Lady Sandite Basketball wins Regional Championship, 47-35 against Putnam City North

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader

For the first time under head coach Josh Berry, the Lady Sandites are Regional Champions.

The 6A-East No. 2 Lady Sandites (21-3) won their ninth consecutive game and eighth Regional title in school history, 47-35 against No. 7 Putnam City North (12-11) Tuesday night at the Ed Dubie Field House.

“It’s very big,” said Berry. “Anytime you can go and get a Regional title in a tough game, it’s big. It’s big for the program, it’s big for the girls, it’s big for the seniors.”

The Lady Sandites won three Regional titles in a row from 2017 to 2019, but this is the first for any current member of the team.

Down 16-5 after the first quarter, the Sandites dominated the Panthers 16-2 in the second quarter and never trailed again, taking a 21-18 lead into the half on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Sakauri Wilson.

“We just weren’t playing very hard in the beginning,” said Berry. “They played harder, they made shots. It’s the playoffs, everybody can play. It’s going to be a game of runs. They can make their runs, but we have to make our runs and make sure we’re the last ones to make a run.”

Paris Hardwick scored seven points in the first quarter for the Panthers, but was held to a pair of free throws in the second. 

Journey Armstead scored six for Sand Springs in the third quarter and the home team took a 34-24 lead into the final stanza. 

Putnam cut the deficit to 40-33 with 1:31 to play, but Auhnesty Hawkins fouled out and sent Wilson to the free throw line for two. 

Wilson went five-of-six on free throws in the final minutes and ended the night with a season-best 13 points and five rebounds.

Armstead led the Sandites with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Hailey Jackson added nine points and eight rebounds. Hardwick led the Panthers with 15 points.

“They’re good,” Berry said of Wilson and Armstead. “They’re great ball handlers so they’re able to control it down the stretch.”

“Our bigs tonight, they controlled the paint later on. Yanni (Taiona Morris) made some big shots for us to kind of get us there, and we had some good contributions off the bench when Layne (Kirkendoll) got in foul trouble, so I think it was a good team effort.”

The Lady Sandites will return to action Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Area Championship. They will play No. 3 Putnam City West (19-5) at Will Rogers High School. Coincidentally, Berry also coached two seasons at Rogers early in his career.

Putnam North will play in the Area consolation bracket Thursday at 8:00 p.m. against No. 11 Owasso (11-13) in an elimination game at Cleveland High School.

CPHS 47 PCN 35
1Q: PCN 16-5.
2Q: CPHS 16-2.
3Q: CPHS 13-6.
4Q: CPHS 13-11.
Free Throws: CPHS 15-of-23, PCN 5-of-9.
Field Goals: CPHS 14-of-40, PCN 14-of-41.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 12, PCN 10.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 18, PCN 14.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 30, PCN 24.
Steals: CPHS 7, PCN 4.
Blocks: CPHS 0, PCN 2.
Fouls: CPHS 12, PCN 18.

Scoring: (CPHS) Armstead 15, Wilson 13, Jackson 9, T. Morris 5, L. Morris 2, Taylor 2, Kirkendoll 1. (PCN) Hardwick 15, Mcloud 6, Powell 6, Geretta 2, Hawkins 2, Vicks 2, Sykes 2.

Sand Springs Sports Roundup: Girls Basketball wins first playoff

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

Inclement weather couldn’t stymie the Sandites for long, and the Charles Page High School girls basketball team rolled to a 70-50 win against Muskogee in the first round of the regional playoffs Saturday night at the Ed Dubie Field House.

In a game that was originally scheduled for Thursday, the 6A-East No. 2 Sandites (20-3) won their eighth consecutive game to extend their season by an extra week against No. 15 Muskogee (2-14).

“They’re a good team,” said head coach Josh Berry. “They make shots and they don’t quit. You look at their record and you don’t see what they really are. They’re well-coached and they’re going to play hard.”

The Roughers held pace with the Sandites throughout the first half, entering the second quarter 12-12 and leading by as much as 23-19.

Journey Armstead and Kiaryn Taylor hit back-to-back three pointers to end the first half with a 35-29 advantage, however, and the Sandites never trailed again.

“We had everybody in foul trouble in the first half, but once we got in and got settled down, I think everything took care of itself,” said Berry. 

