Sandites Survive Sapulpa in Wild 64-54 Shootout, RB Duo Page/McCoy Excels

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Ali McCoy rushed for 154 yard and three touchdowns in the win over sapulpa. (Photo: Charity Emigh),

For only the second time in series history, Sapulpa hung half a hundred on Sand Springs. But unlike that 60-19 game in 2002, this time around it wasn’t enough.

It was only fitting that the 97th installment of Highway 97 Rivalry would be the wildest spectacle in the history of the series.

At 11:36 p.m., a shootout totaling 118 points and 894 yards finally came to a close. Sand Springs secured its fourth consecutive win against Sapulpa and its ninth in the past decade, 64-54 after trailing 40-28 by halftime.

It was a close three-way tie for the game’s MVP. Kenneth Page carried the ball 23 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Ali McCoy carried it 22 times for 154 yards and three touchdowns. And the 100-degree heat index sent Chieftain after Chieftain to the turf with cramps that derailed their would-be win.

“Our strategy obviously worked, not to tackle wide receivers and not tackle the quarterback to the point that they cramped so we could win the game,” quipped head coach Bobby Klinck, who improved to 4-0 against the Chieftains since arriving in Sand Springs.

“That is an unbelievable football team. Number seven (Colton Howard) is an unbelievable quarterback. Number one (Kylen Edwards) is an unbelievable receiver. Coach (Tim) Holt is an unbelievable coach. We’re lucky to come out on top.”

Howard lit up the first half to the tune of 215 yards passing and six total touchdowns before cramps repeatedly sent him to the ground in the second half. Even so, he ended the night 15-of-32 passing for 374 yards and seven TDs.

His top connection, Edwards, had seven catches for 167 yards and four scores.

Although the heat hampered the Chieftains, it was just as hot on the Sand Springs side of the field, but the Sandites’ second half ground-and-pound offense seemed unstoppable.

Kenneth Page (Left) and Ali McCoy (right) celebrate after the game. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

“We leaned on our offensive line and our two tailbacks, and they got it done,” said Klinck.

Last year, Page bore the brunt of the Sandites offense, rushing for 205 yards and five touchdowns to beat the Chieftains, but this year he didn’t have to go it alone.

After Page scored on a 12-yard run to cut the Sandite deficit to 46-43 early in the third, McCoy followed it up with a 13-yard bruising run on the next possession, bullying past three would-be tacklers to regain the lead for the first time since midway through the first quarter.

“He can go and then I can go,” said Page. “We can rest, go out there and pound them, rest, then pound them again. We just kept going back and forth.”

“When I’m gassed out and tired, I know Kenny can come in, press the defense, and I’m back fresh and can do the same thing for him,” said McCoy.

Sapulpa threatened to regain its lead, marching to the Sand Springs’ 36-yard line before a devastating miscommunication between Howard and his center resulted in the ball being unexpectedly snapped right to the quarterback’s face as he looked toward the sideline.

Keagan Gilman recovered it and five plays later McCoy got loose on a 45-yard run, scoring behind a big downfield block from Wyatt Rutledge to pad the lead.

A sack from Waylon Jeffers forced a quick three-and-out and this time it was Page’s turn to score on a one-yard plunge, giving the home team a 64-46 advantage.

Sapulpa put two more scores on the board - a 36-yard completion to Carter Calvert, followed by a two-point bullet to Jaylen Friday. But those would be the last points of the game.

Jordan Reider wrapped up an onside kick attempt and the Sandites were able to drain three minutes off the clock before the two teams traded turnovers on downs. For the final possession McCoy bullied his way to the Sapulpa 22 before the Sandites assumed victory formation.

While the Sandite offense was lethal in the second half, it barely saw the field in the first quarter.

Caleb Goodman had 143 yards receiving and two total touchdowns. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

Both teams forced punts on their opening drives, but Sapulpa never got theirs off. A bad snap was scooped up by Caleb Goodman deep in the backfield and returned 20 yards for a touchdown.

Sapulpa soon tied it on a 7-yard pass from Howard to Edwards and the Sandites’ corresponding drive ended on a bad pitch that was recovered by Sapulpa. Two plays later and Edwards cashed in on an 8-yard completion.

Then came Alex Dudley with an 84-yard kick return to tie it back up.

