Special Teams Spark Sandites to 39-14 Win at Putnam City West

/

Hunter Wilson scored the Sandites first points of the game with a blocked punt for a safety. (Photo by Charity Emigh).

When Bobby Klinck first arrived in Sand Springs in January of 2020, he held a meeting at HillSpring Church where he laid out his vision for the program to players, parents, and community stakeholders.

In that meeting he stressed the importance of special teams.

“Special teams have the ability to shift a game in either direction,” said Klinck. “Either negatively from failed preparation or positively from precise execution. Hidden yardage is the biggest advantage we will look for in special teams.”

In year four of the Klinck era, it’s clear that he wasn’t just talking. Thursday night at No. 9 Putnam City West (3-4, 0-4), it was the special teams who repeatedly shifted the game in the Sandites’ favor.

A blocked punt, two safeties, and kick returns averaging more than 35 yards were the difference maker in a 39-14 win from No. 5 Charles Page High School (4-3, 2-2) to remain undefeated against the Patriots.

“Coach (Jake) Bray, our special teams coordinator, is the best in the state,” said Klinck.

So when Bray came to Klinck this week and said he thought he could bring some pressure on the Patriot punting unit, Klinck said “let’s go get it, man.”

“Credit to the kids doing a great job and credit to Coach Bray for putting that game plan together and really taking advantage of our special teams.”

The first points of the game came on the Patriots’ second possession when Hunter Wilson blocked Brandon Garcia’s punt out the back of the end zone.

Alex Dudley returned the ensuing kick 40 yards to the Patriot 25 and Jace Arnold cashed in seven plays later with a four-yard wildcat run.

The Patriots’ next punt attempt was fumbled and recovered by Christian Freitus for a touchdown.

Then, Gatlin Gunn returned the next punt 41 yards to the Patriot 14, setting up a 9-yard run by Kenneth Page on the first play of the second quarter.

Two plays later, Owen Floyd forced a fumble that Marcum Sims recovered to set up a four-play scoring drive capped by Page’s 23-yard touchdown run.

Page was the workhorse for the Sandites all night, ending with 26 carries for 138 yards. The senior usually shares the load with Ali McCoy, who is missing this week and next with an injury sustained against Stillwater.

“It’s an absolute luxury,” said Klinck, about having two dynamic running backs.

“They’re stacking the box but we’re still able to get positive yards. We get some positive push up front, but then to have a big time tailback who knows where to hit the holes and then finishes runs - that’s a huge luxury to have.”

With a 30-0 lead just two minutes into the second quarter, it looked like the game would be a runaway rout, but the Patriots had other plans.

After holding Putnam West to only 13 yards in the first quarter, the Patriots exploded for 146 yards in the second quarter to make it a two-score game.

Shyheim Johnson led a methodical 10-play, 86-yard march and scored on a two-yard sneak to get his team on the board.

Then Marriceon Gilstrap recovered a fumbled hike to set up a six-play, 45-yard drive capped by a four-yard run from Dujuan Knight.

The Patriots stymied the Sandites’ last drive of the half and opened the second half with Aaron Edwards blocking a 40-yard field goal attempt by Dawson Puckett.

Jamar McCrary recovered the ball, but the Sandites had successfully eaten up nearly eight minutes of clock to slow the Patriots’ momentum.

“When it’s 30 to nothing, we’ve got to find a way to finish opponents and not let them back in the game,” said Klinck. “But I was glad we were able to have a long opening drive. I would have liked to have gotten some points out of that, but that was a good way to open the second half.”

The next three possessions were a series of turnovers on downs.

Freitus broke up a fourth-down pass intended for Mykel Ford in the end zone.

The Patriots responded by stuffing Arnold on fourth-and-one, but four plays later Johnson dumped an incomplete pass under pressure to give it back to the Sandites.

A 58-yard punt from Puckett pinned the Patriots deep in their own red zone and when Garcia failed to corral an errant long snap, the punter decided to toss the ball out the back of his end zone for the second safety of the night.

Dudley returned the ensuing kick 36 yards and Page cashed in a 36-yard screen pass from Easton Webb three plays later to pad the lead.

Freshman Joseph Farmer put the final nail in the Patriot coffin with an interception and the Sandites ended the night in victory formation.

Webb finished the game 7-of-15 for 83 yards passing. In addition to his 138 rushing yards, Page also had three catches for 57 yards.

Dudley led the defense with six tackles, followed by Floyd and Gunn with five apiece. The defense mustered five tackles for loss while holding Putnam West to only 184 yards, with only 25 yards in the second half.

Johnson was 9-of-25 passing for 125 yards and Knight had 15 carries for 77 yards to pace the Patriots.

Sand Springs improved to a perfect 6-0 all-time against the Patriots, though this was the closest meeting since 2017.

“Coach (Gregory) Johnson did a good job,” said Klinck. “Those kids were ready to go. They had a good game plan, they’re stacking the box. They did a good job taking away what we like to do, so hat’s off to them.”

“I was happy we were able to get some younger kids in to get some meaningful snaps and we had a freshman get an interception.”

“I think our program’s to the point of we’re disappointed in a 25-point win. Our kids know that we left some plays out there and that we need to finish an opponent off.”

Next up for the Sandites will be yet another Thursday night game, this time at home against No. 6 Bartlesville (3-4, 3-1), who fell 14-10 to No. 4 Stillwater in their Week 6 meeting.

Sand Springs has won three in a row against the Bruins, but Bartlesville leads the series 21-18. The series is one of the longest-standing rivalries for either school, having been played 22 consecutive seasons. The two teams have only missed playing each other twice since Bartlesville High School opened in 1982.

