Sandites Fall 35-18 at No. 4 Stillwater

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Stillwater tried its hardest to lose its Thursday night game to Sand Springs, but even with 190 yards in penalties the Pioneers managed to pull out a 35-18 district win on Homecoming.

The No. 4 ranked defending State Champions improved to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in district action with their fourth consecutive win.

No. 5 Charles Page High School (3-3, 1-2) only trailed 14-10 at halftime but struggled with its own penalties while failing to sustain any momentum on offense.

Despite the loss, head coach Bobby Klinck saw reasons to be optimistic.

“We’ve gotten boat raced the last two times we played these guys,” said Klinck.

“We lost by 50 points I think the last time and then in the playoffs it was like 42 to 6 or something like that. So we’re getting closer and we’re moving forward. I think we’re going to be a good football team towards the end of the year.”

The Sandites did indeed fall 58-7 to Stillwater last season at home, and lost 49-17 in a road playoff game during Klinck’s first season in 2020.

“I was very pleased with how we were able to keep up with their physicality. They’ve hung their hat on physicality for a long time and we’re trying to get to that point. I think that was a big step forward for our football program.”

Sand Springs had an opportunity to set the tone early, forcing a punt and getting a red zone turnover on downs in the first quarter before responding with a seven-minute march downfield.

On their second drive of the game the Sandites converted on three fourth-downs, including a punt fake, before things stalled out when a three-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Page was nullified for holding.

After watching second-and-goal from the three turn into third-and-goal from the 21, the Sandites ultimately settled for a 30-yard field goal from Dawson Puckett to open the second quarter.

Then Pioneer quarterback Chance Acord got hot, throwing for 219 yards and a touchdown while running for 23 yards and another to make it 14-3.

The senior’s two scores sandwiched a three-play drive that ended with Easton Webb’s second interception and momentum was firmly on Stillwater’s side.

The Pioneers forced a quick three-and-out and were working their way downfield again when Gatlin Gunn forced a fumble at midfield that Landyn Barnes recovered to give the Sandites new life.

Sand Springs turned the ball over on downs inside the Pioneer red zone, but forced a punt and got one last opportunity with two minutes remaining in the half.

On a second-and-eight from his own 32-yard line, Webb scrambled right from a collapsing pocket and lobbed a 20-yard pass down the sideline to Wyatt Rutledge who won a 68-yard foot race Talon Kendrick for the touchdown.

The chunk play left enough time on the clock for Stillwater to respond with a seven-play, 51-yard march, but Brodey Long’s 37-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Alex Dudley to end the half.

The two teams took turns trading three-and-outs to open the second half but the Pioneers managed to pad their lead with a 41-yard scamper by Holden Thompson.

Thompson added another score on a seven-yard run with 8:30 left to play to make it 28-10.

Sand Springs didn’t give up and put together a four-minute march downfield, scoring on a four-yard fourth-and-goal keeper by Webb. Page punched in a two-point run for the Sandites’ final points of the game.

Stillwater successfully covered an onside kick attempt but the Sandites quickly forced a three-and-out to keep the momentum.

Then the magic ran out. Sand Springs went for it on fourth-and-six and an errant snap traveled over Webb’s head and resulted in a turnover on downs deep in Sandite territory.

Four plays later and Thompson punched in his third touchdown from 25 yards out.

Sand Springs returned to the red zone once again with 13 seconds left but Webb was picked off for a third time by Kendrick to seal the victory for the home team.

Webb finished the night 15-of-33 for 168 yards and three interceptions as the Sandites once again failed to establish much of a downfield passing game. Sand Springs has only surpassed 200 passing yards once this season, with backup QB Jace Arnold at the helm in Week 3.

“The wind picked up a little bit and I think that kind of made some of his balls sail,” said Klinck. “But the kid showed toughness. He’s just a sophomore - he’s only going to get better.”

“I think it’s just the timing. It’s an all-new receiving corps. So I think as it gets going, we’re going to figure it out. I think we’re going to be a good football team moving forward.”

