I had just climbed onto the bus after the last football game of my sophomore year of high school.
My Madill Wildcats had just gotten waxed 62-19 in the second round of the 3A playoffs by a Heritage Hall team that boasted Barry J. Sanders and Sterling Shepard. Given the personnel on that team, it probably wasn’t a shocking outcome, but when I found my seat in the bus and checked my phone, my heart fell to my stomach.
It was Nov. 18, 2011, and I had just found out that Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State, ending the Cowboys’ undefeated season.