BARTLESVILLE — The Sand Springs Sandites came into Friday’s district opener knowing they had to set the tone early, and from the first snap they showed why they should be feared, even after an inauspicious start to their season. With a suffocating defense, a diversified offense, and few mistakes, they blanked the Bartlesville Bruins 51-0 at Custer Stadium.
From the first whistle to the last, Sand Springs played like a team on a mission. They scored touchdowns on five straight offensive possessions, including big gains out of trick plays, a flea flicker and a double pass each resulted in long touchdowns and helped put the game out of reach early.
The Sandites’ consistently moved the chains with a mix of running and passing, and when Bartlesville dared to crowd the line, Sand Springs opened things up with play-action and trick plays. That kept the Bruins off balance all night.
By halftime, Bartlesville had been held to just 35 total yards of offense.
If the offense set the tone, the defense sealed it. The Bruins never really got into a rhythm, they had no running lanes, their passing game was smothered, and every time they threatened, the Sandite defense tightened up. Bartlesville managed three drives into Sand Springs territory in the second half, but each time they were forced to turn it over.
Bartlesville’s lone bright moment came when they successfully recovered an onside kick to begin the third quarter, but they couldn’t cash in. The Sandite defenders stepped up, halting back-to-back drives and preserving the shutout.
This was Bartlesville’s first shutout loss since Oct. 17 of last season.
The Sandites hope to carry this dominance into their next matchup and avoid the complacency that can follow a big win. For Bartlesville, it’s back to the drawing board, the Bruins now are 0-4 on the season.
CPHS faces off against the Capitol Hill Red Wolves Friday at 7 p.m. with homecoming at halftime.
Homecoming parade will be at 6 p.m.