Oklahoma HS coach in hot water over players using false addresses; What can Lawrence learn from this?

Posted by Matt Tait October 8, 2009 at 10:29 a.m.

Oklahoma HS coach in hot water over players using false addresses; What can Lawrence learn from this?

Earlier this week in Oklahoma, it was reported that the head football coach of perennial powerhouse Jenks High School had suspended himself for the remainder of the season for using at least one player who was ruled to be ineligible because of residency issues.

Residency issues? As in, lived in one district and used a false address to attend school in another.

Before I go any further with this topic, let me say this: I know this kind of thing happens in Lawrence, I know it has helped and harmed both Free State and Lawrence High throughout the years and, to this point, it doesn’t seem like there’s enough concern from school officials to look into it very deep.

OK, back to the issue at hand.

After learning of the ruling by Oklahoma’s state high school governing board, Jenks High coach Allan Trimble — ironic name, no? — owner of multiple state football titles, did the admirable thing and punished himself. Trimble stepped down for the remainder of the season and promised to stay hands-off the rest of the way.

The thought here is that by doing so Trimble was admitting to some amount of guilt. Maybe he knew about the phony address, maybe he didn’t. But if he didn’t, why would he punish himself?

Although Tremble’s self-imposed penalty was commendable, it may have come too late. What’s worse, it may not have actually addressed the real problem at hand.

The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association looked deeper into the misconduct and discovered more rules violations on the part of the Jenks coaching staff including monetary gifts to players and claims of illegal recruiting.

Because of this, and the fact that an ongoing OSSAA investigation revealed that as many as seven Trojans football players had residency violations during the past nine seasons, Trimble faced further discipline from the OSSAA.

According to KJRH in Tulsa, Trimble now has been suspended indefinitely, as has assistant coach David Alexander. Jenks Athletic Director Tony Dillingham as well as team volunteer Clyde Griffith also were punished for their roles. In addition, OSSAA forced the Jenks High football program to forfeit its victories from last season and the school has agreed to forfeit any money it might make this postseason and cancel spring practices for 2010. The OSSAA stopped short of banning the Trojans from participating in the postseason this year.

Harsh penalties? Definitely. And that’s precisely the point.

There is no place for this in high school athletics. We see it enough at the college level and we see much worse at the professional level and beyond. The blatant cheating that has been uncovered at Jenks should be a warning of sorts to high schools athletic programs everywhere, from football and basketball to cross country and lacrosse.

Part of the beauty of high school sports is that coaches are forced to play the hand they’re dealt. They aren’t allowed to bring in their own players, they aren’t allowed to replace last year’s stud quarterback with a shiny, newcomer. Yet it happens in just about every state just about every season. And it’s a shame.

To think it doesn’t is naive. To think it’s OK is to condone a blatantly criminal act. Criminal, not in the sense of handcuffs and prison cells, but in the sense of breaking the rules and doing so knowingly.

It has to stop. Let’s hope the situation at Jenks is the turning point towards a solution.

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ralphralph (anonymous) says…

They should shut down the Jenks program completely for one year.
October 8, 2009 at 11:48 a.m.
a_flock_of_jayhawks (anonymous) says…

This is not such a big surprise as it is a common practice in southern states for parents to hold their children back a grade to be more competitive, especially in football. When I first discovered this practice, I was amazed.
October 8, 2009 at 12:42 p.m.
Eride (anonymous) says…

"To think it doesn’t is naive. To think it’s OK is to condone a blatantly criminal act. Criminal, not in the sense of handcuffs and prison cells, but in the sense of breaking the rules and doing so knowingly."

You aren't using the term "criminal act" even remotely correct. Breaking one of society's mores should not be equated with that, it is misleading.
October 8, 2009 at 1:52 p.m.
srj (anonymous) says…

Frank Martin at KSU lost a state championship in Florida because top players home address ended up being a booster, a scorekeeper, and a school secretary.

