Four meetings in two years, the Sandite-Spartan rivalry continues Friday in the District Title game

Sand Springs takes on Bixby in the 2015 6A-II State Championship game at Union Stadium. (Photo: Austin Evans).

Sand Springs vs Bixby History
Year, Coach, QB, Result

1922 A.R. Bateman, Sixkiller, 14-19 loss
1926 30-12 win
1927 20-6 win
1980 Gary Quimby, Eric Haines, 10-7 win (A)
1981 Gary Quimby, Eric Haines, 12-14 loss (H)
1982 Chris Thurmond, 32-6 loss (H)
1983 LD Baines, Brad Johnson, 4-21 loss (A)
1984 LD Baines, Shawn Morand, 5-3 win (H)
1985 LD Baines, Shawn Morand, 14-3 win (A)
1992 LD Baines, Mike Quimby, 17-20 OT loss (H)
1993 LD Baines, Delvin Jordan, 26-20 win (A)
1994 LD Baines, Delvin Jordan, 33-7 win (H)
1995 LD Baines, Dustin Morrow, 10-17 loss (A)
1996 LD Baines, Keith Hooks, 28-7 win (H)
1997 Archie Loehr, Keith Hooks, 19-0 win (A)
1998 Archie Loehr, Keith Hooks, 30-6 win (H)
1999 Archie Loehr, Ryan Summers, 7-23 loss (H)
2010 Dustin Kinard, Darrack Harger, 35-48 loss (H)
2011 Dustin Kinard, Darrack Harger, 23-43 loss (A)
2012 Dustin Kinard, Cody Hale, 21-7 win (H)
2013 Dustin Kinard, Cody Hale, 21-35 loss (A)
2014 Dustin Kinard, Conner Sitton, 31-34 loss (A)
2014 Dustin Kinard, Jacob Taber, 14-41 loss (BA)
2015 Dustin Kinard, Hunter Greathouse, 20-0 win (H)
2015 Dustin Kinard, Hunter Greathouse, 28-38 loss (Union)

Overall Record: 12-13-0

Longest Streak: CPHS 3
Longest Streak: Bixby 3

Shutouts: CPHS 2
Shutouts: Bixby 0

Road wins: CPHS 4
Road wins: Bixby 5

Biggest win: CPHS 33-7
Biggest win: Bixby 41-14
 

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The High School football season still has a month left, but the regular season will come to a close this Friday as the No. 2 Sand Springs Sandites (6-3, 4-1) travel to No. 3 Bixby (6-3, 4-1) to try and earn their first district title since 1997. In the last two seasons the teams have met four times, including two playoff games and a State Championship. High-stakes games are all these two teams know.

In 2014 the Spartans lost their season-opener at Jenks (11-2), then won twelve-straight with an average margin of victory of 27 points. Sand Springs, meanwhile, was the sleeper with a 7-2 record prior to their first meeting with Bixby. Two of those wins were by a touchdown or less and their average win was by 17 points. Bixby was heavily favored throughout the season, but that didn't stop the Sandites from coming within a field goal in their last visit to Spartan Stadium. Sand Springs posed the closest threat to the Spartans all season in a 34-31 loss to end the regular season. Bixby got payback two weeks later, however, ravaging the injury-plagued Sandites 41-14 at Broken Arrow Memorial Stadium.

The Sandites were without starting quarterback Conner Sitton and leading wide-receiver Davey Thayer due to concussions sustained in a quarterfinal playoff game against Midwest City. University of Houston-bound kicker, Blake Boyles, had an injured leg from the last game with Bixby. The starting nose-tackle was out due to disciplinary issues, and a smattering of other players were either out all-together, or nursing mild injuries and well below 100%. Also, one of their leading defensive linemen, Jacob Taber, was filling in at quarterback. 

Last season the Spartans started with the number one ranking, despite a season-opening 58-24 loss to Jenks (11-1), then won three straight, including a 71-7 murder of East Central (0-8) before falling 50-33 to No. 4 Bartlesville (10-2). From there they had less than impressive wins against Ponca (3-6) and Sapulpa (2-7), then were blown out 52-7 by Booker T. Washington (10-1). They nearly even gave up a loss to Muskogee (3-7) before holding on to the 48-41 overtime win. Sand Springs had realistically earned a 7-2 record by the time of their meeting with the Spartans, but had to forfeit two wins due to an ineligible player, and a third game was cancelled at half time due to weather, despite the Sandites having a significant lead. While the Sandites were dominated 24-7 by Bartlesville, their only other loss was a close 17-14 to Booker T., who annihilated Bixby. 

When the two teams met in the regular season finale at Memorial Stadium, the Spartans were utterly dominated by the Sandite defense, and gave up their first shutout since 2008. Sand Springs managed only 255 yards of total offense against the Spartans' 268, but pulled off four fumble recoveries and 13 tackles for loss, totaling 74 yards, including five sacks for 51 yards in the 20-0 win.

Bixby went on to dominate Lawton 36-6 in the quarterfinals and Bartlesville 67-21 in the semis, while the Sandites defeated Stilwater 49-14 in the quarterfinals and Booker T. 30-23 in the semis. 

In the Sandites' first State Championship appearance since they won it in 1966, Bixby played the role of spoiler. The Spartans took a quick 16-0 lead before the Sandites came from behind with three-straight touchdowns to make it 21-16. The teams exchanged scores from there, but Bixby got the last two to win it 38-28. 

