Norman Public Schools’ new athletic security guidelines will be put to the test during Friday’s Norman High vs. Moore football game.
NPS has made three updates to its guidelines in the past nine days, including two on Wednesday. The latest updates require all spectators to walk through a weapons detection system before entering games. The systems normally contain proprietary sensors and metal detectors to find weapons like firearms and knives.
NPS will receive help through its second update, which will utilize the Contemporary Services Corporation to enforce its guidelines. CSC regularly works security for OU athletic events and worked security at last Thursday’s Crosstown Clash between Norman High and Norman North at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
The new updates are a part of NPS’ efforts to “evaluate our safety protocols,” according to NPS superintendent Nick Migliorino. While both were in place at the Crosstown Clash, they will be enforced for the first time at Harve Collins Stadium, the shared football facility between Norman High and Norman North.
Both have been welcomed by Norman High coach Rocky Martin.
“I think they’ve done a really good job of staying on top of it,” Martin told the OU Daily. “The guidelines the district has in place, and everything else they’re doing, they’re doing a really good job of keeping everyone safe. People want to come to games and have fun, and this helps with that.”
NPS’ increased emphasis on security comes after a fatal shooting during a Choctaw-Del City game on Aug. 26 that injured four people and killed a 16-year-old student. An Aug. 28 email announcing a new rule requiring all NPS middle and high school students to show a student ID before entering games indirectly referenced the shooting, saying the decision was “in light of recent events.”
Martin remains cautious, but believes NPS will deter similar events with its updated guidelines.
“You have to be careful, but I think the district is moving towards that,” Martin said. “Ultimately, we want people to have a great experience at the games. I really think our administrators do a really good job of that.”
Martin’s players feel the same, believing they’ll be safe during games.
“We feel safe and protected,” Norman High senior linebacker Luis Flores said. “Everything’s been great. I feel like we have enough security at games. I heard what happened (at Choctaw), and that’s unfortunate. But, we’re not worried. We feel really safe.”
Norman High’s game against Moore kicks off at 7 p.m. Norman North will play its first game at home under the new guidelines on Sept. 14 against Stillwater.
Tigers hope to rebound after rivalry defeat
Norman High (0-1) fell 21-0 to rival Norman North (1-0) in the Crosstown Clash, its fourth consecutive loss to the Timberwolves and first shutout loss since October 10, 2019, against Edmond Memorial.
Both teams committed three turnovers. But while Norman North scored a touchdown off one of its takeaways, the Tigers failed to do so on all three of their own. Martin thinks his team didn’t play as bad as the score indicated, but hopes Norman High makes use of offensive opportunities against Moore.
“I thought we played well in the first half, but we have to capitalize on field position on offense,” Martin said. “Those are learning opportunities. When we get those types of short fields, we've got to take advantage.
“If there’s anything we’re emphasizing this week, it’s that we’ve got to score. We’ve got to finally get into the end zone.”
Flores believes the Tigers weren’t in harmony against Norman North. But now with a game under their belt, he believes Norman High’s team chemistry has grown.
“I think we had that game in the bag … But we weren’t fully there yet,” Flores said. “We were still building relationships and trying to work together. I feel like it just keeps getting stronger. We weren’t clicking, but now we're clicking fast.”
Martin feels confident in two-QB system
Both of the Tigers’ quarterbacks, junior Phoenix Murphy and sophomore Crew Noles, played against Norman North. Murphy started the game and played the entire first half, while Noles earned time in the second half.
In addition, senior safety and wide receiver Dax Noles, Crew’s brother, took snaps at quarterback in a wildcat formation. He also threw a pass, resulting in the Tigers’ first interception of the night.
Despite its struggles, with both Murphy and Crew throwing interceptions against Norman North, Martin plans to play both against Moore.
“We feel very comfortable with both,” Martin said. “Both bring something different to their games, but they both do a great job and they're both competitors. There’s gonna be times where we go with Phoenix, and there’s gonna be times we go with Crew. We want teams to have to prepare for both.”
With a win, the Tigers will have a .500 winning percentage for the first time since being 4-4 in the 2021 season.
