2) vs No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (15)

Booker T Washington (2-2) has had two close ones and two blow outs this season. They lost a close one to 6A-I No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (2-1) when the Wolves were still ranked No. 3, and followed it up with a close 21-14 win over Midwest City (1-2) in week two. The next week they played the number two team in the country and it might as well have been a college team. IMG Academy (4-0) features 29 NCAA Division One-commits and the Ascenders topped the Hornets 49-7. This past weekend it was time for the Hornets to bring the rain, powering through 5A Shawnee (1-2) 43-6.

Ponca City (1-2) took a bye week after netting their first win 9-0 over 5A Guthrie. The first two weeks weren't nearly as pretty as Edmond Memorial and Enid both hung 42 points on the Wildcats. Enid was somewhat close at 42-31, but Edmond was a 42-6 blowout.

The pick: BTW 54, Ponca 9

No. 3 Muskogee Roughers (3) vs No. 11 Bartlesville Bruins (9)

The Muskogee Roughers (3-0) are the only undefeated team remaining in the division and look to continue that streak into district play. They've only notched one win against a ranked opponent, 16-12 over Midwest City, but scored blowouts in the following games. After topping McAlester (1-2) 51-13, they did even worse to Bentonville West (0-3). The Wolverines are the bottom-ranked team in Arkansas Class 7A, and the Roughers had little difficulty in a 62-13 victory. 

The Bruins (1-2) are in a rebuilding year after graduating most of their top performers in last year's powerful season. They won a close one 27-24 over McAlester in week one and were blown out 59-14 and 27-7 by 6A-I No. 7 Owasso (1-2) and 4A No. 4 Cascia Hall (2-1), respectively. 

The Pick: Muskogee 43, Bartlesville 18

No. 4 Midwest City Bombers (4) vs No. 5 Lawton Wolverines (7)

The marquee matchup of the week in 6A-II, the Bombers (1-2) and Wolverines (1-2) will kick off district play with much to prove. The Bombers have held their top-five ranking thanks to strength of schedule after falling 16-12 to Muskogee and 21-14 to Booker T. Last week they notched their first win 28-21 over 5A No. 6 Del City (2-1) while the Wolverines got in the win column with a 1000+ yard total offensive beat down on 5A Eisenhower (0-3). Lawton has also had a tough season thus far with some of the top dogs in 5A. They dropped a 56-41 shootout with 5A No. 3 Carl Albert (3-0) and 5A No. 1 Lawton MacArthur (3-0).

Lawton's pass game has been average at best, but Tre Curry is already at 589 yards rushing with only 79 carries for 6 touchdowns. The Bombers, however, are well prepared for the run game after holding Booker T to under 100 yards on the ground. 

The Pick: No consensus. Scott Emigh calls it 24-21 to MWC, Virgil Noah calls it 27-21 to Lawton.

No. 6 Sand Springs Sandites (6) vs No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (14)

One of the greatest rivalries in Oklahoma football is renewed this Friday in Sand Springs. The Chieftains (0-3) lead the Highway 97 Rivalry 44-42-3, but the Sandites have won the past two years by substantial margins, including a brutal 44-10 beat-down last season. The series is tied at 8-8 since 2000.

The Sandites are coming into the game with a lot to prove after dropping their first two games and barely winning the third. Last years' State Runners-Up scheduled a big dog in 5A Arkansas State Champions Pulaski Academy and were handily defeated 56-21. In week two they were unable to shut down the Choctaw air raid and gave up a 45-41 come-from-behind upset. They struggled offensively against Putnam West, but key defensive and special teams plays gave them the close 29-24 win.

The Pick: Sand Springs 46, Sapulpa 22

No. 7 Putnam City Pirates (8) vs No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (5) 

After scoring a surprising upset over the Sandites (1-2) in week two, the Yellowjackets were in-turn upset in week three. 6A-I Putnam City North (1-2) lost both in-town rivalry games 16-7 to Putnam City and 16-5 to Putnam City West, but got in the win column with a huge upset 17-14 over Choctaw. 

Choctaw relied on its powerful air-raid offense to win close 90+ point shootouts with Sapulpa and Sand Springs, but when it met Ryan Laverty's newly established Panther defense, they were useless without a substantial ground game. The Panthers forced seven turnovers, including six interceptions for the win.

Putnam City (2-1) already proved themselves against the Putnam North defense, then steamrolled El Reno 52-6 in week two. They suffered their first loss last week to the top-ranked Spartans, but still managed to score 20 points on big home-run plays. The Pirates have a versatile offense, transitioning smoothly to the ground after the Putnam North pass-defense held them to 90 yards, but managed to throw well against both El Reno and Bixby. 

The Pick: Choctaw 33, Putnam 32. 

No. 8 Putnam City West Patriots (11) vs No. 13 Enid Plainsmen (10)

The Patriots (2-1) gave the Sandites a run for their money last weekend, falling 29-24, but still hold solid wins over 5A Duncan 43-14 and 16-5 over in-town rival Putnam North (1-2). QB Trey Gooch was 16-25-1-172 passing against the Sandites and also carried 14 times for 72 yards and was in on every touchdown. 

The Plainsmen (1-2) won a 42-31 shootout with Ponca City in week two, but were edged out by Guthrie 22-19 in week one and were utterly floored 44-14 by 5A No. 7 Bishop McGuinness (2-1) last week. 

The Pick: PCW 26, Enid 17.

No. 10 Stillwater Pioneers (13) vs No. 12 Deer Creek Antlers (12)

The Pioneers (2-1) made a big statement last week with a 34-26 upset of 6A-I No. 9 Mustang (2-1). The Broncos had previously won 42-20 over Yukon and 44-3 over Norman, so if Stillwater's victory is any indicator of their season to come, they could be a serious contender for at least the district title, if not the State Championship. 

The Antlers (0-3) had strength of schedule boosting their ranking the first two weeks, but after losing 48-31 to unranked Edmond Memorial, they're going to have to put in work against Stillwater to prove themselves at the 6A level. That Memorial is a rival and rivalry games are often unpredictable lends the Antlers some credibility still, but going into districts 0-3 doesn't look good for the team's first year out of 5A. 

The Pick: Stillwater 37, Deer Creek 19

Nashoba Pannell and Quintin Wimer place eighth in State Champsionship Doubles

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Charles Page High School qualified three boys for the Tennis State Championship in Oklahoma City this weekend. Dakotah Mitchell qualified in #1 Singles and Nashoba Pannell and Quintin Wimer qualified in #2 Doubles and went on to take eighth place.

The Sandite doubles team won their first match against Yukon 2-1 with sets of 4-6, 6-3, and 6-4 but dropped the next round to Edmond Memorial 6-1 and 6-0.  

Moving to the consolation bracket, the duo scored a pair of close sets over Muskogee at 6-4 and 7-6 before falling 6-2 and 6-4 to Owasso. The tournament came full circle as the boys were pitted once more against Yukon, but this time it was the Millers who got the edge. Sand Springs won the first set 6-2 but their adversaries rallied for a pair of close 7-6 wins for the upset. 

Mitchell had a tough match to start against Broken Arrow's Luciano Razzouli, who went on to take eighth place, and gave up a pair of 6-2 sets. In the consolation bracket he took on Jake Golightly of Edmond North and lost 6-3 and 6-2.

Photo galleries from this season can be found HERE.