Rutledge led the Sandite receiving corps with three catches for 96 yards on the night while Ali McCoy led the ground attack with 12 carries for 86 yards.

Owen Floyd led the defense with 11 tackles and one fumble recovery; Dudley had 10 tackles and a blocked kick; Gunn had nine tackles and a forced fumble; Hunter Wilson had nine tackles; and Barnes had seven tackles, a fumble recovery, and three pass deflections.

For Stillwater, Acord was 27-of-38 passing for 325 yards. Trey Tuck had eight catches for 91 yards and Holden Thompson had 22 carries for 148 yards.

“The program is moving in the right direction,” said Klinck.“It’s just how soon are we going to get there? Are they willing to sacrifice and work to get there sooner?”

“We’re going to be a good football team towards the end of the year. I know it in my heart. I’m excited to get back to work.”

Sand Springs will return to action with another Thursday night road game at No. 10 Putnam City West (3-2, 0-2). Stillwater will travel to No. 6 Bartlesville (2-3, 2-0) next Thursday.

Box Score

Stillwater 35 CPHS 18
1Q: 0-0.
2Q: Stillwater 14-10.
3Q: Stillwater 7-0.
4Q: Stillwater 14-8.
First Downs Stillwater 19, CPHS 12.
Passing: Stillwater 27-38-325-0, CPHS 16-36-171-3.
Rushing: Stillwater 33-178, CPHS 38-126.
Offense: Stillwater 71-503, CPHS 74-297.
Fumbles-Lost: Stillwater 3-2, CPHS 1-0.
Penalties: Stillwater 17-190, CPHS 8-75.

Scoring Summary

2Q (11:56) - Puckett 30-yard Field Goal, CPHS 3-0.
2Q (9:28) - Jones 17-yard Pass from Acord, Long Kick, Stillwater 7-3.
2Q (7:21) - Acord 2-yard Run, Long Kick, Stillwater 14-3.
2Q (1:46) - Rutledge 68-yard Pass from Webb, Puckett Kick, Stillwater 14-10.
3Q (8:26) - Thompson 41-yard Run, Long Kick, Stillwater 21-10.
4Q (8:30) - Thompson 7-yard Run, Long Kick, Stillwater 28-10.
4Q (4:19) - Webb 4-yard Run, Page Run, Stillwater 28-18.
4Q (1:18) - Thompson 25-yard Run, Long Kick, Stillwater 35-18.

Sandite Football Falls 51-13 to No. 1 Muskogee on the Road

With under six minutes in the opening half, junior running back Ali McCoy took a handoff on the first play of the drive, rolled out around the right side of his line and engaged in a one-on-six foot race, taking the ball 72 yards to the house.

No. 5 Charles Page High School (2-2, 0-1) pulled within a field goal of No. 1 Muskogee (3-1, 1-0) in a district-opening road game.

From there it was all Muskogee. The Roughers scored 35 unanswered points and prevailed 51-13 to solidify their status as the team to beat in Class 6A-II. 

“I got totally out-coached,” said head coach Bobby Klinck. “That’s a really good football team, a really good coaching staff. I’ve got to do a better job of getting our kids in a position to make plays.”

“We’ll go back to the drawing board. This coaching staff will do better and we’ll figure some things out.”

The Sandites have had a tough time with athletic quarterbacks this season. Sapulpa quarterback Colton Howard passed for 379 yards in the season opener. Ponca City’s Tay Moore passed for 151 yards and ran for 153 last week. 

Muskogee junior star Jamarian Ficklin, who holds a handful of Division I offers, presented the same issue, passing for 215 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 152 yards and five more scores. 

“I thought we could get pressure on him,” said Klinck. “That guy did an unbelievable job of eluding and making some big plays with his feet. He’s an outstanding football player.”

Sand Springs opened the game strong with Gatlin Gunn breaking up a third-and-long around midfield to force a punt. The senior earned a single-digit jersey this week for his strong performance against Ponca.

Ficklin’s punt, however, was downed at the three-yard line and Treyveon Houston took down Kenneth Page for a safety two plays later.

