Hughes Strikes out 8, Sandites Throttle Collinsville 8-0

It was a dominant trip to Claremore for the Charles Page High School softball team (7-1) as the Sandites didn’t allow a single run in either game of the Rogers State University Festival.

After defeating Coweta 3-0 in the first game, Sand Springs won an 8-0 shutout against Collinsville (3-3) to wrap up the day. It was the sixth consecutive victory for the Sandites and the third shutout of the season.

Addison Hughes (5-0) kept her undefeated season alive in style, pitching a four-inning two-hitter with eight strikeouts to drop her already-impressive ERA to only 0.77.

Bella Wilson, Morgan Rector, and Lakelyn Harger all recorded two hits apiece with Rector batting in a team-best three RBIs while Kylie King and Bailey Copeland scored two runs apiece.

Wilson hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the first and came in soon after on a two-run single from Harger. Rector hit a two-run single in the second to score Kylie King and Copeland.

In the third inning Kenzie King hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Harger, then Kylie King hit a double to score Kaylei Rake. Wilson’s second double of the day brought home Kylie King, then Copeland scored on an RBI single from Rector for the final run of the game.

The game clock ran out midway through the bottom of the fourth as the Sandites had one on base and no outs.

Sand Springs is off to its hottest start since 2020 and will continue its busy week with a three-game outing at the Owasso Festival.

On Friday the Sandites will play host Owasso (9-0) at 10:00 a.m. in their biggest test of the young season. The Rams have won their last four meetings with Sand Springs, last losing to the Sandites in 2020.

Sand Springs will also play Bartlesville (1-5) at noon on Friday and Jenks (4-3) at noon on Saturday.

Sandites Shut Out Coweta 3-0 at RSU Festival

Sandite Softball picked up its fifth consecutive win and second shutout of the season Thursday morning in Claremore, winning 3-0 against Coweta (1-6) in the Rogers State University Festival.

Sand Springs improved to 6-1 after out-hitting the Tigers 6 to 3 in the time-limited six-inning affair.

Freshman Kylie King (1-1) got her first win in the circle, surrendering 3 hits with 1 strikeout and no walks.

Ashlyn Clark scored the opening run on a single from Bailey Copeland in the top of the second but the Sandites stranded loaded bases after a force at home and a strikeout from Karsyn Lydens.

Sand Springs put two on base in the third but gave up a double play and stranded one, then stranded two more in the fourth. The Sandites ultimately left seven runners on base throughout the game.

Kaylei Rake hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth to bring in Kelsi Hilton and Copeland added another RBI with a single to score Kenzie King in the sixth.

The Sandites will return to action at 11:45 a.m. against Collinsville (3-1).

Lakelyn Harger Sparks Sandite Offense in District Sweep of Southmoore

Sand Springs stretched its win streak for four Tuesday afternoon in Moore as Charles Page High School (5-1, 2-0) opened district action with a double-header against perennial powerhouse Southmoore (3-5, 1-2).

The first game was a close 2-1 win for the Sandites but the bats got hot in game two, which Sand Springs won 14-2 via five-inning run rule.

Freshman star Lakelyn Harger showed off her hitting skills as well as her speed throughout the day, going 4-of-7 with 4 doubles, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs.

In the first game the Sandites trailed 1-0 after a fourth-inning homer from Lainey King before Kenzie King tied it up on an RBI single from Bella Wilson. Kelsi Hilton scored the go-ahead run in the sixth on Harger’s first double of the day.

Junior ace Addison Hughes (4-0) continued her undefeated start to the season, surrendering 5 hits and no walks while striking out four in the complete game. Through her first four games her ERA is sitting at only 0.91.

Hilton made her season debut in the circle for game two, tossing 5 hits, 3 walks, and 1 strikeout for the win.

Wilson got the Sandites on the board with a two-run double in the bottom of the second, followed by a one-run triple from Morgan Rector, a two-run double from Harger, and a one-run double from Kaylei Rake to make it 6-0.

The Sabercats averted the shutout with a two-run double in the top of the fourth, but the Sandites got those runs back and more in the bottom of the inning.

Harger led off with a double, then Rake and Ashlyn Clark singled to load the bases. Bailey Copeland hit an RBI single, then Rake and Clark scored on errors to make it 9-0.

Kenzie and Kylie King scored on a single from Rector, Hilton singled to reload the bases, and Harger hit a bases-clearing double for the final runs of the game.

Wilson, Rector, Harger, and Rake had three hits apiece for the team’s first run-rule win of the season.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Thursday in Claremore at the Rogers State Festival. They will play Coweta (1-5) at 10:00 a.m. and Collinsville (3-1) at 11:45 a.m.

Sandite Softball Undefeated in Scrimmages, Opens Regular Season Monday

Another exciting season of Sandite Softball is officially underway as the fast pitch sluggers are just three days removed from their season-opener.