If the Sandites fall to Bixby, they'll need a miracle upset from Ponca City over Muskogee in order to remain in the top-two of the district. The current class of Sandites are 16-4 on their home turf and only 12-9 on the road. If the Sandites can clinch a home playoff game, it'll be a big step in the direction of a State Title. Sand Springs hasn't seen a State Title since 1966, and a 50th anniversary win would make it even more special.

The Spartans still have a possibility of a District Title if they win over Sand Springs and Ponca upsets Muskogee, but realistically they're in the same boat of looking for a home playoff game. Over the past four seasons, the Spartans are 15-5 at home and 14-7 on the road, but it's less important for them as they're 6-1 in the playoffs and defending back-to-back State Titles. 

Sandite Pride News has picked Sand Springs as the victor of this weekend's game by a narrow 32-30. Stay tuned for the pre-game analysis, exclusively from Sandite Pride.

Week Six 6A-II Rankings and Predictions; a look at this weekend's games

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (Last week No. 3) vs No. 2 Booker T Washington Hornets (2)

Rafe Watkins's Muskogee Roughers (5-0, 2-0) came into the season highly ranked, but it wasn't high enough for them. Friday night on their home turf, the Roughers upset the top-ranked two-time defending State Champions from Bixby (2-3, 0-1) 45-42 in a wild aerial shootout. Muskogee quarterback Jacob Medrano finished 20-33-377-1 for four touchdowns, and running back Molijah Gilbert carried 20 times for 99 yards.

The Hornets (4-2, 2-0) completed their second-straight shutout of the season with a powerful 45-0 victory over Sapulpa (0-5, 0-2). QB Phillip Wheatley has accounts for the bulk of the Hornet offense and surpassed 1000 yards for the season Friday night. The run game is stacked with Rylan McQuarters, Tyler Holmes, and Garrick Jackson all in triple digits for the year.

The Pick: Muskogee 43, Booker T 35

No. 3 Bixby Spartans (1) vs No. 15 Sapulpa Chieftains (15) 

The Spartans (2-3, 0-1) may have lost their battle with the Roughers, but it wasn't due to poor performance. QB Tanner Griffin was 33-49-318-1 for four touchdowns and Tucker Pawley ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns. The Spartans have had a tough schedule thus far in the season, but should have an easy time getting their first district win Friday night in Sapulpa (0-5, 0-2).

Sapulpa posted a mere 54 yards passing and 67 yards rushing in their sixth-straight loss Friday against Booker T.

The Pick: Bixby 60, Sapulpa 3

No. 4 Midwest City Bombers (4) vs No. 11 Choctaw Yellowjackets (10)

The Midwest City Bombers' (3-2, 2-0) first four games this season were decided by a touchdown or less, but they broke that streak Friday night at Deer Creek, scoring their first shutout since mid-2014. Astin Anderson finished with 130 yards on 23 carries, but it was the defense that starred, giving up an incredible 3 first downs and 78 yards of total offense in the 35-0 rout.

Choctaw (2-3, 0-2) led the Enid Plainsmen with a minute and a half left last week before giving up an interception deep in Enid territory and allowed their opponents to score a touchdown with 17 seconds left for the 43-39 win.

The Pick: Midwest City 31, Choctaw 14

No. 5 Sand Springs Sandites (5) vs No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (14)

The Sandites (3-2, 1-0) secured their third-straight win Friday night at home in a non-conference matchup with Yukon (0-5) and dominated the entirety. The visiting Millers scored before either offense ever stepped foot on the field, returning the opening kickoff 95 yard for a touchdown. That would be their last score till the fourth quarter as the Sand Springs defense drilled the Millers with seven tackles for loss totaling 35 yards, as well as two sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. While the run-game has dominated the Sand Springs offense this year, QB Hunter Greathouse had his time to shine, throwing 13-24-192-0 for two touchdowns, and secured his career-best run game with eight carries for 58 yards and a touchdown. Payton Scott netted his fifth-straight triple digit run game with 22 carries for 144 yards and a touchdown.

Ponca City (1-4, 0-2) lost their second-straight game to Bartlesville (2-3, 1-1) Friday night, despite a solid passing performance from Brice McDougal. The Wildcat QB finished 19-37-176-1 with two touchdowns, but the run game amounted to a mere 29 yards as a team with no touchdowns. Kicker Mitchell Wilson sank a pair of field goals. The return game was strong, averaging about 14 yards per punt return and 16 yards per kickoff return. The Sand Springs special teams have had a hard time stopping returns this season, so the Wildcats will likely look to capitalize on that.

The Pick: CPHS 40, Ponca 17

No. 6 Lawton Wolverines (7) vs No. 12 Stillwater Pioneers (11)

Lawton (2-3, 1-1) got back in the win column with a big district battle against Putnam City (3-2, 1-1) last week, racking up a 20-0 lead in the first half. Sophomore backup QB Kyler Jenderseck replaced Zack Hanna who tore his MCL in practice this week. He completed 5 of 12 passes for 48 yards and scored on touchdown on the ground. The defense was the MVP of the game, making several big plays including a tipped pass in the endzone by Kejuan Neal to prevent a touchdown. Miles Davis recovered a muffed punt at the Putnam 22, leading to a touchdown run on the next play by Tre Curry. Curry carried the offense with 29 runs for 168 yards and two touchdowns. 

