The Bill Froman led Leopards of 1963 was almost a 'mirror image' of the 1962 Leopards. During their 10 game regular season - the 1963 Leopards beat Comanche 38-6, Pauls Valley 27-8 and Purcell 27-0, before facing their first tough test in Marlow and winning 20-15. The first four victories were followed by six more, including wins over Bethany 33-0, Ardmore Douglass 12-7, Sulphur 42-0, Madill 33-0, Atoka 60-8, and Wynnewood 28-0, for a spotless 10-0 regular season record.
Half-way through the regular season the Leopards stood 5-0 and an article in the Daily Oklahoman read Lindsay Clubs Bethany, 33-0: Lindsay struck for two touchdowns in the last two minutes of the first quarter and went on to smash Bethany, 33-0, here Friday night.
Jim Burger fired two scoring passes of 40 yards each to Wayne Ardrey to start the No. 1 ranked top-class B team on the way to their fifth straight victory and their 19th game in succession without a defeat...
The Leopards beat Healdton, 33-0, in the first round of the playoffs, and then faced Marlow again in the state quarterfinals. The Daily Oklahoman's Ray Soldan recounted on December 1, 1963:
Lindsay, which won Class B crowns in 1955, 1958, and last season, cleared a major hurdle by continuing its mastery of Marlow, this time by a 20-14 spread.
Lindsay has gone 26 games without losing and is heavily favored to pick up the two additional victories it needs to become the first school to pocket four Class B championships. It already is the only three-time winner.
During its streak-- marred only by a 6-6 tie with Marlow in regular season play a year ago-- Lindsay has shaded Marlow three times-- 14-8, 20-15 and 20-14.
Lindsay snapped a 14-14 deadlock Friday on a 33-yard, third-quarter run by Danny Phillips, and protected the lead with a fumble recovery and pass interception in the final period...
The Leopards beat Weatherford, 25-0, in the state semi-finals, and were to face Grove the next week for the championship. Wally Wallis of the Oklahoman wrote on December 15, 1963 following the game:
Lindsay Routs Grove, 47-0, For 'B' Crown
TULSA-- Lindsay won its fourth Class B state football championship by thrashing Grove, 47-0, Friday night in 18-degree cold at Skelly Stadium.
Quarterback Jim Burgar led the Leopards in their smashing victory by passing for three touchdowns and running for a fourth as Lindsay rolled up a total offense of 519 yards, 309 of them through the air as Burgar completed 12 of 28 aerials.
Lindsay scored with the opening kickoff, marching 63 yards in nine plays and the game was never in doubt thereafter. Only once did the Ridgerunners get beyond midfield and that came late in the third chapter when they were trailing, 31-0.
The game was played on a gridiron covered with ice. A heavy roller was used in an unsuccessful attempt to provide footing for the players who skidded, slipped and fell more often than they retained their feet.
The Leopard defense led by linebacker Danny Noles and tackle Dave King, held Grove in check throughout.The Ridgerunners got only 55 yards in total offense, 35 of them on three successful passes... Grove got only two first downs in the game to 24 for the winners.
Burgar hit halfback Gary Goodwin for ten yards for the first touchdown and hooked up pass plays of 56 and 62 to end Wayne Ardrey for counters No. 5 and No. 6 in the third quarter. The three touchdown passes gave him a total of 21 aerial scores for the season.
He capped the ten-play drive for the second touchdown with an eight-yard dash around left end. It was the 19th touchdown he had scored giving him a combined 40 air-infantry touchdowns for the season.
Fullback Mike King blasted through center for the Leopards' third touchdown and Goodwin slashed through the center on a draw play for 38 yards for the fourth touchdown.
Midway in the final chapter Lindsay's second team moved 64 yards in 12 plays for the final counter, halfback P.J. Newby scoring on a one-yard plunge.
The passing of Burgar and the receiving of the Leopards was fantastic in the conditions under which the game was played. The most spectacular play of the game was provided Lindsay with its fifth touchdown after a backfield motion penalty had nullified a 51 yard scamper into the endzone by Goodwin. Moved back to Lindsay's own 44 by the penalty, Burgar handed off to Goodwin who in turn passed back to Burgar in the right flat, Burgar retreated until Ardrey got behind the Grove defense and threw a strike...
An article by Ray Soldan of the Oklahoman recounted following the game:
... Lindsay ripped for 519 yards (210 on the ice and 309 through the air.
Senior quarterback Jim Burgar held down... a heroic spot for Lindsay. His feats included: ... The completion of three straight years of varsity quarterbacking in which his team won 36 games, lost one, tied one, took two state championships and still carries an unbroken string of 24 straight triumphs.
Jim Burgar was a starter at quarterback for the Leopards since his freshman year in 1960. He remains as the last four-year starter for Lindsay football. Charlie Heatly, an assistant coach for the Leopards during those years, told the following story about Burgar:
After four or five games into Jim Burgar's freshman year, Jim's dad visited the coaches about him getting tired of so many games. It seems he was getting worn out - having played so many games each week, as he played a JV game on Monday nights, a Jr. Hi game on Thursday nights, and the varsity game on Friday nights. In the opinion of Jim's father - three games each week was just wearing Jim down. The coaches agreed, so Jim Burgar began playing in only varsity games. Bill Froman and Charlie Heatly knew that Jr. Hi and JV seasons were almost over though, so Jim didn't miss too many games!
As a follow-up to the '63 Leopards - Dave King and Jim Burger were named all-state, with Burgar being named the state offensive player of the year in 1963. He was the second player named 'Jim' to be a 'state player of the year', the first was Jim Milhauser in 1958.
In the nine seasons from 1955 through 1963, the Leopards had won four state titles and had never lost a playoff game (16 wins). The 1964 season was soon to follow...
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Monday, February 10, 2020
Lindsay Legends of the Fall 1962
As mentioned in the Leopard Legends of 1958, a good team could lose only one or two games during the regular season and not make the playoffs. The Leopards ended the 1955 season
14-0 state champions - and 14-0 state champions of 1958, but the 1956 Leopards ended their season
9-1, losing only to Del City - and the 1957 Leopards lost only to Ardmore Douglass and Madill, ending at 8-2.
Following the 1958 state champion Lindsay Leopards, they finished 6-3-1 in 1959 - losing to Chickasha, Ardmore Douglass, and Pauls Valley - and tied Anadarko 8-8. The 1960 Leopards ended the regular season 2 wins with 7 losses, but the 1961 Leopards won 9 games and lost only 1 game to Wynnewood - a district game, so did not make the playoffs - but seasons were once again on the rise. Lindsay's head coach from 1959 through 1964 was Bill Froman and was assisted by Charlie Heatly, a well known Leopardette basketball coach and future high school basketball hall-of-fame inductee.
Although the Leopards only won two games during the 1960 season, it marked the debut of a freshman quarterback by the name of Jimmy Burgar. He was the quarterback for the junior high football team on Thursdays, the JV team on Mondays, and the high school varsity on Friday nights, so played in three games each week. This schedule obviously took a toll on the young quarterback, so began playing in only one game a week about halfway through the season. He led the Leopards to only one loss during his sophomore year as mentioned above, and then began the 1962 season.
