District 2A-2 is in a turmoil
High School FootballLoss of Jones would give Meeker berth in playoffs
By Justin Harper
Comments 
2
Published: November 8, 2009
With the season it has had, all along there’s been little doubt Jones was going to make a big impact on the Class 2A playoffs. And the Longhorns surely have.
But hardly the way they planned.
Jones capped an unbeaten run in District 2A-2 Friday with a 47-14 rout of Bethel. However, instead of that triumph punctuating a district championship and 8-2 regular season, it may have served as an abrupt finale for a stout Longhorns squad.
Thursday, Jones was forced to forfeit six games, five of which were district contests. The
Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association ruled that Jones used an ineligible player, an unnamed first-year move-in, in those games.
With the forfeits, Jones’ record would be 2-8 overall and 2-5 in district play, which excludes the Longhorns from the playoffs. That vaulted Millwood into the top spot in 2A-2 and gave Meeker, which is 6-4 overall and 4-3 in 2A-2 after Friday’s 42-6 loss to Millwood, an unexpected playoff berth.
Meeker is slated to face Heritage Hall in the opening round of the playoffs. However, nothing is set in stone quite yet. Jones will appeal the ruling before the OSSAA board of directors Wednesday.
In the meantime, Jones and Meeker are moving ahead with usual weekly routines, planning for a playoff game Friday that only one team will get to be part of.
"We intend to be there,” said Meeker coach
Mike Hedge. "We’re getting ready for Heritage Hall. They told us if there was any change, we’d receive word Wednesday. But we’re not thinking about anything changing. We’re moving on into Week 11.”
While Jones and Meeker are the teams most affected by the decision, they’re far from the only ones. In fact, the entire playoff bracket will be scrambled. If Jones wins the appeal, it will replace Millwood in hosting Newkirk next week. Millwood would then host
John Marshall. And Little Axe, which is currently slated to host John Marshall, would be on the road as the third-place team in 2A-2 instead of at home.
Meeker, which gained fourth place because of the forfeits, would be removed from the postseason.
So, it’s a mess for basically every team involved in playoff games with 2A-2 opponents. Heritage Hall can’t prepare for both Jones and Meeker any more than Millwood can plan for both Newkirk and John Marshall. Just the same, Newkirk can’t wait until Wednesday to determine to watch film on Jones or Millwood.
"We’re just like everyone else (in this scenario),” said Hedge. "We can’t wait until Wednesday to start preparing, so we’re going with the information we have now. I’ve asked (the OSSAA) what’s going to happen (if Jones wins the appeal) and I was told we’d cross that bridge when we get to it.”
In the eyes of Jones coach
Dave Martin, there shouldn’t be any confusion.
"We beat every team in District 2A-2 on the football field,” Martin said. "We’ve got an appeal on the decision Wednesday and until then it’s business as usual for us. I just got in from working at the school like we do every Saturday. We’re planning like we’re in the playoffs and we’re playing a home game Friday against Newkirk.”
According to the coaches, players at Jones and Meeker aren’t considering the idea that they won’t be playing Friday.
"We’ve got resilient kids,” Martin said. "They understand the situation. They’re going to continue to work like we have all season and work toward the same goals we’ve always had.”
Regardless of the outcome of the appeal, it will be a shame for whichever team is left out. For Jones, a terrific season and possible state championship run will be wiped away. For Meeker, a long-awaited chance to return to the postseason will be lost.
"I don’t even want to think about that,” Hedge said of having the playoff spot taken away. "It would crush the kids. Being in the playoffs for us is a big deal. It’s big for the kids and it’s big for the town of Meeker — real big. It’s a little community that really supports what we’re doing.
"But really, I don’t see things changing at all. I think it’s red tape they’re going through. It would cause too many last-minute changes for too many people.”
Leave a Comment
Sports Photo Galleriesview all
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).