NORMAN — The stakes for the 6A Oklahoma State Championship for football just got a little higher for Friday’s 7:30 p.m. faceoff between the Norman North Timberwolves and the Jenks Trojans at Boone Pickens Stadium at Oklahoma State University.
Norman Public Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Joe Siano has challenged Jenks Superintendent Dr. Kirby Lehman to a wager: The superintendent of the defeated team has to wear the victor’s football jersey at the next regular board of education meeting in his community.
“I don’t expect to have to swallow that pill, but if I do, it will be a bitter one,” Siano said. “A Jenks Trojan jersey has absolutely no place in a Norman Board of Education meeting. I am good friends with Dr. Lehman and I think HE will look very regal sporting a Timberwolves jersey at his next Jenks Board of Education meeting.”
In accepting Siano’s challenge, Lehman offered some light-hearted hyperbole of his own.
“As one who is less conversant with terminology like ‘bet’ and ‘wager’ than is my esteemed colleague from Norman, along with great trepidation based on the numerous high-quality, scholar-athletes at Norman North High School this year, I accept the Norman superintendent’s challenge on ‘jersey wearing’ at our respective next school board meeting,” he said.
Both superintendents expressed their respective community’s enthusiasm for Friday’s game. While Jenks has earned 12 state championships in its district’s history, this will be the first time Norman North has been in the game since the high school was established in 1997.
And, with the districts’ lack of proximity to one another and their respective high schools playing in different Oklahoma 6A divisions, it isn’t often that their schools even meet one another on the gridiron.
“Our community’s theme for Friday is ‘All In,’ and it aptly describes our support for our Timberwolves,” Siano said. “In all sincerity, our worthy friends from Jenks have a storied, successful program, and we look forward to a very exciting matchup with them come Friday.”
“In Jenks, we respect and admire the academic and athletic traditions associated with the Norman School District. On Friday, it will be ‘business as usual’ in the Jenks School District classrooms,” Lehman said. “Friday evening, both teams have a wonderful opportunity on the field at Stillwater. Hopefully, it will be a great and safe evening for players and fans. However, I do not look good in green.”
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