The Lindsay Leopards began 1962 by shutting out Comanche 25-0, Pauls Valley 17-0, and Purcell 41-0, before ending in a tie with Marlow 6-6. They continued to run the slate, ending the regular season with a 9-0-1 record (unbeaten), and then the playoffs began.
During the first round of the playoffs, the Leopards squeaked by the Wilson Eagles 14-12. Ray Soldan of the Daily Oklahoman wrote (before the second round began):
"The game which most observers feel is the key one in the class B title picture unfolds Friday night with Marlow visiting Lindsay. Each has won 10 games, most of them easily. They battled to a 6-6 tie in a head-on collision in October during a heavy rain.
Marlow swept past Hobart easily 66-0, in its first playoff test. Lindsay ran into a group of fiercely - resisting Wilson Eagles and escaped with a 14-12 verdict..."
Lindsay did play Marlow again, meeting in the state quarterfinals, and Soldan recounted on December 2, 1962:
"The big game in class B was Lindsay's 14-8 decision over Marlow before a jammed crowd of over 6,000 at Lindsay. The two teams played to a 6-6 stand-off during the regular season and wound up tied atop the class B ratings.
Marlow scored the first time it had the ball for an 8-0 lead. Lindsay pulled even in the second quarter, then won on a 47-yard drive which concluded on a one-yard plunge by Jerry Gill with 9:08 left in the game."
The class B state semi-finals pitted the Leopards against the Choctaw Yellowjackets, at Choctaw. Ron Nance of the Oklahoman wrote on December 8, 1962, after the game:
"... the Leopards moved into the finals of the Class B state playoffs with a narrow 10-6 victory over the host Yellowjackets.
The hard-fought victory was credited to the toe of Lindsay's John Fine.
Fine converted after the opening Lindsay touchdown in the initial period and turned around in the next stanza to boot a 19 yard field goal...
Bill Froman's Lindsay team will shoot for the state crown next week against Wyandotte.
The Leopards boomed ahead with 7:12 left in the first period when speedy halfback Mike Stewart turned right end, shook off two Choctaw tacklers and rambled into the end zone to complete a 24 yard scoring play.
After an exchange of punts Lindsay got rolling again, taking possession at the Choctaw 43. On a fourth down play, Fine's golden toe connected again for the field goal. Quarterback Jimmy Burgar held the ball on the 28 yard line.
Fine's outstanding performance on the ground was as beneficial to the Lindsay victory as his kicking. The 190 pound fullback gained 117 yards on 22 carries besides intercepting a Goodman pass midway through the third periods. Fine gained more than half of Lindsay's 233 yards rushing besides playing a stellar game of defense from his linebacker position."
The stage was now set for the Leopard battle against the Wyandotte Bears at Capitol Hill Stadium on December 15, 1962. The Daily Oklahoman reported:
"Lindsay's Leopards rule as they are predicted to grab off the school's third state Class B football championship Saturday night...
Wyandotte rolls into the finals against Lindsay with a 13-0 record, however, the opposition Wyandotte has met in eastern Oklahoma is not the caliber found in the central and western sections of the state.
Lindsay enters Saturday's title clash with a 12-0-1 record. The tie was a rain-splattered dead heat with Marlow. Lindsay then nudged Marlow 14-8, in the playoff quarterfinals."
On December 16, 1962 (after the game), Ray Soldan of the Daily Oklahoman reported:
"Leopards Nab 3rd State Title - Lindsay became the first school to win three state class B football championships by carving out a hard-earned 15-12 decision over Wyandotte before 3,000 Capitol Hill Stadium fans Saturday night.
Despite a glittering pre-game record of 13-0, Wyandotte was given little chance of staying close to Lindsay. But the scrapping Bears were in firm contention until a Lindsay touchdown and two-point conversion gave the Leopards a 15-6 lead with 14 minutes remaining...
Lindsay scored the first time it had possession, moving 52 yards in 10 plays after Danny Noles recovered a Wyandotte fumble. Junior quarterback Jim Burgar mixed his plays well, finally sending fullback John Fine blasting across from four yards out.
Burgar made the two longest runs of the drive, rolling out for 11 yards and dashing 12 yards on a run-pass option...
Lindsay used up a good portion of the third quarter driving 78 yards for its wrap up touchdown. The drive required 12 plays and would have taken many more except for runs of 27 and 11 yards by Jerry Gill and a 26 yard pass, Burgar to Gill...
Lindsay decided to gamble with a two-pointer at this stage and clicked on a pass from Burgar to end Wayne Ardrey, who made a scooping catch only inches off the ground. This put the game out of easy reach of the battling northeasterners.
Lindsay's always-reliable flyweight middle guard Cecil McCoy and tackles Gary Guinn and Roy Goldstron were key figures in the line battling...
The victory was a richly-deserved one for Lindsay coach Bill Froman, whose wife died just before the last regular season game after giving birth to a child. The Leopards presented Froman with a victory in that game, a district, showdown battle with Wynnewood, then protected Lindsay's record of never losing a playoff game (emphasis mine).
Lindsay has been in 12 playoff games, winning 11 and tying one. It won state titles in 1955 and 1958."
The Leopard dynasty that began in the late 1950's is evidently continuing into the 1960's. Next we'll profile the 1963 Leopards...
14-0 state champions - and 14-0 state champions of 1958, but the 1956 Leopards ended their season
9-1, losing only to Del City - and the 1957 Leopards lost only to Ardmore Douglass and Madill, ending at 8-2.
Following the 1958 state champion Lindsay Leopards, they finished 6-3-1 in 1959 - losing to Chickasha, Ardmore Douglass, and Pauls Valley - and tied Anadarko 8-8. The 1960 Leopards ended the regular season 2 wins with 7 losses, but the 1961 Leopards won 9 games and lost only 1 game to Wynnewood - a district game, so did not make the playoffs - but seasons were once again on the rise. Lindsay's head coach from 1959 through 1964 was Bill Froman and was assisted by Charlie Heatly, a well known Leopardette basketball coach and future high school basketball hall-of-fame inductee.
Although the Leopards only won two games during the 1960 season, it marked the debut of a freshman quarterback by the name of Jimmy Burgar. He was the quarterback for the junior high football team on Thursdays, the JV team on Mondays, and the high school varsity on Friday nights, so played in three games each week. This schedule obviously took a toll on the young quarterback, so began playing in only one game a week about halfway through the season. He led the Leopards to only one loss during his sophomore year as mentioned above, and then began the 1962 season.
The Lindsay Leopards began 1962 by shutting out Comanche 25-0, Pauls Valley 17-0, and Purcell 41-0, before ending in a tie with Marlow 6-6. They continued to run the slate, ending the regular season with a 9-0-1 record (unbeaten), and then the playoffs began.
During the first round of the playoffs, the Leopards squeaked by the Wilson Eagles 14-12. Ray Soldan of the Daily Oklahoman wrote (before the second round began):
"The game which most observers feel is the key one in the class B title picture unfolds Friday night with Marlow visiting Lindsay. Each has won 10 games, most of them easily. They battled to a 6-6 tie in a head-on collision in October during a heavy rain.
