The Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association has investigated two penalties concerning the Guthrie High School football team with the result of forfeiting eight games this season for the top-ranked team in 5A.
OSSAA Executive Secretary Ed Sheakley told Guthrie Sports Page in a phone interview Friday morning that Guthrie has made an appeal on their findings.
The OSSAA ruled that a current member of the Guthrie football team has a dual residency issue.
If upheld, Guthrie, who is currently ranked No. 1 in Class 5A with an unbeaten 9-0 record, will be forced to forfeit eight of their 9 wins this season and thus – would miss the playoffs.
During the interview, Sheakley was preparing to send the official letter from the OSSAA to Guthrie Public Schools with their findings and penalties.
“We had an investigation and at the conclusion of the investigation it was determined that we have a young man (student athlete) from Guthrie, whose family was not in compliance with our residence rule (8-2-5),” Sheakley said.
The OSSAA received an anonymous letter on October 19th that sparked the investigation of a player’s family living in Guthrie, but having a family member living in the previous home, that is for sale and has been on the market for several months, in another Oklahoma town.
Sheakley had “no comment” on the specifics of the family’s dual residency.
“The OSSAA has made a decision that we disagree with, and we plan to appeal their decision on the forfeit of the games,” Guthrie Superintendent Terry Simpson said in a phone interview with Guthrie Sports Page Thursday evening.
The player’s family that is being questioned moved into the Guthrie school district last spring and was signed off by the player’s former high school.
“Due to the non compliance, he (the Guthrie player) has participated in eight football games as an ineligible athlete and the penalty for participation as an ineligible athlete is forfeiture of contests,” Sheakley said.
When asked about the dual residency violation and other particulars in the case Sheakley was unable to comment.
“This is up for appeal so I can not publicly comment on the specifics other than our investigation determined that the family was not in compliance,” Sheakley said. “The school is asking that the penalty be over turned for both the young man (participation) and for the school (forfeiture of wins).”
The Board of Directors will hear the appeal Wednesday morning at 9:00 inside the OSSAA building. The board consists of 14 members, but Simpson, who is the NW Quadrant, Division I member will not be allowed to vote. Guthrie would need to receive seven votes to over turn the decision(s). If a tie were to occur in the voting it would result in a status quo and the penalties would remain in place.
Before the OSSAA ruling, Guthrie was 9-0 and just won the district title for the third time in the past five seasons.
Looks like the OSSAA has proof
I feel so bad for those boys they have done nothing but work their butts off and they are getting punished for an immature “adults” decision to write an anonymous letter to the ossaa. At least have the guts to sign your name.
I agree with the anonymity comment. If you are going to ruin a perfect season for a group of obviously hard working athletes at least own up and sign your name. If you have nothing to hide because you are telling the truth then “man up”, otherwise shut up and let the boys play speak for itself as to who will be the champions!
Why blame the person writing the letter? Put the blame where it belongs like on the Guthrie School District and coaches for not verifying family’s dual residency. I’m just saying. But I will agree the kids are the ones that get punished for no fault of their own.
Doesn’t change the fact that Guthrie kicked butt. Evidently there’s a sore looser.
Anonymous…..Big balls to do that!!!! The coaches should have made sure that all was ok with the dual residency. I just think it is miscommunication and someone (anonymous) is pissed off and wants to make GUTHRIE look bad. Face it…..no matter what happens the boys will always know they didn’t do anything wrong and they are number one!!!!
Doesn’t change the fact Guthrie was not in compliance just like Jenks and other schools that went thru the same thing.
I personally think that yeah OSSAA has proof and yeah we should face the consequences for this, but the penalties should be dropped. We’ve made it way too far, and worked way too hard for our ranking! We shouldn’t have to face the penalties as a family(the entire town) and feel the pain of losing not only our place in ranking, but missing the playoffs! I am proud of the Bluejays for making the playoffs and being ranked #1 in the 5A!
Even with a guy that violated the “dual residency” rule! It wasn’t our football players faults! Take it out on the adults that knew and let it happen, NOT US!
You know you aint a man when you can’t own up to writing the letter! It’s sad that anyone would have the guts to ruin young men’s dreams like that! A lot of them senior boys had a chance of getting a football scholarship! Also, this is the seniors golden year of high school they want to go out with a bang in football, give Guthrie a reason to remember them, but now, because of this so called “mistake”. Yeah, they’ll go out with a bang but not quite how they wanted! That “anonymous” writer needs to own up to that letter! Like Didi said we’ve worked way too hard for this and now we have to miss the playoffs! Nice goin’ anonymous writer you ruined our season for us! Forget the dual residency thing he was trying to sell that house! Maybe they didn’t have money to buy a house over here, and wouldn’t until they sold that house over there so they had to keep him in that house! Ever thought about that OSSAA?!
Didi,
Every year 5a comes down to the top 2 or 3 same schools in the running. These coaches are not new to this process. You would think they would check and check then double check eligibility on transferring students. If there is a single ounce of questionable info don’t play the player until all is cleared up. It might have been and probably was an honest mistake but the rules were put into place because someone out there was dishonest and tried to stack a team thru recruitment. If you let one team slide you have to let others then you end up back where you stated.