The two teams combined for 37 fouls overall and 22 in the first half, with 45 free throw opportunities. Muskogee made the most of their trips to the charity stripe, shooting 14-of-18, while the Sandites went 18-of-27.

Zhayn Mayes scored 17 to lead the Roughers, followed by Akira Eubanks with 16, but the Sandites had three double-digit scorers.

Armstead led all scorers with 20 points, followed by Hailey Jackson with 15 and Taiona Morris with 10. Morris also collected a team-high five steals, and Layne Kirkendoll added 9 points with 9 rebounds. 

“Layne did good tonight,” said Berry. “Kiaryn played well, Yanni (Taiona Morris) played well. It’s about that - different people stepping up and finding a way to win and I think we did that tonight. I think that’s a team effort.”

Next up for the Sandites will be a rematch with No. 7 Putnam City North (12-10), who won its game 53-47 in double overtime against No. 10 Ponca City (9-12). 

The Lady Sandites previously beat the Panthers 50-33 at the Jenks/Union tournament in January.

“Hopefully we guard and don’t let them shoot some open shots, and make some shots,” said Berry. 

“Tonight we made some shots and we haven’t done that in a long time either. We made quite a few threes. We need to continue to do that, continue to share the basketball, and play for each other.”

The regional championship will be played Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at Sand Springs, and both teams will advance to the area playoffs.

Boys Basketball

The No. 14 Sand Springs boys (5-17) had their Regional playoff game postponed to Monday at 8:00 p.m. The Sandites will play No. 3 Putnam City West (17-5) in an elimination game.

Wrestling

Mitchell Smith (30-7) placed third in the 145-pound bracket at the OSSAA 6A State Championship on Saturday. It was the junior’s third trip to state but his first medal, and he was the only Sandite to earn a medal.

Smith won his first match 2-1 but gave up a 7-4 decision to West Champion Layton Schneider in the semifinals. In consolation he won 6-3 against Bixby’s Caden Kelley and 3-2 against Yukon’s Boston Powell.

David Ritchey and Zander Grigsby both won their wrestle-in matches, Carter Goodman won his quarterfinal, and Blake Jones won a consolation match to help the team to a 13th place finish overall.

Six of the Sandites’ state qualifiers will return next year, with Jones being the lone senior. Jones wrapped up his career with an 82-42 record as a four-time State qualifier. 

Track and Field

Several Sandite alums competed in the Summit League Indoor Championship for Oral Roberts University on Saturday. 

Aden Baughman placed 8th in the 800 meter run. Joel Mackey placed 14th in the 60 meter and 15th in the 200. Mitchell Mefford placed 14th in the weight throw. 

Soccer 

The Lady Sandite soccer team is off to a strong start in preseason action, winning 4-0 against Sapulpa before sweeping the Skiatook scrimmage tournament and outscoring their foes 11-0. They suffered their first loss 1-0 at Owasso. 

The season will officially begin March 1st at home with non-district matches against Tulsa NOAH. The girls will play at 6:00 p.m. followed by the boys at 8:00 p.m.

Baseball

Sandite baseball took its first preseason loss, 13-5, at Owasso. The Sandites previously routed Glenpool 16-5, Tahlequah 8-0, and Lawton MacArthur 11-0, and tied Westmoore 2-2. Their season will begin March 1st at Guthrie.

Sandite Wrestling places sixth at Regionals with seven State qualifiers

Mitchell Smith finished second as the Sandites’ top placer.

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

The Charles Page High School wrestling team finished in sixth place at the OSSAA 6A-East Regional in Stillwater on Saturday, qualifying seven Sandites for the State tournament next weekend in Oklahoma City.

“I felt like everybody wrestled hard,” said coach Jarrod Patterson. “We had a couple that came up a little bit short but I was very pleased with the effort that we put in. Everybody wrestled hard.”

The team saw a notable improvement over last year’s eighth place finish with four qualifiers, and the Sandites will be sending their largest lineup to State since Patterson took over the program in 2018.

“I think we’ve got a little bit more of a team type of atmosphere,” said Patterson. “Everybody’s watching every single match, cheering for guys.”

“They’re excited for each other, they’re excited for themselves. There’s a little bit more passion this year. I’m really excited about this group and the future.”

