Newcastle's response to the inadvertent whistle

By Jason Kersey
jkersey@oklahoman.com

It was reported both in the paper and on this blog that during last week’s Newcastle-Pauls Valley game, an inadvertent whistle possibly cost Pauls Valley a win.

“Late in the third quarter with Newcastle nursing a 9-7 lead, Pauls Valley linebacker Tyler Harding stripped the ball away from a Newcastle ball-carrier at around the Pauls Valley 15-yard line. Harding began sprinting down the Pauls Valley sideline with the ball, far away from anyone in a Racer uniform.

However, the official who threw the beanbag indicating a fumble also blew an inadvertent whistle, meaning the play was dead after the change of possession. The game ended with Newcastle winning by that same score — 9-7.”

I just talked with Newcastle coach Keith Bolles, and he said that while the whistle did happen, he still feels his team would have come out on top.

“The inadvertent whistle did happen,” Bolles said. “It was just one of those things. Do I think it cost them the game or won us the game? No. That’s the way football works. I would never blame an inadvertent whistle on anything. I believe if we had fallen behind, we would have worked hard to score and re-gain the lead. It’s just football.”