CPHS Track and Field: Sandites crown 2 Regional Champions, qualify 8 for State

The Charles Page High School boys’ track and field team took third place at the 6A Regional meet in Ponca City Saturday, crowning two Champions with eleven top-six finishes. Eight total Sandites punched their tickets to the State Championship this coming weekend in Moore.

Oral Roberts University-signed senior Mitchell Mefford won the Discus Throw with a personal-record 159 feet and one inch. He also had a PR in Shot Put at 41’10.50 for seventh place. The State Discus competition will be held Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

Air Force Academy-signee Aden Baughman won the 800-meter run for the third-straight year in 1:58.63 and was runner-up in the 400 with a PR time of 50.13 seconds. He settled for fifth in the 800 at last year’s State meet after winning gold the prior season. This is his first time qualifying in the 400. The 400 prelims will be Friday at 2:15 with the finals held Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The 800 race will be Saturday at 12:20 p.m.

Baughman also qualified in the 4x400 relay alongside Jaelyn Jackson, Joseph Mattison, and Nelson Yazzie. They placed second in 3:31.54, the school’s best time since at least 2004. The 1600 relay will be the final event at State, Saturday at 3:10 p.m.

Baughman, Jackson, Yazzie, and Savannah College of Art and Design-signee Jake Smith qualified in the 4x800 relay with a third place finish in 8:18.51, their best time of the season. Last year they placed sixth at State after winning Regionals. The 3200 relay will be held Friday at 12:40 p.m.

Joel Mackey came in Runner-Up twice in the 100-meter dash. He finished the prelims in 11.11 seconds and the finals in a season-best 10.82. He also placed third in the 200-meter finals with a season-best 21.90. Last season he placed ninth at State in the 100 and tenth in the 200. He will run the 100 prelims Friday at 1:55 p.m. and the 200 at 3:25 p.m. The 100 finals will be Saturday at 1:00 p.m., followed by the 200 at 2:20 p.m.

Mackenzie Rader placed seventh in the 100-meter hurdle prelims, then improved to fourth in the finals with a career-best time of 17.07 seconds to qualify for the State meet. The State prelims will be held Friday at 1:35 p.m., with the finals Saturday at 12:40 p.m.

Davina Green ran a PR 29.72 in the 200, Chezney Kelley ran a PR 6:37.26 in the 1600, and Rader tied her PR High Jump at 4’10.00” for fifth place. Elizabeth Watts had her best performance in a year in the 100 hurdles, finishing sixth in the prelims in 17.91.

Alex Newport ran a PR 45.88 in the 300 hurdles, Morgan Lockhart ran a PR 24.34 in the 200 dash, and Noah Hanlon ran a PR 11:38.07 in the 3200. All three 1600 runners set PRs. Smith finished in 4:39.94, Danny Murray finished in 4:52.23, and Caleb James finished in 5:19.86. Sam Keiper set a PR distance of 98’06.50” in discus and 29’01.50” in Shot Put.

The boys voided the High Jump, Pole Vault, and 4x200 relay, and placed fifth in the 4x100. The Lady Sandites voided the 800 run, Pole Vault, 4x100, and 4x200. They placed fifth in the 4x400 and sixth in the 4x800 with their fastest time of the year, and placed eighth out of eight teams overall at Regionals.

Sandite Results
4x100 - 5th - 44.72
4x400 - 2nd - 3:31.54
4x800 - 3rd - 8:18.51
110 Hurdles - Prelims
5th - Matt Wilkerson - 18.08
10th - Alex Newport - 19.43
110 Hurdles - Finals
7th - Matt Wilkerson - 18.00
100 Dash - Prelims
300 Hurdles
10th - Alex Newport - 45.88
11th - Matt Wilkerson - 48.79
2nd - Joel Mackey - 11.11
16th - Morgan Lockhart - 12.05
100 Dash - Finals
2nd - Joel Mackey - 10.82
200 Dash - Prelims
4th - Joel Mackey - 22.24
16th - Morgan Lockhart - 24.34
20th - Dalton Wilcox - 26.62
200 Dash - Finals
3rd - Joel Mackey - 21.90
400 Dash
2nd - Aden Baughman - 50.13
7th - Jaelyn Jackson - 52.60
11th - Joseph Mattison - 53.74
800 Run
1st - Aden Baughman - 1:58.63
13th - Alejandro Lopez - 2:13.50
15th - Sam English - 2:16.38
1600 Run
6th - Jacob Smith - 4:39.94
9th - Danny Murray - 4:52.23
15th - Caleb James - 5:19.86
3200 Run
12th - Caleb James - 11:31.46
14th - Noah Hanlon - 11:38.07
Long Jump
10th - Alejandro Lopez - 17’11.00”
Shot Put
7th - Mitchell Mefford - 41’10.50”
11th - Riley Magee - 37’09.00”
16th - Sam Keiper - 29’01.50”
Discus Throw
1st - Mitchell Mefford - 159’01.00”
8th - Riley Magee - 119’05.50”
12th - Sam Keiper - 98’06.50”