Sand Springs forced another punt soon after and put together a 12-play, 46-yard drive, converting on third and fourth down before Deyonn Bowler broke up a fourth-down pass intended for Caleb Goodman.

Muskogee ended the first period with a strong drive, setting up a two-yard plunge from Ficklin on the first play of the second quarter to go up 9-0.

The visitors quickly responded with a 9-play, 74-yard march to score on a 34-yard strike from Easton Webb to Goodman, who also received a single-digit uniform this week.

Not to be outdone, the Roughers used only four plays to score, padding their lead with a 43-yard run from Ficklin.

19 seconds later came McCoy’s marathon touchdown, but from there it was all Muskogee.

Ficklin scored on a 14-yard run, Sand Springs went three-and-out, then Ficklin tossed a five-yard strike to Ondraye Beasley to end the half up 30-13.

Sand Springs punted three times in the second half, lost a fumble to Bowler, and ended the game with a 9-play, 49-yard march that ran out of time inside the Rougher red zone.

“We’ve got to do better at sustaining some drives and not hurting ourselves,” said Klinck.

Muskogee scored on three of its four fourth-quarter possessions, punting once. Ficklin added scoring runs of four and two yards while Israel Martin added the last two-yard dive.

Webb was 8-of-16 passing for 77 yards in his first game back after a shoulder injury against Bixby. Goodman had four catches for 50 yards to lead the receiving corps.

McCoy led the Sandite offense with 10 carries for 107 yards. 

Ficklin ended the night 16-of-23 for 215 yards while carrying 18 times for 152 yards. Kayden McGee had six catches for 93 yards and Martin had 13 carries for 83 yards.

Defensively Sand Springs was led by Gunn with nine tackles and three pass deflections, followed by Alex Dudley and Dallas Elifrits with eight tackles apiece.

Next up for the Sandites is Homecoming against No. 6 Tahlequah (1-3, 1-0), who is fresh off a 29-19 win against No. 9 Putnam City West (3-1, 0-1).

“Next week is a really good football team,” said Klinck. “We can’t afford to take anybody lightly. We’ve got to go to work. We’ve got to figure out how we can sustain drives and how we can get people off the damn field.”

Last year the Sandites won 25-21 on the road after falling behind 21-6 early in the game. Sand Springs leads the all-time series 14-8-1 against the Tigers.

Muskogee 51 CPHS 13

1Q: MHS 2-0.
2Q: MHS 28-13.
3Q: MHS 7-0.
4Q: MHS 14-0.

First Downs: MHS 23, CPHS 11.
Passing: MHS 16-23-215-0, CPHS 9-17-85-0.
Rushing: MHS 39-297, CPHS 29-160.
Offense: MHS 62-512, CPHS 46-245.
Fumbles/Lost: MHS 2/0, CPHS 3/1.
Penalties: MHS 10-93, CPHS 8-37.

Scoring Summary

1Q (8:41): Houston Safety, MHS 2-0.
2Q (11:52): Ficklin 16-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 9-0.
2Q (7:14): Goodman 34-yard Pass from Webb, Kick Blocked, MHS 9-6.
2Q (5:56): Ficklin 43-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 16-6.
2Q (5:37): McCoy 72-yard Run, Puckett Kick, MHS 16-13.
2Q (1:53): Ficklin 14-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 23-13.
2Q (0:03): Beasley 5-yard Pass from Ficklin, Espinosa Kick, MHS 30-13.
3Q (4:51): Ficklin 4-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 37-13.
4Q (11:56): Ficklin 2-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 44-13.
4Q (4:52): Chaplin, 2-yard Run, Espinosa Kick, MHS 51-13).

Sandites Fall 41-14 to Booker T. Washington in Second Half Shutout

At halftime it looked like the district meeting between No. 5 Booker T. Washington (5-4, 4-2) and No. 6 Sand Springs (5-4, 3-3) would end up in a down-to-the-wire battle.

