The Sapulpa Chieftains scored 54 points against the Sand Springs Sandites Friday evening to open the 2024 high school football season. Unfortunately for the boys in blue, the Sandites put up 64 points of their own.
The 2023 edition of the Highway 97 Rivalry proved a contest of surprises, not the least of which was the combined 118 points. With a temperature of 95 degrees at a kickoff that was delayed an hour due to the heat, it was the Sandite defense that burned the Chieftain offense first. After the Chieftain defense held the Sandite offense scoreless on the game’s first possession, Sand Springs’ Gatlin Gunn scooped up a fumbled Chieftain punt on Sapulpa’s first offensive drive, taking it to the end zone and giving the Sandites a 7-0 lead at the 7:24 mark of the first quarter.
The Chieftains’ following possession saw Sapulpa even the score at 7-all at the 3:38 mark of the first quarter when Sapulpa quarterback Colton Howard linked up with wide receiver Kylen Edwards on a third and goal pass from the Sandite seven-yard line. The score capped a 10-play, 74-yard drive that began at the Chieftain 26-yard line.
The Sapulpa defense came up big at the 3:16 mark in the first quarter when Sapulpa lineman Justin Screechowl pounced on a Sandite fumble to set the Chieftain offense with good field position at the Sand Springs 13-yard line. Howard needed only two plays to find Edwards in the end zone on an eight-yard pass to give Sapulpa a 14-7 lead after Cavin Peper’s charity point.
The lead would last for only 24 seconds. On the ensuing kickoff, Sand Springs’ special teams found the endzone on an 87-yard return to bring the score even at 14 with 2:52 left in the opening stanza.
The Chieftains took the lead again as the first quarter expired when Howard again found Edwards wide open on a 43-yard pass play to give the Chieftains a 21-14 advantage.
The Chieftain defense came up big when a high snap sailed over Sand Springs quarterback Easton Webb’s head to set Howard and company up with a first and goal from the Sandite four-yard line. This time it was Future Ledbetter doing the honors, snagging Howard’s pass to put the Chieftains up 28-14 with 10:26 to go in the second quarter.
With the Chieftains looking to put some separation between themselves and the Sandites, Sand Springs used a lightning-strike 90-yard pass to Hudson Shepherd to keep the contest a one-score game at the 10:12 mark of the second quarter.
The Sandites tied it up at the 7:39 mark in the second quarter when Kenneth Page found the endzone on a 7-yard rush.
After the following kickoff sailed out of bounds, Sapulpa set up shop at the Sandite 39-yard line and needed only two plays to reclaim the lead at 34-28 when Howard again found an open Edwards in the end zone with 6:52 left in the half to set the score at 34-28.
The Chieftains extended their lead to 40-28 with 28.7 seconds left in the half when Howard got into the scoring act on a three-yard rush on fourth and goal.
The second half began well for the Chieftains when Howard found David Richardson on a 70-yard bomb at the 11:10 mark in the third quarter to give the Chieftains a 46-35 lead.
The Sandites responded on the following drive when Page again found the endzone on an 11-yard rush to put Sand Springs within three points at a 46-43 Chieftain advantage. The touchdown capped a nine-play, 65-yard possession that took just over three minutes off the clock.
The Sandites took the lead for good at the 2:01 mark of the third quarter when Page capped an eight-play, 65-yard drive with a 13-yard rush to put Sand Springs ahead 50-46.
Sand Springs extended their lead to 11 points to open the fourth quarter on a 44-yard rush to cap a five-play, 63-yard drive at the 10:57 mark in the contest’s final stanza.
With the Sandites keeping mostly to a ground attack, they devoured nearly three minutes on an eight-play, 65-yard drive capped by a Page on a one-yard plunge on second and goal to give the hosts a 64-46 advantage with 6:44 left in the game.
But the Chieftains weren’t done. Howard found Carter Calvert on a 36-yard touchdown pass at 5:17 left in the match to settle the score at 64-54 in Sand Springs’ favor.
Sapulpa looks to get their first win of the season in their home opener on Friday, September 2 at Collins Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00.
