CPHS Basketball: Sandites survive Broken Arrow 80-78, Armstead scores 21

The Class 6A No. 10 ranked Charles Page High School girls’ basketball team (10-3, 3-2) escaped a scrappy Broken Arrow team Friday night at Tiger Field House. The Tigers (6-7, 2-3) overcame an early deficit and scored more points on the Sandites than anyone else this season, but were crippled by fouls, and Sand Springs made the most of them, scoring 22 points at the free throw line.

Sophomore guard Taleyah Jones gave Broken Arrow the lead on their opening possession, but that would be their only lead of the quarter. Hailey Jackson scored a putback to tie it, Journey Armstead made a bucket for the advantage, and Raegan Padilla drained a three for good measure before Jones made her second basket. The Sandites took their first and only double-digit lead at 16-6 less than five minutes into the game, but the Tigers battled back to end the quarter 22-18.

Broken Arrow got hot early in the second period and briefly regained the advantage. Armstead made the opening bucket, but Kelsey Duffey and Jones scored back-to-back before Jade Shrum made her way into the scorebook. Jones retaliated with a three, then laid up for the lead at 27-26.

Jada Hytche scored back-to-back buckets to make it 31-26 before a Sandite timeout got the visitors in gear. Sand Springs outscored the Tigers 9-6 in the remainder of the half and took a 37-35 deficit to the locker room.

Shrum gave the Sandites the lead with a three a minute into the second half, but fouled Duffey, who tied it at the stripe. Jordan and Adams traded blows, then Madison Burris scored to make it 49-47 for the Sandites, then made a putback to deepen the lead.

After trailing 58-54 the Tigers surged back once again to finish the quarter with a 64-61 lead thanks to ten Sandite fouls. Tea Myers scored seven-straight points spanning two quarters to make it 68-61 before Jackson added four from the stripe.

Jordan tied it at 70-70 with 4:28 in the game, then Armstead took the lead with a four-point run from the stripe. Hytch made it 76-75 with a three at the 1:45 mark, then Hannah Duin tied it with a free throw. Armstead put her team out front once again, and this time the Tigers wouldn’t recover. Jordan and Jones traded twos and Armstead had the final point of the game.

Jones led all scorers with 27 points, but Hytche was her only other teammate in double digits, with 18. The Sandites had four double-digit scorers, led by Armstead with 21. Jackson had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan had a season-high 15, and Shrum tied her career-high with 11.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with a home game against Bartlesville (4-5, 1-3). The Tigers will host No. 7 Union (9-2, 4-1) Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

CPHS 80 BAHS 78
1Q: CPHS 22-18.
2Q: BAHS 19-13.
3Q: BAHS 27-26.
4Q: CPHS 19-14.

Free Throws: CPHS 22-of-33, BAHS 9-of-19.
Field Goals: CPHS 27-of-63, BAHS 32-of-69.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 12, BAHS 8.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 25, BAHS 17.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 37, BAHS 25.
Steals: CPHS 12, BAHS 12.
Blocks: CPHS 5, BAHS 1.
Fouls: CPHS 19, BAHS 27.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Armstead 21, Jackson 15, Jordan 15, Shrum 11, Padilla 9, Burris 6, Cheney 3.
Offensive Rebounds: Jackson 7, Jordan 2, Armstead 1, Padilla 1, Burris 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Burris 8, Armstead 7, Jackson 4, Jordan 4, Shrum 2.
Total Rebounds: Jackson 11, Burris 9, Armstead 8, Jordan 6, Shrum 2, Padilla 1.
Steals: Armstead 3, Burris 3, Jordan 3, Shrum 2, Jackson 1.
Assists: Armstead 3, Padilla 3, Shrum 2, Burris 2, Regalado 1.
Blocks: Burris 3, Jackson 2.
Fouls: Armstead 4, Burris 4, Shrum 3, Jackson 3, Jordan 2, Hampton 1, Cheney 1, Padilla 1.

(Broken Arrow partial stats)
Scoring: Jones 27, Hytche 18, Myers 9, Adams 7, Duffey 7, Sanders 4, Duin 4.
Fouls: Sanders 5, Hytche 5, Myers 4, Adams 4, Duin 4, Jones 3, Duffey 2.

CPHS Wrestling: Union upsets shorthanded Sandites 40-32

Pictured: Freshman Mitchell Smith competes in a dual at Stillwater. Smith won a crucial pin against Union Thursday evening.

The Class 6A No. 7 ranked Charles Page High School wrestling team (3-3) suffered a 40-32 upset at the hands of No. 14 Union (3-2) Thursday night on the road, marking their first loss to the Redskins in over a decade.