Instead, the Hornets held the Sandites to 48 yards in a second-half shutout to clinch third place in District 6AII-2.

The Hornets prevailed 41-14 on Senior Night behind a dominant defensive effort and a typical performance from Arkansas-commit Micah Tease, who finished the night with four catches for 162 yard and four touchdowns.

“He’s just an outstanding player,” said third-year head coach Jonathan Brown. “That’s why he’s committed to Arkansas. He’s a D1-caliber player. We’ve just got to find good ways to get him the ball. If we do that, we’ll be fine.”

The Hornets took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter after Lathan Boone flipped a 12-yard shovel pass to Tease as he was getting tackled on a designed keeper. Then Boone ran in the second score from 10 yards out.

The Sandites scored on a 20-yard pass from Easton Webb to Jabe Schlehuber early in the second, but Tease responded with a 58-yard reception to go up 20-7.

RJ Smittick blocked the point-after and the Sandites made it a one-possession game with an 11-yard pass from Webb to Brody Rutledge with 1:55 in the half.

It looked like momentum was on the Sandites’ side after Dallas Elifrits made a huge sack on the Hornets’ ensuing possession, but Boone responded by airing out a 49-yard completion to Grayson Chalk and soon scored on an 11-yard toss to Tease. Boone added a two-point scamper on a fake kick.

“(At halftime) we just told our guys to play harder and play tighter,” said Brown.

“We were making a few little mistakes throughout the first half. We just tidied those up as far as playing tight and getting our hands on the receivers. We were just letting them run so I thought we did a really good job of getting them off their lanes and making it tough for them.”

The Hornets ended the night with 14 tackles for loss and Elias Sherman had three sacks in crucial moments.

“Elias has been doing a good job for us all year,” said Brown. “He’s one of our captains. He’s a big time player for us and I think he’s one of the most unstoppable players in Oklahoma right now. He dominates up front and we’ve just got to make sure we get him in one-on-one situations.”

Washington held a typically lethal Sandite run game to negative yardage in the second half.

“Our whole philosophy on defense is to make them one dimensional or take what they do well and take it away from them. I thought we did a good job on defense of taking away the run and forcing them to pass.”

Midway through the third quarter Daylin Mayes blocked Jonathan Daniels’ punt in the end zone and Jayden Oates recovered it for the touchdown. Then Tease added an 81-yard scoring reception late in the third for the final points of the game.

“We’ve just got to keep getting better,” said Brown. “Just keep grinding.”

Washington will return to action Friday at Putnam City West (3-6, 1-5) while the Sandites will host U.S. Grant (0-9, 0-6) in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

BTW;14;14;13;0--;41

CPHS;0;14;0;0--;14

First Quarter
BTW - Tease 12 pass from Boone (Patel kick), 9:59
BTW - Boone 10 run (Patel kick), 5:38

Second Quarter
CPHS - Schlehuber 20 pass from Webb (Daniels kick), 9:28
BTW - Tease 58 pass from Boone (kick failed), 8:48
CPHS - Rutledge 11 pass from Webb (Daniels kick), 1:55
BTW - Tease 11 pass from Boone (Boone run), 0:29

Third Quarter
BTW - Oates blocked punt return (Patel kick), 6:17
BTW - Tease 81 pass from Boone (kick failed), 3:10

Fourth Quarter

Team Statistics

First Downs: BTW 16, CPHS 9. Rushes-Yards: BTW 24-146, CPHS 33-41. Comp-Att-Int: BTW 18-33-0, CPHS 14-22-0. Passing Yards: BTW 355, CPHS 126. Total Yards: BTW 501, CPHS 167. Fumbles-Lost: BTW 1-0, CPHS 1-1. Penalty Yards: BTW 85, CPHS 26. Punts-AVG: BTW 3-33.3, CPHS 9-32.5. Records: BTW 5-4 (4-2), CPHS (5-4, 3-3).

Stillwater Throttles Sandites 58-7 on the Gridiron

The top-ranked Stillwater football team looked like a well oiled machine when it rolled into Memorial Stadium Friday night. The Pioneers dominated No. 6 Sand Springs to the tune of 58-7 to improve to 6-0 on the season.