Marlow swept past Hobart easily 66-0, in its first playoff test. Lindsay ran into a group of fiercely - resisting Wilson Eagles and escaped with a 14-12 verdict..."
Lindsay did play Marlow again, meeting in the state quarterfinals, and Soldan recounted on December 2, 1962:
"The big game in class B was Lindsay's 14-8 decision over Marlow before a jammed crowd of over 6,000 at Lindsay. The two teams played to a 6-6 stand-off during the regular season and wound up tied atop the class B ratings.
Marlow scored the first time it had the ball for an 8-0 lead. Lindsay pulled even in the second quarter, then won on a 47-yard drive which concluded on a one-yard plunge by Jerry Gill with 9:08 left in the game."
The class B state semi-finals pitted the Leopards against the Choctaw Yellowjackets, at Choctaw. Ron Nance of the Oklahoman wrote on December 8, 1962, after the game:
"... the Leopards moved into the finals of the Class B state playoffs with a narrow 10-6 victory over the host Yellowjackets.
The hard-fought victory was credited to the toe of Lindsay's John Fine.
Fine converted after the opening Lindsay touchdown in the initial period and turned around in the next stanza to boot a 19 yard field goal...
Bill Froman's Lindsay team will shoot for the state crown next week against Wyandotte.
The Leopards boomed ahead with 7:12 left in the first period when speedy halfback Mike Stewart turned right end, shook off two Choctaw tacklers and rambled into the end zone to complete a 24 yard scoring play.
After an exchange of punts Lindsay got rolling again, taking possession at the Choctaw 43. On a fourth down play, Fine's golden toe connected again for the field goal. Quarterback Jimmy Burgar held the ball on the 28 yard line.
Fine's outstanding performance on the ground was as beneficial to the Lindsay victory as his kicking. The 190 pound fullback gained 117 yards on 22 carries besides intercepting a Goodman pass midway through the third periods. Fine gained more than half of Lindsay's 233 yards rushing besides playing a stellar game of defense from his linebacker position."
The stage was now set for the Leopard battle against the Wyandotte Bears at Capitol Hill Stadium on December 15, 1962. The Daily Oklahoman reported:
"Lindsay's Leopards rule as they are predicted to grab off the school's third state Class B football championship Saturday night...
Wyandotte rolls into the finals against Lindsay with a 13-0 record, however, the opposition Wyandotte has met in eastern Oklahoma is not the caliber found in the central and western sections of the state.
Lindsay enters Saturday's title clash with a 12-0-1 record. The tie was a rain-splattered dead heat with Marlow. Lindsay then nudged Marlow 14-8, in the playoff quarterfinals."
On December 16, 1962 (after the game), Ray Soldan of the Daily Oklahoman reported:
"Leopards Nab 3rd State Title - Lindsay became the first school to win three state class B football championships by carving out a hard-earned 15-12 decision over Wyandotte before 3,000 Capitol Hill Stadium fans Saturday night.
Despite a glittering pre-game record of 13-0, Wyandotte was given little chance of staying close to Lindsay. But the scrapping Bears were in firm contention until a Lindsay touchdown and two-point conversion gave the Leopards a 15-6 lead with 14 minutes remaining...
Lindsay scored the first time it had possession, moving 52 yards in 10 plays after Danny Noles recovered a Wyandotte fumble. Junior quarterback Jim Burgar mixed his plays well, finally sending fullback John Fine blasting across from four yards out.
Burgar made the two longest runs of the drive, rolling out for 11 yards and dashing 12 yards on a run-pass option...
Lindsay used up a good portion of the third quarter driving 78 yards for its wrap up touchdown. The drive required 12 plays and would have taken many more except for runs of 27 and 11 yards by Jerry Gill and a 26 yard pass, Burgar to Gill...
Lindsay decided to gamble with a two-pointer at this stage and clicked on a pass from Burgar to end Wayne Ardrey, who made a scooping catch only inches off the ground. This put the game out of easy reach of the battling northeasterners.
Lindsay's always-reliable flyweight middle guard Cecil McCoy and tackles Gary Guinn and Roy Goldstron were key figures in the line battling...
The victory was a richly-deserved one for Lindsay coach Bill Froman, whose wife died just before the last regular season game after giving birth to a child. The Leopards presented Froman with a victory in that game, a district, showdown battle with Wynnewood, then protected Lindsay's record of never losing a playoff game (emphasis mine).
Lindsay has been in 12 playoff games, winning 11 and tying one. It won state titles in 1955 and 1958."
The Leopard dynasty that began in the late 1950's is evidently continuing into the 1960's. Next we'll profile the 1963 Leopards...
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Leopard Legends of the Fall 1958
Tom Turvey, head coach of the Lindsay Leopards from 1951 through 1956 ended his tenure with 45 wins and only 15 losses and the 1955 class B state championship. Lawton Carey then took over for the 1957 season in which the Leopards finished 8 wins 2 losses. Back then, only the district champion qualified for the state playoffs, so Lindsay missed the playoffs. As a matter of fact, many great high school teams would lose only one game during the regular season, but miss the playoffs because that one loss was a district game. As a matter of fact, the class B playoffs in 1958 was missing the 9-1 Ardmore Douglass football team, which was arguably the best team in classes A, B, and C - because they lost to a better district B-5 team, the Lindsay Leopards.
Vern Robertson took over from Lawton Carey in 1958, when Carey became the high school principal. In Robertson's only season he posted a 14-0 record and a class B state title. The 1958 Leopards seemed to be even more dominant than they were in 1955 as they posted seven shut-outs during the 14 game season, and three consecutive shut-outs to end the run.
In a Daily Oklahoman article on September 28, 1958, Ray Soldan wrote - Ardmore Douglass was extremely impressive in winning its 15th straight game over the weekend, a 29-6 thumping of previously unscored on- Madill.
Vern Robertson, whose Lindsay club is given the best chance of halting Douglass' drive to a second consecutive state class B title, took in the contest and came away commenting: "I sure think Ardmore deserves its No. 1 rating."
Most striking to Robertson was the speed displayed by Douglass. "I've never seen such tremendous speed on a class B ballclub. Besides that, it appears they can do most anything they want to do..."
Doyle May, sports editor of the Daily Ardmoreite, says flatly "Douglass is better than last year. I say that because Raymond Watson, Robert Thurston and Charles Johnson have improved, making the team stronger defensively."
Soldan continued - Ardmore Douglass halfback Joe Walser has designs on the state 100 yard dash title this year. He was Utah state champion as a sophomore in 1956 and was ineligible at Ardmore last year. However, he got first-rate experience last spring, running against L.C. Johnson - the state class B champion - in practice. Walser whipped Johnson most of the time.
The Leopards faced this 'all-star' Douglass team, winner of 18 straight games, the 5th game into the season. To be very blunt - Lindsay dominated Ardmore Douglass 8-0. A bunch of 'farm boys' had totally stymied the 'best team' in the state. Many Leopard fans in attendance must now liken the '58 team to the movie 'Hoosiers' - a true story about the 1954 Milan, Indiana Huskers basketball team which defeated a much more talented 'city' team for the 1954 Indiana state championship.