I understand but it just ticks me off that they’d do something like that! I get a lil bit protective over my team and the players on that team. I mean yeah it’s unfair to let us slide and not any other teams, but I just don’t want us to miss the playoffs! We worked our butts off for this! Even the fans worked hard for this!
bhawk, he wasn’t a transfer student, he was a move in. He was cleared by the OSSAA last year before he played baseball. His mom is a teacher at the high school and they are vested in our community. The fact that their house hasn’t sold in Prague should not be considered “dual residency”.
It’s my understanding she goes back to Prague and stays on the weekends which is concitered by OSSAA as” duel residency” if I’m mistaken then I apologize
I can honestly understand sending in a letter through anonymity. Just look at this simple conversation – if you know someone is breaking the rules and want it exposed, then you say something about it. By attaching your identity to said letter, the only thing that will come out of it is a target of revenge on your back. Only a person who is not all too bright would actually attach their identity to the letter. If my school was doing something illegal, and all of my efforts in my senior year went effectively down the drain, then so be it. Rules are rules. Guthrie had an incredible season, and the actions of one family will ruin it for the entire program, but, life isn’t fair.
bottom line…….. the kid was cleared last spring. i trust rafe. he runs an honest thorough program. any talk about the parents stayin a nite, or a weekend at the prague house is just hearsay. nobody has proof, nobody has facts. and thats what is sad. an anonymous letter (with no backing) can ruin a town dream. i just hope a FAIR decision is made based on provided FACTS instead of ego or pride.
guthrie has never been in trouble, for anything. the whole thing is scandalous. the timing of the letter being sent in was perfect. if this appeal is denied, the state champ will forever have a cloud hanging over. bc they didtn get 2 play the #1 team in the state.
a lot of you people are being so hateful. jealously is a disease. grow up. im sorry youre bitter bc your towns dont understand the feeling of being a STATE CHAMPION, but quit taking it out on our pages. stop being so judgmental and think about how all these kids are feeling. none of them did anything wrong and didnt deserve this. they still have the talent. thats what has made them 10-0. they deserve playoffs.
I agree with B on this one! Non of these boys deserve to be put through this. Yeah, rules are rules and yes it is smarter to not attach your identity when you’re turning someone in for breaking the rules, but it shouldn’t of been considered a dual residency since he was cleared last spring! Also, the coaches knew everything that was going on so they should be punished not the boys! I speak as a little sister of a football player in a different town and as a Bluejays fan on all this, not a pissed off observer. OSSAA cleared him so there shouldn’t even be a situation here and we should all be mad at OSSAA if he actually was cleared! We all still need to buck up and take the consequences as they are without complaining anymore and just be happy that we made it as far as we did. We actually made it to playoffs! I know people from other towns that didn’t and would kill to have made it! Just be happy we at least had the chance to go to playoffs and were ranked how we were. So if you agree with me and say that let’s just all grow up and stop crying over spilled milk then make these our last comments!
find the post interview with rafe watkins didi. its very good. the coaches didnt do anything wrong. rafe explains how he took the correct procedures
LMAO…………………………
So let me get his straight, the coach says “We didnt do anything wrong”…..So he MUST be telling the truth? He says the whole reason behind this debacle is “silly”….and because HE says its silly……he must be right?
You “supporters” have your heads up your @$$. Like i said in previous posts, the school administration has always made shady deals. Because a “popular” “well liked” guy is at the center of the controversy, because he has connections, you people actually really truly w/ the utmost certainty think he hasn’t or can do no wrong. The only way you defend their actions is by using the lame excuses I keep seeing. Even the coach uses the kids as an excuse..
Where is the ACCOUNTABILITY? Its like yall dont even care about how this happenend and how it can be prevented. You condemn the person who sent the letter, yet the Guthrie school system is rife with tattletell notes about other students. You make scathing comments towards people, albeit mostly me, just because they are for UPHOLDING the rules. Then use the kids or Guthrie as an excuse “I defend my community” “The kids worked hard”, to justify those scathing remarks? Guthrie has not changed in the past 20 years. Its ALWAYS been who you know….not what you know.
when you gonna show your video footage OU? since u “know it all”. where are your pics? where is your proof? all you do is run your mouth. you spread gossip and hate. when you KNOW NOTHING! youre just like every other jealous person. the 1st opportunity taken 2 bash the reputation of a power house school, based soley on rumors… u jump on it. youre not gonna make us feel embarrassed or ashamed for trusting our community, and showing loyalty that they are doing the right thing at all times. everything is hearsay, what are u not getting?!?! anybody can say anything they want, and the OSSAA has 2 investigate. doesnt make it true!!
The anonymous letter sent to OSSAA was from someone in Prague…of course someone was pissed!!! However, these people did have their home listed for sale, so, it should not be a dual residency issue as long as they are trying to sell the other home and do not intend to move back there.
Someone stated that the player from time to time went back to Prague to stay with his BROTHER. So if those other athletes from other school from time to time go stay at the vacation home, is that considered dual residency. This is crap and everyone knows it. If he was cleared for Baseball last year football is no question good to go. Man up coward. Kid’s life long memories are at stake. Screw the Championship, you are taking part of thier child and high school memories away.