Shelli Brown’s 27th team is off to a promising start after going 4-0-1 in preseason scrimmages against the neighboring communities.

In a July 27th trip to Skiatook the girls scored nine unanswered runs in a 9-3 win by committee.

Seven different Sandites recorded a single hit apiece but freshman Bella Wilson had the most impactful plate appearance with a fourth-inning two-run triple to tie it at 3-3. She then scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice.

Addison Hughes, Kylie King, and Lakelyn Harger pitched two innings apiece, combining for seven strikeouts, five hits, and two walks.

The girls took another short trip north the following day to deal Sperry a 10-1 rout.

Harger set the tone with a two-run single in the top of the first but the bats didn’t get too hot till the sixth when the girls scored five runs on six hits.

Harger and King recorded two hits apiece with a team total of 11.

The same trio of Kylie King, Harger, and Hughes once again shared the circle, surrendering only two hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Sand Springs returned to Skiatook on Tuesday for a 7-0 five-inning shutout. Ashlyn Clark stole the show, going 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs while the pitching staff struck out five with four hits.

On Wednesday the girls took a 13-3 lead at Berryhill before surrendering four runs in the bottom of the sixth to finish 13-7.

Hughes tossed eight strikeouts in three innings of action while the staff totaled 12 Ks and seven hits.

Kenzie King went 3-for-3 with three runs and Harger was 3-for-3 with four RBI and two doubles.

On Friday they wrapped up the preseason with a trip to Mannford that ended in a 4-4 tie after six innings.

Kenzie King scored on an RBI single from Harger in the top of the first, then Kaylei Rake hit an RBI double in the third to bring in Wilson. Rake stole home soon after and Morgan Rector hit an RBI single to score Bailey Copeland for the 4-0 lead.

Mannford got those runs back in the fourth, however, recording five hits to avert the loss.

Kenzie King was the hot hand at bat, going 2-for-3, while the pitching staff combined for 8 strikeouts, 9 hits, and 2 walks.

The first regular season game will be Monday at 5:00 p.m. when the girls host their 5A rivals from Sapulpa. Bixby will visit the Sandites on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., then the girls will compete at the Broken Arrow tournament over the weekend.

Sandite Sports Weekly Roundup: Sand Springs Hosts First-Ever Girls Wrestling Tournament

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The Charles Page High School boys wrestling team (13-4) suffered a pair of tough losses last week, falling 35-21 to No. 4 Broken Arrow (9-2) on Tuesday and 62-10 to No. 2 Stillwater (11-1) on Thursday.

The Sandites will travel to No. 11 Owasso (4-7) on Tuesday before wrapping up the regular season at the Glenpool Warrior Classic over the weekend.

Sand Springs hosted its first ever girls wrestling tournament Friday at Clyde Boyd Middle School, drawing 22 varsity programs and 18 junior high squads.

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Springdale Har-Ber won the inaugural high school tournament while Perry won the junior high event. Sand Springs placed sixth in varsity and fifth in junior high.

Bailey Copeland won the Sandites’ lone gold medal, pinning both of her opponents in the junior high 82-pound bracket.

In junior high: Rylee Allen placed second, Sawyer Briscoe and Ananiah King were fourth, Camden Carrison and Cailey Miller were fifth, and Lyla Waldren and Stefane Ortiz placed sixth.

Gracie Young and Kelsi Hilton led the varsity girls with runner-up performances. Laila Mirza placed fourth, Addily Shotwell was fifth, Madison Chambers placed sixth, and Kreedence Behnke was eighth.

The junior high boys took second place in a tight three-way race at the Ted Anderson Tournament in Edmond on Saturday. The Sandites finished only 13 points behind Bixby while edging out Broken Arrow by 1.5 points.

Kaden Pope and Hudson Sheppard won their brackets; Ryley Kester, Brady Moore, and Jaxon Grigsby were runners up; Kasen McAffery placed third; and Issac Sensintaffer finished fourth.

The Keystone Kids placed seventh out of 100 teams at the OKUSA Youth Wrestling State Championship with four champions and four runners-up.

Brackton Upton, Hagan Wolfenberger, and Jaxon Trotter all won their divisions while Hudson Waag, Karson Waag, and Bryson Pope were runners up. Kydon Harness was a double-finalist, winning in Beginner and placing second in Open.

Ryker Dawes, Collin Randall, Maddix Spencer, and Ayreson Reiss placed third. Brenntly Taylor, Eric Foust, Mason Londo, and Maddox Pope placed fourth.

Baseball

Sandite catcher Dominic Ornelas announced his commitment to Northern Oklahoma College at Enid Tuesday on Twitter. Also headed to NOC-Enid is pitcher and second baseman Jabe Schlehuber, who committed in November.

Football

Sand Springs seniors Kyle Morrall and Jacob Blevins announced their commitment to Northwestern Oklahoma State University. There they will be reunited with former Sandite assistant coach Jason Medrano, who recently took over as Offensive Coordinator for the Rangers.

