There was no malice intended, no agenda.
The Helias Crusaders felt they had no choice but to call what they felt was rules violation at the Class 5 district golf tournament last Monday in Joplin. And that unknowingly changed the final outcome of the order in the final team standings at the end of the tournament.
"We had no idea where anybody stood and we didn't care where we finished as a team, as long as we got enough kids through as a team," Helias coach Jay Higgins said.
Higgins said he was in a group around the 18th green with a couple of college golfers, other coaches and a rules official watching as a group of players - including his son, Drew - finished their round.
A Joplin golfer removed the flag stick and while holding the stick in one hand, hit a short putt into the hole to finish his round.
"We talked about it and we all thought that was a two-shot penalty," Jay Higgins said. "If we didn't call it and another kid from Jefferson City or Capital City or any other team failed to qualify because we didn't call it, how would we feel?"
Drew Higgins had to be the one to call the penalty at the scorer's table.
"Here is what we saw and we think it's a two-stroke penalty," Jay Higgins said he told his son.
Phone calls were made - to various club professionals as well as golf officials - without a concrete answer whether or not it was a penalty. But before a United States Golf Association rules book could be found - which said the rule was changed two years ago and a player could putt while holding the flag stick - the Joplin player had already signed his scorecard with the two-stroke penalty added.
"We didn't know the rule had been changed, none of us did," Higgins said.
Higgins said he tried to rectify the situation.
"But unfortunately, he had already signed his card and there was nothing anybody could do," he said. "We were trying to give it back to them because we did make the wrong call and we owned making that mistake."
As it turned out, Helias won the district team title by one stroke against the host school Joplin.
"We didn't feel right, we wanted to give it to Joplin," Higgins said. "But MSHSAA (Missouri State High School Activities Association) made the call."
The penalty did not cost the Joplin player a spot at the state tournament and the Eagles advanced all five of their golfers to the event, which begins today at the Sedalia Country Club.
"My kids know never to sign their card until they talk to me after the round," Higgins said. "We know their coach wasn't around because they were the host school and he was busy."
Higgins said he has spoken with the Joplin coach and plans to do so again in Sedalia.
"We'll battle them again there and hopefully there will never be any issues again," Higgins said.
By winning the district title, Helias had one point added to MSHSAA's "championship factor." It's a new rule that puts point totals on non-public schools that can move programs up in classifications due to postseason success.
"Hopefully we can do well at state and just keep adding points and stay in Class 5," Higgins said.