The Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) unanimously rejected Newcastle Public Schools' appeal concerning a controversial semi-final game. The dispute centered on the presence of a former coach on Guthrie Public Schools' sidelines. According to FOX 25, the OSSAA denied Newcastle's request for sanctions against Guthrie's head coach and football program, as well as a review of the OSSAA handbook.

The core of Newcastle's argument was whether a former staff member, potentially holding Guthrie's offensive plays, was coaching from the sidelines despite being employed at another school. The allegations were further fueled by a social media post, reported by The Oklahoman, which accused a Deer Creek assistant coach of suspiciously interacting on the sidelines.

Guthrie High School was cleared of any wrongdoing, with the OSSAA board voting 13-0, as reported by News 9, that the rule in question applied only to student-athletes, not coaches. As Newcastle's hopes for victory in the semi-final faded, the OSSAA chose to focus on future rule clarification instead of imposing retroactive punishment. 

In the aftermath, Newcastle's superintendent, Cathy Walker, expressed disappointment with the association's focus on the rule's intent rather than its literal wording. "It's not about the game and losing — that's not why I was here. I was here about the rules and following the rules. How they interpret the rule and the intent is what they base their decision on. Today, I was wanting a decision made on the words written on the paper," Walker told The Oklahoman. Meanwhile, OSSAA executive director David Jackson suggested that consulting with coaches after the season, whether on the sideline or in the press box, was a common practice.

With the tension easing, the OSSAA has promised to revisit the rule during the spring session, with any changes set to take effect by the start of the next school year.