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Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2009 > October > 13 > Entry
The Wildest Football Ending of the Season
As you’ll see in the video below, here’s a play even wilder than that last-seconds tipped pass that Denver turned into an 87-yard interception return for a touchdown to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 12-7, in the season opener this year.
It happened at a high school game in suburban Detroit Oct. 2 and holds some lessons for athletes everywhere.
Plymouth High thought it had defeated Westland John Glenn, 28-27, when it blocked kicker Ryan Lopez’ 35-yard field goal attempt on the game’s final play
As Lopez and his Glenn teammates hung their heads in dejection, the Plymouth players began jumping up and down in joy, then ran of the field in victory — or so they, many Glenn players and and about everyone else initially thought.
Meanwhile, the deflected ball had rolled to the feet of Glenn’s holder Tony Wilton, who picked it up and just stood there. As he’d tell The Observer & Eccentric newspaper after the game, he heard an assistant coach from the sidelines yell “Run…run!!!”
Turns out the ball had not crossed the line of scrimmage so it was still in play. No official had blown the ball dead.
With no one on the field but his teammates — the Plymouth players already were over by their bench celebrating their first-ever victory over Glenn — Wilton ran 33 yards for the touchdown that gave his team the 33-28 victory.
Plymouth coach Mike Sawchuk was livid about the officiating.
“They (the officials) blew the whistle and the clocked stopped — everybody stopped,” he told the Observer’s Brad Emons. “They wouldn’t give me an explanation.”
With both his team and Glenn in a battle for a play-off spot, he’s now protesting the outcome: “We won the game. We played our tails off and they (Glenn) should not be happy with the win.”
But the Glenn players — especiallty Wilton who is now a YouTube hit — have no problem with it:
“I didn’t hear any whistle,” Wilton told the newspaper, “and I thought nothing of it.”
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Comments
By Lee from Orlando
October 15, 2009 1:58 PM | Link to this
Heck, that’s a legit play. The refs stayed on the field and the nearside judge walked into the backfield NOT to exit the field but to keep his eye on the ballcarrier. I think the officials held their ground pretty well. Too bad the kids didn’t get it and had to be exhorted by a coach to go to the endzone. “Old Coach” is right: keep playing until they make you stop.
By Hello
October 14, 2009 1:06 PM | Link to this
Hello, his knee was down because he was the ball holder for the field goal. That was his position on the field for that play, is he supposed to squat when he holds the ball.
By BeaverShawn
October 14, 2009 12:46 PM | Link to this
Can’t tell if the knee is on the ground when he picks the ball up. However, I do see that the official on the line of scrimmage on the near side started walking off the field as well after the block!! Lesson learned by the losing team - personally it amazes me how many people play a sport and DON’T know the flippin’ rules!!
By Brian
October 14, 2009 12:14 PM | Link to this
Um.. his knee was down when he picked the ball up.. should have been down right there.. bad call
By old coach
October 14, 2009 10:20 AM | Link to this
Know the rules and never QUIT PLAYING. A lesson there for every coach and player.