Brody Rutledge, the Sandites’ leading receiver, committed to Northeastern State University on Tuesday. There he will join former Sand Springs teammates Gabe Brown, Landon Hendricks, and Blake Jones.

Lady Sandites sweep Tampa Bay Invitational, Armstead named MVP

This story was originally written by Scott Emigh for the Sand Springs Leader. Photos courtesy of Becky Tanner.

It’s beginning to look like a special season for the Charles Page High School girls’ basketball team.

A 53-32 tournament finals win over Eustis, Florida (5-7) Saturday night at the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational elevated the Sandites to 7-0 for the first time since 2017.

The Class 6A No. 9 ranked Sandites earned their second tournament title of the Josh Berry era, and first since 2019, after steamrolling three Florida foes in the Anna Maria Island division.

101 girls basketball teams competed at the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational over the holiday break in 14 separate tournament brackets, including Tulsa’s Union High School who placed third in their bracket.

“We got to see some pretty good competition,” said Berry. “We got to see some speed. The first two games they had some guards who were really really fast, so that was good.”

The Sandites rolled to a 52-17 win over Florida 6A No. 5 Bloomingdale (11-3) Wednesday, December 29th. Sand Springs only led 15-9 after the first quarter, but shut down the Lady Bulls’ offense from there and outscored them 20-2 in the second period.

Journey Armstead led all scorers with 13 points, followed by Hailey Jackson with 12, and both girls did all of their damage in the first half. 

The Sandites picked up a 54-27 win on New Year’s Eve against 4A No. 13 Cocoa (10-3), holding the Tigers to only 13 points entering the fourth quarter.

Armstead once again led all scorers with 16 points over three periods, followed by Jackson with 13.

“I think we played better the first two days than we did that last day,” said Berry. “We got in foul trouble within the first few minutes of the game.”

“We couldn’t make any shots, and then defensively we just played horrible the first half. We couldn’t guard, we couldn’t find our man – we just didn’t play our regular basketball the first half.”

Despite the rough start, the Sandites surged ahead with a 34-18 second-half performance against the Panthers to remain undefeated on the season.

Jackson led all scorers with a career-high 21 points, all in the second half, while Armstead contributed 16.

Armstead was named tournament MVP and both she and Layne Kirkendoll received college offers from scouts attending the tournament.

“I think (Sakauri) Wilson’s defensive pressure in the first two games really gave their best players some fits. Taiona (Morris) had some good moments as well, and we had some great productivity from the bench, whether it was getting steals, diving on the floor, making some shots to open it up. Layne really had a pretty good day of rebounding and blocking shots and controlling the paint area.”

Sand Springs will return to action Tuesday with a Frontier Valley Conference road game at No. 14 Booker T. Washington (3-2, 1-1). The Sandites are 2-0 in conference play this season but are still looking for their first win against the Hornets under Josh Berry.

CPHS 52 Bloomingdale 17
1Q: CPHS 15-9.
2Q: CPHS 20-2.
3Q: CPHS 13-4.
4Q: CPHS 4-2.
Scoring: Armstead 13, Jackson 12, T. Morris 8, L. Morris 6, Walker 5, Kirkendoll 4, Tanner 3, Martin 1. (Bloomingdale) Alevin 5, Mengel 3, Dialle 3, Kendrick 2, Kanuer 2, Womack 2.

CPHS 55 Cocoa 27
1Q: CPHS 13-5.
2Q: CPHS 10-3.
3Q: CPHS 19-5.
4Q: Cocoa 14-13.
Scoring: (CPHS) Armstead 16, Jackson 13, Kirkendoll 7, Wilson 6, T. Morris 6, Walker 4, L. Morris 3. (Cocoa) Green 11, Zidor 6, Barrene 4, Stanley 3, Pratt 2, Ammons 1.

CPHS 53 Eustis 32
1Q: CPHS 9-4.
2Q: CPHS 10-10.
3Q: CPHS 16-10.
4Q: CPHS 18-8.
Scoring: (CPHS) Jackson 21, Armstead 16, Kirkendoll 8, T. Morris 5, Wilson 3. (Eustis) Brown 14, Rolle 8, McKinley 5, Seward 2, Brooks 2, Douglas 1.

Sandite Wrestling

The Keystone Kids wrestling club can claim yet another national champion. 

Hudson Waag took home first place in the 46th annual United States Junior Open Championship Saturday night at the Oklahoma City fairgrounds.

Waag recorded decisions of 18-16 and 10-4, and pinned three opponents, including a 19-second fall in the finals to win the 37-pound bracket in the Six and Under age division.

Kason Wolfe placed fourth in the Eight and Under division at 55 pounds, and Bailey Copeland placed fifth in Girls’ 12 and Under division at 73 pounds.