Boys Team Scores
225 Broken Arrow
97 Midwest City
75 Sand Springs
67 Shawnee
60 Stillwater
55 Ponca City
43 Enid
26 Putnam City West

Boys Champions
4x100 - Broken Arrow - 41.45
4x200 - Broken Arrow - 1:26.19
4x400 - Broken Arrow - 3:23.34
4x800 - Shawnee - 8:13.29
110H - Luis Abad - 15.10
300H - Luis Abad - 40.84
100M - Kevin Jackson - 10.71
200M - Kalope Morris - 21.80
400M - Logan Matthews - 49.75
800M - Aden Baughman - 1:58.63
1600M - Andres Chapa - 4:30.71
3200M - Kyler Clark - 9:55.38
High Jump - Wyatt Thiel - 6’00.00”
Pole Vault - Brandon Hanoch - 15’00.00”
Long Jump - Tramon Jackson - 21’09.00”
Shot Put - Elijah Manuel - 52’06.00”
Discus Throw - Mitchell Mefford - 159’01.00”

Lady Sandite Results
4x400 - 5th - 5:01.34
4x800 - 6th - 11:48.70
100 Hurdles - Prelims
6th - Elizabeth Watts - 17.91
7th - Mackenzie Rader - 17.99
100 Hurdles - Finals
4th - Mackenzie Rader - 17.07
7th - Elizabeth Watts - 18.00
300 Hurdles
10th - Elizabeth Watts - 54.52
100 Dash - Prelims
12th - Davina Green - 14.58
14th - Kristen Fields - 16.21
200 Dash - Prelims
14th - Davina Green - 29.72
19th - Kristen Fields - 34.07
400 Dash
13th - Victoria Baker - 1:16.78
15th - Erika Baker - 1:20.07
1600 Run
15th - Sara Abbet - 6:31.38
18th - Chezney Kelley - 6:37.26
3200 Run
10th - Erika Baker - 13:53.96
High Jump
5th - Mackenzie Rader - 4’10.00”
Long Jump
10th - Mackenzie Rader - 14’08.25”
13th - Jazmin Lopez - 11’03.75”
Shot Put
10th - Ayden Meade - 24’00.25”
Discus Throw
7th - Ayden Meade - 82’08.00”

Girls Team Scores
224 Broken Arrow
127 Midwest City
82 Putnam City West
78 Stillwater
53 Enid
41 Shawnee
26 Ponca City
12 Sand Springs

Girls Champions
4x100 - Broken Arrow - 48.47
4x200 - Midwest City - 1:40.92
4x400 - Broken Arrow - 3:59.17
4x800 - Broken Arrow - 10:16.57
100H - Trinity Wisby - 15.53
300H - Brianna Hays - 45.47
100M - Deniyah Smith - 12.47
200M - Deniyah Smith - 25.05
400M - Kanisius Harding - 58.13
800M - Brianna Hays - 2:17.61
1600M - Payton Hinkle - 5:36.07
3200M - Payton Hinkle - 12:04.67
High Jump - Miranda Givens - 5’04.00”
Pole Vault - Shelbi Day - 10’06.00”
Long Jump - India Morgan - 18’08.75”
Shot Put - Elainea Manuel - 36’05.50”
Discus Throw - Kelsi Seiger - 113’00.00”

CPHS Track: Aden Baughman wins Frontier Valley Conference Championship

The Charles Page High School boys’ track and field team took eighth place at the Frontier Valley Conference Championship Thursday at Union with one individual champion.

U.S. Air Force-signee Aden Baughman won his second conference title and seventh gold medal of the season with a 2:00.99 finish in the 800-meter run.

Mitchell Mefford placed second in discus with a distance of 143’02.5”, less than two feet behind the champion. Joel Mackey placed third in the 100-meter dash in 11.11 seconds and fourth in the 200 in 22.7. Titus Wright set a PR of 1:02.91 in the 400.

The boys' relay teams placed fifth in the 4x100, fifth in the 4x400, and sixth in the 4x800.

The Lady Sandites placed tenth, but avoided going scoreless thanks to Mackenzie Rader.

Rader had a great day all around. She placed fifth in the 100 hurdles in 17.52 and set personal records in two other events with a high jump of 4’10” and a long jump of 15’10.5”. Jazmin Lopez had a PR long jump of 12’05.25” and a PR 800 run in 2:58.53.

The top three teams were the same in both men and women’s competition. Broken Arrow won both titles, Union came in runner-up, and Jenks placed third in both. Booker T. Washington placed fourth in men’s and seventh in women’s during their first season in the FVC.

Sand Springs will return to action Saturday, May 4th at the OSSAA 6A Regional Championship at Ponca City High School against Broken Arrow, Enid, Midwest City, Ponca City, Putnam City West, Shawnee, and Stillwater. Events are set to begin at 9:30 a.m.