I am sure even in town people are in the wrong school. You know not just sports.
October 8, 2009 at 2:18 p.m.
Homey (anonymous) says…

In Lawrence the Firebirds have been actively recruting players from south of Bob Billings Way for years now. We should eliminate the hypocracy and simply allow open transfers.
October 8, 2009 at 5:01 p.m.
areyouserious (anonymous) says…

Seamus...............that is the most ridiculous thing I have heard on these boards today.......and what does KU have to do with this article????
October 8, 2009 at 8:12 p.m.
blindrabbit (anonymous) says…

-The Catholic schools do this all over the country; some even recruiting high school players from out of state. In Kansas City Rockhurst and Meige high schools do it all the time
October 8, 2009 at 11:58 p.m.
OKIEHAMMER (anonymous) says…

Ralphie, take the rose-colored glasses off! If you are a Lawrence resident your wonderful city has not only turned a blind eye to such activities, they have completely turned their back and refused to monitor the residential boundary for LHS and FSHS. The hypocrisy of the school administration of your district is well documented in cases exactly like the one in Jenks, OK. The only difference is the talent level of your player pales in comparison. Let’s not even begin to look at the numbers of students who attend the "new and shiny" HS just so they won't get their hands dirty.

There’s not a person at the "head shed" that has enough guts to check into the "criminal acts" (please!) in their own backyard. If THEY did... their coach wouldn't have the guts to suspend himself for the season for his complicity.
October 9, 2009 at 7:58 a.m.
lionheart (anonymous) says…

After having looked into the matter down in Oklahoma...
If you, Mr. Tait, wanted to bust open an investigation into such misdeeds close to your own zip code, you would be run out of town on a rail. You could easily keep your nose out of the Sooner State and shove it into some KANSAS dirt. It's very deep in Lawrence, if you catch my drift.

You COULD check the address/living arrangements of athletes in USD-497 over the past 9 years, which is exactly what they did in the locale you have called on the carpet. You, along with your administrative counterparts in this district, are all about “business as usual” and not about smashing the toes of perpetrators within your own city limits. Talking about someone else's problem is EASY! Put some teeth into your words and start your investigation. You'll be surprised how easy the trail is to follow and even more surprised at where and how high up the chain it leads you.
October 9, 2009 at 12:23 p.m.
Clickker (anonymous) says…

There are at least 2 starters ( one is currently out with an injury) on FSHS that live south of the Border. I'm pretty sure the coaches didnt recruit them, but probably have an idea.
The easy way, and its not criminal by the coach, is that some parents are renting apt's, registering their kids at grandma's etc just to get north of 15th.
October 9, 2009 at 3:44 p.m.
lionheart (anonymous) says…

There are your first 2 targets, Mr. Tait. Break the story! You'll be infamous! No one in USD-497 admin. wants you to do it, I guarantee. Their stance has always been, "We can't prove it." Translated: "We don't care as long as they play in Green." Additionally, from what I have been told, Lawrence doesn't HAVE to enforce the line if they don't choose to do so. The state says it's a "Lawrence" issue, not a KHSSA issue.

Anybody else know anything about that? Is that true?
October 9, 2009 at 6 p.m.
3up3down (anonymous) says…

So what's the problem? Olathe changed their entire high school academic programs and created an open enrollment regardless of where you live there. They titled it 21st Century Schools. If you want to focus on Aerospace or Engineering, you enroll at Olathe NW. Geology and Earth Sciences you go to Olathe North and so on. Gee I wonder why Olathe North is so good this year? Was this designed for academics or sports? Gotta wonder.
October 9, 2009 at 8:03 p.m.
lionheart (anonymous) says…

So that's where Lawrence wants to go? Open transfer? IF it ever happens, you'll see more under the table recruiting by coaches, boosters, etc. than you would ever believe. Current procedures are better than open transfer. Fact... USD 497 would let it ride for about a decade and then realize it isn't what they want to be about, athletically speaking. If they want to run a one school magnet program, that's pretty much the type of thing they're allowing now.
October 9, 2009 at 11:52 p.m.
blackmild (anonymous) says…

this thing happen ever were so it not a big thing
October 12, 2009 at 1:04 a.m.
exlion (anonymous) says…

bellaire wrote the last comment
November 2, 2009 at 11:41 a.m.
TheOriginalCA (anonymous) says…

No open transfers. Teach these kids that rules matter. The players are just as guilty as the coaches here as are the parents.
November 17, 2009 at 9:07 a.m.