Sapulpa would still end up on top to end the first quarter, however, scoring on a 57-yard catch by Edwards as time expired.

Sand Springs’ next possession ended in a fumble recovery by Christian Sonich after a bad hike sailed over Easton Webb’s head, and Future Ledbetter made the Sandites pay with a five-yard reception on the next play.

Continuing the shootout was Goodman with a 90-yard reception on the very next play, and McCoy tied it on the next possession with a 7-yard run.

Two plays later and Edwards Mossed a Sandite defender for a 59-yard score. Howard gave the visitors their final points of the half on a 4-yard scramble with 28 seconds left, though the PATs for both touchdowns were blocked.

While the one-two punch of Page and McCoy was the talk of the second half, it was an opening-play 49-yard pick six by Hunter Wilson that first disrupted the Chieftain momentum.

Wilson sniffed the play out immediately and jumped the route, going untouched till he shrugged off a cramping Howard near the end zone and waltzed over the goal line.

“That was huge,” said Klinck. “That was big time…Coach (Shane) Ingram came up with a great scheme…we changed some things up and that helped us right there.”

American Heritage Bank presented two checks for $5,000 to the Sand Springs and Sapulpa Athletic Departments as the Title Sponsor of the Highway 97 Rivalry. (Photo: Charity Emigh).

Sapulpa had an answer two plays later on a 70-yard toss to David Richardson, but a two-point pass attempt was broken up by Kehlan Corbbrey.

Soon after came the debilitating hammering by Page and McCoy, and the rest is history.

“I love those running backs,” said Klinck. “They’re super competitive. They want the ball in their hands, but they understand they’re better together than just one.”

“Without the O-line, the job wouldn’t get done, so you’ve got to thank the O-line for what they’re doing,” said Page. “It feels amazing to beat them four years in a row and just keep that legacy going for the next generation.”

“It feels great,” said McCoy. “We all work hard together so it feels really deserving to have this victory.”

While the running backs did most of the scoring this week, Webb and Goodman gave a preview of what will likely be another dynamic duo over the course of the season, connecting for 143 yards, despite there only being two pass attempts in the entire second half.

Sandites Hoist the trophy high after winning their fourth consecutive highway 97 rivalry. (photo: Charity Emigh).

Special teams were a strong point for the Sandites, who averaged 30.5 yards per return. Dawson Puckett was perfect on PATs, going 8-for-8 on the night, while Jace Arnold added a two-point wildcat run early in the third quarter.

Defensively, the Sandites were led by Owen Floyd, Hudson Sheppard, Marcum Sims, Gilman, Corbbrey, Gatlin Gunn, and Dudley.

Sand Springs will get a bye week before taking on defending 6A-I State Champion Bixby (1-0), who steamrolled Owasso 42-16 in its season opener on Thursday.

Sapulpa will play its home opener next Friday against Tahlequah in the Tigers’ season opener.

Box Score

CPHS 64 Sapulpa 54
1Q: Sapulpa 21-14.
2Q: Sapulpa 19-14.
3Q: CPHS 22-6.
4Q: CPHS 14-8.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 6-12-149-1, Sapulpa 15-32-374-1.
Rushing: CPHS 49-304, Sapulpa 31-67.
Offense: CPHS 61-453, Sapulpa 63-441.
Fumbles-Lost: CPHS 3-2, Sapulpa 4-2.
Penalties: CPHS 12-103, Sapulpa 10-73.

Scoring Summary

1Q (7:24): Goodman 20-yard Fumble Recovery, Puckett Kick, 7-0.
1Q (3:38): Edwards 7-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 7-7.
1Q (3:05): Edwards 8-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 7-14.
1Q (2:52): Dudley 84-yard Kick Return, Puckett Kick, 14-14.
1Q (0:00): Edwards 57-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 14-21.
2Q (10:26): Ledbetter 5-yard Pass from Howard, Peper Kick, 14-28.
2Q (10:12): Goodman 90-yard Pass from Webb, Puckett Kick, 21-28.
2Q (7:39): McCoy 7-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 28-28.
2Q (6:51): Edwards 59-yard Pass from Howard, Kick Failed, 28-34.
2Q (0:28): Howard 4-yard Run, Kick Failed, 28-40.
3Q (11:46): Wilson 49-yard Interception, Puckett Kick, 35-40.
3Q (11:10): Richardson 70-yard Pass, Pass Failed, 35-46.
3Q (8:02): Page 12-yard Run, Arnold Run, 43-46.
3Q (2:01): McCoy 13-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 50-46.
4Q (10:57): McCoy 45-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 57-46.
4Q (6:44): Page 1-yard Run, Puckett Kick, 64-46.
4Q (5:17): Calvert 64-yard Pass from Howard, Friday Pass from Howard, 64-54.