“In the first half we played really well,” said Stillwater head coach Tucker Barnard. “Really good on both sides of the ball.”

A mild understatement. The Pioneers scored on six of seven possessions while holding the Sandites to only 24 yards of offense for a 44-0 halftime lead.

“Threw the ball really well, protected really well. Pretty pleased with that,” said Barnard. “Defense was pretty dominant in the first half. Just gotta finish. I think we came out a little flat in the second half

Senior quarterback Gage Gundy was 21-of-31 passing for 309 yards and only played two series in the second half, scoring five total touchdowns.

Junior star Heston Thompson helped his already exceptional quarterback look even better with 134 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone.

“He’s a great player,” said Barnard. “He’s got great speed. He’s getting better and better as far as being a receiver. He’s running great routes, he’s continuing to improve there. He’s a kid that’s always been, on grade level, better than everybody else around him. Now in high school he’s really learning how to be better at the craft.”

Thompson scored on receptions of 27, 19, 49, and 5 yards, while Josh Ford added a 6-yard scoring reception in the first half.

Julius Talley also got on the board, tackling Jonathan Daniels for a safety after the Sandite punter lost a high snap over his head late in the second quarter.

Noah Roberts scored on a pair of one-yard runs and ended the night with 12 carries for 93 yards, while Ondre Long also had a one-yard touchdown dive.

The Sandites moved the ball fairly well in the second half behind Kehlan Corbbrey, who ended the night with 18 carries for 96 yards. The freshman running back averted the shutout with a 5-yard plunge late in the third.

“Coach (Bobby) Klinck has things heading in the right direction for sure,” said Barnard. “They’re playing with a ninth grader at quarterback. They’re playing the second half with a ninth grader at tailback. The future’s really good here.”

Stillwater will play its last home game of the regular season Thursday against No. 9 Bartlesville (3-3, 2-1) before going on the road for the rest of the season.

“We’re a long way from perfection,” said Barnard. “We’ve got a lot of work to do and it doesn’t get easy. So we’ve got to keep our foot on the gas.”

“Little bit of road warrior mentality right now, but that’s okay. I don’t love it. We wouldn’t have set it up that way on purpose, but it’s probably good for us to have a test on the road a little bit. We’re going to have to win on the road in the playoffs.”

Sand Springs will host Putnam City West (2-4, 0-3). The Sandites lead the Patriots 4-0 all time.

Stillwater;14;30;14;0–;58
CPHS;0;0;7;0–;7

First Quarter
ST - Thompson 27 pass from Gundy (Grant kick), 10:36
ST - Thompson 19 pass from Gundy (Grant kick), 5:09

Second Quarter
ST - Ford 6 pass from Gundy (Grant kick), 11:54
ST - Thompson 49 pass from Gundy (Grant kick), 9:57
ST - Thompson 5 pass from Gundy (Grant kick), 5:36
ST - Talley safety, 3:47
ST - Roberts 1 run (Grant kick), 2:31

Third Quarter
ST - Roberts 1 run (Grant kick), 8:39
ST - Long 1 run (Grant kick), 4:29
CPHS - Corbbrey 5 run (Daniels kick), 1:50

Team Statistics

First Downs: ST 21, CPHS 15. Rushes-Yards: ST 28-157, CPHS 43-137. Comp-Att-In: ST 27-41-0, CPHS 10-18-2. Passing Yards: ST 373, CPHS 39. Total Yards: ST 530, CPHS 176. Fumbles-Lost: ST 1-0, CPHS 4-3. Penalty Yards: ST 70, CPHS 30. Punts-AVG: ST 2-45.5, CPHS 5-39.6. Records: ST 6-0 (3-0), CPHS 3-3 (1-2).

Sandites Drop District Opener to Muskogee

It was a tale of three games Friday night at Memorial Stadium. The No. 6 Muskogee Roughers improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2019 with a 48-26 win at No. 7 Sand Springs (2-2) to open district action. 