Junior Mitchell Smith (27-6) was the team’s highest finisher, placing second at 145 pounds with two pins and a 3-1 upset of the one-seed.

Carter Goodman (24-11) placed third at 160 after taking a break from wrestling last season. In the placement round he won a 6-4 decision against the Bixby wrestler who had beaten him 5-1 the day before. 

“Carter’s come up short a few times throughout the year, but man this tournament was a good one for him,” said Patterson. “He’s been working hard and just battling and staying in good position and had some really good matches.”

Blake Jones (11-6) placed third at 170 with three pins, and his only loss came to the tournament champion.

“Blake’s had a couple lingering injuries from football that we’ve been nursing throughout the season,” said Patterson. “But at this point it is what it is. He’s a senior and we’re going to push through it. That’s all we can do.” 

Sophomore stars Zander Grigsby (18-3) and Mason Harris (17-7) placed fourth at 120 and 220, respectively, and freshmen David Ritchey (20-12) and Jaxon “Scout” Trotter (20-11) placed fifth at 106 and 138, respectively.

Seniors Ethan Norton (23-15) and Brooks Dudley (21-11) placed sixth in their brackets, one win short of qualifying for State.

The State wrestling tournament will begin Friday, February 25th at 10:00 a.m. at State Fairgrounds Arena in Oklahoma City.

Sandite Basketball: Girls on a roll, boys not so much

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

If this week’s scoreboard has been any indication of the weeks to come, the Sand Springs girls’ basketball team should be poised to make a deep playoff run.

The 6A-East No. 2 Sandites (19-3) never trailed once in their three games, rolling to dominant wins against No. 11 Owasso, No. 6 Broken Arrow, and No. 14 Bartlesville to wrap up the regular season.

“I think we’re playing better basketball,” head coach Josh Berry said after a 63-34 senior night win against the Bruins (4-18).

“I think we’ve still got a lot of things to clean up before the playoffs, but I like the direction that we’re going.”

The Sandites scored 23 points in a row in the first half and led 36-11 by halftime. The second string played most of the second half, and 10 different Sandites made their way into the scorebook.

“I like the way that everybody’s stepping up and playing different parts,” said Berry. “If we can do that, where we get different scoring, different rebounding, different assists from different people, then I think we’ve got a good chance.”

Sophomore Taiona Morris led the team for the first time this season with a career-high 16 points.

“She’s going to be special,” said Berry. “I think she gets more and more confidence every time we go out there.”

Eight Sandites combined for 17 steals in a stifling defensive effort led by Sakauri Wilson with 5 and Morris with 4. Layne Kirkendoll added 4 blocks.

“I thought we just needed to speed it up a little bit,” said Berry. “They did a good job of rotating and being there for the steals. We just caught them on that.”

Journey Armstead scored 22 points in a Monday night rout of Owasso (10-13), followed by Hailey Jackson with 19 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, and Wilson with 11 points.

On Tuesday the Sandites bullied Broken Arrow 53-20, giving up only four points in each of the first three quarters while holding the Tigers (13-9) to their lowest scoring output since 2011.

Armstead and Jackson scored 13 points apiece in that game.

The Lady Sandites finished the season second in the Frontier Valley Conference, their best performance since winning the league in 2019.

The Sandites will return to action Thursday at 8:00 p.m. when they host No. 15 Muskogee (2-13) in the first game of the Regional tournament. 

The Sandites previously beat Muskogee 56-43, but Berry isn’t going to let his team overlook the Roughers.

“One game at a time,” said Berry. “It’s Muskogee. That’s the only thing we think about from here on out. We just take them one game at a time and don’t take anybody lightly.”

Boys Basketball

The No. 14 Sandites (5-17) are on a seven-game losing streak after falling 68-31 to Owasso, 55-37 to Broken Arrow, and 87-77 to Bartlesville.

Despite the loss, the Sandites actually played one of their best games of the season on Senior Night. Four Sandites scored double digits and three had double-doubles in their highest scoring output of the year.

Jason Clark and Ethan Oakley led the Sandites with 19 points apiece, and Oakley added 11 rebounds in his season-best performance. Cale Askew and JD Dickson both scored 14 points with 11 rebounds apiece. Askew’s performance was also a career best.

The boys will travel to No. 3 Putnam City West (17-5) Friday at 8:00 p.m. in the Regional playoffs.

