Sandite Weekly Sports Roundup: Baseball Opens Season With Run-Rule Wins

The Charles Page High School baseball team won its first two games of the season by 12-3 run rule against Shawnee on Friday and Yukon on Saturday.

The Sandites capitalized on a disastrous error-filled second inning from the Wolves to take a 6-1 lead and Northern Oklahoma College signee Dom Ornelas blasted a third-inning grand slam to put his team in run-rule territory.

Kayden Campbell got the win against Shawnee with nine strikeouts, four walks, and two hits in four innings.

Gage Elliott got the win against Yukon with three strikeouts, no walks, and five hits in four innings.

Brody Rutledge, Rhen Rutledge, and Jackson Turney totaled three hits apiece and Rhen Rutledge capped the scoring off with a three-run homer in the top of the fifth to secure the run rule.

Sand Springs wrapped up the preseason with a 6-2-1 record, beating Pryor 3-1 on Monday before falling 4-2 to Union on Tuesday.

Oklahoma State-committed freshman Easton Webb tossed eight strikeouts in three innings with only two hits against the Tigers.

Ornelas hit a solo homer against the RedHawks and Eli Buxton struck out eight in four innings.

The Sandites will kick off district play Monday at defending State Champion Owasso (2-0), before hosting the Rams Tuesday and Victory Christian (1-1) on Thursday.

Girls Powerlifting

The CPHS girls powerlifting team took third place at the OGPCA North Regional Tuesday in Miami, qualifying seven for the State Championship.

Senior heavyweight Jaden Jordan won her second Regional title and fourth meet of the year, benching 165 for first place, deadlifting 405 for first, and squatting 370 for second.

Also qualifying for State are Madison Thompson, Melanie Skelly, Gracie Worthington, Olivia Alexander, Kelsi Hilton, and Kiyah Dover.

Worthington placed third at 136, Thompson placed fourth at 220, Alexander placed sixth at heavyweight, Dover placed seventh at heavyweight, Hilton placed seventh at 136, Skelly placed ninth at 150, and Thompson placed 11th at 108.

The State meet will be held Monday, March 6th, at the Choctaw Event Center in Durant.

Dance

The Sandite dance team advanced to the finals in both Pom and Hip Hop at the NDA High School Nationals in Orlando, placing third in Hip Hop and fifth in Pom.

Sandite Weekly Sports Roundup: Girls Powerlifting Wins Meet, Wrestling Qualifies 9 for State

The Sand Springs boys wrestling team took fifth place at the OSSAA 6A-East Regional Championship Saturday in Jenks, their highest mark since 2020.

The team qualified nine wrestlers for this weekend’s State Championship, the most since 2018.

The Sandites had a tough regional with nationally ranked Stillwater and Bixby, as well as perennial powerhouse Broken Arrow leading the pack. Owasso edged out the Sandites for fourth place with 147.5 points to 141.5.

Kase Skaggs was the lone finalist with a 6-0 semifinal upset against second-seeded Ponca City junior Jimmy Swenson to avenge a district loss at 106. In the finals he fell to nationally ranked Aydan Thomas from Stillwater.

Mitchell Smith took third place at 150 pounds, winning a 2-1 overtime tiebreaker against Broken Arrow’s Garrett Stinchcomb in the placement round.

Mason Harris placed third at heavyweight with a 4-2 sudden victory takedown against Broken Arrow’s Michael Cook.

Jaxon Trotter placed fourth at 157, losing only to nationally ranked LaDarion Lockett from Stillwater before medical forfeiting the placement round.

David Ritchey, Jayden Pait, Jesse Moore, Ethan White, and Hudson Sheppard placed fifth.

The State tournament will be held Friday and Saturday at Jim Norick Arena at the State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.

The Lady Sandites didn’t have any State qualifiers in their first year, placing 42nd out of 64 schools at the OSSAA East Regional.

The Keystone Kids had several top performers at the OKWA Youth State Championship, placing third in Open 8U and ninth in Open 15U.

Hudson Waag, Hagan Wolfenberger, and Ryley Kester won State titles; Sutton Hawley was runner-up; Mason Londo, Karson Waag, and Jace Simms placed third.

Girls Powerlifting

The Lady Sandite powerlifting team won its second meet of the season at Chandler, beating the home team 161 to 110 in team points.