Muskogee stormed out to a 27-0 first quarter lead that could easily have turned into a blowout, but it was only 27-26 to start the fourth quarter.

Then the wheels came off the wagon for the resurgent Sandites who committed five penalties in the fourth quarter, surrendered an onside kick, and threw two interceptions. 

“I was very happy with our kids,” said second-year Muskogee coach Travis Hill, whose Roughers were 2-8 last season.

“They showed a lot of composure. It was a little emotional because when you work with a bunch of kids you get in environments that they have failed in before. So when they don’t fail, it’s very exciting.”

“Kudos to our kids, that’s what it’s all about. That’s what we’re all here for. It’s for those guys to go out and continue to grow up and use football as a tool to make them better people.”

Sophomore star Jamarian Ficklin ended the night 16-of-29 for 269 yards passing, with six touchdowns to one interception. 

“He’s special,” said Hill. “Jamarian Ficklin’s a quarterback. He’s not just an athlete. He’s the leader of our football team. Very, very special person. Not just a special football player, but a special person. Go look at his grades, go look at what he does off the field in the community.”

The Roughers forced three-and-outs on the Sandites’ first three possessions while scoring on their first four drives for a stunning 27-0 lead in the first quarter.

Ficklin scored on a 7-yard screen to Anthony Watson, a 61-yard strike to Kayden McGee, and a 51-yard throw to Brandon Tolbert. Ondraye Beasley added an 85-yard run for the only touchdown not thrown by Ficklin.

He then added a 61-yard scoring strike to McGee and a 51-yard touchdown to Tolbert to make it 21-0.

Jayden Bell’s two-point pass was broken up, however, and the Sandites began to build momentum.

Kenneth Page cashed in on a 17-yard run, then Kyle Morrall recovered a muffed kick to set up a two-yard scoring dive from Page.

Cody Cramer snagged a pick on the Roughers’ second-half opening possession and Easton Webb connected with Brody Rutledge soon after on a 26-yard touchdown.

Webb kept on a fourth-down one-yard plunge with six seconds left in the third, but Muskogee got back to its winning ways in the fourth.

Ficklin tossed a 62-yard score to Jayden Bell, then Sandite penalties resulted in an onside kick from the 30-yard line. 

Tolbert recovered the kick and Ficklin found Watson from nine yards out. Soon after he added a 20-yard strike to Beasley for the final points of the game.

Beasley ended the night with 103 yards on only four carries to go with 13 yards on two receptions. Bell led the Rougher receivers with three catches for 95 yards.

Sandite freshman Webb was 18-of-27 for 251 yards and three interceptions in his first varsity start and Page had 31 carries for 147 yards. Rutledge had five catches for 105 yards to lead the receiving corps. 

Sand Springs will return to action Friday at Tahlequah (2-2, 1-0) in its first meeting with the Tigers since 2007. Muskogee will host Putnam City West (2-2, 0-1) Friday.

Muskogee;27;0;0;21–;48
Sand Springs; 0;13;13;0–;26

1Q: Muskogee - Watson 7 pass from Ficklin (Armstrong kick), 7:39
1Q: Muskogee - McGee 61 pass from Ficklin (Armstrong kick), 6:06
1Q: Muskogee - Tolbert 51 pass from Ficklin (Armstrong kick), 3:28
1Q: Muskogee - Beasley 85 run (pass failed), 0:03
2Q: Sand Springs - Page 17 run (kick failed), 9:21
2Q: Sand Springs - Page 2 run (Daniels kick), 5:43
3Q: Sand Springs - Rutledge 26 pass from Webb (Daniels kick), 7:22
3Q: Sand Springs - Webb 1 run (pass failed) 0:06
4Q: Muskogee - Bell 62 pass from Ficklin (Armstrong kick), 10:29
4Q: Muskogee - Watson 9 pass from Ficklin (Armstrong kick), 9:40
4Q: Muskogee - Beasley 20 pass from Ficklin (Armstrong kick), 5:37

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: MUS 9, SS 22. C-A-Y-I: Rushes-Yards: MUS 27-314, SS 50-161. Comp-Att-In: MUS 16-29-1, SS 18-27-3. Passing Yards: MUS 269, SS 251. Total Yards: MUS 460, SS 416. Fumbles-Lost: MUS 3-3, SS 5-3. Penalty Yards: MUS 65, SS 150. Punts-AVG: MUS 2-25.5, SS 3-42. Records: MUS 4-0 (1-0), SS 2-2 (0-1). 