Lady Sandites roll Booker T. Washington on Homecoming, secure home Regional

Click here to view our complete photo gallery from the Sand Springs vs. Jenks basketball games.

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

The OSSAA has released its 6A regional basketball pairings and the No. 2 ranked Charles Page High School girls will be hosting their own tournament, beginning Thursday, February 24.

Sand Springs will host No. 15 Muskogee (2-11), No. 7 Putnam City North (9-9), and No. 10 Ponca City (9-10), with a first-round game against Muskogee. 

The Lady Sandites already beat Putnam North 50-33 at the Jenks/Union tournament, and beat Muskogee 56-43 on Thursday. They have yet to play Ponca City this season.

“The way I see it is, in the playoffs anybody can get beat if you’re not ready,” says Sand Springs head coach Josh Berry. 

“Jenks is a perfect example. We had two really good games against them, then we’re in a dog fight and we barely got away with that one.”

After routing the Trojans by 34 and 21 points in two games earlier this season, the Sandites only won 53-50 on Tuesday. The No. 13 Trojans (5-10) never trailed in the first half and didn’t relinquish their lead till Sand Springs went on a 16-point run in the third quarter.

Hailey Jackson led all scorers with 19 points and 10 rebounds in that game, and Journey Armstead added 16 points and 6 rebounds.

“You can’t take any team lightly,” said Berry. “We’ve got to come out ready to play from the start.”

“Even Muskogee; they gave us a run last night. All of them have the potential to beat us, so we’ve got to go in with that mindset and play as hard as we can.”

After falling behind 18-3 late in the first quarter, Muskogee came storming back in the second and cut it as close as 25-22. Although the Roughers only led for three possessions in the opening minutes, they kept it far closer than one might have expected from a two-win team.

Jackson scored 23 points in that game with 8 rebounds, followed by Layne Kirkendoll with 9 points and 9 rebounds.

On Friday the Sandites pushed their win streak to four with a 65-40 Homecoming victory over No. 8 Booker T. Washington (10-10). They never trailed after the first quarter and dominated the second half 32-12. 

“I feel like today we did some great things,” Berry said on Friday. “They played together. We’ve got different people stepping up and that’s what we’re going to need.”

“As long as we’ve got that and we’re having fun out there, I like our chances. If we don’t have that energy then we’re not very good but as long as we’ve got energy and passion and we’re playing the right way, then we can play with anybody.”

Jackson scored 24 points to lead all scorers, followed by Armstead with 16, and Kirkendoll with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Armstead was also crowned Homecoming Queen at halftime of the boys’ game.

“I’m just proud of all of them,” said Berry. “What nobody’s really talking about is Leyshia Morris, how much her passing really helps us out. She makes a lot of really great passes to Hailey (Jackson) and to Laynie (Kirkendoll) to get them wide-open looks. She does it over and over again, she’s a valuable asset for us.”

As for what the Sandites need to focus on before the playoffs…

“We’ve just got to play harder, we’ve got to rebound better, and we’ve got to box out. We’ve got to be disciplined on every single possession and not take plays off.”

The Lady Sandites are now 16-3 on the season and 9-2 for second place in Frontier Valley Conference action. Next up will be conference road games at No. 11 Owasso (8-11) on Monday and No. 6 Broken Arrow (13-7) on Tuesday, followed by Senior Night against No. 14 Bartlesville (4-15) on Friday.

Boys Basketball

The 6A-East No. 14 Sandite boys (5-14, 1-10) have dropped four in a row and had a tough week at home, falling 78-41 to Jenks, 59-54 to Muskogee, and 68-47 to Booker T. Washington. 

They held No. 2 Jenks to a 30-25 halftime advantage before the Trojans regrouped for a second-half rout. Jason Clark scored 11 in that game. 

On Thursday they took No. 10 Muskogee to overtime behind 14 points from Cale Askew, 11 from Clark, and 10 from Alijah Roper. The two teams combined for an astounding 48 fouls in that game, and Muskogee did most of its damage at the free throw line.

On Friday JD Dickson scored 11 and Ethan Oakley added 10 in the Homecoming loss.

The boys also received their Regional assignment this week and will travel to No. 3 Putnam City West (16-4) on Friday, February 25.