The eighth game of the '58 season pitted the undefeated Leopards against the 5-2 McGuinness Irish. Jim Jones of the Daily Oklahoman wrote on October 26, 1958: Lindsay's power-laden Leopards, top-rated among the state's class B football teams, roared by the McGuinness Irish, 52-16, Friday night on the McGuinness field scoring almost at will until the second-teamers took over midway in the third quarter...
Five Lindsay players figured in the scoring. Leonard Keck and Harrison Durbin each made two touchdowns and Bill Stone scored once and ran all five conversions.
The Leopards wasted no time taking the lead, making touchdowns the first two times they got the ball. Stone ripped off tackle for 15 yards with the game less than three minutes old and ran the conversion for an 8-0 advantage. Bill Henry set up the score, intercepting a Marsh pass on the McGuinness 37 and returning it to the 26...
The giant-sized Lindsay line bottled up all attempts at running the middle. Jim Mihlhauser, H.O. Estes, David Bray, and Rick Simms repeatedly tossed Irish runners for losses. Center Bill York picked up the first touchdown of his high school career running an intercepted pass.
Larry Ledbetter scored Lindsay's lone second quarter touchdown on a sneak from the one to cap a 57 yard drive in four plays.Keck's 20-yard gainer and 14 and 10 yard gains by Ledbetter set up the touchdown.
Lindsay was now 7-0 and soon to be 10-0 as the playoffs were to begin. It is important to remember that Lindsay had just as many skilled athletes as any team they faced, including Ardmore Douglass. Lindsay's top athletes were mostly in the line, however, as Douglass's were in the backfield and receivers. The Leopards had two of top players in the state and arguably the nation in linemen H.O. Estes and Jim Mihlhauser. Both Estes and Mihlhauser were listed as 1958 all-state and went on to play for the University of Oklahoma, with Estes going on to the Minnesota Vikings. Jim Mihlhauser was also named Oklahoma defensive player of the year by the Daily Oklahoman, so the Leopards did have some very big guns in their arsenal.
In their first playoff game, the Leopards destroyed Fox 60-22, followed by a 14-0 win over Hobart and a 24-0 shutout over Moore. In the class B finals of 1958, Lindsay was to play a highly regarded Grove club.
Ray Soldan of The Oklahoman recalled the championship game on December 13, 1958:
Norman, Dec.12-- Lindsay left no room for doubting that it is Oklahoma's finest class B football team by smashing Grove 36-0, Friday afternoon at Owen field in the state title game staged before a chilled crowd of 2,000.
The Leopards dominated every phase of the game, scoring in every period, striking both the ground and in the air and muffling all Grove attempts at an offense.
Lindsay wound up with 18 first downs and 471 total yards. Grove managed only one first down-- that on a 4th quarter penalty-- and 47 net yards (emphasis mine).
Leonard Keck scored three of the Lindsay touchdowns, but once again the offensive load of the Leopards was well divided.
Junior fullback Bill Stone, the only underclassman in Lindsay's starting unit, was the top ground gainer, netting 108 yards in 14 carries. Keck churned an even 100 yards in 18 tries and halfback Harrison Durbin contributed 83 yards in 16 rushes.
Quarterback Larry Ledbetter handled the aerial portion of the Lindsay attack, completing six of eight tosses for 138 yards. He batted 5 for 5 after intermission, including touchdown pegs of 72 and 18 yards.
The overpowering Lindsay line stopped Grove ballcarriers for no gain or minus yards on 16 of the Ridgerunners' 35 running plays. All hands contributed to this smothering.
Guard Jim Mihlhauser, who was a defensive regular as a freshman on Lindsay's 1955 state championship team, was the ringleader of the defense from his linebacking position. Also starring were H.O. Estes, Bill York, Homer Rinehart, Don Bridwell, Bob Mashburn, Stone and Durbin...
(Imagine how many opposing running backs felt when they looked up and saw Hodie Estes, future Viking, and Jim Mihlhauser, future defensive player of the year - backing Estes up.)
The 1958 Lindsay Leopards may have been the most dominating football team that Lindsay ever fielded. They excelled in every phase of the game-- offense, defense, special teams, whatever, but with the Leopards storied past, one or two teams would soon challenge that assumption...
To be continued with the 1962 Leopards
Vern Robertson took over from Lawton Carey in 1958, when Carey became the high school principal. In Robertson's only season he posted a 14-0 record and a class B state title. The 1958 Leopards seemed to be even more dominant than they were in 1955 as they posted seven shut-outs during the 14 game season, and three consecutive shut-outs to end the run.
In a Daily Oklahoman article on September 28, 1958, Ray Soldan wrote - Ardmore Douglass was extremely impressive in winning its 15th straight game over the weekend, a 29-6 thumping of previously unscored on- Madill.
Vern Robertson, whose Lindsay club is given the best chance of halting Douglass' drive to a second consecutive state class B title, took in the contest and came away commenting: "I sure think Ardmore deserves its No. 1 rating."
Most striking to Robertson was the speed displayed by Douglass. "I've never seen such tremendous speed on a class B ballclub. Besides that, it appears they can do most anything they want to do..."
Doyle May, sports editor of the Daily Ardmoreite, says flatly "Douglass is better than last year. I say that because Raymond Watson, Robert Thurston and Charles Johnson have improved, making the team stronger defensively."
Soldan continued - Ardmore Douglass halfback Joe Walser has designs on the state 100 yard dash title this year. He was Utah state champion as a sophomore in 1956 and was ineligible at Ardmore last year. However, he got first-rate experience last spring, running against L.C. Johnson - the state class B champion - in practice. Walser whipped Johnson most of the time.
The Leopards faced this 'all-star' Douglass team, winner of 18 straight games, the 5th game into the season. To be very blunt - Lindsay dominated Ardmore Douglass 8-0. A bunch of 'farm boys' had totally stymied the 'best team' in the state. Many Leopard fans in attendance must now liken the '58 team to the movie 'Hoosiers' - a true story about the 1954 Milan, Indiana Huskers basketball team which defeated a much more talented 'city' team for the 1954 Indiana state championship.
The eighth game of the '58 season pitted the undefeated Leopards against the 5-2 McGuinness Irish. Jim Jones of the Daily Oklahoman wrote on October 26, 1958: Lindsay's power-laden Leopards, top-rated among the state's class B football teams, roared by the McGuinness Irish, 52-16, Friday night on the McGuinness field scoring almost at will until the second-teamers took over midway in the third quarter...
Five Lindsay players figured in the scoring. Leonard Keck and Harrison Durbin each made two touchdowns and Bill Stone scored once and ran all five conversions.
The Leopards wasted no time taking the lead, making touchdowns the first two times they got the ball. Stone ripped off tackle for 15 yards with the game less than three minutes old and ran the conversion for an 8-0 advantage. Bill Henry set up the score, intercepting a Marsh pass on the McGuinness 37 and returning it to the 26...
