A playoff scenario like no other
New playoff rules spark unprecedented endseason opportunities
Brad Hill did his best to contain his excitement.
“The goal all this time,” he said, “was to be in the playoffs.”
The football coach from Moore High School stood with his over 100 players, coaches and managers in the locker room in midOctober. After being riddled with injuries and COVID19 implications all season, Moore had played under its expectations, winning just one game in the first half of the season.
He looked at his players, some with furrowed brows, others with slumped shoulders at the thought of missing the postseason for the first time in three years. He knew they were down, but he also knew he had information that would give them a little hope.
The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association was considering every team making the football playoffs.
"Our whole locker room erupted," Hill said of the moment he told the team. He tried to temper the excitement.
"Hold on," he told the
team that day. "We don't know yet. They're having the meeting at 10 in the morning.
It might not happen."
It might not happen." But it did.
Two weeks ago, the OSSAA ruled every team, regardless of its record, had the opportunity to qualify for the playoffs due to the number of district games canceled by COVID this season.
Although there are a few that have decided against it, an informal survey indicates many teams that wouldn't have made the playoffs are expected to opt-in by the deadline of noon on Saturday.
Despite knowing they would be paired against one of the top seeds in Class 6A, the Lions knew right away they were going to take the opportunity and opt into the state playoffs.
“These kids have been in the playoffs every year of their high school career,” Hill said. “There was never, `Coach, what do you think?' No, it was full go from the beginning. They were saying, `Yeah, we can beat them.'”
With the OSSAA's ruling, the Lions will head to their fourth consecutive postseason, giving the seniors another chance at a state title. And even if they don't cause an upset in the first round, Moore knows it will look a lot better than it has. The Lions hope to have every starter on the field next week for the first time this season.
“We got two kids back from quarantine today so they'll be able to play Friday night,” Hill said on Tuesday. “I think we've got a couple more that are on quarantine that will be back. We even got our quarterback [ who] broke his ankle against Westmoore. He's actually going to be cleared for the playoffs.”
Moore has played all nine of its games this season and will finish its 10-game schedule on Friday, barring any lastminute hiccups. But not all teams across the state have been as fortunate, and that's why the OSSAA opted to toss some significant parts of its football protocols.
Allowing every team into the playoffs wasn't the only change.
The OSSAA football manual states the season will terminate with Week 18 of the OSSAA calendar or a school's elimination from the OSSAA Football Playoff Series. But because so many teams were unable to complete a full varsity schedule, the OSSAA ruled teams could play make-up regular-season games during
the window normally reserved for the playoffs. A team could opt out of the playoffs and play regular-season games.
U.S. Grant and Putnam West saw a great opportunity in this one- time rule change. Both teams have had games canceled because of the coronavirus, and neither Grant ( 2- 5) nor West ( 0- 7) wanted to play a top- seeded team in the playoffs where a lopsided game seemed likely.
"That's something we thought would be counterproductive," Putnam West coach Craig Maynard said. "You don't want to send kids out on that note, and that'd be a memory for them for their last high school football game.
“So, I had to think of something else.”
Maynard knew he wanted to schedule a regular-season game against an opponent Putnam West could be competitive with, but he also wanted the game to have a spark. That's when he came up with the idea.
A bowl game. “When you say, `bowl game,' it just seems like it adds to it,” Maynard said.
With the idea set, Maynard just needed to find a comparable team. He had one in mind: U.S. Grant.
The Generals have lost many starters due to the pandemic and online classes. U.S. Grant athletic director and football coach Alex Levescy says they've had players leave to whatever state or country they're from and never come back. They don't have to return to Oklahoma City because they can do virtual school from wherever they are.
U. S. Grant also had players quit to pick- up after-school jobs to help their family make ends meet. The struggles have left Levescy with a team of largely inexperienced players.
“There's kids we would pull from the hallway that
weren't even planning on playing football,” Levescy said. “We say, `Hey, you can do this and this,' and some of them come out.”
Maynard at Putnam West reached out to Levescy because he knew the Generals were like his Patriots. They were facing Class 6A teams that regularly had 80 or more players on their rosters and were struggling to compete with only 30 or so players.
“Our starting defense, at least half of them are also our starting offense," Maynard said of his 37-man roster. "They play special teams also, so our kids don't ever get a breather or a break. And U.S. Grant being the same, it was somebody I felt like we could be competitive with."
Levescy discussed the bowl game with his assistant athletic director. They looked at other situations first before finally making a decision to play Putnam West in what the schools are calling the OKC Metro Bowl.
“My defensive coordinator actually came up with that name,” Levescy said. “He said, `Oh yeah PC West, that'd be the Metro Bowl'. And I said, `Yeah, I'll tell them the name,' and we went with it.”
The OKC Metro Bowl is tentatively set for Nov. 13, depending on the availability of officiating crews. Since the bowl game was Maynard's idea, it will be played at PC West. It will include a trophy and a most valuable player medal.
Maynard remembers the excitement his players exhibited when he told them about the better situation, he had negotiated for them.
“They were more elated to hear that than we got to go up there and play,” Maynard said of the No. 1 ranked team in Class 6A-II. “For this, kids are excited about it. It gives them something to look forward to. It's a game they know they, can, should and
will be competitive.”
With almost half U.S. Grant's 30- man roster consisting of seniors, the opportunity wasn't one Levescy wanted to pass up.
“This senior class, they've done a lot of firsts,” Levescy said. “They went 7- 3, they went 5- 5, they've won some games here and there. They got the first district win in 6A against Northwest Classen. This is another first for them. Nobody else can say they played in the Metro Bowl against PC West and won it or however the outcome comes.”
This postseason is unlike any we've ever had before. Some teams see it as a chance to extend their season even if the regular season was disrupted. Others see it as a chance to improvise. Either way, teams are trying to make something good out of what has been a tough season.