Wrestling

The Sandite wrestling team wrapped up the regular season with a 7-4 dual record after falling 45-15 to No. 4 Broken Arrow on Monday. Next up is the 6A-East Regional tournament, starting Friday at Stillwater.

Basketball Stats

Boys

Jenks 78 CPHS 41
1Q: Jenks 16-11.
2Q: All 14-14.
3Q: Jenks 26-14.
4Q: Jenks 22-12.
Free Throws: Jenks 14-of-26, CPHS 9-of-13.
Field Goals: Jenks 29-of-44, CPHS 14-of-41.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 5, Jenks 3.
Defensive Rebounds: Jenks 23, CPHS 13.
Total Rebounds: Jenks 26, CPHS 18.
Steals: Jenks 8, CPHS 0.
Blocks: Jenks 3, CPHS 0.
Fouls: Sand Springs 19, Jenks 12.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Clark 11, Dickson 9, Kelly 6, Roper 5, Askew 3, Brockman 3, Hayes 2, Hendricks 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Askew 3, Kelly 1, Johnson 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Dickson 5, Oakley 4, Askew 2, Brockman 2.
Total Rebounds: Dickson 5, Askew 5, Oakley 4, Brockman 2, Kelly 1, Johnson 1.
Assists: Clark 1, Kelly 1.
Fouls: Brockman 5, Dickson 4, Clark 3, Kelly 2, Oakley 2, Askew 1, Johnson 1.

(Jenks stats)
Scoring: Martin 20, Averitt 17, Golightly 14, Tata 9, Wilkins 4, Mundy 3, Trice 3, Hart 3, Coffey 2, Lymberpoules 2, Simmons 1.
Fouls: Coffey 3, Martin 2, Mundy 1, Golightly 1, Averitt 1, Tata 1, Bacon 1, Dodder 1.

MHS 59 CPHS 54
1Q: CPHS 18-17.
2Q: MHS 13-6.
3Q: CPHS 13-7.
4Q: All 13-13.
OT: MHS 9-4.
Free Throws: MHS 22-of-34, CPHS 14-of-21.
Field Goals: MHS 17-of-40, CPHS 18-of-49.
Offensive Rebounds: MHS 5, CPHS 12.
Defensive Rebounds: MHS 21, CPHS 22.
Total Rebounds: MHS 26, CPHS 34.
Steals: MHS 8, CPHS 9.
Blocks: MHS 1, CPHS 2.
Fouls: MHS 20, CPHS 28.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Askew 14, Clark 11, Roper 10, Kelly 6, Oakley 6, Dickson 4, Brockman 2, Hays 1.
Offensive Rebounds: Oakley 4, Dickson 3, Clark 2, Kelly 2, Brockman 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Oakley 7, Dickson 6, Askew4, Clark 2, Kelly 1, Roper 1, Brockman 1.
Total Rebounds: Oakley 11, Dickson 9, Clark 4, Askew 4, Kelly 3, Brockman 2, Roper 1.
Steals: Roper 3, Clark 1, Askew 1, Kelly 1, Dickson 1, Oakley 1, Hays 1.
Assists: Clark 1, Roper 1, Brockman 1.
Blocks: Oakley 2.
Fouls: Clark 5, Brockman 5, Kelly 4, Dickson 4, Roper 4, Askew 2, Oakley 2, Hays 2.

(Muskogee stats)
Scoring: Javonte Campbell 24, Ficklin 8, Reed 7, Johns 6, Campbell 5, Duncan 5, Titsworth 2, McGee 2.
Fouls: Ficklin 4, Titsworth 3, Johns 3, Campbell 2, Campbell 2, McGee 2, Reed 1, Larkpor 1, Thornton 1.