Season Primer: Sandite Football Kicks Off Friday vs. Sapulpa

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SAnd Springs hosts the highway 97 rivalry trophy after a 2022 road victory at sapulpa.

Since 1952, Sand Springs and Sapulpa have been connected by State Highway 97, but since 1922 something else has connected the two Tulsa suburbs.

Blood, sweat, pigskin, and gridiron have been bringing the two communities together for 30 years longer than the rivalry has had a name - and for the 97th time in the past 102 seasons, Sandites and Chieftains will be at each other’s throats on Friday, August 25th at Memorial Stadium

Both Charles Page High School and Sapulpa High School will open their seasons in Zero Week in the American Heritage Bank Highway 97 Rivalry.

The defending 97 Champs? Sand Springs by way of a 35-21 road win that saw now-senior running back Kenneth Page lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 205 yards and five touchdowns.

With their eighth win in the past nine years, the Sandites finally took their first series lead since 1943 at 46-45-5.

Both teams are looking to take a big step this season. After three consecutive seasons with playoff wins, the Sandites aim for their first State Finals berth since 2015. Sapulpa is coming off back-to-back winning seasons and is looking for its first playoff win since 2005.

Both teams will be eager to start the season on the right foot with a win against their chief rivals before a packed house on statewide television.

The Sandites started the year with a 21-7 half-game loss to Choctaw at the Jenks Football Preview on Friday, August 18th. The Yellowjackets took a 14-0 lead before Easton Webb connected with Wyatt Rutledge, the latest in a long line of Rutledge football stars.

“We were a little bit tired towards the end of that scrimmage, which is natural,” said fourth-year head coach Bobby Klinck, who owns a 22-14 record since arriving at Sand Springs.

“You can run and sprint and do all that stuff, but football shape is different. You’ve got to be ready for it. So I thought there were some plays that we left out there, but for the most part, when we watched film and went back and looked at it, I thought we’re a much-improved football team from last year and I look forward to showing that on Friday.”

Klinck isn’t one to gently test the water toes-first. Choctaw was last year’s State Runner-Up, beating the Sandites 48-29 in the quarterfinals. His team will also take on defending 6A-I State Champion Bixby in the second game of the season.

The Sandites’ strength this season will be their offensive line. Six-foot-four sophomore Ryley Kester is already receiving Division I offers, checking in at 270 pounds. 275-pound senior Tyler Smith stands six feet fall, as does 280-pound senior Marcus Sims. At center, State Tournament-placing wrestler Mason Harris will provide six feet and 260 pounds of intensity.

“Combine that with Ali McCoy and Kenneth Page, we’re looking to run the football,” said Klinck. “There’s no doubt we should be able to. I’ve always told the O-line that we’ll go as far as they go.”

Page was the workhorse for the Sandites last year, carrying the ball 210 times for 1022 yards and 17 touchdowns. McCoy also showed off his speed with 53 carries for 297 yards and 7 TDs.

Klinck expects to split the workload pretty evenly between the two this year. “Those guys love it because they understand that when they’re fresh, they’re a lot better."

Also taking advantage of that powerful line will be 6’4” sophomore quarterback Easton Webb, who was 127-of-203 passing last season for 1,564 yards and 13 touchdowns after winning the starting job in week four.

But despite the football hype, Webb’s primary sport is baseball. In fact, he was recruited by and committed to Oklahoma State University as a freshman before he had ever played a varsity minute.

“In the summer, when you’re that type of athlete, you’ve got to juggle your time between baseball and football,” said Klinck. “And he needs to do that because he excels at both. We’re happy now that it’s coming up on fall and we get him full time.”

“His command, his physicality, the way he’s grown physically. Obviously we’re looking for great things from him.”

