Post by Mark Rodgers | Host of “Middle of the Day Show” | @MarkRSports on Twitter
The word spread at a speed exponentially opposite of the game’s pace. National news. Weatherford 4, Anadarko 2 Final. Surely a mistake? A first quarter score? Game had to be suspended, right? None of the above.
Anadarko head coach Doug Schumpert orchestrated an effort to hold the basketball to upset the second-ranked Eagles. And the Warriors were a late, missed three-point shot away from actually winning. Reactions ranged from shock to outrage.
Oklahoma High Schools have been at odds about the implementation of a shot clock. This result will surely add momentum to an outcome. Classes 2A and above voted for the clock. Class A and B voted for the status quo. The Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association voted the shot clock down rather than split up the divisions. Word is that they will eventually concede to the wishes of the larger schools. Weatherford and Anadarko both participate in Class 4A which likely will require a shot clock of some kind next year. Weatherford head coach Derrick Bull was gracious enough to come on my show. Bull had no animosity toward Schumpert. Just a coach doing what he thought best for his team to win.
Schumpert hasn’t been as lucky with reaction elsewhere. Tons of piling on for the shenanigans of playing 32 minutes of basketball with only eight shots from the field. Schumpert was inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019. Among those that were not outraged were many of his peers and former players. Schumpert has spent a majority of his career coaching in Carnegie and Anadarko, schools 31 miles apart in western Oklahoma. Schumpert told the Oklahoman in 2014, he enjoys coaching in those communities because of the passion for the sport in the Native American community. His teams compete and they win. Former players came out on social media to support their coach and the impact he had on their lives. Schumpert is a competitor too. His distinct raspy voice is unmistakable. He’s won four state championships. He’s the all-time leader in wins (788) for an active coach.
Opinions among coaches vary on the shot clock but almost universally, they support Schumpert. Holding the ball didn’t work on Tuesday in Anadarko. And if Schumpert tries it again, there will for sure be more outrage. At least in the loss, an old coach can take solace that he did what most high school coaches want to do most. Leave an indelible impression on the players he taught and colleagues he coached against.