Stillwater (2-3, 0-2) made a big case for themselves early in the season, going 2-1 against ranked 6A-I opponents. Since then, they've given up two-straight district losses, 21-14 to Deer Creek (1-4, 1-1) and 10-7 to Putnam City West (4-1, 2-0). The Pioneers traveled to Putnam Friday and trailed 10-7 with 3:34 left and a fourth and goal conundrum. They went for the touchdown instead of the field goal and were stuffed. The Stillwater defense was stout through the game, giving up only ten rushing yards till the final minutes when the PC QB scrambled 81 yards and nearly scored. The Pioneers rallied for turnover on downs deep in their red, but QB Garrett Leming threw an interception three plays later. Leming only completed 2 of 12 passes for 10 yards with 3 interceptions. The run game was strong with the Pioneers, however, with a little over 200 yards between three carriers. 

The Pick: Lawton 23, Stillwater 10

No. 7 Putnam City West Patriots (8) vs No. 8 Putnam City Pirates (6) 

A rivalry game with major district implications; Putnam City (3-2, 1-1) and Putnam West (4-1, 2-0) are both top dogs in their district and both have a lot to play for. The Patriots look to continue their undefeated district winning streak and hold themselves to a one-loss season. The Pirates need to reassert themselves after going down 26-14 against Lawton.

The Patriots won a close one over Stillwater (2-3, 0-2), only coming up with a 10-7 victory, but it was a victory nonetheless. They're one of only two teams left without a district loss and are shaping up to possibly make their first playoff appearance of the twenty-first century. They have already matched their record from last season, their best since 2000, and can only go up from here. QB Trey Gooch and Memphis commit WR Nick Robinson have brought heavy offense all season until they encountered Stillwater, and hope to build momentum before their crucial match up against Midwest City next week.

The Pirates have only two losses this season, both to solid opponents in Bixby (2-3, 0-1) and Lawton (2-3, 1-1). QB A.J. Newsome was 12-28-168-0 passing against Lawton and led on the ground with 20 carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns. The special teams were impressive, averaging fifteen yards per kick return and 29 yards per punt return. 

The Pick: Putnam West 23, Putnam City 21.

No. 9 Deer Creek Antlers (9) vs No. 10 Enid Plainsmen (12)

Deer Creek (1-4, 1-1) has had a hell of a schedule this year, starting the season with three straight losses to top-ten 6A-I opponents before finally finding a win against Stillwater. In week two of districts they went up against Midwest City and were shutout 35-0, their first shutout loss since 2011. The Antlers were held to a mere 78 yards of total offense and three first downs. QB Hunter Freese completed only 6 of 18 passes for 45 yards and was sacked three times. With the exception of the last game, the Antlers have actually played fairly well this season, averaging 24 points per game in their first four encounters, before being smothered by the powerful Bomber defense.

Enid (2-3, 1-1) secured a big upset over Choctaw (2-3, 0-2) last week, coming from behind for a 43-39 win. The Plainsmen averaged 5 yards per carry for 236 total, and first-time starting QB Mason Skrimager was 31 of 41 for 233 passing with no interceptions.

The Pick: No consensus. Scott Emigh says 28-14 Deer Creek, Virgil Noah says 28-14 Enid.

No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13) 

The Bartlesville Bruins (2-3, 1-1) will take a bye week after winning a district match against Ponca City (1-4, 0-2) Friday night. QB Garrett Meidl was 16-26-294-1 with three touchdowns; two by air and one on the ground. 

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District Two Standings

2-0 Booker T Washington
2-0 Muskogee
1-0 Sand Springs
1-1 Bartlesville

0-1 Bixby
0-2 Ponca City
0-2 Sapulpa

District One Standings

2-0 Putnam West
2-0 Midwest City
1-1 Lawton
1-1 Putnam City

1-1 Deer Creek
1-1 Enid
0-2 Choctaw
0-2 Stillwater

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Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
Record: 18-8, 69.2%

Virgil Noah, Staff Writer
Record: 14-12, 54%

Week Five 6A-II rankings and predictions; a look at this weekend's games

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

No. 1 Bixby Spartans (Last week No. 1) vs No. 3 Muskogee Roughers (3)

It's the marquee match-up for week six of High School football as two of the top teams in the State ride dominating performances into a district game of playoff-level intensity. 

The Spartans (2-2, 0-0) have yet to begin district play and just wrapped up the toughest pre-conference schedule of Class 6A-II. In week two they gave 6A-I No. 1 Jenks (5-0) their closest game of the year, losing 38-34. The next week they lost 44-34 to Arkansas 7A State Runners-Up Bentonville (3-1) and finally got in the win column with a dominating 56-20 performance over Putnam City (3-1, 1-0). This week they really proved just how powerful they are as they steamrolled 6A-I No. 4 Westmoore (3-1) 70-28 in an incredible performance that featured two 90+ yard kickoff returns for touchdown. Tanner Griffin's passing was off for the evening, completing only 9 of 22 for 96 yards and 1 touchdown against 2 interceptions. But the run game was dominant as Tucker Pawley carried 19 times for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns. Griffin had two touchdown runs and 46 yards on 5 carries, while Braden Roller added another touchdown and 66 yards on 5 carries.

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The Roughers (4-0, 1-0) have had a fairly weak schedule thus far, with the exception of a close 16-12 win over Midwest City (2-2, 1-0), but when they go up against lesser competition, it's a blow-out. They've won their last three games by an average score of 59-11, and they notched their first district win Friday with a 63-6 shutdown of Bartlesville (1-3, 0-1). Running back Molijah Gilbert finished with 16 carries for 184 yards and two touchdowns. QB Jacob Medrano completed 11 of 20 passes for 197 yards and no interceptions.