Sandite Results
4x100 Relay - 5th Place - 44.54
4x400 Relay - 5th Place - 3:32.26
4x800 Relay - 6th Place - 8:55.67
110 Hurdles
10th - Matt Wilkerson - 18.49
12th - Alex Newport - 19.35
13th - Knox Goggins - 20.43
300 Hurdles
14th - Alex Newport - 46.99
17th - Knox Goggins - 54.03
18th - David Rigsby - 58.90
100 Dash
3rd - Joel Mackey - 11.11
12th - Joseph Mattison - 11.92
19th - Morgan Lockhart - 12.17
200 Dash
4th - Joel Mackey - 22.70
20th - Morgan Lockhart - 25.43
24th - Daren Hawkins - 27.30
400 Dash
20th - Dalton Wilcox - 59.91
21st - Titus Wright - 1:02.91
800 Run
1st - Aden Baughman - 2:00.99
1600 Run
8th - Jacob Smith - 4:48.95
16th - Danny Murray - 4:59.99
Long Jump
20th - Knox Goggins - 14’08.50”
21st - Justin Guynn - 13’03.00”
Shot Put
15th - Mitchell Mefford - 40’05.00”
Discus Throw
2nd - Mitchell Mefford - 143’02.50”
7th - Riley Magee - 131’09.00”

Male Champions
4x100 Relay - Broken Arrow - 41.77
4x200 Relay - Union - 1:26.70
4x400 Relay - Broken Arrow - 3:24.13
4x800 Relay - Bartlesville - 8:13.03
110 Hurdles - Luis Abad - 15.41
300 Hurdles - Henry Falls - 40.07
100 Dash - AJ Green - 10.83
200 Dash - AJ Green - 21.90
400 Dash - Gentry Williams - 47.91
800 Run - Aden Baughman - 2:00.99
1600 Run - Hudson Mazzei - 4:38.92
3200 Run - Andres Chapa - 10:13.72
High Jump - Jack Jansen - 6’02.00”
Long Jump - Brennan Presley - 22’06.50”
Pole Vault - Brandon Hanoch - 15’03.00”
Shot Put - Hunter Wright - 52’06.00”
Discus Throw - Earnest Grayson - 145’01.00”

Male Team Scores
168.5 Broken Arrow
144.5 Union
95.0 Jenks
45.5 Booker T. Washington
44.5 Bartlesville
43.0 Bixby
42.5 Owasso
38.0 Sand Springs
21.0 Sapulpa
8.5 Muskogee

Lady Sandite Results
100 Hurdles
5th - Mackenzie Rader - 17.52
12th - Elizabeth Watts - 18.80
300 Hurdles
14th - Elizabeth Watts - 55.54
100 Dash
21st - Davina Green - 14.76
24th - Kristen Fields - 15.81
26th - Joselyn Schinnerer - 16.23
200 Dash
16th - Davina Green - 30.44
19th - Joselyn Shinnerer - 33.93
21st - Kaitlyn Converse - 34.97
400 Dash
15th - Wanageeska Williams - 1:12.16
800 Run
14th - Jazmin Lopez - 2:58.53
3200 Run
17th - Erika Baker - 14:30.00
High Jump
8th - Mackenzie Rader - 4’10.00”
Long Jump
10th - Mackenzie Rader - 15’10.50”
22nd - Jazmin Lopez - 12’05.25”
Discus Throw
13th - Ayden Meade - 83’00.00”

Female Champions
4x100 Relay - Broken Arrow - 49.14
4x200 Relay - Broken Arrow - 1:43.72
4x400 Relay - Broken Arrow - 4:03.89
4x800 Relay - Broken Arrow - 9:39.26
100 Hurdles - Danielle Shaw - 16.82
300 Hurdles - Brianna Hays - 47.13
100 Dash - Mikah Ferrying - 13.13
200 Dash - Danielle Shaw - 26.81
400 Dash - Kanisius Harding - 58.65
800 Run - Brianna Hays - 2:18.90
1600 Run - Avery Mazzei - 5:21.68
3200 Run - Avery Mazzei - 11:22.00
High Jump - Takyla Pitts - 5’00.00”
Long Jump - Takyla Pitts - 17’05.50”
Pole Vault - Sedona Emde - 10’09.00”
Shot Put - Dymon Murdock - 38’07.00”
Discus Throw - Bailey Tilley - 124’08.00”

Female Team Scores
180.3 Broken Arrow
145.0 Union
123.3 Jenks
84.3 Owasso
32.0 Bartlesville
31.0 Bixby
28.0 Booker T. Washington
21.0 Sapulpa
4.0 Muskogee
2.0 Sand Springs

CPHS Track: Mitchell Mefford places second at John Jacobs Invitational

The Charles Page High School track and field teams recently competed at the University of Oklahoma’s John Jacobs Invitational. A loaded field with more than thirty schools caused the team scores to suffer, but several Sandites set personal records.

The boys placed 22nd out of 35 teams while the girls tied for last. Only top-six finishers earn team points, and only Mitchell Mefford accomplished the feat. Mefford placed second in discus with a personal-best distance of 150’05”.