The Sandites were without two of their best wrestlers, and that made a big difference. Blake Jones was absent at 138, as was 106-pounder Brendon Wiseley, who is competing at the Chili Bowl sprint car Nationals this weekend.

Sophomore Shane Wolf (7-5) stepped up from junior varsity and started out well, taking an 8-0 lead with two sets of nearfall points in the first quarter. He got surprised with a headlock in the second period, though, and gave up a fall to Adam Lohmann

Mitchell Smith (3-2) tied it up at 113 in a battle of freshmen, pinning Riley Trickett in 1:45. Caden Vaughn (5-1) won a 7-3 decision over Jarrod Gilliam, Seth Jones (18-4, 62-33) pinned Ty Young in 2:29, and freshman Carter Goodman (3-2) pinned Ryan Trickett in 1:28 for a 21-6 lead.

Then the momentum shifted to the home team. Chris Dugger kicked off a three-match streak for the Redskins with a fall at 138. Ethan Norton (2-6, 2-12) and Preston Medlin (8-10, 21-32) suffered pins, and Ethan White (2-4) gave up a 9-1 major decision to State Qualifier Caleb Rogers to put the Redskins out front at 22-21. Medlin was up 4-3 against Noah Smith, but Smith got a defensive touch fall with 13 seconds left.

White was penalized a team point for slapping Rogers’ hands after the match when Rogers held up a “U” for Union. Chris Kirby (14-7, 72-31) received a forfeit, but the Redskins won three more in a row.

Dakota Taylor (0-9, 0-16) managed to not give up any bonus points to Shane Fields, but Sango Whitehorn (6-11, 8-15) was pinned and Brooks Dudley (11-11, 21-19) lost a 3-1 heartbreaker to State-placer Jake Rogers after giving up a takedown with 11 seconds left.

The teams traded forfeits in the final two weight classes with Josh Fincannon (18-7, 57-41) winning at 220, and Micah Walker getting the points at 285.

Both teams will return to action first thing Friday morning at the 55th Annual Bobby Lyons Invitational in Sand Springs. That tournament will feature nationally ranked No. 13 Allen, Texas as the front runner.

Union 40 CPHS 32
106: Adam Lohmann (UHS) FALL Shane Wolf (2:48).
113: Mitchell Smith (CPHS) FALL Riley Trickett (1:45).
120: Caden Vaughn (CPHS) 7-3 Jarrod Gilliam.
126: Seth Jones (CPHS) FALL Ty Young (2:29).
132: Carter Goodman (CPHS) FALL Ryan Trickett (1:28).
138: Chris Dugger (UHS) FALL Ethan Norton (1:03).
145: Noah Smith (UHS) FALL Preston Medlin (5:47).
152: Caleb Rogers (UHS) 9-1 Ethan White*.
* -1 CPHS Unsportsmanlike.
160: Chris Kirby (CPHS) FORFEIT.
170: Shane Fields (UHS) 5-1 Dakota Taylor.
182: Gavin Koehler (UHS) FALL Sango Whitehorn (4:24).
195: Jake Rogers (UHS) 3-1 Brooks Dudley.
220: Josh Fincannon (CPHS) FORFEIT.
285: Micah Walker (UHS) FORFEIT.

CPHS Football: New coach Bobby Klinck shares vision for Sandite football

The Sand Springs Board of Education hired Owasso Defensive Coordinator Bobby Klinck as the new Charles Page High School Head Football Coach at their January meeting, replacing 13-year coach Dustin Kinard, who was fired in November. On Thursday Klinck held a public meeting at HillSpring Church to share his vision for the program with the community.

Klinck comes from Championship stock, both as a player and a coach. He was a three-time State Champion and Oklahoma’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a starter under Allan Trimble at Jenks. He played for Bob Stoops at the University of Oklahoma, redshirting on the 2001 Cotton Bowl Championship team, and playing special teams on the 2002 Big 12 Championship and Rose Bowl Championship team. He then played two seasons under Steve Kragthorpe at the University of Tulsa, winning the Conference USA title and the Liberty Bowl as a senior starter. He received Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors during that campaign.

His coaching pedigree includes stents as a graduate assistant under University of Central Missouri’s Willie Fritz and under Tulsa’s Todd Graham. He coached receivers under longtime Owasso coach Bill Patterson and was Defensive Coordinator under Muskogee’s Josh Blankenship before getting his first Head Coaching job at East Central. In his first year he went 9-5 with a District title and State Finals appearance, but they were actually 13-1 before forfeiting four wins due to an ineligible player. He graduated 21 starters and went 4-7 his second year.