Webb also shows strong potential as a dual threat, carrying the ball for nearly 200 yards and four touchdowns last year.

“He’s a lot faster than what people think,” said Klinck. “He definitely wants to throw, but he’s not afraid to tuck it down and put his shoulder pads down when he has to. He’s an all-around type of player and we’re looking for him to make major strides this year.”

Untested for the Sandites will be their receiving corps after graduating their top four from last season.

“Wyatt Rutledge has really come on,” said Klinck. “I think (Caleb) Goodman is going to show some things this year. It’s a bunch of guys that are unproven but we feel that they have the talent to get it done. They’ve just got to prove it on Friday night.”

Defensively, the Sandites will be returning only a handful of their top guys from last season, but Klinck expects big things nonetheless.

“This is a group that they’ve been in the system for a minute and they’re playing fast. We’re going to be aggressive this year. We think that’s kind of our mentality and our nature.”

Gatlin Gunn, Keagan Gilman, Dallas Elifrits, Waylon Jeffers, and Alex Dudley are all expected to make a big impact as some of the top returning tacklers from last season.

As for the leadership this season, the team captains will be Harris, Sims, Dudley, and Gillman.

“We vote team captains. I allow the players to do that,” said Klinck. “They’ve done an unbelievable job. When it’s hot, when guys want to get testy, they’re the ones stepping in saying ‘we can’t be doing this, we’re on the same team.’”

“At the end of practice Alex Dudley’s telling all the scouting guys ‘thank you so much for helping us, it’s a big deal what you’re doing.’ It’s the old adage, ‘when players lead, those are the best teams.’ They’re doing it right now; it’s exciting.”

Sand Springs is hoping to #Sellout97 in what would be the first sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium since it was expanded to a 6,700-seat capacity in 2007. Fans who don’t like crowds will be able to tune in on Yurview (Cox Channel 3). The game will start late at 8:00 p.m. to help dodge the sun.

For game coverage, follow @SSEmigh on X (formerly known as Twitter) during the game. Check in on SanditePride.com for the game story and consider subscribing for only $4.00/month to support local, independent coverage of all things Sand Springs.

Sandite Sports Weekly Roundup: Jabe Schlehuber Pitches One-Hit Upset of Owasso

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The defending 6A State Baseball Champion was toppled Tuesday, March 7th, as Jabe Schlehuber pitched a one-hit shutout against Owasso (4-3, 1-1).

The NOC Enid-signed senior tossed eight strikeouts in seven innings to deal the Rams their first loss of the season while also going 2-of-3 at the plate with a run and two RBIs.

Sand Springs (3-1, 1-1) won the game 8-0 after jumping out to an early 6-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to three walks, two errors, Schlehuber’s two-run double, and a two-run single from Brody Rutledge.

Alex Dudley and Jackson Turney added RBI singles in the third and fourth innings to pad the lead.

The victory paid back a 4-0 loss to start district action the night before.

The Sandites departed for their annual Spring Break tournament Saturday night and will compete at the Tate Aggie Classic in Pensacola.

Powerlifting

The Lady Sandite powerlifting team took fifth place at the OGPCA State Championship meet with two placers.

Jaden Jordan finished as runner-up at heavyweight, placing fourth in squat (370) and bench (160), while setting the OGPCA State Meet record in deadlift at 420 pounds.

Madison Thompson took fourth place at 220, finishing third in squat (325) and deadlift (330) and fifth in bench (150).

Golf

The Sand Springs varsity boys took second place in their season opener at the Muskogee Golf Invitational at Muskogee Golf Club behind a third-place performance from Zane Downey.

Downey shot 74, Cole Hight shot 78, Mason Ward scored 80, Cameron Villines scored 83, and Drew Paden scored 90.

Eastyn Eardley led the varsity girls with a 104 at their season opener in Sapulpa, Addison Endicott shot 114 and Kaylee Brenner scored 117.

Wrestling

Mitchell Smith was selected to represent the Large East at 150 pounds in the OCA All-State Duals. Smith went 108-35 in his career as a four-time State qualifier and two-time placer.

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

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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.

Sandite Junior High Teams Shut Out Sapulpa in Season Finale

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The Sand Springs junior high football teams ended successful seasons Thursday night at George F. Collins as both the eighth and ninth grade teams won lopsided shutouts against their rivals from Sapulpa.