The pick: Bixby 38 Muskogee 28

No. 2 Booker T Washington Hornets (2) vs No. 15 Sapulpa Chieftains (14)

The Hornets (3-2, 1-0) had an easy start to district play with the Ponca City Wildcats (1-3, 0-1) and rolled to a dominating 47-0 shutout victory. In the past two seasons, the Hornet offense regularly routed their opponents by massive margins, but this year it still remains to be seen just how powerful they'll be against quality opponents. They barely got the 21-14 edge on Midwest City (2-2, 1-0) and lost 26-23 to Edmond Santa Fe (4-1, 1-0). After going down 49-7 to the Nationally ranked No. 2 IMG Academy (5-0) they've since been unstoppable with a 43-6 win over Shawnee and the victory against Ponca. They won't get their first real test till they take on Muskogee next week, but first they have to get past Sapulpa. Rylan McQuarters led the run game against Ponca with 8 carries for 82 yards, followed by Tyler Holmes with 15 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown. Two other running backs scored touchdowns in the rout, and double-threat QB Phillip Wheatley was 15 of 22 in the air for 214 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions.

Sapulpa (0-4, 0-1) still looks to get in the win column this season after dropping their rivalry game to Sand Springs 35-7. The Chieftains failed to make headway through the air as QB Cameron Elder was only 8 of 13 for 53 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, but the ground game was alive and well. Elder carried 12 times for 59 yards and a touchdown. Dayton Vann also had 59 yards from 11 carries, and Marcus Henderson carried 8 times for 67 yards. 

The pick: Booker T 56 Sapulpa 3

No. 4 Midwest City Bombers (4) vs No. 9 Deer Creek Antlers (12)

The Midwest City Bombers (2-2, 1-0) have won or lost every game this season by a touchdown or less and notched their first district win of the season 20-17 over Lawton (1-3, 0-1) Friday night at home. QB Preston Colbert was 8 of 12 for 139 yards and a touchdown. Astin Anderson was the workhorse for the Bombers and carried 38 times for 133 yards. Earlier this season they fell 16-12 to Muskogee (4-0) and 21-14 to Booker T Washington (3-2), two of the top three teams in the division. They got in the win column two weeks ago with a 28-21 victory over 5A Del City (2-2).

The Antlers (1-3, 1-0) got their first win of the season with a 21-14 upset over Stillwater (2-2, 0-1) Friday night at a game in which they were the 18-point underdogs. QB Hunter Freese passed for 190 yards and the bulk of the Antler offense. The run game only accounted for 87 yards. Deer Creek may only have one win, but their losses were to quality 6A-I programs. 52-13 to Southmoore (3-1), 47-31 to Edmond Santa Fe (4-1), and 48-31 to Edmond Memorial (3-2).

The pick: Midwest City 23 Deer Creek 14

No. 6 Putnam City Pirates (7) vs No. 7 Lawton Wolverines (5)

While Bixby at Muskogee is the biggest game of District 2, Lawton vs. Putnam City is equally huge for District 1. The Wolverines (1-3, 0-1) and Pirates (3-1, 1-0) both have a lot to prove going into week two of districts. While Lawton was edged out 20-17 by Midwest City (2-2, 1-0), the Pirates got the 36-32 edge on Choctaw (2-2, 0-1). Putnam's only loss this season was 56-20 to Bixby (2-2), while Lawton's only win this season was 62-37 over in-town rival Lawton Eisenhower (1-3).

Lawton demonstrated a powerful aerial assault against Midwest City as QB Zach Hannah completed 11 of 18 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. The running game was almost nonexistent, however, as Tre Curry carried 19 times for a mere 60 yards and one touchdown. Curry has proven his abilities in the past with a 201 yard performance against Eisenhower and a 311 yard performance in a 56-41 loss to 5A Carl Albert (4-0). The Wolverines are clearly a double threat team, meaning the Putnam defense will need to be sharp on their toes to keep the scoring in check. Lawton's offense averages 415 yards and 5 touchdowns per game this season. Putnam's defense is stout, however, and averages 3 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions per game this season. 

The Putnam offense has ran up the yards this season, led by QB AJ Newsome in the air and RB Damon Jemison on the ground. Newsome is only 32 of 82 this season with 6 interceptions, exacerbated by a 6 of 24 performance against the killer Bixby defense which picked off four passes. But he holds 871 yards and 9 touchdowns to pad his resume. Jemison has rushed 78 times this year for only 259 yards. The Lawton defense isn't as tight on the run game as Putnam, but if the Pirates rely on the pass as they have for most of the season, they might find trouble in a team that averages 2 interceptions per game. 

The pick: Putnam City 28 Lawton 26

No. 5 Sand Springs Sandites (6) vs Yukon Millers

The Sandites (2-2, 1-0) won their first district game with a 35-7 rout of Highway 97 rival Sapulpa (0-4, 0-1), and will play their final non-district game this weekend against 6A-I Yukon (0-4). Sand Springs started off with a big 56-21 loss to Arkansas powerhouse Pulaski Academy (3-1) and were upset in week two 45-41 by Choctaw (2-2, 0-1), but got in the win column with a close 29-24 victory against Putnam West (3-1, 1-0). RB Payton Scott accounts for the majority of the Sandite offense with 183 carries for 687 yards and 7 touchdowns, while QB Hunter Greathouse is 42 of 90 for 601 yards and 4 touchdowns by air and 4 touchdowns on the ground. 