He was Defensive Coordinator for two years at Broken Arrow, working under David Alexander, helping the Tigers to a District title and State Finals appearance. Then he was Defensive Coordinator at national powerhouse Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas under Hal Wasson. Finally, he spent three years as Defensive Coordinator under the legendary Bill Blankenship at Owasso, winning two State Championships.

On Thursday he stressed that he wants to bring a Championship pedigree to Sand Springs. “It wasn’t too long ago that we were competing for State Championships here, and we’re hoping to do that very shortly here.” He also introduced a new mission statement for the program.

“The mission of Sand Springs Football is to create a championship culture within the program by instilling the 6 Standards of the Sand Springs Man. These standards will produce a quality produce on the field of play that will make the Sand Springs community proud, and in the process of creating this culture, will provide a unique football experience for its participants.”

“That last part is the most important thing to me,” said Klinck. “We’re going to ask a lot of these kids, and it’s my job to give these guys a wonderful experience…that’s my ultimate goal.”

The six standards Klinck laid out are intelligence, vision, service, warrior, pride, and passion.

• Intelligence - Approaching a situation in a thoughtful way.

• Vision - Our vision becomes our WHY, the reason we do what we do.

• Service - We over me. Creating leaders who serve others. If you’re not ready to serve, you’re not ready to lead.

• Warrior - A warrior’s heart drives us when things become difficult.

• Pride - Taking great care in our program, school, and community.

• Passion - Gives us the ambition to excel at our chosen endeavor.

“The vision that we have for this football program is obviously that we want to win State football Championships. Another vision is that we want to create wonderful men for our community. Loving fathers, really good husbands, and pillars in this community. That’s our vision, and that’s our why we do what we do.”

Klinck also laid out “The Sandite Experience.”

“When a young man decides to become a Sand Springs football player, a lot will be expected of him, but a lot will be given in return. It is the goal of this program to build quality young men by giving them a college football-like experience. From the demands, pageantry, relationships, and the game itself, a young man who completes his football career at Sand Springs will treasure his experience and want to return for years to come.”

Klinck didn’t go so far as to quote the old adage that “defense wins Championships,” but he clearly believes it. He pointed to the final scores of his two most recent Championship appearances at Owasso. They won their 2017 title 21-14 and in 2019 they won 14-6.

“Great defense is played right on the edge of out of control. Fanatical effort and pursuit are cornerstones of championship defense. Through discipline we are able to stay on that edge without falling off. Every offensive play is designed to work, so technique and physicality are stressed more than scheme.”

“A highly productive offense will dictate to the defense via formations and motions and stretch them with vertical shots. The ability to snap the ball with tempo and utilize screens will keep the opposing defense off balance. Getting playmakers the ball in space will be a priority and creating a culture of physicality up front will be the foundation of our offense.”

“We will go as far as the guys up front will take us. The thing that separates really dynamic football programs are the bigs up front. We’ve got to develop a mentality of physicality up front on offense. We’ve got skill guys out the wazoo. We’re going to get those guys the ball in space and we’re going to make plays. We’ve got to do a great job up front with our offensive line.”

“Special Teams have the ability to shift a game in either direction. Either negatively from failed preparation or positively from precise execution. Hidden yardage is the biggest advantage we will look for in Special Teams. Time is short when working on these units, so we must be extremely efficient, as well as complex, so our opponents must spend extra time on our units.”

“The Strength and Conditioning program will be designed to push the body to its peak physical condition, instill mental toughness, and create a culture of physicality. Player development is a mark of a great football program and Sand Springs will be no different. Players will be pushed to their limits, but will learn to love the process of becoming a Sandite Football Player.”

“When I first met the guys about a week and a half ago, I told them that you’re going to be pushed as hard as you’ve ever been pushed, you’ll be worked as much as you’ve ever been worked. The thing is, you’re going to enjoy coming and doing the work. I know it sounds crazy… The reason you can is because when you build a brotherhood, when you build a bond and you’re working toward a common goal you’ll look forward to that. You’ll want to be a part of something like that.”

“That’s the thing we’re trying to do with the strength and conditioning program. It’s not so much what we do…Everyone’s doing squats. Everyone’s doing bench. Everyone’s doing the things that you have to do to get bigger, stronger, faster. It’s the way we do things that’s going to make us an elite program.”

Finally, Klinck announced the new mantra for the team of “Deserve victory, whether it’s on the field, whether it’s off the field, or in the community. We’ve got to practice, we’ve got to put in the time, the effort, and the work. The only way you can ever achieve victory, you’ve got to deserve it first.”