The giant-sized Lindsay line bottled up all attempts at running the middle. Jim Mihlhauser, H.O. Estes, David Bray, and Rick Simms repeatedly tossed Irish runners for losses. Center Bill York picked up the first touchdown of his high school career running an intercepted pass.
Larry Ledbetter scored Lindsay's lone second quarter touchdown on a sneak from the one to cap a 57 yard drive in four plays.Keck's 20-yard gainer and 14 and 10 yard gains by Ledbetter set up the touchdown.
Lindsay was now 7-0 and soon to be 10-0 as the playoffs were to begin. It is important to remember that Lindsay had just as many skilled athletes as any team they faced, including Ardmore Douglass. Lindsay's top athletes were mostly in the line, however, as Douglass's were in the backfield and receivers. The Leopards had two of top players in the state and arguably the nation in linemen H.O. Estes and Jim Mihlhauser. Both Estes and Mihlhauser were listed as 1958 all-state and went on to play for the University of Oklahoma, with Estes going on to the Minnesota Vikings. Jim Mihlhauser was also named Oklahoma defensive player of the year by the Daily Oklahoman, so the Leopards did have some very big guns in their arsenal.
In their first playoff game, the Leopards destroyed Fox 60-22, followed by a 14-0 win over Hobart and a 24-0 shutout over Moore. In the class B finals of 1958, Lindsay was to play a highly regarded Grove club.
Ray Soldan of The Oklahoman recalled the championship game on December 13, 1958:
Norman, Dec.12-- Lindsay left no room for doubting that it is Oklahoma's finest class B football team by smashing Grove 36-0, Friday afternoon at Owen field in the state title game staged before a chilled crowd of 2,000.
The Leopards dominated every phase of the game, scoring in every period, striking both the ground and in the air and muffling all Grove attempts at an offense.
Lindsay wound up with 18 first downs and 471 total yards. Grove managed only one first down-- that on a 4th quarter penalty-- and 47 net yards (emphasis mine).
Leonard Keck scored three of the Lindsay touchdowns, but once again the offensive load of the Leopards was well divided.
Junior fullback Bill Stone, the only underclassman in Lindsay's starting unit, was the top ground gainer, netting 108 yards in 14 carries. Keck churned an even 100 yards in 18 tries and halfback Harrison Durbin contributed 83 yards in 16 rushes.
Quarterback Larry Ledbetter handled the aerial portion of the Lindsay attack, completing six of eight tosses for 138 yards. He batted 5 for 5 after intermission, including touchdown pegs of 72 and 18 yards.
The overpowering Lindsay line stopped Grove ballcarriers for no gain or minus yards on 16 of the Ridgerunners' 35 running plays. All hands contributed to this smothering.
Guard Jim Mihlhauser, who was a defensive regular as a freshman on Lindsay's 1955 state championship team, was the ringleader of the defense from his linebacking position. Also starring were H.O. Estes, Bill York, Homer Rinehart, Don Bridwell, Bob Mashburn, Stone and Durbin...
(Imagine how many opposing running backs felt when they looked up and saw Hodie Estes, future Viking, and Jim Mihlhauser, future defensive player of the year - backing Estes up.)
The 1958 Lindsay Leopards may have been the most dominating football team that Lindsay ever fielded. They excelled in every phase of the game-- offense, defense, special teams, whatever, but with the Leopards storied past, one or two teams would soon challenge that assumption...
To be continued with the 1962 Leopards
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Leopard Legends of the Fall 1955-1980
Starting with this article, I am now a "retired" superintendent of schools, so no longer writing from the desk in Blanchard. I'll continue to write columns, however, from the tractor seat (my desk on the ranch).
Many Lindsay Leopard football fans consider the quarter of a century era, from 1955 to 1980, the zenith of Leopard football. During this 26 season time span - Lindsay football teams won 234 games, 4 state titles, 3 state runner-up trophies, and were ranked No. 1 in the state during a dozen regular seasons. Lindsay had a higher winning percentage (.813) than any other class 2A team in the state during the decade of the 1970's. All four State Championship teams (1955, 1958, 1962, and 1963) were in class B, when there were only three classifications (A, B, and C) of Oklahoma high school football and around 70 teams in each class. There are nine classifications of football today - 6AI, 6AII, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, A, B, and C, so many consider high school football to be less competitive than it was back during the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's. For instance, there are only 16 teams in classes 6AI and 6AII today.
Besides the four state championship teams, the 1964 Leopards played for the class A state title, and ended with 11 wins and 2 losses. The 1970 Leopards played for the class 2A state championship with 13 wins and only 1 loss, that loss coming in the championship game 14 to 12, to Nowata. The 1973 Leopards ended the regular season undefeated (10-0) and ranked number one in class 2A. They lost to Bristow 9 - 7 in the state quarterfinals. The 1980 Lindsay Leopard football team ended with 10 wins and 3 losses, but made it all the way to the finals before losing, 33-22, to Sallisaw.
With the Corona Virus Pandemic in full swing, and most high school, college and professional sports seasons in jeopardy of being postponed or cancelled, I thought it might be interesting for readers of the Lindsay News and Leopard football fans to learn the history of Lindsay Leopard football from 1955 thru 1980, the legendary years.
We'll now take a closer look at many Leopard football teams over the next several months, which arguably are the greatest Leopard Legends of the Fall - and we'll will start with the undefeated (14-0) and 1955 State Champion Lindsay Leopards:
The 1955 Leopards started the season by shutting out their first three opponents (Maysville, Marlow, and Purcell), 43-0, 28-0, and 27-0, before finally having their first close game against Del City which they beat 20 to 14. The semifinals pitted the Leopards against Newkirk, which ended in a 20 to 20 tie, but the Leopards winning the 'penetration' tiebreaker - 4 to 3. In 1955, playoff games which ended in a tie score were decided on the number of times each team had crossed their opponent's 20 yard line. Bob Dellinger of the Daily Oklahoman recounted the game winning drive in the semi-finals:
"Lindsay, Dec. 2-- In a desperate race against the clock the Lindsay Leopards drove 56 yards for the penetration which gave them a berth in the class B state finals despite a 20-20 tie with Newkirk here Friday night...
Actually it was the ball stealing tactics of Lindsay's Gene Estes which turned the tide in the home club's favor. Twice the 210 pound junior grabbed the ball away from a Newkirk runner and both times Lindsay recovered." (Bulldog Henry, the inspirational leader of the Leopards, would recover a similar game-changing fumble the next week in the finals.)
With defeat on first downs (16-11) staring them in the face, the Leopards used 12 plays to punch from their own 24 to the Newkirk 15 for the deciding margin. Halfback Wayne Estes banged over the right side for 13 yards from the Tiger 28 to send the crowd of 3,000 into hysterical joy.
The 1955 Lindsay Leopards would play Picher the next week on December 9. The Daily Oklahoman headline on December 10 read Leopard Surge Nets 14-0 Win, and Ray Soldan of the DO wrote:
Stillwater, Dec. 9-- After being soundly outplayed for three quarters, Lindsay's Leopards exploded for two fourth period touchdowns to topple Picher, here, Friday afternoon, thus nailing down the first class B football championship in the school's history.