Yukon has yet to even come close to a win this season, falling 42-20 to Mustang (3-1), 55-7 to Norman North (4-0), 38-7 to Southmoore (38-7), and 33-9 to Broken Arrow (2-2). The Millers held a tough schedule with nothing but ranked 6A-I powerhouses and that experience could give them an edge on the Sandites who have played only one powerhouse team this year. 

The pick: Sand Springs 38 Yukon 13.

No. 8 Putnam City West Patriots (8) vs No. 11 Stillwater Pioneers (10)

The Patriots (3-1, 1-0) haven't had a winning season since 2000 and they're looking to change that in 2016. After beating Duncan (2-2) 43-14 and Putnam North (1-3) 16-5, the Patriots experienced their first loss of the season 29-24 at the Sandites' (2-2) home-opener. They didn't let that hiccup slow them down, and rebounded with a dominating 35-10 district victory over Enid (1-3, 0-1). 

Stillwater (2-2, 0-1) started with one seriously tough pre-district schedule and secured a pair of high quality wins against ranked 6A-I opponents, before giving up a big upset this week. They won their season opener against Edmond Memorial (3-2) 24-7, then lost 16-7 to Moore (2-2) before netting another big win over Mustang (3-1) at 36-24. The Pioneers clearly have what it takes to win big games against big opponents, but after falling 21-14 to Deer Creek at home, they're going to need to buckle down and secure some district wins if they want a shot at their first State Championship since 1967. The Pioneers are led on the ground by Josiah Castleberry who has already ran over 600 yards thus far this season. 

The pick: Putnam West 33 Stillwater 29

No. 10 Choctaw Yellowjackets (9) vs No. 12 Enid Plainsmen (13)

Choctaw (2-2, 0-1) is still struggling to find its place in the rankings, starting strong with 52-42 and 45-41 wins over Sapulpa (0-4) and Sand Springs (2-2), respectively, but falling 17-14 to Putnam City North (1-3) and 36-32 to Putnam City (3-1, 1-0). The Yellowjackets are true to their name when it comes to offense, hammering their opponents from the air, but just can't seem to get their defense rolling. QB Dylan Weaver is 64 of 107 for 864 yards this season.

Enid (1-3, 0-1) was edged out 22-19 in the season opener by Guthrie (2-2) and got in the win column in week two with a 42-31 victory over Ponca City (1-3, 0-1), but hasn't come close since. They were dominated in week three 44-14 by Bishop McGuinness (3-1) and shut down 25-10 last week by Putnam West (3-1, 1-0). 

The pick: Choctaw 40 Enid 10

No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (11) vs No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (15)

Bartlesville (1-3, 0-1) and Ponca (1-3, 0-1) are both in precarious spots this season with a single win apiece and one of the two destined to be 0-2 in district play after this Friday's meet. The Bruins' lone win was a close 27-24 over McAlester (2-2) while Ponca blanked Guthrie (2-2) 9-0. 

The Bruins were utterly dominated 63-6 at the hands of Muskogee (4-0) last week, while the Wildcats were shut out 47-0 by Booker T Washington (3-2). Bartlesville has shuffled through three quarterbacks this year after starter Garrett Meidl was out with a knee injury and Will Walton and AJ Archambo both tried out the position. Meidl returned to action against Muskogee but was held to a mere 10 completions on 24 attempts for 59 yards. Ponca QB Brice McDougal has a solid record this season with 58 completions on 104 passes for 729 yards and only 3 interceptions. 

The pick: Bartlesville 21 Ponca 14

6A-II District One Standings

Putnam City West (1-0)
Deer Creek (1-0)
Putnam City (1-0)
Midwest City (1-0)

Lawton (0-1)
Choctaw (0-1)
Stillwater (0-1)
Enid (0-1)

6A-II District Two Standings

Muskogee (1-0)
Booker T (1-0)
Sand Springs (1-0)
Bixby (0-0)

Bartlesville (0-1)
Ponca City (0-1)
Sapulpa (0-1)

Lady Sandite Softball defeats Bixby 13-1 and will play District Championship Thursday

Photo: Scott Emigh

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity softball team (20-5, 11-2) played a district double-header against the Bixby Lady Spartans (15-13, 10-4) Tuesday at home and split the games. After winning the first game 13-1, the Sandites couldn't bring in a run in the second game and lost 1-0. Fortunately, they only needed one win to stay alive in the race for a district title. 

The Sandites jumped on the Spartans quick and early as Oklahoma State commit Sydney Pennington drew a walk in the top of the first, reached third on a sacrifice from Jessica Collins, and scored after tagging up on a fly out by Elizabeth Luttrell. Soon after, Cameron Clemons singled to score Collins and Makenna Skaggs for the 3-0 advantage. Felicity Horn scored on a failed fielder's choice, and Sabrina Usher reached on an error to score Clemons and Kimi Presnell to cap off the inning 6-0 after being put out at second.

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Sophomore Jacie Taber doubled in the top of the second inning to score Pennington, then came home with Skaggs on a single from Horn. She batted in another pair of runs in the top of the third, scoring Pennington and Usher on a single for the 11-0 lead.

Usher hit a double to start off the fifth inning and scored on a home run from Pennington, her ninth this season.

The Spartans hit their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, a double from Adrianna Forbus, to score Mia Gates. It would be their only run of the game, however, and the Sandites won it 13-1 after a five-inning run-rule.