Sand Springs is coming off three-straight losing seasons, but made a State Finals appearance in 2015 in the middle of a six-year streak of playoff appearances. In 2020 they will play in a district with Bartlesville, Bixby, Booker T. Washington, Muskogee, Ponca City, Choctaw, and Putnam City West.

OSSAA Football: 2020-2021 District Assignments released

CPHS Quarterbacks Coach Darrack Harger talks to a player during the 2019 season. (Photo: Jessica Jones).

The Charles Page High School football team will enter a new era in 2020 under the guidance of first-year Head Coach Bobby Klinck, replacing Dustin Kinard who led the Sandites for thirteen years. The new season will also feature some new teams on the schedule, following the release of new District assignments from the state’s governing athletic board.

The OSSAA released its district football assignments Wednesday afternoon, and Sand Springs will see five familiar faces and two newcomers in District 2. Bartlesville, Bixby, Booker T. Washington, Muskogee, Ponca City, and Sand Springs will remain. Shawnee and Sapulpa are dropping to 5A. Choctaw and Putnam City West are moving over from District 1.

Deer Creek, Del City, Lawton, Midwest City, and Stillwater are all returning to District 1. In addition to losing Choctaw and Putnam West to District 2, they’re also losing Putnam City to 6A Division 1. Putnam City North will drop from 6A-1, Northwest Classen will move up from 5A, and U.S. Grant is rejoining OSSAA competition after a six-year hiatus.

District 1

Stillwater went 7-0 to win their second-straight District 1 title, and were 12-1 as State Runners-Up for the second-straight year.

Del City was 6-1 in District 1 last year for second place, and 9-3 overall for their best season since 2012. Their three losses were all to State Finalists.

Midwest City was 4-3 in District 1 last year for fourth place, and was 4-7 overall for their worst season since 2012.

Putnam City North went 3-4 in 6A-1-2 last year for fifth place, and were 6-4 overall for their second-straight winning season.

Deer Creek went 3-4 in District 1 last year for fifth place, tying their previous district record. They were 5-5 overall for their best mark since 2015.

Lawton went 2-5 in District 1 for sixth place, and were 5-5 overall for their worst record since 2008.

Northwest Classen was 1-6 for seventh place in District 5A-2 and 3-7 overall. They were 2-8 on the field for their best mark since 2016, then received a third win when their final loss was overturned by a forfeit.

U.S. Grant got a six-year pardon from OSSAA competition to try and rebuild their program from the ground up. They are rejoining the league after going 6-3 on an independent schedule for their first winning record since 1998.

District 2

Bixby went 7-0 in District 2 for their second-straight district title, and have won 25-straight games for their second-straight State title.

Muskogee was 5-2 for second place in District 2 and were 8-3 overall for their third winning season in the past four years.

Choctaw went 5-2 for third place in District 1 last year and were 8-4 overall for their best mark and first post-season win since at least 2004.

Booker T. Washington went 5-2 for third place in District 2 and were 6-5 overall for their eighth-straight winning season.

Ponca City was 3-4 for fifth place in District 2 and 5-5 overall for their best record since 2005.

Bartlesville was 3-4 for sixth place in District 2 last year and 3-7 overall for their fourth-straight losing season.

Sand Springs was 1-6 for seventh place in District 2 and 2-8 overall for their third-straight losing season and worst record since 2009.

Putnam West was 0-7 in District 1 and 0-10 overall. They were shut out four times. It was their third-straight losing season and second 0-10 mark of the decade.

CPHS Wrestling: Sandites place 13th at Inola Tournament

The Charles Page High School junior varsity team sent eight wrestlers to the Inola Tournament this past weekend and placed 13th out of 19 teams in a mostly varsity tournament. The Broken Arrow JV team won the tournament.

Colton Luker placed third at 126 pounds with a 4-1 record. He beat Bradley Saucedo (Broken Arrow) 6-5, then pinned Dakota Briggs (Vian) in 5:54 before falling to runner-up Connor Newell (Bentonville). In consolation he pinned Blain Jones (Tahlequah) and received a forfeit in the finals.

Harley Newberry placed sixth at 113 with a 3-2 record. He pinned Levi Garrett (Skiatook) in 1:47, majored Riley Lord (Locust Grove) 11-1, and beat Landon Shell (Pawnee) 10-5. He was beaten twice by Bentonville freshman Zander Payne, who finished third, and forfeited the placement round.

Sammy Naugle placed sixth at 120 with a 3-2 record. He majored Colin Young (Broken Arrow) 12-3, pinned Mackenzie Owens (Barnsdall) in 3:20, and beat Jaxon Ward (Skiatook) 3-2. His only losses were to State Qualifier Kavan Meyers (Perkins-Tryon) and Carter Henderson (Inola), who placed second and third. Naugle forfeited the placement round.

