As it stands now, Henryetta will have one less player ready to take the field this football season.
The Oklahoma Secondary Schools Athletic Association (OSSAA) has ruled HHS junior Morgan Dumond is ineligible to play with his teammates this fall. His latest appeal was denied by the OSSAA Wednesday morning.
Dumond, the son of Jerrod and Christy Dumond, moved to Henryetta this past summer from Wagoner. His parents are pastors at the First Christian church, a position Jerrod has held for the past year.
The OSSAA is saying Morgan is ineligible because he did not live in Henryetta with his parents during the 2015-16 school year. He attended Wagoner schools and stayed with his grandmother to help her with some issues.  "After many discussions amongst the family, we asked Morgan if he would be willing to stay and live with his great-grandmother at least for one semester, so that we could have time to figure out whether she would go to assisted living or hire a full-time home health person. Morgan ended up staying there the entire sophomore year, making sure that his great-grandmother (my grandmother) had meals and was taken care of before and after school.
"Morgan did a great job, but my parents ended up moving in with my grandmother during this past summer, enabling Morgan to finally live with us again. We were excited that we would have our son with us during his last two years of high school, as we missed him dearly last year, only being able to see him for a short time on weekends," his father said.
According to Jerrod Dumond, the OSSAA told him, "Morgan chose to stay in Wagoner last year, which raises suspicion of recruiting." He went on to say that he explained the situation in writing and feels the OSSAA thinks the pastor and his wife are lying.
Morgan's father says, "he gave up wrestling, FFA and all of his lifelong friends in Wagoner, to move back with us." That meant giving up both wrestling and FFA since neither programs are offered her as well.
The Dumond family, minus Morgan, moved to Henryetta in 2015
Applications for a hardship eligibility ruling have been turned down by the OSSAA. The Dumond family is appealing that decision that even kept the HHS student from wearing a football jersey and standing on the sidelines with his team last Friday night in Eufaula. He is not allowed to even ride the bus with the players, or stand on the sidelines and cannot even wear his jersey to the game even while sitting in the stands.
"His decision to be a mature young man and be a caretaker of a family member has caused him to be punished by the OSSAA. I feel like if the OSSAA is going to have a policy to prevent recruiting, then they have a lot of improving to do. How many other innocent athletes are missing out on a favorite sport because of the irresponsible actions of others?"
His father says if the final ruling prohibits him from participating in sports this year, "it will be as if Morgan is being punished for stepping up and taking care of a family member and living with his parents."
HHS coach Darrin Johnson said he was disappointed in the decision. "It is very frustrating when you try to do things the right way and kids get punished because of it."
The OSSAA is the sanctioning body for athletics across the state.
Now, Morgan's parents will have to stand before a panel of five staff members of the OSSAA in OKC to appeal Morgan's case on September 14. At that time, the OSSAA will either approve, deny, amend, change or table the case.