The tide turned in the opening minutes of the final session after the Leopards had taken over on their own 35 following a Picher punt, only the second one of the game by the Gorillas. The big play was a first down screen pass from quarterback Bill Garrett to Wayne Estes, a fleet halfback.
The sudden maneuver found the Leopards with a wall of blockers formed in front of Estes on the north sideline and Estes rambled 43 yards before being hauled down on the Picher 22. A plunge into the center of the line by fullback Bruce Bullock netted four yards, then Estes bolted through the Picher left side for the final 18, benefitting from a big hole opened by Mike Spradlin and Jim Crawford. Jerome Walton added the extra point on a running play...
Ray Soldan said it best about the Leopards in the championship game - ... the Leopards were defensive demons when their backs were to the wall - and I think a great defense epitomized the whole 1955 championship season. The Leopards were coached that year by Tom Turvey and Lawton Carey. Mr. Carey later became the high school principal where he led for many years.
Many Lindsay Leopard football fans consider the quarter of a century era, from 1955 to 1980, the zenith of Leopard football. During this 26 season time span - Lindsay football teams won 234 games, 4 state titles, 3 state runner-up trophies, and were ranked No. 1 in the state during a dozen regular seasons. Lindsay had a higher winning percentage (.813) than any other class 2A team in the state during the decade of the 1970's. All four State Championship teams (1955, 1958, 1962, and 1963) were in class B, when there were only three classifications (A, B, and C) of Oklahoma high school football and around 70 teams in each class. There are nine classifications of football today - 6AI, 6AII, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, A, B, and C, so many consider high school football to be less competitive than it was back during the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's. For instance, there are only 16 teams in classes 6AI and 6AII today.
Besides the four state championship teams, the 1964 Leopards played for the class A state title, and ended with 11 wins and 2 losses. The 1970 Leopards played for the class 2A state championship with 13 wins and only 1 loss, that loss coming in the championship game 14 to 12, to Nowata. The 1973 Leopards ended the regular season undefeated (10-0) and ranked number one in class 2A. They lost to Bristow 9 - 7 in the state quarterfinals. The 1980 Lindsay Leopard football team ended with 10 wins and 3 losses, but made it all the way to the finals before losing, 33-22, to Sallisaw.
With the Corona Virus Pandemic in full swing, and most high school, college and professional sports seasons in jeopardy of being postponed or cancelled, I thought it might be interesting for readers of the Lindsay News and Leopard football fans to learn the history of Lindsay Leopard football from 1955 thru 1980, the legendary years.
We'll now take a closer look at many Leopard football teams over the next several months, which arguably are the greatest Leopard Legends of the Fall - and we'll will start with the undefeated (14-0) and 1955 State Champion Lindsay Leopards:
The 1955 Leopards started the season by shutting out their first three opponents (Maysville, Marlow, and Purcell), 43-0, 28-0, and 27-0, before finally having their first close game against Del City which they beat 20 to 14. The semifinals pitted the Leopards against Newkirk, which ended in a 20 to 20 tie, but the Leopards winning the 'penetration' tiebreaker - 4 to 3. In 1955, playoff games which ended in a tie score were decided on the number of times each team had crossed their opponent's 20 yard line. Bob Dellinger of the Daily Oklahoman recounted the game winning drive in the semi-finals:
"Lindsay, Dec. 2-- In a desperate race against the clock the Lindsay Leopards drove 56 yards for the penetration which gave them a berth in the class B state finals despite a 20-20 tie with Newkirk here Friday night...
Actually it was the ball stealing tactics of Lindsay's Gene Estes which turned the tide in the home club's favor. Twice the 210 pound junior grabbed the ball away from a Newkirk runner and both times Lindsay recovered." (Bulldog Henry, the inspirational leader of the Leopards, would recover a similar game-changing fumble the next week in the finals.)
With defeat on first downs (16-11) staring them in the face, the Leopards used 12 plays to punch from their own 24 to the Newkirk 15 for the deciding margin. Halfback Wayne Estes banged over the right side for 13 yards from the Tiger 28 to send the crowd of 3,000 into hysterical joy.
The 1955 Lindsay Leopards would play Picher the next week on December 9. The Daily Oklahoman headline on December 10 read Leopard Surge Nets 14-0 Win, and Ray Soldan of the DO wrote:
Stillwater, Dec. 9-- After being soundly outplayed for three quarters, Lindsay's Leopards exploded for two fourth period touchdowns to topple Picher, here, Friday afternoon, thus nailing down the first class B football championship in the school's history.
The tide turned in the opening minutes of the final session after the Leopards had taken over on their own 35 following a Picher punt, only the second one of the game by the Gorillas. The big play was a first down screen pass from quarterback Bill Garrett to Wayne Estes, a fleet halfback.
The sudden maneuver found the Leopards with a wall of blockers formed in front of Estes on the north sideline and Estes rambled 43 yards before being hauled down on the Picher 22. A plunge into the center of the line by fullback Bruce Bullock netted four yards, then Estes bolted through the Picher left side for the final 18, benefitting from a big hole opened by Mike Spradlin and Jim Crawford. Jerome Walton added the extra point on a running play...
Ray Soldan said it best about the Leopards in the championship game - ... the Leopards were defensive demons when their backs were to the wall - and I think a great defense epitomized the whole 1955 championship season. The Leopards were coached that year by Tom Turvey and Lawton Carey. Mr. Carey later became the high school principal where he led for many years.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Does lying about lies constitute libel and slander?
The facts: On August 12, 2019, Rebecca Wilkinson (executive director of the Statewide Virtual School Board) received a REQUEST FROM SENATOR RON SHARP via email which entailed answering several questions concerning oversight of Epic operations. On August 15 Wilkinson sent the REQUEST to Lynn Stickney, program specialist for the OSVCSB.
Senator Sharp requested the answers to several questions from Wilkinson / Oklahoma Charter School Board. For example, Sharp asked Wilkinson: "Can a student enrolled in a virtual charter school which is sponsored by the OSVCB be counted in the enrollment and subsequent attendance of a charter school not sponsored by the Oklahoma Charter School Board?" Wilkinson's answer was "No, it would create an illegal dual enrollment situation in two public schools."
On September 9, 2019, Bill Hickman (Epic's retained attorney) issued a 'Cease and Desist Demand' of Senator Sharp in which he stated "Dr. Wilkinson, the executive director of the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board ("SVCSB"), has confirmed that she has not had any discussions with you regarding Epic." Evidently, Wilkinson believes that simply answering Senator Sharp's questions regarding Epic doesn't constitute a "discussion". Many Oklahoma taxpayers believe that it does. The Epic attorney labeled many of Sharp's statements as 'lies'. Senator Sharp's initial questions referred to Epic Virtual Charter School being sponsored by the SVCSB and Epic Blended Charter Schools being sponsored by Rose State College, so Wilkinson did in fact have discussions with Senator Sharp regarding Epic. It appears as if Epic Blended Charter School, sponsored by Rose State, counted student enrollment which had already been counted by Epic Virtual School, sponsored by the SVCSB.