Jaden Jordan won her third meet of the year at heavyweight, taking first in bench at 160 pounds, first in deadlift at 390, and second in squat at 360.

Madison Thompson was runner-up at 220, placing second in squat at 305, second in bench at 150, and fourth in deadlift at 315.

Addily Shotwell was runner-up at 181, placing second in squat at 235, second in bench at 125, and fourth in deadlift at 270.

Gracie Worthington placed third and Olivia Alexander, Bailey Doughty, Kelsi Hilton, and Melanie Skelly placed fourth.

The girls will compete at the Regional Championship in Miami on Tuesday the 28th.

Soccer

The CPHS soccer teams started the preseason with a scrimmage sweep at Grove.

The boys won 4-0 behind two goals from Brian Boyles and one goal apiece from Eli Bise and Dawson Puckett. The girls won 3-0 with a hat trick from Ava Watts.

Both teams will return to action with home scrimmages against Collinsville Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.

Baseball

The Sandite baseball team won its first two scrimmages of the year 6-0 against Mannford and 18-10 against Westmoore.

Gage Elliott and Wyatt Rutledge combined for a nine-strikeout one-hitter against the Pirates on Friday and Rhen Rutledge went 1-of-2 at the plate with a triple, 3 RBI, and a run.

Jackson Turney, Dom Ornelas, and Alex Dudley had two hits apiece against the Jaguars, with Ornelas scoring a 3RBI homer.

The Sandites will travel to Owasso, Glenpool, and Edmond Santa Fe next week and will host Bartlesville on Tuesday and Bixby on Friday.

CPHS Roundup: Sandite Coach Josh Berry Joining Kansas Wesleyan Hall of Fame

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

Kansas Wesleyan University announced Wednesday that it would be inducting the 2006-2007 men’s basketball team into the Coyote Athletic Hall of Fame in October. 

Lady Sandite head coach Josh Berry was an All-Conference honorable mention on that team, which went 28-4 overall to set a school record and won the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. 

Berry transferred to KCAC as a senior out of Sterling College and averaged 3.7 points, 3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.

Now entering his fourth year, Berry holds a 50-21 record as the Sand Springs girls’ coach.

The Coyote Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held October 22 during Homecoming week.

Journey Armstead Shines in All-State Hoops

One of the best to ever don the black and gold got to represent Sand Springs one last time Wednesday night at the OCA All-State basketball game.

Journey Armstead scored 18 points Wednesday night at the Sapulpa Chieftain Center but it wasn’t enough to secure the win as the West defeated the East 62-61.

Armstead led all scorers and added five rebounds and three assists. She will continue her career at Hutchinson Community College.

Junior High Fishing Duo Competes at Nationals

Sand Springs junior high students Drew Turner and Caden Strawn earned their way to the Bassmaster Junior Series National Championship at the Carroll County 1000-Acre Recreational Lake in Tennessee.

After placing third at the Oklahoma State Championship, the Sandites finished the season fifth in the nation. The duo turned in a haul of 16 pounds, 11 ounces.

Sandite Golfer Wins State Amateur Championship

Meghan Charles, a 2021 graduate of Charles Page High School and Oklahoma City University sophomore, won the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur Championship at Gaillardia Country Club in Oklahoma City.

Charles defeated Edmond’s Ashlynn Weir 4 and 3 in the President’s Flight semifinals, then beat Oklahoma City’s Drew Faires 3 and 2 in the finals.

Two CPHS Grads Sign College LOIs

Two more members of the Class of 2022 signed college letters of intent in recent weeks. 

High Jump State Champion Layne Kirkendoll signed with South Dakota State University, an NCAA Division I program that competes in the Summit League. The Jackrabbits placed third in their conference this past season.

Kirkendoll holds the all-time Sand Springs records in long jump and high jump, and also received college offers as a basketball star.

Gabe Glenn signed to play baseball at Allen Community College in Kansas. Glenn batted .433 for the Sandites this past season, scoring 37 runs and 45 RBI. Allen competes in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference and the NJCAA.

Sandites Selected for PBR Showcase

Several Sand Springs baseball players were selected to represent Oklahoma at the Prep Baseball Report (PBR) Junior Future Games showcase in Lakepoint, Georgia.

Alex Dudley and Jackson Turney were selected from the Class of 2026, Eli Buxton represented the Class of 2024, and Kayden Campbell was chosen from the Class of 2025.