Kenneth Page will attempt to follow up a standout season last year as a junior in his final season with Sand Springs.

The Sandites’ senior running back rushed for over 1,000 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2022. Page went over 200 yards twice. He rushed for 205 yards and five touchdowns against Sapulpa, and totaled 203 yards with a TD against Tahlequah. The five touchdowns against Sapulpa is a performance Page will not soon forget.

“My most memorable has to be the Sapulpa game, when I scored five touchdowns,” Page said.

Page wants to help get the Sandites deeper into the playoffs this year, and he wants to surpass his numbers he put up last season. Sand Springs went 7-5 in 2022, and after topping Putnam City in the opening round of the 6A-II playoffs, the Sandites were eliminated by Choctaw in round two.

“I’m looking forward to making a run deep in the playoffs this year, and just having fun playing the game I love with the guys I have grown up with,” he said. “[I want to have] 20 rushing touchdowns, 1,200-plus rushing yards. Team goals are to have eight-plus wins and making it to the state finals.”

“Looking to have a breakout year. Great young talent,” Sand Springs head coach Bobby Klink said.

The Sandites will have a more complete ball carrier in their backfield in 2023.

“My explosiveness and patience have improved even more, but I feel like I improved on finishing runs a lot more,” Page said of his development since last year.

Page, who has completed the Health Science Technology course at Tulsa Tech and plans on going to college and getting a degree in Anatomy or Engineering, says his dad is a major influence to him when it comes to football.

“He tells me what I can do that might help my game or what I can improve on and gives me that push,” Page said.