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Sunday, August 28, 2011
Wayne coach ‘1,000 percent’ sure his QB scored on negated (and disputed) 2-point conversion
After a game filled with speed, contact and exciting plays on both sides, the Wayne football team trailed Middletown 32-31 after quarterback Javon Harrison connected with Marcus Bonner for an 11-yard touchdown.
There was 1:05 left at Welcome Stadium on Saturday night in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown matchup. Wayne lined up for the extra point, and whistles blew as the ball flew true through the uprights. A Middletown penalty placed the ball at the 1 1/2-yard line for another point-after try, and Wayne ran its offense onto the field.
Quarterback draw was called. Harrison took the snap and pushed forward. He fell through numerous players onto the ground, thinking he made it past the goal line.
The officials signaled the try was no good. Wayne touched the ensuing onside kick too early, and Middletown ran out the final seconds to beat Wayne 32-31 in the season opener.
Still clearly upset about the 2-point conversation call, Wayne coach Jay Minton said immediately afterward he was sure Harrison scored.
“Oh, absolutely, 1,000 percent,” Minton said. “You can put that down. That’s all I can say about it, can’t say anything else. He was in 1,000 percent.”
But Wayne starts the season 0-1 after a back-and-forth battle that saw Wayne lead 13-12 at halftime and Middletown lead 24-19 at the end of three quarters before the teams traded three scores in the fourth quarter. (Find scoring summary here.)
Middletown led 24-19 and was driving in the final quarter when Wayne’s Marquan Richardson scooped up a fumbled pitch and ran 64 yards for a touchdown with 6:15 left. Wayne led 25-24.
The Middies answered with a 65-yard scoring drive, capped by a Jalin Marshall 4-yard score with 2:19 left. Middletown led 32-25 after a 2-point conversion that ended a string of seven straight conversion misses by both teams.
Wayne then engineered a smooth drive down the field, led by Harrison’s arm, and used the 11-yard score from Harrison to Bonner with 1:05 left to set up the point-after decision. The close call on the Harrison rush landed the Warriors a season-opening loss.
“I felt like I got in the end zone,” Harrison said afterward in the Wayne locker room. “But the ref called it down. It shouldn’t have gone down to that, it’s our fault, so we just wanna shake it off.
“We didn’t want to go for the tie, we wanted to win, so we just tried to come up with the play and get the win.”
Top performances
Jalin Marshall, Middletown junior quarterback: 37 rushes, 187 yards, 1 TD.
E.J. Junior, Middletown senior running back: 19 rushes, 166 yards, 4 TDs.
Javon Harrison, Wayne junior quarterback: 23-of-37, 245 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
Middletown: 461 rushing yards, 26 first downs
Wayne: 4 players with at least three catches: Marcus Bonner (6 for 51 yards and 1 TD), Armani Miller (5 for 59 yards and 1 TD), Jalen Mack (5 for 48 yards), Tristan Davis (3 for 39 yards).
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