Junior pitcher Madelyn Blair (8-2) picked up her sixth straight win on the mound with only one hit and two walks against four strikeouts and one run. She also hit two singles in the game.

The second leg of the double-header was an anomaly as the Sandites were shutout for only the third time this season, despite landing five base-hits and putting ten runners on base over the course of the game. 

In the first inning, Horn reached on an error and was joined by Pennington, who walked. Both were left stranded.

The Spartans scored their first and only run of the game in the top of the second with a home run from Meredith Iden. Bixby loaded the bases from there as Forbus was hit by the pitch, Brooklyn Lemon hit a single, and Kyndal Pirtle walked to load the bases. Sophomore pitcher Jacie Taber was able to save the inning, however, striking out Teri Pogue swinging. 

Presnell was stranded on a single in the bottom of the second. Sarah Tyree was stranded after a triple in the top of the third. Blair and Taber both singled in the bottom of the fourth, but Blair was caught in a double play and Taber was stranded. Horn reached on error once again in the bottom of the fifth, and Pennington walked in the sixth.

The Sandites threatened again in the bottom of the seventh. After Clemons grounded out and Jensen Arnold struck out looking, Usher drew a walk and Horn singled. Collins was next to the plate and also singled, but Usher was caught advancing on the play and the game was brought to an end.

Taber (8-3) pitched a career-best eleven strikeouts while giving up only four hits and two walks. She averages less than one run per game with five shutouts this season. This is her third double-digit strikeout game this season.

The Sandites' 11-2 district record is surpassed only by Yukon at 12-1. However, the Sandites and Millers will play the final district match for both teams Thursday at 4:00 p.m. at the Sandite Softball Complex. Sand Springs has already defeated Yukon once this season, 9-1 at the Miller's home turf. If the girls can pull off the repeat, they will match the Millers' record and win the district on head-to-head results. 

Week Four 6A-II rankings and predictions; a look at this weekend's games

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

No. 1 Bixby Spartans (Last week No. 1) vs. 6A No. 4 Westmoore Jaguars

The 6A-II back-to-back defending State Champions (1-2) bit off the second-toughest pre-conference schedule in the division and paid the price, starting with an 0-2 record. They also reaped the reward of experience and dolled out that experience on the Putnam City Pirates (2-1) Friday night. The Pirates stood little chance and what few scores they managed were the result of opportunistic slips in the Spartan defense. The whole of their offense was ineffective against the Spartans and the Bixby tide rolled to a 56-20 victory. Bixby held Putnam to a mere six first-downs and 187 yards against twenty-nine first downs and 473 yards of total offense. QB Tanner Griffin connected on 31 of 44 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns and the run game was alive and well with Tucker Pawley who needed only two quarters to run 28 times for 167 yards and four touchdowns.

Westmoore (3-0) received a nice bump in the 6A-I rankings after upsetting in-town rival No. 3 Southmoore 34-28 in overtime in week two for their second ranked win after beating rival No. 10 Moore (2-1) 51-41 in week one. This past Friday they handled unranked Edmond North (0-3) 21-7. Their offense was slow and only scored one touchdown with five drives ending on downs. The defense saved the game with a pick six and a forced fumble, and the third touchdown came on a punt return.

The Pick: Bixby 38, Westmoore 34

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No. 2 Booker T. Washington Hornets (2) vs No. 15 Ponca City Wildcats (15)

Booker T Washington (2-2) has had two close ones and two blow outs this season. They lost a close one to 6A-I No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (2-1) when the Wolves were still ranked No. 3, and followed it up with a close 21-14 win over Midwest City (1-2) in week two. The next week they played the number two team in the country and it might as well have been a college team. IMG Academy (4-0) features 29 NCAA Division One-commits and the Ascenders topped the Hornets 49-7. This past weekend it was time for the Hornets to bring the rain, powering through 5A Shawnee (1-2) 43-6.

Ponca City (1-2) took a bye week after netting their first win 9-0 over 5A Guthrie. The first two weeks weren't nearly as pretty as Edmond Memorial and Enid both hung 42 points on the Wildcats. Enid was somewhat close at 42-31, but Edmond was a 42-6 blowout.

The pick: BTW 54, Ponca 9

No. 3 Muskogee Roughers (3) vs No. 11 Bartlesville Bruins (9)

The Muskogee Roughers (3-0) are the only undefeated team remaining in the division and look to continue that streak into district play. They've only notched one win against a ranked opponent, 16-12 over Midwest City, but scored blowouts in the following games. After topping McAlester (1-2) 51-13, they did even worse to Bentonville West (0-3). The Wolverines are the bottom-ranked team in Arkansas Class 7A, and the Roughers had little difficulty in a 62-13 victory. 

The Bruins (1-2) are in a rebuilding year after graduating most of their top performers in last year's powerful season. They won a close one 27-24 over McAlester in week one and were blown out 59-14 and 27-7 by 6A-I No. 7 Owasso (1-2) and 4A No. 4 Cascia Hall (2-1), respectively. 

