CPHS Football: Sandites roll Ponca 35-14, Pennington scores four TDs

(Ponca City) - The Class 6A-II No. 11 ranked Charles Page High School football team (2-5, 1-3) picked up their first district win against No. 15 Ponca City (0-7, 0-4) Friday night at Sullins Stadium.

Both of the Wildcats’ touchdowns came in the final seconds of the halves, and the Sandites dominated on all fronts.

Sand Springs scored on five of nine possessions with an average drive of 43 yards in only six plays. They only punted once and gave up a turnover on downs, a fumble, and an interception that resulted in a scoring drive from Ponca. The Wildcats only mustered six plays for eighteen yards per possession, scoring twice on ten drives with four punts and three turnovers on downs. The Sandite defense allowed only 3.5 yards per play, while the offense racked up 7.2 in a balanced offense.

Ponca punted their first two drives and the Sandites gave up a turnover on downs before scoring on a twenty-yard quarterback keeper from Caden Pennington. Jaden Weiser made the extra point kick for a 7-0 first quarter lead.

Ponca almost had a successful drive early in the second quarter, making it as far as third-and-two at the Sandite thirteen-yard line, but a fumbled handoff resulted in a scoring Sandite possession. Sand Springs marched seventy yards and scored on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Pennington to Jacob Snodgrass.

The Wildcats made the mistake of going for a fourth-and-one from their own 46, and Jerret Haley bagged the quarterback for a turnover at the Ponca 40-yard line. Pennington made a forty-yard pass to Justin Roe on the first play and Weiser put the visitors up 21-0 with 4:36 in the half.

Sand Springs’s stellar defense gave up only three yards before forcing another punt, and the Sandites marched 35 yards before Pennington threw an interception to Justin Andrews.

Ponca City averted the first-half shutout with a six-play 53-yard march and scored on a thirteen-yard keeper from Andrews. Spencer Ball kicked the PAT for the final points of the half.

Trey Wilkerson scored on the opening drive of the second half with a 32-yard run, then Pennington scored on a one-play, one-yard drive after a muffed punt for a 35-7 lead to end the third quarter.

Ponca once again scored in the final moments of the half, traveling 53 yards in nine plays, capped by a one-yard keeper.

Pennington led the offense with a 14-22-165-1 passing performance and 8-64 ground game for four total touchdowns. Wilkerson was the leading rusher with eight carries for 75 yards. Snodgrass and Braden Foster both had five catches for 51 yards each. Hayden Cramer and JT Bristow led the defense in tackles.

The win was the Sandites’ seventh-straight against Ponca City and they hold a 26-18-1 series record. In the last seven meetings they’ve won by an average score of 45-15, including a 42-7 drubbing last year.

The Sandites will return to action with a Thursday home game against No. 2 Bixby (6-1, 4-0). The Sandites are all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs after a rough 0-3 start, but can technically still make it to the post-season if they win out. They’ll need a pair of big upsets against the top-ranked team in the district and the defending State Champions to do so, however.

Week 7 Class 6A-2 Results
Del City 46-7 Putnam City
Muskogee 35-26 Shawnee
Sand Springs 35-14 Ponca City
Stillwater 23-20 Lawton
Midwest City 35-9 Deer Creek
Bixby 65-6 Bartlesville
Booker T. Washington 20-3 Sapulpa
Choctaw 35-7 Putnam West

District 2 Standings
4-0 Bixby (59 district points)
3-1 Muskogee (32)
3-1 Booker T. Washington (31)
2-2 Shawnee (-18)
2-2 Sapulpa (-24)
1-3 Bartlesville (-33)
1-3 Sand Springs (-3)
0-4 Ponca City (-44)