Football Preview: Sandites Travel to Putnam West on Thursday

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The Class 6A-II No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School football team (3-3, 1-2) is headed to No. 9 Putnam City West (3-3, 0-3) for a Thursday night district showdown at Patriot Stadium.

Sand Springs is coming off a 35-18 road loss to No. 4 Stillwater and looking to get back to .500 in district play while the Patriots are coming off a 31-28 loss to No. 6 Bartlesville and are looking for their first district win after an 0-3 run.

Patriot Stadium is located on the campus of Putnam City West High School at 8500 NW 23rd, Oklahoma City. The new 2019 stadium has a capacity of 3558, with limited visitor seating available in the north end zone. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

The game will be the sixth meeting in a series that Sand Springs owns 5-0. The two teams first met in 2016 when the Sandites prevailed 29-24 in a non-district home game. They won the next year 28-14 on the road.

The first district meeting was a 51-13 rout in 2020 that remains the highest-scoring and most lopsided in the series. The Sandites won 44-7 in 2021 and 44-14 in 2022.

Ali McCoy ran for 162 yards and five touchdowns in last year’s meeting.

Sand Springs has proven it can win in the trenches and run the ball against almost anybody this season, averaging 190 rushing yards per game. The Sandites have struggled to mesh in the passing game, however, averaging only 121 yards by air.

The task against Putnam West will be to get promising sophomore quarterback Easton Webb, who missed one game with injury, in sync with an all-new receiving corps. With only four games left till the playoffs, the Sandite offense needs to work on being more multidimensional.

Webb was 15-of-33 last week against Stillwater, throwing for 168 yards and three interceptions. Wyatt Rutledge had three catches for a team-high 96 yards while McCoy ran the ball 12 times for 86 yards.

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

On the season:

Webb is 39-of-54 for 514 yards, 3 TDs, and 6 INTs with 1 rushing TD. Caleb Goodman has 25 catches for 319 yards and 3 TDs.

Kenneth Page has 93 carries for 489 yards and 6 TDs plus 1 TD reception. McCoy has 74 carries for 643 yards and 8 TDs.

Dawson Puckett is 19-of-22 on PATs and 1-of-1 on field goals, connecting from 30 yards on his only attempt.

The defense is led by Floyd with 48 tackles, Gunn with 35 tackles, Dudley with 33 tackles, and Waylon Jeffers with 29 tackles. Dudley and Gunn each have two interceptions.

Sandites Survive Wildcats 27-14 Behind Strong Secondary and Sturdy Backup QB

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Caleb Goodman hauled in 6 catches for 88 yards and a TD against Ponca City. (Photo by Charity Emigh).

After rallying from a 21-0 halftime deficit with two third-quarter touchdowns, momentum was on the side of the Ponca City Wildcats.

But Sand Springs had an answer. After rushing the ball for only 64 yards through the first three quarters, the Sandites finally put together a methodical 15-play, 95-yard march to chew up more than seven minutes of clock in the fourth quarter.

The three-pronged attack of Ali McCoy, Kenneth Page, and Jace Arnold combined for 63 yards on the ground, capped by a four-yard plunge from Page to restore the two-score lead with only 2:12 remaining.

Then it was time for the defense to do what it had been doing all night.

Wildcat star quarterback Tay Moore juked and jived his way as far as the Sand Springs 22-yard line before the magic ran out. Owen Floyd and Hudson Sheppard combined on one sack, then Waylon Jeffers wrapped up another.

Moore tried to dump a pass off on Brody Wicker, but Dallas Elifrits drilled the senior receiver to make it 4th and 13. Finally, under pressure from Sheppard and Marcum Sims with nowhere to go but Elifrits’s open arms, he chucked the ball out of bounds for the turnover on downs and the game was secure.

Final score 27-13 - the Sandites earned their fourth consecutive win against the Wildcats (0-3).