BTW 68 CPHS 47
1Q: BTW 14-9.
2Q: BTW 18-12.
3Q: BTW 25-6.
4Q: CPHS 20-11.
Free Throws: BTW 19-of-24, CPHS 8-of-14.
Field Goals: BTW 21-of-63, CPHS 19-of-44.
Offensive Rebounds: BTW 16, CPHS 7.
Defensive Rebounds: BTW 17, CPHS 20.
Total Rebounds: BTW 33, CPHS 27.
Steals: BTW 14, CPHS 7.
Blocks: CPHS 3.
Fouls: BTW 15, CPHS 19.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Dickson 11, Oakley 10, Clark 5, Kelly 5, Johnson 4, Roper 3, Hayes 3, Askew 2, Brockman 2, Holland 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Oakley 2, Askew 1, Dickson 1, Kelly 1, Holland 1, Lair 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Dickson 7, Oakley 4, Clark 3, Roper 2, Askew 1, Kelly 1, Johnson 1, Hayes 1.
Total Rebounds: Dickson 8, Oakley 6, Clark 3, Askew 2, Kelly 2, Roper 2, Johnson 1, Hayes 1, Lair 1.
Steals: Clark 1, Askew 1, Brockman 1, Dickson 1, Kelly 1, Holland 1, Shope 1.
Assists: Askew 2, Clark 1, Dickson 1, Holland 1.
Blocks: Dickson 2, Hayes 1.
Fouls: Clark 4, Oakley 3, Roper 3, Holland 3, Dickson 2, Kelly 2, Johnson 1, Shope 1.

(Booker T. Washington stats)
Scoring: Parker 16, Boone 12, Chambers 9, English 7, Ware 7, Potter 6, Smith 4, Crosslen 3, Oates 2, Simpson 2.
Fouls: Oates 5, Boone 3, English 3, Wilson 2, Chambers 1, Parker 1, Simpson 1.

Girls

CPHS 53 Jenks 50
1Q: Jenks 16-14.
2Q: Jenks 13-12.
3Q: CPHS 20-12.
4Q: Jenks 9-7.
Free Throws: CPHS 10-of-17, Jenks 9-of-14.
Field Goals: CPHS 21-of-54, Jenks 16-of-42.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 12, Jenks 6.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 18, Jenks 13.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 30, Jenks 19.
Steals: CPHS 8, Jenks 6.
Blocks: CPHS 3, Jenks 1.
Fouls: CPHS 15, Jenks 15.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Jackson 19, Armstead 16, Wilson 6, Kirkendoll 6, T. Morris 5, L. Morris 1.
Offensive Rebounds: Armstead 4, Kirkendoll 4, Jackson 2, L. Morris 2.
Defensive Rebounds: Jackson 8, Wilson 3, Kirkendoll 3, Armstead 2, T. Morris 1, L. Morris 1.
Total Rebounds: Jackson 10, Kirkendoll 7, Armstead 6, Wilson 3, L. Morris 3, T. Morris 1.
Steals: T. Morris 2, Armstead 2, Wilson 2, Jackson 1, L. Morris 1.
Assists: Armstead 2, T. Morris 2, Wilson 1, Kirkendoll 1, L. Morris 1.
Blocks: Kirkendoll 2, Armstead 1.
Fouls: Kirkendoll 5, Jackson 4, Wilson 2, T. Morris 2, L. Morris 1, Taylor 1.

(Jenks stats)
Scoring: Forgione 15, Twiehaus 15, Simpson 9, Luciano 5, Brown 4, Johnson 2.
Fouls: Brown 5, Williams 4, Forgione 2, Luciano 2, Twiehaus 2, Simpson 1.

CPHS 56 MHS 43
1Q: CPHS 18-6.
2Q: MHS 16-11.
3Q: CPHS 14-7.
4Q: MHS 14-13.
Free Throws: CPHS 9-of-14, MHS 3-of-7.
Field Goals: CPHS 22-of-53, MHS 16-of-46.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 13, MHS 6.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 23, MHS 16.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 36, MHS 22.
Steals: CPHS 9, MHS 5.
Blocks: CPHS 5, MHS 1.
Fouls: CPHS 13, MHS 12.

(Sand Spring stats)
Scoring: Jackson 23, Kirkendoll 9, Armstead 7, T. Morris 7, Wilson 5, L. Morris 3, Taylor 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Jackson 4, Armstead 3, T. Morris 2, Wilson 1, Kirkendoll 1, L.Morris 1, Taylor 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Kirkendoll 8, Armstead 4, Jackson 4, T. Morris 3, Wilson 2, L. Morris 1, Taylor 1.
Total Rebounds: Kirkendoll 9, JAckson 8, Armstead 7, T. Morris 5, Wilson 3, L. Morris 2, Taylor 2.
Steals: Armstead 3, T. Morris 2, Kirkendoll 2, Wilson 1, L. Morris 1.
Assists: Armstead 6, Wilson 3, L. Morris 1.
Blocks: Kirkendoll 5.
Fouls: Wilson 3, Kirkendoll 3, T. Morris 2, Armstead 1, Jackson 1, L. Morris 1, Taylor 1, Pearce 1.