Riley Magee set a personal record distance of 39’07” in shot put. Caleb James ran PRs of 11:15.49 in the 3200 and 5:21.67 in the 1600. Danny Murray also PRed in the 1600 in 4:59.50. Dalton Wilcox and Sam Smith ran PRs of 2:23.55 and 2:23.84, respectively, in the 800.

Daren Hawkins and Justis Meyers PRed in the 200 with times of 25.90 and 27.97. All three 100-meter runners set PRs. Morgan Lockhart finished in 11.73, Meyers in 12.74, and Hawkins in 12.78.

Joselyn Shinnerer and Kristen Fields set PRs in the 100-meter dash with times of 15.39 and 15.75, respectively. Erika Baker and Chezney Kelley set PRs in the 1600 run with times of 6:23.78 and 6:52.94, respectively.

Sandite Results
110 Hurdles
30th - Matt Wilkerson - 18.33
34th - Alex Newport - 19.86
35th - Knox Goggins - 20.33
300 Hurdles
38th - Alex Newport - 47.45
39th - Matt Wilkerson - 48.20
42nd - Knox Goggins - 52.53
100 Dash
29th - Morgan Lockhart - 11.73
43rd - Justis Meyers - 12.74
44th - Daren Hawkins - 12.78
200 Dash
40th - Morgan Lockhart - 25.25
42nd - Daren Hawkins - 25.90
44th - Justis Meyers - 27.97
400 Dash
36th - Titus Wright - 1:03.75
800 Run
46th - Dalton Wilcox - 2:23.55
47th - Sam Smith - 2:23.84
1600 Run
37th - Danny Murray - 4:59.50
42nd - Nelson Yazzie - 5:03.62
55th - Caleb James - 5:21.67
3200 Run
17th - Jacob Smith - 10:34.78
32nd - Caleb James - 11:15.49
43rd - Noah Hanlon - 11:46.84
Shot Put
17th - Riley Magee - 39’07.00”
27th - Mitchell Mefford - 35’06.25”
Discus Throw
2nd - Mitchell Mefford - 150’05.00”
17th - Riley Magee - 107’07.00”

Male Champions
4x100 Relay - Union - 41.55
4x200 Relay - Union - 1:28.02
4x400 Relay - Altus - 3:24.73
4x800 Relay - Weatherford - 8:04.38
110 Hurdles - Slater Ward - 14.79
300 Hurdles - Robert Wood - 38.12
100 Dash - JT McCloud - 10.47
200 Dash - JT McCloud - 21.09
400 Dash - Michael James - 50.03
800 Run - Blake McConkay - 1:58.16
1600 Run - Brady Carpenter - 4:31.88
3200 Run - Daniel Nickell - 9:48.98
High Jump - Tyler Dechant - 6’06.00”
Long Jump - Romeo Ingram - 22’04.50”
Pole Vault - Brandon Hanoch - 14’06.00”
Shot Put - Brandon Zamarripa - 52’02.25”
Discus Throw - Adrian Del Toro - 170’09.00”

Team Scores
94 Union
70 Broken Arrow
39 Altus
37 Del City
37 Norman North
35 Weatherford
31 Lawton
28 Putnam City
28 Edmond Santa Fe
26.5 Choctaw
21 Edmond Memorial
21 Yukon
20 Bartlesville
19 MacArthur
16 Owasso
14 Southmoore
14 Woodward
10 Hobart
10 Edmond North
10 Putnam West
8 Sand Springs
8 Noble
6 Stillwater
6 Westville
6 Westmoore
2 Casady
1.5 Atoka
0 Deer Creek
0 Graham-Dustin
0 Heritage Hall
0 Lincoln Christian
0 Putnam North
0 Santa Fe South
0 Shattuck

Lady Sandite Results
100 Hurdles
7th - Makenzie Rader - 17.30
22nd - Elizabeth Watts - 18.58
300 Hurdles
27th - Elizabeth Watts - 54.60
100 Dash
39th - Davina Green - 14.33
44th - Joselynn Schinnerer - 15.39
45th - Kristen Field - 15.75
200 Dash
41st - Davina Green - 30.34
43rd - Kaitlyn Converse - 33.09
400 Dash
33rd - Gigi Williams - 1:15.27
800 Run
43rd - Victoria Baker - 3:00.69
1600 Run
33rd - Erika Baker - 6:23.78
37th - Sara Abbet - 6:34.46
38th - Chezney Kelley - 6:52.94
3200 Run
18th - Erika Baker - 13:33.38
High Jump
10th - Makenzie Rader - 4’08.00”
Long Jump
18th - Makenzie Rader - 14’02.00”
Shot Put
28th - Ayden Meade - 24’09.00”
Discus Throw
17th - Ayden Meade - 76’01.00”