The Pick: Muskogee 43, Bartlesville 18

No. 4 Midwest City Bombers (4) vs No. 5 Lawton Wolverines (7)

The marquee matchup of the week in 6A-II, the Bombers (1-2) and Wolverines (1-2) will kick off district play with much to prove. The Bombers have held their top-five ranking thanks to strength of schedule after falling 16-12 to Muskogee and 21-14 to Booker T. Last week they notched their first win 28-21 over 5A No. 6 Del City (2-1) while the Wolverines got in the win column with a 1000+ yard total offensive beat down on 5A Eisenhower (0-3). Lawton has also had a tough season thus far with some of the top dogs in 5A. They dropped a 56-41 shootout with 5A No. 3 Carl Albert (3-0) and 5A No. 1 Lawton MacArthur (3-0).

Lawton's pass game has been average at best, but Tre Curry is already at 589 yards rushing with only 79 carries for 6 touchdowns. The Bombers, however, are well prepared for the run game after holding Booker T to under 100 yards on the ground. 

The Pick: No consensus. Scott Emigh calls it 24-21 to MWC, Virgil Noah calls it 27-21 to Lawton.

No. 6 Sand Springs Sandites (6) vs No. 14 Sapulpa Chieftains (14)

One of the greatest rivalries in Oklahoma football is renewed this Friday in Sand Springs. The Chieftains (0-3) lead the Highway 97 Rivalry 44-42-3, but the Sandites have won the past two years by substantial margins, including a brutal 44-10 beat-down last season. The series is tied at 8-8 since 2000.

The Sandites are coming into the game with a lot to prove after dropping their first two games and barely winning the third. Last years' State Runners-Up scheduled a big dog in 5A Arkansas State Champions Pulaski Academy and were handily defeated 56-21. In week two they were unable to shut down the Choctaw air raid and gave up a 45-41 come-from-behind upset. They struggled offensively against Putnam West, but key defensive and special teams plays gave them the close 29-24 win.

The Pick: Sand Springs 46, Sapulpa 22

No. 7 Putnam City Pirates (8) vs No. 9 Choctaw Yellowjackets (5) 

After scoring a surprising upset over the Sandites (1-2) in week two, the Yellowjackets were in-turn upset in week three. 6A-I Putnam City North (1-2) lost both in-town rivalry games 16-7 to Putnam City and 16-5 to Putnam City West, but got in the win column with a huge upset 17-14 over Choctaw. 

Choctaw relied on its powerful air-raid offense to win close 90+ point shootouts with Sapulpa and Sand Springs, but when it met Ryan Laverty's newly established Panther defense, they were useless without a substantial ground game. The Panthers forced seven turnovers, including six interceptions for the win.

Putnam City (2-1) already proved themselves against the Putnam North defense, then steamrolled El Reno 52-6 in week two. They suffered their first loss last week to the top-ranked Spartans, but still managed to score 20 points on big home-run plays. The Pirates have a versatile offense, transitioning smoothly to the ground after the Putnam North pass-defense held them to 90 yards, but managed to throw well against both El Reno and Bixby. 

The Pick: Choctaw 33, Putnam 32. 

No. 8 Putnam City West Patriots (11) vs No. 13 Enid Plainsmen (10)

The Patriots (2-1) gave the Sandites a run for their money last weekend, falling 29-24, but still hold solid wins over 5A Duncan 43-14 and 16-5 over in-town rival Putnam North (1-2). QB Trey Gooch was 16-25-1-172 passing against the Sandites and also carried 14 times for 72 yards and was in on every touchdown. 

The Plainsmen (1-2) won a 42-31 shootout with Ponca City in week two, but were edged out by Guthrie 22-19 in week one and were utterly floored 44-14 by 5A No. 7 Bishop McGuinness (2-1) last week. 

The Pick: PCW 26, Enid 17.

No. 10 Stillwater Pioneers (13) vs No. 12 Deer Creek Antlers (12)

The Pioneers (2-1) made a big statement last week with a 34-26 upset of 6A-I No. 9 Mustang (2-1). The Broncos had previously won 42-20 over Yukon and 44-3 over Norman, so if Stillwater's victory is any indicator of their season to come, they could be a serious contender for at least the district title, if not the State Championship. 

The Antlers (0-3) had strength of schedule boosting their ranking the first two weeks, but after losing 48-31 to unranked Edmond Memorial, they're going to have to put in work against Stillwater to prove themselves at the 6A level. That Memorial is a rival and rivalry games are often unpredictable lends the Antlers some credibility still, but going into districts 0-3 doesn't look good for the team's first year out of 5A. 

The Pick: Stillwater 37, Deer Creek 19

Lady Sandite Softball shaping up for another District Championship battle with Yukon

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity softball team (19-4) is the number one team in the district, but the season isn't over yet. The Lady Sandites rode a tidal wave of success in recent weeks, winning fourteen-straight games by an average score of 7-1 before falling 1-0 to Jenks (11-10) on Tuesday. They wasted no time in rebounding from the defeat, however, with a pair of dominating district wins over Enid (6-17) Thursday evening.

The Lady Sandites hold a 10-1 district record that was unblemished before the game with Jenks. After that loss they are now tied in district wins with Yukon (20-4) whom they have already defeated 9-1 earlier this season. Because the Sandites hold the head-to-head advantage with Yukon, they're still number one. The Millers still have time to change that, however. The two teams will get a rematch in Sand Springs next Thursday. 

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What happens if Yukon wins? Assuming Yukon wins their district double-header against Enid Monday, which they should, the Millers would claim the district title with a 13-1 record, and the Sandites would come in runners-up with a 12-2 record, assuming they defeat Bixby in back-to-back games Monday and Tuesday.