(Muskogee stats)
Scoring: Burton 16, Eubanks 12, Swanson 8, Thomas 4, McVay 3.
Fouls: Eubanks 4, Thomas 3, Mayes 2, Burton 2, McVay 1.

CPHS 65 BTW 40
1Q: CPHS 17-13.
2Q: CPHS 16-15.
3Q: CPHS 16-4.
4Q: CPHS 16-8.
Free Throws: CPHS 8-of-12, BTW 10-of-13.
Field Goals: CPHS 26-of-52, BTW 13-of-42.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 5, BTW 6.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 22, BTW 16.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 27, BTW 22.
Steals: CPHS 2, BTW 1.
Blocks: CPHS 2, BTW 1.
Fouls: CPHS 11, BTW 13.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Jackson 24, Armstead 16, Kirkendoll 12, T. Morris 6, Wilson 4, Walker 3.
Offensive Rebounds: Kirkendoll 4, Jackson 1.
Defensive Rebounds: L. Morris 5, Wilson 4, Kirkendoll 4, Armstead 3, Jackson 3, T. Morris 2, Taylor 1.
Total Rebounds: Kirkendoll 8, L. Morris 5, Wilson 4, Jackson 4, Armstead 3, T. Morris 2, Taylor 1.
Steals: Wilson 1, Jackson 1.
Assists: T. Morris 2, Armstead 1, Wilson 1, Kirkendoll 1, Walker 1.
Blocks: Kirkendoll 2.
Fouls: Armstead 3, Taylor 2, Kirkendoll 2, T. Morris 2, Jackson 1, L. Morris 1.

(Booker T. Washington stats)
Scoring: Hill 12, Johnson 10, DeLouiser 9, Smith 6, Mayberry 2, Owens 1.
Fouls: Hill 4, DeLouiser 4, Johnson 2, Smith 2, Owens 1.

Ten Sandites Sign College Letters of Intent

Click here to view the full photo gallery.

The Sand Springs athletic department celebrated ten student-athletes Wednesday morning at the Ed Dubie Field House, who have all signed letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level.

For the first time in school history, two Sandites signed to compete in collegiate shooting sports. Gunnar Casey and Sammy Naugle are both headed to Connors State College after building impressive careers with the FFA shooting team.

“We actually started the program back in 2008,” said coach Randy Evans. “Both of these boys have shot with me for the last four years. It’s the first set of kids we’ve ever actually sent to college to shoot.”

Casey was the 2019 SCTP State Skeet Champion, 2019 20-gauge Oklahoma State Skeet Champion, 2020 28-gauge Oklahoma State Skeet Champion, and was on the five-man HOA State Championship team in 2019. 

Naugle was on the 2021 2nd-place team at the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Sporting Clays Championship and placed second at the Dewey Invitational. 

“Our school board and our administration is extremely supportive of that whole program,” said Evans. “They realize the kids never actually have guns in school and when we practice there’s eight to ten adults around, so it’s a really safe and secure thing.”

“I actually started watching these kids when they came to my contests about four years ago,” said Connors State coach Sierra Walker. “They’ve been on my radar since eighth grade. They just have a really unique technique and style about them and they are really good.”

“Even in eighth grade they were making the hits and killing the targets, so I was really excited to get to have them come to Connors.”

The Sandite football team will have three players continuing their careers at the next level.

Quarterback Ty Pennington received a full ride scholarship to play football at Pittsburg State University in Kansas. 

“Pennington, you know, statistically is the greatest quarterback in Sand Springs history,” said Sand Springs coach Bobby Klinck. “I’m going to have to actually coach now that he’s gone. I’m very proud of him and what he’s accomplished.”

Pennington follows in the footsteps of his position coach Darrack Harger, who played for the Gorillas from 2012 to 2013. 

The three-year starter set single-season records of 2,831 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, and 39 total touchdowns while leading the Sandites to an 8-4 record and semifinal appearance in the OSSAA 6A-2 playoffs.