Female Champions
4x100 Relay - Broken Arrow - 49.08
4x200 Relay - Broken Arrow - 1:45.79
4x400 Relay - Broken Arrow - 3:57.18
4x800 Relay - Broken Arrow - 9:33.34
100 Hurdles - Shelbie Maddy - 15.70
300 Hurdles - Tahlor Brown - 44.76
100 Dash - Lyric Henry - 12.58
200 Dash - Jada Atkinson - 25.07
400 Dash - Levi Gladd - 57.47
800 Run - Daphne Matthews - 2:14.43
1600 Run - Maddie Medina - 5:09.03
3200 Run - Maddie Medina - 11:14.97
High Jump - Taylor Dozier - 5’04.00”
Long Jump - India Morgan - 18’01.00”
Pole Vault - Kyla Davis - 12’06.00”
Shot Put - Madison Collier - 42’4.75”
Discus Throw - Madison Collier - 145’01.00”

Team Scores
122.33 Broken Arrow
90.33 Edmond North
78 Southmoore
51.33 Putnam City
37 Del City
34 Weatherford
33.33 Union
28 Owasso
23.33 Choctaw
22 Heritage Hall
20 Hennessey
20 Lawton
14 Altus
12 Yukon
10 Lincoln Christian
10 Putnam West
8 Stillwater
8 Sulphur
6 Norman North
6 Edmond Santa Fe
4 Casady
4 Moore
3 Bartlesville
2.33 Westville
0 Deer Creek
0 MacAthur
0 Putnam North
0 Sand Springs

No. 3 CPHS girls defeat Stillwater 59-32 in Regional Playoffs; Kersgieter scores 18

Sophomore Holly Kersgieter scored a game-high 18 points in a Regional playoff victory over Stillwater.

CPHS 59 SHS 32

1Q Stillwater 13-12
2Q Sand Springs 20-3
3Q Sand Springs 11-6
4Q Sand Springs 16-10

Free Throws: CPHS 11-of-19, SHS 12-of-15.
Field Goals: CPHS 22-of-52, SHS 9-of-39.
Fouls: CPHS 14, SHS 14.

Scoring: (CPHS) Kersgieter 18, Pennington 14, Mutiri 10, Johnson 6, Regalado 6, McGee 2, Solis 2, Collins 1. (SHS) Tuck 10, Lovelace 6, Kloos 4, Spiva 4, Campis 3, Morales 2, Jessell 2, Purdy 1.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Kersgieter 3, Pennington 3, Johnson 2, Taber 2, Mutiri 1, Solis 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Pennington 6, McGee 6, Regalado 4, Kersgieter 4, Bunch 2, Mutiri 1, Johnson 1, Collins 1, Boaz 1.
Assists: McGee 4, Pennington 3, Kersgieter 1.
Steals: Johnson 3, McGee 2, Regalado 2, Taber 2, Kersgieter 1, Collins 1, Solis 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 4, Kersgieter 1, Pennington 1, Regalado 1. 
Fouls: Johnson 3, Mutiri 2, Regalado 2, Taber 2, Kersgieter 1, Pennington 1, McGee 1, Collins 1, Boaz 1.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It was a slow starter Thursday night at Broken Arrow High School, but by the end of the game the No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (21-1) had rolled to a dominating 59-32 victory over the unranked Stillwater Lady Pioneers (5-19) in the first round of the Regional playoffs. 

Sophomore Holly Kersgieter led all scorers with 18 points, followed by Oklahoma State University softball-signed senior Sydney Pennington with 14 and Ohio State University volleyball-committed junior Gloria Mutiri with 10. Taylor Tuck was the lone Lady Pioneer to break double-digits, scoring 10. 

The Sandites trailed after the first period for only the second time this season. They won the tip off, but missed their first four shots, including two and three point range and the charity stripe.

Senior forward Maggie Campis scored first blood for the Lady Pioneers from three-point range, but the Sandites took the lead with layups from Destiny Johnson and Pennington.

Taylor Tuck tied things up from the free throw line, Kierra McGee retook the lead for Sand Springs, then Stillwater went on a six-point run to retain the lead for the rest of the quarter. Mutiri entered the game towards the end of the period and scored four points from the charity stripe.

The second quarter was a whole different story, however, as the Sandites returned to their usual form and outscored Stillwater 20-3.

Johnson snagged a steal off the opening possession and took it coast to coast for two, then Pennington padded the score with a free throw. Kersgieter scored back-to-back layups, Tuck sank two from the charity stripe, then the power went out. After a brief intermission the Lady Sandites scored thirteen straight to close the half with a 32-16 advantage.

Sand Springs continued their streak with nine more to start the third before Allyson Spiva broke things up with back-to-back layups. By the end of the third the Sandites had pushed their advantage to 43-22.

Mutiri kicked the final stanza off with a layup, followed by a pair of free throws from Kersgieter. Kersgieter scored ten in the fourth quarter, including two threes before being pulled along with most of the starters by mid-period. Stillwater got the opportunity to shore up the gap against the Sandite bench and posted eight-straight before Daniela Solis posted the final points of the evening.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Saturday at 1:30 p.m. when they play the No. 17 Union Redskins (14-10) who defeated No. 15 Broken Arrow (13-11) 45-41 in overtime. Sand Springs has already topped the Redskins once this season by a score of 78-58. Taylor Malham led the Redskins against Broken Arrow with 20 points. Both teams will advance to the Area playoffs next weekend.

