High School

Clinton football forced to forfeit regular season game

The Red Tornadoes previously had one of the top seeds in the OSSAA playoffs

Kevin L. Smith

The Clinton High School football team in Oklahoma was set to be the second seed in the postseason, but the Red Tornadoes are now in a different spot.

Nick Sardis of The Oklahoman reported that the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) Board of Directors voted unanimously, 14-0, in favor of their decision requiring Clinton to forfeit its game last week.

According to Touchdown Friday Night, the Red Tornadoes will forfeit their 48-16 regular-season win over Douglass on Nov. 7 due to an ineligible player. The freshman backup kicker played just seven seconds in the game against Douglass.

Due to OSSAA’s decision, Clinton will go from a second to a fourth seed in the Class 4A District I playoffs. Weatherford is now the second seed in the bracket.

Before OSSAA’s ruling, Clinton had a first-round home playoff game. The Red Tornadoes will now hit the road today, Nov. 14, to face top-seeded Tuttle at 7 p.m.

Clinton Public Schools provided a statement to parents, staff and community members on its Facebook page:

“While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the OSSAA’s decision and will continue to move forward with integrity and focus. Our coaching staff has implemented additional steps to ensure all eligibility procedures are followed going forward.

“We are proud of our players and coaches for how they’ve handled this situation and appreciate our community’s continued support. Let’s show up strong for our team Friday night in Tuttle.”

Tuttle (10-0) is within the top three of High School on SI’s OSSAA classification rankings. Clinton (4-6) cracked the top 20 in the latest poll.

Before the forfeit, the Red Tornadoes had won five of their last seven games after an 0-3 start to the season. 

Weatherford, currently 8-2 on the season, will host Blanchard today at 7 p.m.

Sign Up for High School On SI’s Free Daily Newsletters

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App

Published |Modified
Kevin L. Smith
KEVIN L. SMITH

Kevin L. Smith, a Rochester (NY) native and a graduate of St. Bonaventure University, has been covering high school sports for over a decade. He started out as a freelance sportswriter in 2013. Since then, he’s held sportswriter and editor positions for newspapers in Coudersport (PA), Sayre (PA) and Oswego (NY). Smith currently covers high school sports in the Greater Syracuse Area for syracuse.com | Post-Standard, a position he’s held since 2021. You can follow him on social media @KevLSmittie. Story ideas can be sent to KLSFreelancing@outlook.com.

Home/Oklahoma