6A-II No. 5 Sand Springs (2-1) entered the game on uncertain footing after losing starting quarterback Easton Webb to a shoulder injury last week against Bixby, but senior backup Jace Arnold showed his moxie, going 9-of-10 for 153 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

“I felt pretty good,” said Arnold. “I wasn’t nervous coming in. I felt way more prepared this week. We got a good game plan - couldn’t have done it without the coaches’ game plan and everything worked out how we wanted it to work out.”

Arnold, an Allen County Community College baseball commit, ended the night 13-of-23 for 207 yards with another 17 yards on four carries.

“That’s a young man that played as a freshman, quit as a sophomore to concentrate on baseball, but decided he missed it too much and came back,” said head coach Bobby Klinck.

“And now he’s able to come out here and help us win a football game. That kid’s an outstanding young man - I’m so proud of that kid.”

Arnold’s first touchdown pass of the season came on a 40-yard wheel route by Page on the Sandites’ opening drive.

Early in the second quarter he connected on a 56-yard toss to Caleb Goodman to set up a 1-yard dive from McCoy. Then he added a 22-yard dime to Goodman to go up 21-0 with 1:05 in the half.

“I played (quarterback) fairly often when I was younger, so I know a lot of these guys on the starting lineup,” said Arnold. “We’ve had that (connection) for a while, so I feel pretty good getting out there again and throwing it around.”

His primary target was Goodman, who had six catches for 88 yards, followed by Page with four catches for 66 yards. Wyatt Rutledge had 41 yards on a single reception.

Page also had 76 rushing yards on 21 carries.

While the effectiveness of the offense with a new general was a pleasant surprise, it was the defense that often stole the show, coming away with eight tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions, and six pass deflections.

Moore ended the night 15-of-26 passing for only 151 yards after throwing for over 250 last year against the Sandites.

The Sandite secondary effectively shut down his passing game with three picks in the first half, including two from sophomore Alex Dudley, who was elected as a defensive captain by his team this year.

“I’m glad that the team can count on me,” said Dudley. “As a sophomore, it really means a lot.”

Dudley made his first interception at the Sandites’ 7-yard line to prevent a potential game-tying drive early in the second quarter. His second came in the endzone and he returned that as far as the 30-yard line before being tackled.

“Coach Klinck calls great plays and puts me in a great position to make plays,” said Dudley. “When it comes to me, I’m going to try and make a play, no matter what.”

Dudley wasn’t the only playmaker in the Sandite secondary. Landyn Barnes broke up a fourth-down pass attempt early in the second quarter and Gatlin Gunn picked off Moore to end the half.

“It’s easy to play with those guys,” said Dudley. “It’s like a brotherhood. It’s amazing. I think we just click so well it makes everything easy.”

“They stepped up today,” said Klinck. “They were playing with a bunch of confidence…they’ve been working their tails off and it’s starting to show.”

The dual-threat Moore punished the Sandites with his legs, however, carrying the ball 15 times for 143 yards.

On a fourth-and-three early in the second half he got loose for a 44-yard touchdown run, then connected on a 15-yard touchdown toss to Wicker with 3:18 in the third.

The Wildcat defense was highly effective in the third, with Teegan Hodgson getting an interception and Hudson Haas breaking up a fourth-down pass attempt.

Penalties also derailed the Sandites throughout the night. Sand Springs totaled 135 yards on 13 penalties, though Ponca didn’t fare much better with 10 penalties for 80 yards.

“We’ve got to do a much better job of not killing ourselves as a team,” said Klinck. “We’ve been making that a priority. We’ve just got to figure that out.”

“But with Coach (Scott) Harmon, it’s always going to be a difficult game, especially here. These guys aren’t going to quit. They’re well coached, they’ve got good football players. That quarterback’s outstanding.”

“I was proud of our kids for handling adversity. When it got down to 21-14, that was a big-time championship drive at the end of the game.”

