12/03/24
October 14, 2009
Crazy Finish in Michigan High School Football Game: In Michigan earlier this month, Westland John Glenn High defeated Canton Plymouth High for the first time in school history, 33-28. Though that achievement will live forever in southeastern Michigan prep sports history, the reason it's here is because of how they won. See the video.
Wilton alertly scooped up the ball and took off running and 33 yards later he had scored his first career touchdown and won the game, 33-28.
The kid who scored the touchdown is getting too much credit from the article and the announcers in the clip. He just caught the ball that fell back into his hands and stood there for 8 seconds until the people on the sideline realized the game wasn't over and told him to run to the endzone.
posted by bender at 02:50 PM on October 14, 2009
If you watch closely, the holder (Wilton?) never gets up from being on his knee. Therefore when the ball rolls back to him and he picks it up, he should be down by the rules of high school and college football. With all the craziness that ensued, nobody noticed and when he stood up, the coaches seeing he was holding the ball started to shout for him to run, which he did. All the way for a TD.
Lesson though.... never stop until the whistle blows the play dead.
posted by Mickster at 03:30 PM on October 14, 2009
It looked to me like he picked up the ball just as he was getting up from his knee. It's really tough to tell though.
posted by 86 at 04:40 PM on October 14, 2009
YouTube has already pulled the video.
posted by insomnyuk at 04:59 PM on October 14, 2009
Youtube copyright notices for games like this confuse me. Is the school planning on making money off them somehow?
posted by jmd82 at 06:39 PM on October 14, 2009
I saw this one yesterday. The comments were mostly folks up in arms about how this wasn't a touchdown.
The most heinious indiscretion I saw, besides the coaches on the field yelling at the players while the play was presumably still ongoing, was the celebration by the defensive unit on the FG attempt. Young guys will have a tough time trying to contain their emotions, especially in a situation such as that, but the coaches should have let them know that there was a possibility of a live ball on a blocked FG.
Refs missed any possible downed player advancing the ball (BTW, isn't the holder allowed to have a knee down? Otherwise the play would be over once he took the snap. What's the ruling if he remains in position and retains posession of the ball?).
The ruling on the field stands-Touchdown.
posted by THX-1138 at 08:01 PM on October 14, 2009
WeedyMcSmokey, damn.
posted by ursus_comiter at 08:15 PM on October 14, 2009
Read the story ... I guess Coach Sawchuk needs to learn about sportsmanship! It happened; get over it! If he can't, he needs to be replaced.
posted by jjzucal at 09:32 PM on October 14, 2009
When you see it again... if you do, you will notice that he is on his knee for a good couple of seconds AFTER the blocked field goal rolls back to him. It was my opinion that the ref on the side couldn't see the ball until he stood up. And THX-1138 makes a strong point about the holder being able to pick up the ball and run... prior to the kick. In this case, the kicker actually did kick the ball, which was blocked and subsequently recovered by the holder while in the kneel-down position.... Result.... TD.
The ruling on the field does stand, but it was still a botched call. Should be overturned and the team is not charged a timeout....
posted by Mickster at 09:35 PM on October 14, 2009
I don't see what the Plymouth coach is complaining about. Looks like they/he just didn't know the rule well. Seems pretty cut and dried to me.
It's a good finish, but still is eons behind "The Greatest Texas High School Football Game Finish EVAR".