But don't count Bixby out either. With a 9-3 district record, technically they're still in it. If Bixby beats Sand Springs, the Spartans will take the number two seed. If the Sandites and Pacers both top Yukon and Bixby tops Sand Springs, then Bixby takes the district and the Sandites come in runners-up. It's unlikely to work out in the Spartans' favor, but the history books are filled with unlikely outcomes in sports. Remember last year when Sand Springs football lost to both Booker T and Bartlesville, but still ended up in the State Championship?

Ignoring the Spartan sleepers, the district championship game will most likely be played next Thursday, and it wouldn't be the first time the Millers have spoiled it for the Sandites. Last season the Sandites were undefeated in the district after a 7-6 victory over the previously undefeated Millers at home. Then they had to travel to Yukon, and the Millers won 4-0 with the home-field advantage. 

What's different this year is that the Sandites already beat Yukon at Yukon, and it wasn't even close. They've also managed to somehow have a slightly better season, in spite of the fact that last season was already incredible. They win by one more point than last year. They've had two fewer losses, and they've stepped up their defense by a landslide. While they lost big hitters in Jessica Schuler (NSU) and Kennedy "Goose" Salyers (SWOSU), they've made up for the mild dip in offense by allowing far fewer points. This time last year they had won five shutouts. This year they've won ten. 

The girls don't need to win their district, though it would certainly be nice. But if they can beat Bixby to finish in the top two, then they'll get to host their Regional bracket, which can often give a team a huge advantage. The Spartans' three district losses were an 11-2 upset to Sapulpa and a devastating double-header at Yukon which they lost by a combined 29-3. Theoretically, the Sandites should win, but nothing is ever set in stone.

No matter which way things go, the next three games will all be crucial and will make for some grade-A softball that you don't want to miss. Monday's game at Bixby begins at 5:00 p.m., as does Tuesday's home game against Bixby. The Thursday home game against Yukon will begin at 4:00 p.m.

Mid-Season Player Stats

Madelyn Blair has hit 22 singles, 15 doubles, 7 triples, 2 sacrifices, and 22 RBI on 70 at-bats for a .314 batting average, .414 slugging average, and .377 OBP. She has scored 9 runs this season and had a hand in 3 double plays. At the mound she holds a 7-2 record and 1.53 ERA over 45.66 innings pitched. She has struck out 34 batters, given up 35 hits, 6 walks, and has hit 10 players with the pitch. She has only allowed 11 runs and 10 earned runs.

Jessica Collins has hit 18 singles, 3 doubles, 9 sacrifices, and 13 RBI on 66 at-bats for a .318 batting average, .333 slugging average, and .444 OBP. She has scored 27 runs and stolen 5 bases this season. 

Jacie Taber has hit 13 singles, 5 doubles, 1 home run, 4 sacrifices, and 13 RBI on 66 at-bats for a .288 batting average, .394 slugging average, and .338 OBP. She has scored 12 runs and stolen 2 bases this season. At the mound she holds an 8-2 record and 0.89 ERA over 63 innings pitched. She has struck out 53 batters, given up 34 hits, 18 walks, and has hit 12 players with the pitch. She has allowed only 9 runs and 8 earned runs. 

Sydney Pennington has hit 17 singles, 10 doubles, 8 home runs, and 27 RBI on 64 at-bats for a .547 batting average, 1.078 slugging average, and .642 OBP. She has scored 28 runs, stolen 2 bases, and been in on 3 double plays. At the mound she holds a 4-0 record and 1.15 ERA over 30.33 innings pitched. She has struck out 18 batters, given up 17 hits, 12 walks, and has hit 2 players with the pitch. She has allowed only 6 runs and 5 earned runs. 

Kimi Presnell has hit 12 singles, 2 doubles, 2 sacrifices, and 11 RBI on 63 at-bats for a .222 batting average, .254 slugging average, and .319 OBP. She has scored 11 runs this season, stolen 9 bases, and been in on 4 double plays. 

Sabrina Usher has hit 9 singles, 7 doubles, 1 home run, 2 sacrifices, and 14 RBI on 59 at-bats for a .288 batting average, .475 slugging average, and .333 OBP. She has scored 11 runs and stolen 1 base this season.

Felicity Horn has hit 9 singles, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 sacrifices, and 6 RBI on 56 at-bats for a .250 batting average, .357 slugging average, and .432 OBP. She has scored 19 runs this season and has stolen 1 base. 

Rachel Blair has hit 8 singles, 1 double, 3 sacrifices, and 3 RBI on 53 at-bats for a .170 batting average, .189 slugging average, and .267 OBP. She has scored 8 runs this season.

Cameron Clemons has hit 11 singles, 5 doubles, 5 sacrifices, and 11 RBI on 52-at bats for a .308 batting average, .385 slugging average, and .400 OBP. She has scored 11 runs this season, stolen 1 base, and had a hand in 1 double play. 

Elizabeth Luttrell has hit 6 singles, 3 doubles, and 5 RBI on 16 at-bats for a .563 batting average, .750 slugging average, and .588 OBP. She has scored 7 runs this season.

Makenna Skaggs has hit 4 singles and 2 RBI on 12 at-bats for a .333 batting average, .333 slugging average, and .467 OBP. She has scored 12 runs this season.

Jensen Arnold has hit 1 single, 3 doubles, 1 triple, and 3 RBI on 8 at-bats for a .625 batting average, 1.25 slugging average, and .625 OBP. She has scored 4 runs this season.

Rachel Jones has a 0.00 batting average on 4 at-bats this season. She has been in on 1 double play.