If one Oklahoma State Senator gets her way the controversial ending to last weekend’s Class 3A football quarterfinal game between Oklahoma City Douglas and Locust Grove will be replayed, or at least part of it.
In a release issued on Tuesday, State Sen. Anastasia Pittman says she plans to ask the Oklahoma Secondary School Activity Association (OSSAA) to allow all or part of the game to be replayed
Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, says she plans to make the formal request during a news conference to be held tomorrow morning inside the State Capital.
Pittman will be joined by OKC Douglass Head Football Coach Willis Alexander, community and religious leaders and representatives from the NAACP.
The call in question occurred after OKC Douglas scored a go-ahead touchdown to give them a 25-20 lead with 1:04 left to play in the game. However, an official threw a flag on Douglas for a sideline violation, their second such penalty in the game. Rules call for a 5 yard penalty to be added to the extra point try or to the kickoff. Instead, officials enforced the penalty to the previous play and erased the 58 yard touchdown. The call gave Locust Grove back a 20-19 lead, which they held to win the game.
The State High School Athletic Association apologized to the Douglas school for the improper call made by its officials. But Douglas isn't letting it rest. They want to replay the last minute and nine seconds of the game.
Locust Grove head football coach Matt Hennesy says a call by a referee in Friday night's 3-A quarter final game against Douglas High was the right call.
“I think the call on the sideline was the right call; the administration was obviously wrong,” said Hennesy.
Hennesy tells FOX23 Douglas should have been penalized instead of having a game winning touchdown thrown out.
“The touchdown should have counted and they should have marked it off on the kickoff,” said Hennesy.
Hennesy says he has nothing but faith in his team and believes they would have had a victory either way.
“I have no doubt we would have scored,” Hennesy said.
The Oklahoma State High School Athletic Association apologized to Douglas for the bad call, but Douglas requested an appeal conference which coach Hennesy does not agree with.
“To say to go back now and play the last minute and that be equal there is no way that’s equal,” said Hennesy.
The request for a re-do comes on the heels of a Douglas fan physically assaulting the official who made the bad call, coaches say that has nothing to do with the teams.
“All I know is Coach Alexander handled everything with class with me, he shook my hand and he was appropriate and the players were appropriate,” said Hennesy.
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