Every week, some poor soul has the task of trying to get his team to buy into the idea of toppling Bixby. Since 2018, only one team has managed the feat.
Seven of those coaches are district opponents. They have no choice but to suit up against the top-ranked Spartans. But three choose to play the five-time defending State Champions in non-district play, including Sand Springs head man Bobby Klinck.
“When they call me to schedule an appointment, I’m going to say yes,” said Klinck, following a 61-7 Spartan victory Friday night at Memorial Stadium.
“And it’s not going to get any easier next year when we play them and then we play Owasso as well. So let’s go. We’re not going to shy away. You want to play big boy football? You got to play big boys and that’s what we’re going to do around here.”
The Sandites actually kept things competitive for a while.
Last season the Sandites trailed 25-0 by the end of the first quarter - this time around it was only 14-0.
The home team went three-and-out on three of its first-quarter possessions. The fourth ended in an interception.
But they also got some key stops.
Bixby scored on its third offensive play, a 12-yard pass from Carson Kirby to Sam McCormick, but on the next Spartan drive Gatlin Gunn came up with an 18-yard interception.
Then the Spartans were forced into a rare three-and-out.
With less than a minute remaining in the quarter it was only 7-0 Bixby. By that same minute mark of their first two games the Spartans led Owasso and Springdale Har-Ber 21-0.
“After that first quarter it’s 14-0, we made a few plays, we got the pick, we stopped them,” said Klinck. “You could feel the stadium - the air kind of sucked out. And then they get a big-time football play.”
The big-time football play was an interception from Kordell Gouldsby to set up a hurry-up five-play 72-yard scoring drive. Clay Peters, the second head of the Spartans’ three-QB system, punched in a 15-yard run with 14 seconds left in the quarter.
Then the Spartan machine came roaring to life.
Gouldsby opened the second quarter with a 64-yard punt return for a touchdown. Jett Turner made a fourth-down sack in Sandite territory to set up a 5-yard scoring wildcat run by Cooper Parker. Turner made another fourth-down sack to set up a 33-yard TD run from Gouldsby.
Gouldsby ran in one more score on an 11-yard reception from Kirby to end the half 41-0. Still better than last year’s 53-0 halftime deficit, but a far cry from the “close game” it felt like just a half hour earlier.
“You’ve got to go make tackles,” said Klinck. “Number one (Gouldsby)’s an incredible football player, but we’ve got guys in position. You’ve got to go make plays.”
Sand Springs forced another three-and-out to open the second half and put together its most successful drive thus far, picking up three first-downs to knock on the gates of the Bixby red zone before starting quarterback Easton Webb took a late hit out of bounds and suffered what appeared to be a shoulder injury. He did not reenter the game.
“I think he’s going to be okay,” said Klinck. “We’re just going to evaluate him and make sure he’s okay, but we’ll see what happens.”
Webb ended the night 6-of-12 passing for 34 yards and one interception. Senior backup Jace Arnold took over and was 3-of-6 for 13 yards and two interceptions against the stingy Spartan secondary.
“It’s tough,” said Klinck. “I haven’t had him take any live snaps except for a wildcat and to go against a team like that - it’s tough. I thought he did a good job of just being calm and running the offense.”
Arnold’s first snap was a successful 9-yard screen to Ali McCoy, but his next was just in and out of the hands of Caleb Goodman for a turnover on downs.
Bixby responded with an 11-yard pass from Kirby to Garrett Vaughn to go up 48-0. Three plays later and Tyler Wright returned a 21-yard pick six. Then he returned a 41-yard pick six early in the fourth to go up 61-0.
McCoy averted the shutout on the next possession with a 37-yard touchdown run.
The vaunted one-two punch of McCoy and Kenneth Page was held to 109 yards on 25 carries just two weeks after combining for 316 yards in the Sandites’ season opener.
McCoy racked up 60 yards on 12 caries while Page had 49 yards on 13 carries.
Defensively the Sandites were led by Alex Dudley with 10 tackles, while Gunn and Owen Floyd had 7 apiece. The Sandites totaled two sacks and six tackles for loss on the evening.
Next week the Sandites will travel to Ponca City (0-2) in one of the Sandites’ longest-standing rivalries. The two teams have played in 45 consecutive seasons, with the Sandites leading the series 29-20-1. Ponca last beat the Sandites in 2019.
“I haven’t watched them yet,” said Klinck. “I know coach (Scott) Harmon always has a hard-nosed team and we’re going to have to get ready to play.”
Bixby will take a bye week before Norman North (2-0) takes on the tall task of trying to topple the Spartan giant. .
Box Score
1Q: Bixby 14-0.
2Q: Bixby 27-0.
3Q: Bixby 13-0.
4Q: Tied 7-7.
First Downs: Bixby 13, CPHS 7.
C-A-Y-I: Bixby 15-22-167-1, CPHS 9-18-47-3.
Rushes-Yards: Bixby 34-196, CPHS 35-52.
Plays-Offense: Bixby 56-363, CPHS 53-99.
Fumbles-Lost: Bixby 4-0, CPHS 5-0.
Penalties-Yards: Bixby 18-145, CPHS 8-94.
Scoring Summary
1Q: McCormick 12-yard Pass from Kirby, Nguyen Kick (9:21).
1Q: Peters 15-yard Run, Nguyen Kick (0:14).
2Q: Gouldsby 64-yard Punt Return, Nguyen Kick (9:52).
2Q: Parker 5-yard Run, 2pt Pass Failed (4:41).
2Q: Gouldsby 33-yard Run, Nguyen Kick (2:03).
2Q: Gouldsby 11-yard Pass from Kirby, Nguyen Kick (0:22).
3Q: Vaughn 11-yard Pass from Kirby, Nguyen Kick (3:46).
3Q: Wright 21-yard Interception Return, Kick Failed (2:07).
4Q: Wright 41-yard Interception Return, Nguyen Kick (7:47).
4Q: McCoy 37-yard Run, Puckett Kick (5:38).