Defensively the Sandites were led by Gunn and Sheppard with seven tackles apiece, followed by Jeffers, Christian Freitus, and Floyd with six each. Gunn, Jeffers, and Sheppard had two tackles for loss apiece and Barnes had a team-high three pass deflections.

Sand Springs will really be put to the test next week as it travels to No. 1 Muskogee (2-1) to open district action at Rougher Village.

Last year’s meeting was a wild one as the Roughers took a 27-0 first quarter lead. Sand Springs rallied to 27-26 before Muskogee pulled away to win 48-26.

Jamarian Ficklin passed for 235 yards and six touchdowns in that game while Ondraye Beasley ran for 103 yards and another score. Both of those two are back this year as juniors.

Whether or not Webb will return to lead the Sandites is uncertain as he continues to work through an AC joint sprain, but if Arnold is called back up, he’s ready.

“I’m feeling really comfortable,” said Arnold. “We had a good game this week.”

The defense is also ready to prove itself on an even bigger stage.

“We’re ready,” said Dudley. “We want that. Everyone’s doubting us, don’t think we’re going to win. I’m ready for it. We all are.”

Box Score

CPHS 27 Ponca 14
1Q: CPHS 7-0.
2Q: CPHS 14-0.
3Q: Ponca 14-0.
4Q: CPHS 7-0.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 13-23-207-1, Ponca 15-26-151-3.
Rushing: CPHS 35-129, Ponca 26-183.
Offense: CPHS 58-336, Ponca 52-334.
First Downs: CPHS 14, Ponca 13.
Fumbles-Lost: CPHS 1-0, Ponca 3-0.
Penalties: CPHS 13-135, Ponca 10-80.

Scoring Summary

1Q - Page 40-yard Reception from Arnold, Puckett Kick (7:59).
2Q - McCoy 1-yard Run, Puckett Kick (7:52).
2Q - Goodman 22-yard Reception from Arnold, Puckett Kick (1:05).
3Q - Moore 44-yard Run, Perez Kick (7:06).
3Q - Wicker 15-yard Reception from Moore, Perez Kick (3:18).
4Q - Page 4-yard Run, Kick Blocked (2:12).

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.

Cash Lucas Sparks Sandites to 25-21 Comeback Win at Tahlequah

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Cash Lucas recovered two fumbles Friday night at Doc Wadley Stadium. The second was the spark his team needed to overcome a 21-6 second quarter deficit.

No. 7 Sand Springs (3-2, 1-1) scored 19 unanswered points for a 25-21 victory over No. 8 Tahlequah (2-3, 1-1)  in its first district win of the season.

“Any time you get a road win in 6A Oklahoma high school football, you’ve got to celebrate that,” said Sand Springs coach Bobby Klinck.

The Sandite defense got burned by a 67-yard hook and ladder on the first play from scrimmage when Brody Younger tossed a short pass to Race Stopp, who pitched it to Brayden Northington for the score. 

That one play accounted for nearly a quarter of the Tigers’ offense, however, and the Sandites held Tahlequah to only 65 yards in the second half.

Back-to-back sacks from Dallas Elifrits and Waylon Jeffers put a stop to Tahlequah’s last chance drive late in the fourth and the Sandites escaped with a win.

“I’m more proud of how they responded to some tough plays like that first razzle dazzle,” said Klinck.

“People are going to come after us now. We’re not the same old Sand Springs. People see us as a marquee win, so we’ve got to be ready for that kind of stuff. I’m really proud of the way our guys respond.”

After Tahlequah’s opening score the Sandites put together a 10-play, 56-yard march, but Dylan Leep broke up Easton Webb’s fourth-down pass attempt in the end zone.

Lucas recovered a fumble deep in Tiger territory, but a 28-yard field goal attempt by Jonathan Daniels was no good and the Tigers responded with a 10-play, 80-yard scoring march. 