He also set career records of 6,455 passing yards, 54 passing touchdowns, and 79 total touchdowns.

“It checked all the recruiting boxes academically and athletically. I know I made the right decision,” said Pennington, who also had offers from Central Oklahoma, Missouri Southern, Washburn, Central Missouri, East Central, and a preferred walk-on opportunity at Oklahoma State.

“At first I thought about going to OSU, but once I started to figure out the kind of school Pitt State was, it was pretty obvious where I wanted to go,” said Pennington. 

Pitt State has won two national championships at the NCAA Division II level. The Gorillas went 8-3 last season in their second year under head coach Brian Wright 

Pennington was recently named to the All-State East team and will play in the All-State game on Friday, July 29th alongside defensive end Gabe Brown.

“It was a marathon, not a sprint for Gabe,” said Klinck. “He played a position that he wasn’t quite sure of and ended up being an All-Stater at it… He’s one of those guys that kept chopping wood and is very deserving of everything that he’s getting now.” 

Brown signed with Northeastern State University after a senior campaign that included 69 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two fumble recoveries, including a 75-yard scoop and score.

NSU competes at the NCAA Division II level in the MIAA. The RiverHawks went 2-9 last season under third-year head coach JJ Eckert. Sandite Justis Myers is also on the roster at NSU. 

Outside linebacker Conner Light signed with Southwestern College, an NAIA school in Kansas that competes in the KCAC. 

Light tallied 74 tackles for the Sandites this season, along with 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. He received All-District and Academic All-Conference Honorable Mentions.

“I couldn’t be more proud of that young man,” said Klinck. “He just maxed out his ability and ended up being a really good football player for us.”

“He’s one of those kids that you’re going to miss seeing. I’m very happy for him going off to school. He’ll be successful in whatever he does.”

The Moundbuilders are entering their eighth season under head coach Brad Griffin. They recently finished their most successful season since 1999 after posting a 9-2 mark and making it to the NAIA Championship Series. Light will join fellow Sandite JT Bristow, a sophomore tight end, at Southwestern.

“All three of those guys are great ambassadors for our football program,” said Klinck.

Shortstop Keaton Campbell signed to play baseball at Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City, Kansas. 

Campbell batted .299 last season with 23 runs, 30 RBI, a .465 slugging average, a .392 on-base percentage, with 10 double plays, and one save on the mound. 

In addition to his baseball accomplishments, he was also an All-District selection in football after making 55 receptions for 774 yards and 9 touchdowns this fall, and he received Academic All-Conference accolades for both baseball and football.

The Tigers compete in the NJCAA and have won four consecutive KJCCC East Division titles, finishing 47-10 last season with a fifth-place finish at the JUCO World Series. They are coached by Darren Burroughs. 

Karsen Lynch signed to play soccer at Rogers State University, an NCAA Division II program competing in the MIAA. The Hillcats went 9-8-1 last season and are about to enter a new era under recently appointed head coach Chris Jones.

Lynch is a four-year starter for the Sandites, who are about to start their first season under head coach Cisco Chavez. She also plays for the Side FC 92 semi-pro team, which placed third in its inaugural season in the UWS. Last season she made the Academic All-Conference team and was team offensive MVP.

She will be reunited with former Sandite goalie Alison Day, who is a freshman at RSU.

Cassidy Tiepelman signed to play soccer at Southwestern College. The Moundbuilders went 13-5-1 last season and were the KCAC tournament runners-up. Tiepelman will join fellow Sandite Teagan Smith under head coach Joe Schwartz. Tiepelman was Academic All-Conference last season.

Charley Fahland and Tehya Johnson both signed to play volleyball at Friends University, an NAIA school in Wichita that competes in the KCAC. The Falcons are coached by Martin Ayin and went 12-19 last season.

Fahland and Johnson helped the Sandites to a 14-20 record this season. Fahland was second on the team in aces with 36 and led the team with 353 digs. Johnson had 217 digs and a team-high 689 assists.

Johnson was named to the Frontier Valley All-Conference Second Team and Academic All-Conference. Fahland received an All-Conference honorable mention and both made the Sandite Invitational All-Tournament Team.

The Sandites have now signed 13 athletes from the Class of 2022. Raegan Rector and Avery Tanner previously signed to play college softball in November and John Keim signed to play baseball.