CPHS 39 PCW 14

First Downs: CPHS 10, PCW 7.
Fumbles/Lost: CPHS 4/2, PCW 5/2.
C-A-Y-I: CPHS 8-16-83-0, PCW 9-25-125-1.
Rushes-Yards: CPHS 43-143, PCW 21-58.
Plays-Yards: CPHS 59-226, PCW 46-183.
Penalties-Yards: CPHS 10-65, PCW 13-95.

Scoring Summary

1Q (6:56) - Wilson Safety, CPHS 2-0.
1Q (4:23) - Arnold 4-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 9-0.
1Q (3:37) - Freitus Fumble Recovery, Puckett Kick, CPHS 16-0.
2Q (11:52) - Page 9-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 23-0.
2Q (9:51) - Page 23-yard Run, Puckett Kick, CPHS 30-0.
2Q (5:29) - Johnson 1-yard Run, Garcia Kick, CPHS 30-7.
2Q (1:56) - Knight 4-yard Run, Garcia Kick, CPHS 30-14.
4Q (7:12) - Safety, CPHS 32-14.
4Q (5:32) - Page 36-yard Pass from Webb, Puckett Kick, CPHS 39-14.

Sandites Fall 35-18 at No. 4 Stillwater

/

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.

Sandites Throttle Tigers 41-7, Abbi Elder Named Homecoming Queen

/

Abbi Elder was named Homecoming Queen and Mason HArris was Kissing Captain. Photo: Charity Emigh.

Tahlequah tried to set the tone early in its Friday night road game at Sand Springs. On fourth-and-one near midfield, the Tigers handed the ball off to Darryn Spahr and the senior back ran into a wall named Owen Floyd.

Two plays later Ali McCoy took the ball 57 yards to the house. Tone set.

McCoy ran for over 200 yards in the first half as the No. 5 Charles Page High School football team (3-2, 1-1) steamrolled to a 41-7 win over No. 6 Tahlequah (1-4, 0-2) on Homecoming.

“It wouldn’t be possible without the five guys up front,” said McCoy, who ended the night with 10 carries for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

“I expected us to do good on the ground, but I didn’t expect that outcome. It feels good sharing this moment with our seniors. We’ve been working really hard.”

One of those seniors was Kenneth Page, who had 12 carries for 132 yards and three scores. Another was wildcat quarterback Jace Arnold who ran the ball six times for 43 yards and another score.

When the clock finally ran dry the Sandites had amassed 392 yards on the ground, averaging a first down with every snap.

“I really like how we came out after a disappointing performance last week,” said head coach Bobby Klinck, referencing a 51-13 loss to No. 1 Muskogee.

“(The offensive line) is the heart and soul of our football team and they’re getting better each week.”

Kenneth Page scored 3 touchdowns against Tahlequah on Homecoming. Photo: Charity Emigh.

As dominant as the offense was, the defense was equally in control, recording two takeaways, seven tackles for loss, and two turnovers on downs. The Sandites forced four punts on the night and only allowed 79 yards in the second half.

“It was really good to see our secondary as a whole just continue to get better,” said Klinck. “Our secondary hadn’t been our strong point defensively, so for them to kind of lead and do some big things, I’m very happy with them.”

That secondary stepped up time and time again with Landyn Barnes breaking up a pass to force a punt on the Tigers’ second possession before intercepting Cash McAlvain on their third possession.

The pick was crucial for keeping momentum on the Sandites’ side as Tahlequah’s Jacob Morrison had just intercepted Easton Webb on the previous drive.

Two plays later, McCoy had another mad dash for a 49-yard touchdown.

Spahr got the visitors on the board with a 14-yard run to open the second quarter, but Page responded with a 19-yard run, the Tigers went three-and-out, and Arnold scored his 10-yard run to make it 27-7 after a failed PAT.

Two Tiger penalties set the Sandites up for a kickoff from deep in Tahlequah territory and they used the opportunity to practice their onside kick.

Dawson Puckett’s first attempt only traveled eight yards before going out of bounds, but that kick was nullified as the Sandites had lined up offsides and got a re-do.

This time it was flawlessly executed and recovered by Cooper Guardado to set up a 33-yard touchdown run by Page.

Tahlequah successfully moved the ball 61 yards on its next drive before Mason Harris sacked McAlvain and forced a fumble that was snatched up by Keagan Gilman with 42 seconds in the half.

The Sandites nearly punched in another but ran out of time after driving 52 yards on five plays to enter the red zone.

The starters got one more drive to open up the second half and Page scored his third touchdown on a one-yard plunge for the final score of 41-7.

From there, both teams played mostly backups and took turns exchanging punts till the clock ran out.

Sand Springs will take to the road next week with a key district match-up at No.4 Stillwater (3-2, 2-0), who prevailed 48-13 over No. 8 Booker T. Washington in their Week 5 game.

The Pioneers have won their past two meetings with Sand Springs and lead the series 32-12 all-time.

CPHS 41 Tahlequah 7
1Q: CPHS 14-0.
2Q: CPHS 20-7.
3Q: CPHS 7-0.
4Q: 0-0.
First Downs: CPHS 14, Tahlequah 15.
Fumbles-Lost: CPHS 1-0, Tahlequah 3-2.
Penalties: CPHS 9-85, Tahlequah 7-80.
Passing: CPHS 7-11-97-1, Tahlequah 16-25-128-1.
Rushing: CPHS 36-392, Tahlequah 32-114.
Offense: CPHS 47-489, Tahlequah 57-242.

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

/

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 Fall 61-7 to No. 1 Bixby

/

Ali McCoy scored the Sandites’ lone touchdown in the fourth quarter against Bixby. (Photo by Charity Emigh).

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).