No. 1 Sandites top No. 10 Stillwater 59-9, win nine of eleven matches

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It was another dominating win Thursday evening at the Ed Dubie Field House as the No. 1 ranked Sand Springs Sandites (3-0) continued their undefeated start to the season with their second-straight win over a top-ten team. The tenth-ranked Stillwater Pioneers (3-2) boast an impressive roster of powerful wrestlers, but it wasn't enough to stop the tidal wave that is the nationally recognized Charles Page team. Sand Springs, which is ranked 17th in the country by FloWrestling, rolled to a 59-9 victory with only two losses. The junior high team also prevailed 45-21 over Stillwater.

The Sandites started off with a 6-0 lead as Riley Weir (12-4 season, 33-16 career) received a forfeit at 106 pounds. Senior State-qualifier Tanner Ward (11-4, 87-16) took on Skylar Lancaster at 113 and made quick work of his opponent. He was working on a pin when the first period expired and had to settle for near-fall points. Lancaster started the second period neutral, trailing 7-1, setting Ward up for a takedown and pin at the 3:19 mark.

Stillwater forfeited the 120 and 126 pound weight classes to Michael Ritchey (11-5, 40-29) and Blake Sargent (12-4, 64-18), respectively, giving the Sandites a 24-0 lead. Sophomore Irwin Portillo (1-0, 4-3) made his season debut at 132 and picked up a huge win over John Ritchey. It was a close match, but Portillo led 2-1 after the first period and never trailed. He held off his Stillwater challenger throughout the third period and prevailed 8-5 for a 27-0 team score.

Oklahoma State University-signed senior Daton Fix (15-0, 133-0) continued his undefeated career with a incredible win at 138 pounds. Stillwater's Tyler Dieringer is no joke of an athlete. The three-time State-qualifier and two-time State placer went a combined 66-27 over the last two seasons, but Fix worked him over just like everyone else the Sandite stud takes on for a technical fall in only 4:25. Dieringer started out tough and only trailed 4-1 after the first period, but gave up eight takedowns in the second period and ultimately lost 26-11. 

Beau Bratcher (12-3, 103-26) drew a tough opponent in two-time Louisiana State Champion, one-time Oklahoma State-placer Kendon Lee and suffered his third loss of the season. Bratcher defeated Lee 4-2 last year for the Regional Title and 7-2 at Perry, but Lee dealt Bratcher a 4-2 loss in sudden victory last month at the Kansas City Stampede. This time around the pair were once again perfectly matched. The duo entered the third period tied 0-0 and Lee chose bottom to start. Bratcher had to cut Lee loose immediately and went to work looking for points. Instead it was Lee who padded his lead with a minute left. Bratcher got the reversal with ten seconds left and cut Lee loose again, but was unable to take the lead and fell 4-2. 

The Pioneers had put their first points on the board, but were behind 32-3 with seven matches to go. At 152 pounds Payton Scott (14-1, 35-9) made easy work of Parker Nichols, building a 6-2 lead before pinning the Pioneer in 1:41. Trailing 38-3, the Pioneers would need to win every single match by fall to win the dual.

One match where the Pioneers were likely to put up points was 152 pound State-qualifier Connor Wilcoxen versus sophomore Noah Almy (8-7), but the first-year starter had other plans. Almy hasn't had much varsity experience yet, but he's undefeated in duals and made sure to remain that way in a nail bitter overtime performance. The duo ended the first period scoreless and each scored a single escape point in the following periods. The sudden victory round ended scoreless and both wrestlers scored a single escape point in the tie-breaker rounds. Tied up 2-2, Almy started the first ultimate tie-breaker round on top. Wilcoxen was like an angry bull, doing anything he could to try and get Almy off, and had a few close calls where he nearly won it. But the Sandite was resilient and got the win after a frustrated Wilcoxen accidentally kicked Almy in the head and lost on a penalty. 

The dual was officially locked up in the Sandites' favor by this point, but there were still matches left to wrestle. The Pioneers managed to cut into the deficit a little bit with a 1:09 pin by State Champion Christian Bahl over Mikey Burns (0-1) at 170, but their second match win would be their last match win.

At 182 sophomore Luke Bratcher (2-0) took a quick 5-2 lead over Jakob Ogden after the first period and held on for an 8-2 decision. 

Freshman Hayden Cramer (1-1) picked up his first win of his high school career at 195, and he went the distance to do it. After a scoreless first period, Cramer took a 1-0 lead over Aaron Veselak with an escape to start the second. Veselak did the same to start the third and caught Cramer by the leg. The Sandite was hobbling on a single leg for nearly thirty seconds before he managed to escape off the edge of the mat. Veselak was unable to catch him off guard again, and they went into sudden victory. With three seconds left Cramer got the takedown for the 3-1 victory. 