Abe Hernandez placed sixth at 132 with a 2-2 record. He beat Jake Cash (Tecumseh) 9-4 and Dax Edwards (Perkins-Tryon) 5-2 before falling 9-3 to State Qualifier Carson Ferguson (Tahlequah). In consolation he injury defaulted in the semifinals and forfeited placement.

Tegen Campbell placed sixth at 182 with a 3-2 record. He pinned Jacob Hunnicutt (Morrison) in 2:31 before falling to tournament champ Ramses Soto (Broken Arrow). In consolation he pinned Andre Caldera (Bentonville) in 0:52 and Ayden Arnold (Pryor) in 1:30 before falling to third-place winner Dil’n Murchinson. He forfeited the placement round.

Cody Crawford went 1-2 at 160. He won a 6-3 decision over Ryan Reese (Tahlequah), but was pinned by Dakota Monk (Locust Grove) and Zack Lawley (Broken Arrow).

Santana Naugle was 1-2 at 195. He pinned Kadin Culver (Pryor) in 1:49, but fell 6-5 to Demetrius Macon (McLain) and 2-1 to Blair Chancellor (Locust Grove).

Hunter Hilger went 1-2 at 132, falling to Kasey Griffin (Skiatook) and Dylan Naveck (Pryor). He received an injury forfeit from Andy Cerda (Bentonville).

Team Scores
239.5 Broken Arrow JV
167.5 3A No. 13 Inola
124.0 3A No. 14 Pawnee
122.0 Morris
117.0 Tonkawa
107.0 Locust Grove
107.0 Tecumseh
97.5 Tahlequah
96.0 3A No. 14 Perkins-Tryon
90.5 McLain
83.0 Barnsdall
71.0 Vian
67.0 Sand Springs JV
63.0 Bentonville JV
61.0 Pryor JV
49.0 Union JV
40.0 Salina JV
37.0 Skiatook JV
18.5 Davenport

Champions
106: Ethan Rodriguez (Broken Arrow).
113: Grant Floyd (Inola).
120: Jake Coffee (Vian).
126: Carson Robinson (Tonkawa).
132: Jaxen Wright (Morris).
138: Cale Crawford (Broken Arrow).
145: Braden Anderson (Broken Arrow).
152: Dayton Hill (Broken Arrow).
160: Blake Skidgel (Broken Arrow).
170: Jedd Barrett (Inola).
182: Ramses Soto (Broken Arrow).
195: Dalton Diacon (Inola).
220: Torrance Ingram (Broken Arrow).
285: Alton Allen (Perkins-Tryon).

Dustin Kinard approved as new Head Football Coach at Mannford

After thirteen season at Sand Springs, Dustin Kinard has a new home. The Mannford Board of Education approved the hiring of Kinard as Head Football Coach at their Monday meeting.

Kinard was the second-longest tenured coach in Sand Springs history, guiding the Sandites to a 65-75 record from 2007 to 2019. He was fired following a 2-8 season and third-straight losing record. He is also currently the assistant principal at Northwoods Fine Arts Academy, and an assistant wrestling coach.

During Kinard’s historic run he guided the Sandites to six winning seasons and seven post-season appearances, including a school-record six consecutive playoff years from 2012 to 2017. His best season came in 2015, when the Sandites went 7-5 for a 6A-II State Runner-Up appearance. They were actually 9-3 on the field, but forfeited two blowout wins due to an ineligible player. Their third non-district game was cancelled mid-game due to excessive lightning delays, while the Sandites were up 18-7.

In 2014 they won their first playoff game since 1997, and they repeated the feat for three-straight years. That success began to run out in 2017 when they went 5-6 and were eliminated in the first round. In 2018 Kinard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and the team went 3-7. He has been cancer free since before the 2019 season, in which the Sandites went 2-8 and suffered a 75-0 loss to Bixby. That was the program’s worst outing since 1924.

Following Kinard’s ouster, Sand Springs hired Owasso Defensive Coordinator Bobby Klinck, who helped the Rams to two 6A-I State Championships in the past three years.

Mannford is the third-largest school in Class 3A and is coming off consecutive 3-7 seasons under Joshua Coleman. Their last winning record was 6-4 in 2013, and their best season since then was 5-6 in 2017. The Pirates are 29-72 over the past decade, playing in a district that currently includes Kingfisher, Blackwell, Bridge Creek, John Marshall, Mount St. Mary, Perkins-Tryon, and Heritage Hall.