High school football playoff spots are usually settled on the field. In Oklahoma, though, three teams’ postseason hopes came down to a coin toss in a parking lot just after midnight.
Liberty, Gore and Central Sallisaw finished tied for third in Class A-2, District 3, with only two playoff places available between them. The usual tiebreakers offered no answer: the teams had matching district records, had split their games against one another and finished with the same point differential.
So officials resorted to a coin toss outside Catfish Roundup. Central Sallisaw coach Jeremy Thompson said he was surprised the decision really came down to that, but was told it would.
Liberty and Central Sallisaw both called tails and earned playoff spots. Thompson said he had never been so nervous over a toss, but was glad it went his team’s way.
Gore was left out. Coach Nathan McCurley said he felt especially bad for the seniors, after the team had rallied over the previous four weeks to put itself in contention. He said he wasn’t angry about the result, but hated that the players’ season ended that way.
Liberty coach Nate Green said reaching the playoffs mattered to the school, which has not made many postseason appearances. The coin toss gave the team another chance to add to its history.