Gage Fain (11-4, 24-26) got to wrestle close to his own weight for once, and it made a world of difference. The 207 pound junior has wrestled at 285 this entire season and 80% of last season due to the lack of a true heavyweight for the Sandites. Used to far heavier competitors, Fain easily took down Mason Fedderson ten seconds in and pinned the Pioneer in 0:23. 

This time Delvin Jordan (14-1, 45-13) took the heavyweight position, giving up 63 pounds to his competitor, but the All-State linebacker had no problem in continuing his pinning streak. Jordan took a 4-1 lead before recording his twelfth pin of the season in 1:21. His average match has lasted a mere 2:08 so far this season. 

The Sandites will return to action with another top-tier competition at the 73rd Annual Geary Invitational. Geary is the country's oldest high school wrestling tournament and will pit the Sandites against the toughest competitors in the country. The No. 17 nationally ranked Sandites will be joined by No. 18 Choctaw, No. 11 Tuttle, and No. 1 Blair Academy. The top-ranked team in the nation will be making the pilgrimage from New Jersey to defend their back-to-back Geary Titles. The Sandites placed fifth at Geary last year.

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

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Sandite Pride Editorial Board

The 6A-II rankings just got a whole lot weirder as District One continues to duke it out with no clear top-dog, save for Putnam City West. With the exception of the Patriots, every team in District One has a loss to someone they shouldn't have, causing a big confusing circle. Even District Two isn't immune to the mess. 

In week two, the Sand Springs Sandites were defeated by Choctaw, and that's their only in-state loss to date. In week three, the Sandites defeated Putnam City West, and that's the Patriots' only loss to date. While the Patriots are the only team out West without a district loss, Choctaw has sustained a pair of district losses to Putnam City and Enid. This Friday Choctaw upset Midwest City, who was previously undefeated in the district with wins over Lawton and Deer Creek. Lawton has wins over both Putnam City and Stillwater. Oh, what a tangled web they weave.

With every team out there having some claim over each other, there's bound to be some disagreement with the rankings, but nevertheless we shall try to make some sense out of it all.

No. 1 Muskogee Roughers (Last week No. 1) vs No. 4 Sand Springs Sandites (5)

It's the marquee matchup for the whole division as the only two undefeated teams in District Two go head-to-head. The Muskogee Roughers (6-0, 3-0) are a powerhouse team once again behind four-time State Championship winning coach Rafe Watkins, formerly of Guthrie. 

Muskogee and Sand Springs (3-2, 2-0) are fairly matched in the air, with both Hunter Greathouse and Jacob Medrano completing just over 50% of passes for right at 1,000 yards this season. Both teams employ a mess of solid multi-purpose players who can easily adapt to either the run or pass game as needed. Muskogee's stars include University of Tennessee commit Kamren Curl.

Sand Springs will need to rely heavily on their defense, who scored two touchdowns in their 56-35 win over Ponca City, to put up stops and force turnovers against the explosive Rougher offense. Muskogee has their own powerful defense though, with nine interceptions this season. They forced five turnovers against Booker T Washington Friday night. The two teams were perfectly matched on offense, but four fumbles and an interception paved the way for a 23-7 victory for Muskogee. 

The pick: Muskogee 45, Sand Springs 31.

No. 2 Bixby Spartans (3) vs No. 14 Ponca City Wildcats (14)

The two-time defending State Champions (3-3, 1-1) had a rough start to district play, falling 45-42 to Muskogee, but got in the win column Friday in a 62-17 beat down against Sapulpa. The Spartans ran up 646 yards while holding the Chieftains to just over 200, and never once punted. QB Tanner Griffin is sitting around 1500 yards passing this season with 20 touchdowns by air. The Spartans also have a talented running back in Tucker Pawley who is just under 1000 yards this season. They also have a talented defense highlighted by Oklahoma State commit Brendon Evers. 

The Ponca City Wildcats (1-5, 0-3) proved Friday that they can hang with some of the best defenses in the State, passing for over 300 yards against the Sandites. They also struggled with turnovers, however, giving up two fumble returns for touchdowns and threw two interceptions. 

The pick: Bixby 66, Ponca 12.

No. 3 Booker T Washington Hornets (2) 

The powerful Booker T (4-3, 2-1) offense was stymied by Muskogee Friday night, and scored only once despite racking up nearly 300 yards of offense. They were plagued by penalties amounting to more than 100 yards. That, coupled with four fumbles and an interception were insurmountable. The Hornets will have a bye week before returning to action against Sand Springs.

No. 5 Putnam City West Patriots (7) vs No. 6 Midwest City Bombers (4)

This matchup would have been a lot bigger if the Bombers (3-3, 2-1) hadn't given up an upset to Choctaw last Friday, but regardless of district standings the two teams should still put on a quality show. The two teams boast the top two defensive squads in the district with each allowing less than 15 points per game. 