For the second year in a row, Thomas Parks’s eighth grade unit finished the season atop the conference. The Sandites defeated Sapulpa 38-0 to end the year 7-1 and outscored their opponents 272 to 77.

Their only blemish was an 18-12 week-seven loss to Carver, who they previously defeated 16-6 in week three.

The Sandites had a rough opening drive, but Dawson Jamison forced a turnover on downs for the defense and Sutton Cook got the visitors on the board with a one-yard wildcat sneak.

They started the second quarter with a 65-yard scoring strike from Dom Forbes to Cook, and Forbes ran in the two-point conversion to make it 14-0.

Forbes was 7-of-7 passing for 191 yards and two touchdowns on the night and scored another on the ground.

“He’s an unbelievable leader,” said Parks. “He shows up every day, he works hard, he wants to get better. Nobody’s harder on him than himself, but he can really reel it in and lead this football team.”

Brody Wilson hauled in a 33-yard reception to set up a two-yard scoring plunge from Cook and the Sandites led 22-0 at the half.

Gabe Harris scored on a 20-yard reception to open the third quarter and Kendell Page added a two-point run.

Kaden Pope forced a fumble on the Chieftains’ next drive and Kasen McAffrey recovered it to set up Forbes’s one-yard touchdown dive. Jesse Jordan connected with Pope on the two-point toss for the final points of the night.

Cook finished with two catches for 98 yards and also carried the ball six times for 49 yards. Harris had two catches for 43 yards and rushed seven times for 60 yards.

The defense totalled nine tackles for loss, two sacks, two turnovers on downs, two fumble recoveries, and an interception.

Nikyllien Crisp was the top man on defense with six tackles for loss and two sacks. Page almost had a 98-yard pick six on the final play of the game but it was called back for a penalty.

“That whole group is really solid,” said Parks. “It’s team defense all the way around. They fly to the ball, they know how to create turnovers. It’s been a fun group to coach this year.”

The ninth grade ended the season at 5-4 after a 30-0 win against Sapulpa. The team struggled all season with how good it was, as it kept hemorrhaging players to the varsity unit.

Gage Kaiser’s freshmen won the Indian Nations Conference as seventh graders and went undefeated in eighth grade. With eight freshmen on the varsity roster, they were short-handed for the tougher games this season.

“Different dynamic with this group,” said Kaiser. “No matter what, these guys responded to adversity. They were tough.”

Easton Webb was the quarterback the past two years but earned the starting job on varsity this season. Alex Dudley took over from there, but even he was called up for varsity action.

Emory Smittick got to lead the freshmen for the first time against Sapulpa and he delivered with 16 carries for 262 yards and three touchdowns.

“Ninth grade’s kind of different,” said Kaiser. “We mix it up every week. You don’t know who you’re going to have all the time.”

“Emory Smittick had a huge game today. He’s played a little bit of running back for us before. We came out tonight in a kind of wildcat offense and he was great in it.”

Isaac Sensintaffar scored on a one-yard plunge on the opening drive and Smittick added a 41-yard touchdown soon after.

After falling behind 12-0 Sapulpa threatened with a fourth-and-goal from the five-yard line, but Sensintaffar preserved the shutout with a tackle for loss.

Cooper Guardado added another turnover on downs early in the second half and Ge’Vauri Hill scored with a nine-yard run on the next possession.

Smittick added a 17-yard touchdown run to open the fourth, Tatum Wells forced a turnover on downs, and Smittick scored the final points on an eight-yard scamper.

Sensintaffar had three tackles for loss and Guardado totaled five tackles as the defense surrendered only 82 yards.

“(Seinsintaffar and Guardado) are great kids, hard workers. Show up every day, want to get better, and love football,” said Kaiser.

The junior high success bodes well for the varsity program as it’s infused each year with players who know what winning feels like.

“It injects excitement into the program,” said Parks. “Everybody in town knows what’s coming up.”

“I told them from day one, the standard’s the standard. You’ve got to meet the standard that coach (Bobby) Klinck sets for our varsity program, and we’ve got to hold it down here. They did.”

“The Tulsa area has taken notice that Sand Springs is going to get rolling here and we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.”

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

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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.