Hickman then went on to write: "... Exhibit B is an email from Dr. Wilkinson stating that the "SVCSB" has made no determinations regarding Epic One-on-One Charter School's enrollment practices." Becky Wilkinson is technically telling the truth, as the SVCSB has not made an official determination, but Wilkinson did make that determination (as evidenced by her answers). She didn't specifically mention Epic Blended and Epic Virtual as the schools in question, but knew the senator was referring to Epic. The question now becomes: If Epic's dual enrollment practices are indeed illegal (as Becky first indicated), why hasn't the SVCSB made such determination?
Epic has claimed that Senator Sharp has lied about the above issues, but evidence indicates otherwise. The next question becomes: Does calling someone a liar when he or she states facts, constitute libel and slander?
Senator Sharp requested the answers to several questions from Wilkinson / Oklahoma Charter School Board. For example, Sharp asked Wilkinson: "Can a student enrolled in a virtual charter school which is sponsored by the OSVCB be counted in the enrollment and subsequent attendance of a charter school not sponsored by the Oklahoma Charter School Board?" Wilkinson's answer was "No, it would create an illegal dual enrollment situation in two public schools."
On September 9, 2019, Bill Hickman (Epic's retained attorney) issued a 'Cease and Desist Demand' of Senator Sharp in which he stated "Dr. Wilkinson, the executive director of the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board ("SVCSB"), has confirmed that she has not had any discussions with you regarding Epic." Evidently, Wilkinson believes that simply answering Senator Sharp's questions regarding Epic doesn't constitute a "discussion". Many Oklahoma taxpayers believe that it does. The Epic attorney labeled many of Sharp's statements as 'lies'. Senator Sharp's initial questions referred to Epic Virtual Charter School being sponsored by the SVCSB and Epic Blended Charter Schools being sponsored by Rose State College, so Wilkinson did in fact have discussions with Senator Sharp regarding Epic. It appears as if Epic Blended Charter School, sponsored by Rose State, counted student enrollment which had already been counted by Epic Virtual School, sponsored by the SVCSB.
Hickman then went on to write: "... Exhibit B is an email from Dr. Wilkinson stating that the "SVCSB" has made no determinations regarding Epic One-on-One Charter School's enrollment practices." Becky Wilkinson is technically telling the truth, as the SVCSB has not made an official determination, but Wilkinson did make that determination (as evidenced by her answers). She didn't specifically mention Epic Blended and Epic Virtual as the schools in question, but knew the senator was referring to Epic. The question now becomes: If Epic's dual enrollment practices are indeed illegal (as Becky first indicated), why hasn't the SVCSB made such determination?
Epic has claimed that Senator Sharp has lied about the above issues, but evidence indicates otherwise. The next question becomes: Does calling someone a liar when he or she states facts, constitute libel and slander?
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Competitive equity for OSSAA member schools delayed once again
Prior to the 2012 Oklahoma high school sports seasons - the member schools of the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) determined that competitive equity during competition between schools was nonexistent. Most member schools believed the 'playing field' was tilted in the favor of those schools which had specific structural advantages such as the ability to offer scholarships and restrict enrollment. In order to promote competitive equity within OSSAA competition for all sports, the OSSAA directors appointed an eighteen member committee to study the issue and construct a plan which would eventually 'level the playing field' for member schools. Nine committee members were administrators from those schools which restrict enrollment and/or provide scholarships to athletes, and nine members were from schools which cannot restrict enrollment and/or provide financial incentives to athletes.
The Competitive Equity Committee eventually settled on Rule 14, which was to solve the 'level playing field' problem. The Rule required those schools which fit a specified 'success' criteria involving several factors, to advance one enrollment based classification level. For instance, a school participating in class 2A sports would advance to class 3A when all criteria were met. Many member schools at the time believed Rule 14 would fail in its intended purpose. Even several of the Committee members believed it would fail miserably, but said at the time that "It's the best we could do."
Rule 14 subsequently was implemented for the 2012 high school sports seasons, so we can now take a look at the data to analyze the effectiveness of the Rule - for high school football. The data from the 2011 football season (one year prior to implementation of Rule 14) can be compared to the data from the 2019 season (eight years into the Rule). Since 'success' is determined by the OSSAA as 'placing in the top eight' in post-season competition, we may study the 'success data' from the 2011 and 2019 football seasons for those schools which qualified for advancement under Rule 14:
2011 2019
Class Final 8 Semis Finals Final 8 Semis Finals Champ.
5A: 1)Kelly 1)Kelly Kelly
2)E.Prep
3)McG. McG. McG.
4A: 1)McG. no criteria schools
3A: 1) Metro 1)H.Hall H. Hall
2) Cascia Cascia Cascia 2)Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln
3) H. Hall H.Hall
2A: 1) Lincoln 1)Metro Metro Metro Metro
A 1)Rejoice Rejoice
B 1)Regent Regent Regent
C 1)Covenant
The data indicates that six separate 'criteria' schools made the final eight in 2011 with three advancing to the semis and one advancing to the finals. The 2019 data indicates that nine 'criteria' schools made the top eight, seven advanced to the semis with four advancing to the finals and two state champions. Very simply - Rule 14 has been a total bust for leveling the playing field!
One may notice that as several Rule 14 'criteria' schools became affected in 2012, they actually improved their success level. For example, Lincoln Christian was eliminated in the quarterfinals of class 2A football in 2011, but was a state champion in 2019 for class 3A. Metro Christian School was eliminated in the 2011 quarterfinals, but restricted its enrollment enough to win the class 2A State Title in 2019. Heritage Hall was eliminated in the 2011 class 3A semifinals but still eventually advanced to class 4A as a 'criteria' school several years later where it won several state titles. It then restricted its enrollment enough to be a class 2A school, but advanced to class 3A on criteria where it was eliminated in the state semifinals in 2019. All this restricting makes my head spin. Bishop McGuinness was eliminated in the class 4A quarterfinals in 2011, advanced to class 5A because of either increased enrollment or 'criteria', where it was eliminated in the class 5A finals in 2019.
Another competitive equity committee was appointed early in 2019 to once again come up with a solution to the problem. It was composed of four traditional public school officials and four 'restrictive' school officials. The committee decided that Rule 14 has been inneffective for leveling the playing field in only two sports (volleyball and tennis). They provided data which indicated that Rule 14 has been effective for promoting competitive equity in all other sports. The committee cited that the same approximate number of state titles were won by 'criteria' schools in the eight years previous to the implementation of Rule 14 as in the eight years after implementation. By many members accounts, their analysis is both invalid and unreliable. At any rate, the OSSAA executives believe that many non-restrictive school officials are citing data such as that above - based on 'emotions'. They have stated as much. These disparaging comments were made in both OKC and Tulsa area meetings.
I believe Joe Van Tuyl has a very workable plan which is fair to both restrictive enrollment schools and non-restrictive schools. If you don't already have a copy of the plan, you may request one from Jim Beckham or Joe Van Tuyl, and we'll be happy to send you one.
The Competitive Equity Committee eventually settled on Rule 14, which was to solve the 'level playing field' problem. The Rule required those schools which fit a specified 'success' criteria involving several factors, to advance one enrollment based classification level. For instance, a school participating in class 2A sports would advance to class 3A when all criteria were met. Many member schools at the time believed Rule 14 would fail in its intended purpose. Even several of the Committee members believed it would fail miserably, but said at the time that "It's the best we could do."