The Patriots (5-1, 3-0) are coming off a huge 42-10 rivalry win over Putnam City while Midwest City just dropped their first district game of the season to Choctaw. Putnam West has suffered only one loss this season, 29-24 to Sand Springs, and splits their offense pretty evenly between air and land. They hold one division one commit in Memphis-bound WR Nick Robinson. Midwest City has some impressive talent of their own in 6'2" safety Evan Fields, who's fielding offers from numerous Division One programs including several Big 12 schools. 

Midwest City's defense held tight against Choctaw, giving up only 14 points to a team that averaged 36 points per game going into the match. Unfortunately for the Bombers, they were plagued by penalties, miscues, and offensive inconsistency. They made three trips into the red zone and racked up 272 yards of offense while holding Choctaw to only 141, despite the loss. 

The pick: No consensus. Scott picks Midwest City 24-21, Virgil picks Putnam West 24-21.

No. 7 Lawton Wolverines (6) vs No. 8 Enid Plainsmen (10)

These two teams hold the same record both in and out of district, and their strength of schedule is still hard to determine. Enid's offense is coming in a lot hotter than in recent years, averaging 28 points per game.

Lawton (3-3, 2-1) isn't executing as well as they have in recent years, but they still boast some high powered athletes in QB Zach Hanna and RB Tre Curry. Friday saw the Wolverines gain the upper hand on Stillwater 21-14 in a low performance game that saw only 95 yards by air. The ground game was dominant for both teams and Curry racked up 121 yards on 13 carries.

Enid (3-3, 2-1) started off the season with a 22-19 loss to a Guthrie team that has long since ceased to be ranked. A 42-31 victory over Ponca City and a pair of losses after that pushed Enid towards the bottom of the rankings, but the Plainsmen have found their mojo for two straight district wins to prove they're not out playoff contention yet. After going down 35-10 to Putnam West, Enid got the edge on Choctaw in a 43-39 shootout and scored a major victory this week in a dominating 45-17 beat down of Deer Creek. The Plainmen picked off three passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown, presenting just the kind of defense that could give Lawton fits. 

The pick: Lawton 27, Enid 21.

No. 9 Putnam City Pirates (8) vs No. 11 Deer Creek Antlers (9)

A crucial match for both teams, Putnam (3-3, 1-2) started off the season with a series of big wins before giving up two straight to Lawton and Putnam West. Deer Creek (1-5, 1-2) started the season with a tough pre-conference schedule including three-straight losses to high-ranked 6A-I teams. They were expected to be a big contender for the district, but after a close 21-14 win over Stillwater they were blown out 35-0 by Midwest City and 45-17 by Enid. Both teams need a win this week to stay alive in playoff contention.

Putnam has struggled through the air this season, racking up over 1,000 yards but at a 38% completion rate. The defense has been effective, however, averaging 3 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery per game.

The Antlers employ a solid QB in Hunter Freese, who sits at 51% passing for over 1,200 yards. The run game is nearly nonexistent with the whole team accounting for less than 500 yards.  

The pick: Putnam West 23, Deer Creek 17.

No. 10 Choctaw Yellowjackets (11) vs No. 12 Stillwater Pioneers (12)

Stillwater (2-4, 0-3) has lost four games this season, all by a touchdown or less, and they have two quality wins over 6A-I talent. While the playoffs are looking more and more unlikely for the team, they're not out of reach yet. Clearly the Pioneers have talent, especially in RB Josiah Castleberry who holds over 700 yards this season on 7 yards per carry. But they have struggled in the air, doing the quarterback shuffle after their starting senior missed the first half of the season. 

Choctaw (3-3, 1-2) has been hit or miss all season, relying on a powerful air raid offense that has rarely been stymied. After netting a pair of close shootout wins over Sapulpa and Sand Springs to start the season, they lost three-straight, all by a touchdown or less, to Putnam City, Putnam North, and Enid, before getting in the win column with a 14-7 upset of Midwest City. QB Dylan Weaver is right at 50% for nearly 1400 yards this season, but was held to under 100 for the first time against Midwest City. The run game has always been a factor with Choctaw, but they really proved how good it could be when they took on Enid and ran up 321 yards on 38 carries. 

The pick: Choctaw 42, Stillwater 21.

No. 13 Bartlesville Bruins (13) vs No. 15 Sapulpa (15) 

This is a bigger game for Bartlesville (2-3, 1-1) than it is for Sapulpa (0-6, 0-3). While the Chieftains are technically still in playoff contention, they only have three district games left and don't stand much chance against undefeated Muskogee. Bartlesville, on the other hand, has the kind of aerial offense that could present an upset over Sand Springs. But first they need to get past Sapulpa. 

The Chieftains have a double-threat quarterback in Cameron Elder who is throwing 63% this season for right at 1,000 yards and also leads his team on the ground. They have six losses this season and only two could be described as close.

Bartlesville won a close one in their season opener then dropped three straight before getting back in the win column with a powerful 42-20 win over Ponca City two weeks ago. The Bruins are coming off a bye week and look to AJ Archambo, Garrett Meidl, and Deandre Young to lead them to victory.

The pick: Bartlesville 38, Sapulpa 17.