Younger found Northington wide open on a 9-yard touchdown pass, but the Sandites responded with a 31-yard pass from Webb to Kenneth Page to end the quarter with points on the board. Brody Rutledge’s two-point pass attempt was broken up, however.

Tahlequah opened the second period with an eight-play, 61-yard drive that ended in controversy. A short pass to Eli Gibson appeared to be broken up by Gatlin Gunn, but no whistle was blown.

A full four seconds after everyone else had turned their backs on the ball, Stopp realized it was still live and scooped it up for the touchdown.

After a Sandite turnover on downs and Lucas’s second fumble recovery of the night, the Sandites brought out some trickery of their own.

With 4:47 left in the half, Webb threw a lateral to running back Ali McCoy, who played quarterback in junior high, and the sophomore aired out a 49-yard touchdown pass to Brody Rutledge.

“Anybody on this team - we trust them,” said Klinck. “We put them through a lot around here and we put them through a lot so they make these types of play.”

Rutledge ran the ball for an extra 20 yards after contact, tiptoed the sideline, and dived into the pylon for the score to showcase his athleticism.

“What can you say about him? I mean, he’s just done everything right not only with his talent, but with his work ethic and the way he’s done everything,” said Klinck. “I couldn’t be happier for that young man. It’s all paying off for him.”

A three-and-out set the Sandites up for a 47-yard scoring run by Page, but Jacob Blevins was stopped short on a two-point pass from Rutledge and Tahlequah took a 21-19 lead into the half.

Webb gave his team the lead once and for all on the opening drive of the second half with a three-yard QB draw.

The freshman quarterback ended the night 14-of-24 passing for 201 yards and two total touchdowns. 

Blevins was his top receiver with nine catches for 134 yards, and Page had 32 carries for 208 yards in addition to his 44 receiving yards.

Defensively the team was led by Elifrits, Gunn, and RJ Smittick with six tackles each. Lucas added five. 

Most impactful for the Sandites was their clean performance. After back-to-back games with 150+ yards in penalties, the team only had 30 yards against the Tigers with no unsportsmanlike flags.

“It was a concerted effort to try to eliminate those things,” said Klinck. “We had a nice talk on Sunday and we had to change a few things to make sure that we’re disciplined.”

Younger gave an exemplary performance for the Tigers, going 14-of-17 for 176 passing yards and added 31 more on the ground.

“I just want to give a shoutout to Coach Gilbert over there at Tahlequah,” said Klinck. “I’ve gone against him for a long time and he’s nothing but class. He’s one heck of a football coach and he had those guys ready to play tonight.”

“They’re a team that moved up, but they’re no stranger to big-time football. We knew we were going to get their best shot.”

Next up for the Sandites will be a home test against No. 1 Stillwater (5-0, 2-0). The Pioneers lead the series 31-12-1, winning the most recent meeting 49-17 in the 2020 quarterfinals.

“We’ll look at the tape and make some adjustments, see what we can do, and we’ll get back after it,” said Klinck.

“We’ve got to be ourselves. They’re going to do some different things defensively. We’ve just got to be ourselves and get after it.”

Tahlequah will look to get back to .500 with a road game at No. 6 Muskogee (5-0, 2-0).

Sand Springs;6;13;6;0–;25
Tahlequah;14;7;0;0–;21

1Q: THS - Northington 67 pass from Younger (Jimerson kick), 11:45
1Q: THS - Northington 9 pass from Younger (Jimerson kick), 0:59
1Q: CPHS - Page 31 pass from Webb (pass failed), 0:00
2Q: THS - Stopp 4 fumble return (Jimerson kick), 8:35
2Q: CPHS - Rutledge 49 pass from McCoy (Daniels kick), 5:37
3Q: CPHS - Webb 3 run (pass failed), 6:13

TEAM STATISTICS

First Downs: CPHS 19, THS 13. Rushes-Yards: CPHS 44-201, THS 30-105. Comp-Att-Int: CPHS 14-24-0, THS 14-17-0. Passing Yards: CPHS 201, THS 176. Total Yards: CPHS 402, THS 281. Fumbles-Lost: CPHS 5-1, THS 6-2. Penalty Yards: CPHS 30, THS 65. Punts-AVG: CPHS 1-28, THS 4-36.5. Records: CPHS 3-2 (1-1), THS (2-3, 1-1).