Sandites show promise in 24-7 preseason loss at Jenks

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

It would be easy to try and justify the Sandites’ 24-7 preseason loss to the defending 6A-1 State Champions from Jenks.

After all, the Trojan program has twice the enrollment of Sand Springs, a wealthier community, and a blue blood tradition that includes 18 gold balls. 

But third-year Charles Page High School coach Bobby Klinck doesn’t make excuses for his team and he doesn’t let them make excuses for themselves. 

“I was a little disappointed in the way we came out,” said Klinck. 

“Obviously it’s Jenks. They over-physicalled us a little bit, but what we’ve been trying to instill in these guys is a belief in themselves that no matter who we’re playing, you have an opportunity.”

Klinck doesn’t shy away from giants, hence why the Sandites eagerly scheduled Jenks in the preseason and 6A-1 No. 3 Bixby in the second game of the year. 

“We’re never going to back down and I want our guys to know what that looks like and feels like,” said Klinck.

“We’ve just got to keep grinding, keep pushing. We’re going to keep getting better. I’m never satisfied, but we’re gonna keep getting better.”

The Sandites enter next week’s season opener ranked fifth in Class 6A-2 at 5A No. 9 Sapulpa in the 96th installment of Highway 97 Rivalry. 

It still remains to be seen who will be under center for Sand Springs. 

The obvious front runner is Kiefer move-in Marek Matheson. The 6’2”, 225-pound senior showed confidence and promise as he led his new team on their first four series. 

Matheson was 2-of-4 passing for 15 yards and was sacked twice while the team primarily leaned on Kenneth Page’s 9 carries for 26 yards.

On the final drive of the game, they turned to freshman Easton Webb, who methodically led a 12-play, 65-yard scoring drive against a Trojan unit that had swapped out many of the starters. 

Webb was 6-of-9 for 43 yards and connected on a 14-yard touchdown to Brody Rutledge to avert the shutout. 

“(Matheson)’s been getting the majority of the reps with the ones, but just like anything, whoever’s the week one starter doesn’t mean they’ll be the starter the next week. That’s for every position. It’s a constant, competitive deal every week.”

Jenks’ quarterback Ike Owens was 7-of-10 passing for 98 yards and one score while Jaiden Carroll carried the ball nine times for 79 yards and two touchdowns. 

“We’ve got to become better tacklers, be more physical, and come better mentally prepared,” said Klinck. 

The Trojans scored on each of their drives in the two-quarter game that didn’t allow punt returns or rushing the kicker, and each team started their possessions at the 35-yard line in lieu of a kickoff. 

Jonathan Daniels averaged 38 yards per punt for the Sandites while Drake Fain, Carder Hoffman, Dallas Elifrits, and Dominic Ornelas led the defense. 

The Sandites played a clean game with no penalties or fumbles. 

“I think Kenneth (Page) did a better job running the ball and you know we’ve got two of the best receivers,” said Klinck, referencing Rutledge and Jacob Blevins.

“If we can give our quarterbacks time to get the ball off, we’ve got opportunities in jump ball situations. They’re going to make great catches for us this year.”

Sand Springs is coming off an 8-4 campaign and will see some new faces in district action. The Sandites’ district replaced Bixby, Ponca City, and Choctaw with Stillwater, U.S. Grant, and Tahlequah, while retaining Booker T. Washington, Muskogee, Bartlesville, and Putnam City West. 

The first home game of the year will be September 16th in a non-district battle against Ponca at 7:00 p.m.