Rule 14 subsequently was implemented for the 2012 high school sports seasons, so we can now take a look at the data to analyze the effectiveness of the Rule - for high school football. The data from the 2011 football season (one year prior to implementation of Rule 14) can be compared to the data from the 2019 season (eight years into the Rule). Since 'success' is determined by the OSSAA as 'placing in the top eight' in post-season competition, we may study the 'success data' from the 2011 and 2019 football seasons for those schools which qualified for advancement under Rule 14:
2011 2019
Class Final 8 Semis Finals Final 8 Semis Finals Champ.
5A: 1)Kelly 1)Kelly Kelly
2)E.Prep
3)McG. McG. McG.
4A: 1)McG. no criteria schools
3A: 1) Metro 1)H.Hall H. Hall
2) Cascia Cascia Cascia 2)Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln
3) H. Hall H.Hall
2A: 1) Lincoln 1)Metro Metro Metro Metro
A 1)Rejoice Rejoice
B 1)Regent Regent Regent
C 1)Covenant
The data indicates that six separate 'criteria' schools made the final eight in 2011 with three advancing to the semis and one advancing to the finals. The 2019 data indicates that nine 'criteria' schools made the top eight, seven advanced to the semis with four advancing to the finals and two state champions. Very simply - Rule 14 has been a total bust for leveling the playing field!
One may notice that as several Rule 14 'criteria' schools became affected in 2012, they actually improved their success level. For example, Lincoln Christian was eliminated in the quarterfinals of class 2A football in 2011, but was a state champion in 2019 for class 3A. Metro Christian School was eliminated in the 2011 quarterfinals, but restricted its enrollment enough to win the class 2A State Title in 2019. Heritage Hall was eliminated in the 2011 class 3A semifinals but still eventually advanced to class 4A as a 'criteria' school several years later where it won several state titles. It then restricted its enrollment enough to be a class 2A school, but advanced to class 3A on criteria where it was eliminated in the state semifinals in 2019. All this restricting makes my head spin. Bishop McGuinness was eliminated in the class 4A quarterfinals in 2011, advanced to class 5A because of either increased enrollment or 'criteria', where it was eliminated in the class 5A finals in 2019.
Another competitive equity committee was appointed early in 2019 to once again come up with a solution to the problem. It was composed of four traditional public school officials and four 'restrictive' school officials. The committee decided that Rule 14 has been inneffective for leveling the playing field in only two sports (volleyball and tennis). They provided data which indicated that Rule 14 has been effective for promoting competitive equity in all other sports. The committee cited that the same approximate number of state titles were won by 'criteria' schools in the eight years previous to the implementation of Rule 14 as in the eight years after implementation. By many members accounts, their analysis is both invalid and unreliable. At any rate, the OSSAA executives believe that many non-restrictive school officials are citing data such as that above - based on 'emotions'. They have stated as much. These disparaging comments were made in both OKC and Tulsa area meetings.
I believe Joe Van Tuyl has a very workable plan which is fair to both restrictive enrollment schools and non-restrictive schools. If you don't already have a copy of the plan, you may request one from Jim Beckham or Joe Van Tuyl, and we'll be happy to send you one.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
How to intimidate an Oklahoma lawmaker:
An article in the Tulsa World - Lawmakers accuse Epic Charter Schools of trying to intimidate them, setting 'dangerous' precedent with defamation lawsuit against state senator, December 14 by Andrea Eger, describes how state lawmakers believe the lawsuit against State Senator Ron Sharp (R) is purely "intimidation". What Andrea didn't say is that Epic has tried to intimidate her by 'investigating her past'. One Republican Representative called the lawsuit against Senator Sharp "... an attempt to silence constituents whose concerns legislators are sworn to represent and an attempt to intimidate other lawmakers just before the deadline to file bills for the upcoming 2020 session." The quoted representative was probably correct in saying the 'Epic' lawsuit is "an attempt to silence constituents (You and I) whose concerns legislators are sworn to represent...", although I'll bet it won't silence many traditional public school folk.
Epic Public Schools (its preferred name) first warned Sharp in a "cease and desist" letter left at his front door "that he faced 'immediate legal action' if he didn't comply with the school's demand for a published retraction of his previous statements." Sharp evidently didn't retract his factual statements or questions, so the lawsuit was filed last week.
Another state representative commented about the lawsuit that "It's dirty; it's ugly; and we won't stand for it", indicating the House and Senate have big plans for Epic. Before those lawmakers who object to the lawsuit say 'we won't stand for it', they may consider another lawmaker's statement: "As elected officials, you are in the public eye and subject to that." The lawmaker evidently believes that legislators should expect to be sued when doing the right thing by speaking out against the theft of Oklahoma's tax dollars. Maybe so...
Other elected officials and lawmakers have received more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from Epic Public Schools in order to "look the other way" when considering Epic oversight legislation. It is doubtful these elected officials will speak out in opposition of anything Epic, so it may continue in creating an education 'dust bowl'. In the words of one senator "We might as well go home and let the special interest groups run our government totally," and that is exactly what Epic wants.
To be fair, only five lawmakers commented on the Epic Public Schools lawsuit - which leaves about 140 who have not weighed in on the subject. Those not allowed to voice their opinion at the Jenks Legislative Luncheon should certainly be allowed to weigh in on the lawsuit. I'll start by asking my Representative Cindy Roe (R) of Lindsay and Senator Paul Scott (R) of Duncan to please share your thoughts on the subject?
To be continued with their answers...
Epic Public Schools (its preferred name) first warned Sharp in a "cease and desist" letter left at his front door "that he faced 'immediate legal action' if he didn't comply with the school's demand for a published retraction of his previous statements." Sharp evidently didn't retract his factual statements or questions, so the lawsuit was filed last week.
Another state representative commented about the lawsuit that "It's dirty; it's ugly; and we won't stand for it", indicating the House and Senate have big plans for Epic. Before those lawmakers who object to the lawsuit say 'we won't stand for it', they may consider another lawmaker's statement: "As elected officials, you are in the public eye and subject to that." The lawmaker evidently believes that legislators should expect to be sued when doing the right thing by speaking out against the theft of Oklahoma's tax dollars. Maybe so...
Other elected officials and lawmakers have received more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from Epic Public Schools in order to "look the other way" when considering Epic oversight legislation. It is doubtful these elected officials will speak out in opposition of anything Epic, so it may continue in creating an education 'dust bowl'. In the words of one senator "We might as well go home and let the special interest groups run our government totally," and that is exactly what Epic wants.
To be fair, only five lawmakers commented on the Epic Public Schools lawsuit - which leaves about 140 who have not weighed in on the subject. Those not allowed to voice their opinion at the Jenks Legislative Luncheon should certainly be allowed to weigh in on the lawsuit. I'll start by asking my Representative Cindy Roe (R) of Lindsay and Senator Paul Scott (R) of Duncan to please share your thoughts on the subject?
To be continued with their answers...
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