Meet the Sandites wrestling dual is smashing success

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For the first time in the Jarrod Patterson era, the doors were open to the public for the Charles Page High School wrestling team’s ranking matches, and it was quite the spectacle.

The Sandites and Keystone Kids wrestling club teamed up Thursday night at Clyde Boyd Middle School to host Meet the Sandites, as Sand Springs wrestlers at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels all settled who was the best in each weight class.

Sand Springs used to open the ranking matches to the public back when Kelly Smith was head coach, but the tradition ended around 2016. Smith retired in 2019, but is now back on the team as an assistant as his son, Mitchell, enters his junior year.

“We’re excited to have him back,” said Patterson. “We were just kind of talking, and he said that was one thing they used to do that kind of got kids excited, so I was kind of excited to bring it back.”

“It seems like it worked out awesome. It seemed like they got a lot of fan support, and it’s good from the youth all the way up to high school.” 

The stands were certainly packed as the action went on simultaneously across three mats. On the varsity mat, the black team defeated the white in an evenly matched dual. 

Many recognizable faces returned to mat duty, including state qualifiers Mitchell Smith and Brooks Dudley, who won their matches by fall. Missing were Blake Jones and Mason Harris, who are recovering from football injuries.

“We’ve got a couple kids that are injured, but once we get through those injuries I think we should be pretty good,” said Patterson. “We’ve got a good group. They’re all hard-working kids from freshmen to seniors, so I think we’ve got some good leadership in there that will help us in the long haul.”

The Sandites graduated only one starter last year and added lots of talented junior high up-and-comers to give the team some extra depth and competitiveness at every weight range.

“We’re pretty solid all the way through, so as long as we can stay healthy and just battle and continue to get better we should be a really solid team,” said Patterson.

“We’ll have three freshmen in there who have a chance at getting in the lineup. Our 106-pounder is David Ritchey, then Colt Hood will be in there some at 113, and Jaxon “Scout” Trotter will be in there at 138.”

They will lean on seniors Shane Wolf, Colton Luker, Ethan Norton, Sammy Naugle, Jones, and Dudley for leadership.

Last year the Sandites finished the season a surprising 4-6, snapping a 14-year streak of winning records, primarily due to COVID-related quarantines, injuries, and canceled duals. They still brought home four first-place tournament medals, however, and qualified four for the State tournament.

Varsity will kick off the season Friday at the Perry Tournament of Champions, and will battle Sapulpa in their first dual on Tuesday the 14th at 7:00 p.m. on the road.

The junior high team hosted its annual tournament Saturday at CBMS and the Gold team took home first prize, followed by the Black team in sixth place and the White team in 19th. The girls placed 12th in their division.

Dawson Briscoe won at 80 pounds with six pins, Kaden Pope won at 106 with six pins, Jace Simms won at 119 with three pins, and Bailey Copeland won 82 pounds for the girls with a pin and a 17-2 technical fall.

Hudson Sheppard, Jaden Allen, Waylon Jeffers, and Ryley Kester placed second. Jaxon Grigsby, Karsen Skaggs, Matthew Moore, Jackson Burdge, and Tanner Copeland placed third. Colt Hood, Caleb Childers, and Preston Reyna placed fourth

The Keystone Kids competed at Sperry and Owasso on Saturday. Weston Roberts, Ty Galloway, and Mylum Ache V won at the Owasso Ram Jam, while Julian Valdez, Hudson Waag, and Bailey Copeland won at the Sperry Smalltown Throwdown.