Controversial ending to high school football game
- [Breaking news: UGA recruit Nick Marshall allegedly draws cheers from opposing fans after being injured, more details on football brawl - click here]
What a wacky ending to a high school football game at the Georgia Dome this weekend.
With seven seconds left in regulation, McEachern’s Nicholas St. Germain booted a clutch 47-yard field goal to tie Peachtree Ridge at 24-24 and send the game into overtime.
But wait a minute.
While McEachern was celebrating on the sidelines, the Peachtree Ridge defense didn’t budge from the field as the referees huddled. Ut oh, never a good sign if your team just made a big play.
Loading ...Then the points were waved off the scoreboard.
The refs said Peachtree Ridge had called a timeout before the game-tying kick.
There were jeers from the McEachern fans which quickly turned to cheers as the special teams ran onto the field to do it all over again, with three seconds left.
St. Germain took a good look at the crossbars, bowed his head and launched another kick — this time it was wide left. Several McEachern players dropped to the ground in disappointment as Peachtree Ridge celebrated wildly for the 24-21 win.
“There was a lot of joy and getting ready for overtime,” McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said. “Nobody saw the guy blowing the whistle or waving his hands. But that’s how life goes sometimes.
How did the refs explain it to McEachern? “They said they called a timeout before they kicked it. I don’t know how that happened and no one knew it. But that’s part of the game.”
Peachtree Ridge coach Bill Ballard said he called a timeout before the first kick, organizing his defense, and telling the sideline referee that he wanted to call another timeout “as soon as the center puts his hands on the ball.”
“I told the official exactly what we wanted to do and had him come stand by me,” Ballard said. “As soon as the center put his hands on the ball, the ref starts waving his hands and everything, but the [lead official] in the white hat wasn’t looking at him. No one was looking at him.
“The ref starts running out there, and they still hadn’t snapped the ball. Finally, they snapped the ball and it was good. The official did the right thing by telling the rest of the crew that we had called the timeout. We made them kick it again and they missed it. Justin Watts did a great job putting pressure on the kicker for that second attempt.”
Now it’s YOUR turn. What was your version of events for the final seconds? You make the call. Please post below.
RELATED: Tribute to slain McEachern player Rajaan Bennett (click here)
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104 comments Add your comment
JOHN
August 22nd, 2010
8:59 pm
It’s over,move on. Nothing here broke the rules. Coach made a call, told the ref what he wanted to do, and did it. The ref made the right call by letting the rest of the crew know what happened. It is unfortunate that the second kick did not go thru but every coach knows these tactics and would use them himself for his team as well.
Brent
August 22nd, 2010
9:00 pm
Rajaan’s spirit will lead McEachern to the state title this year. This game means nothing.
still a fan
August 22nd, 2010
9:19 pm
real coaching is a must as i watched another loss by Grayson which has misdirected talent on both sides of the line. parents and us fans will see many close losses this year and please do not fault the players.
hello Mr principle and Mr AD are you seeing the game.
GSUfootball2010
August 22nd, 2010
10:35 pm
Watched the video from GPB. That awful broadcast. Maybe $50 production value. Announcers were terrible. Mispronounced names all night. Terribly. One kid for PTR named Dubem got called Bam-Bam the entire game. Anyways, they were all over coach Ballard for this TO call. Again, they said he hated to see the kid iced. Again, its football. It’s not Basket Weaving. It is a tough game. And Like Fair Observer said, people are in high stress/high risk situations all the time in this game. Kid hit it the first time. Could have hit it again, not like he doesnt have the leg, but he didn’t. move on.
Also i would like to point out, PTR a few years back was on the opposite end of a controversy to end a game. Roswell knocked them out of the playoffs I believe in 2007 on what was called a Roswell TD. Ended up clearly being a Roswell Fumble and PTR recovered in the endzone. But PTR lost because of the call. Not that this had anything to do with last night, but PTR understands the feeling. Though PTR actually lost a game due to a refs call, McEachern lost on a “cheap call”.
dawgma
August 22nd, 2010
11:07 pm
PTR – celebrate your big victory while you can. You won’t see the dome again for years.
PTR – Particulary Tarnished Record
PTC DAWG
August 22nd, 2010
11:18 pm
I think the “icing” timeouts before kicks should be banned.
wow.
August 23rd, 2010
4:36 am
That’s football, folks. Simply out-coached in a highly stressful situation, not to say that Mac has a bad coach. Great teams which I expect to see both do well in the state playoffs. “Cheap” is far from a correct term for Ballard’s call. Godspeed to both programs!
doin' it
August 23rd, 2010
7:03 am
I was there, all day, 4 games, and the most complaining and whining and just total grumping, getting in people’s faces, came from fans wearing McEachern fans, and that was before the game…. No doupt they carried on for loosing over a call that in TYPICAL football…. PRHS has had the same call used against them… and lost… iT’S PART OF THE GAME…. A good deal of the game is mental… oop’s… There it is… Brain will beat Brute power in the long haul…
Larry
August 23rd, 2010
7:15 am
It may be commonplace; but, it is still lousy. More of the win at all costs mentality while completely disregarding sportsmanship. Screw Peachtree Hills. I have no dog in this fight; but, I hate what sports has become.
High School Football
August 23rd, 2010
7:33 am
Calling a timeout to ice a kicker is part of football. Waiting to call the timeout, so he has to kick it twice should not be allowed in High School (shouldn’t be allowed in the pros or college either). It didn’t use to be allowed at any level to wait that close to the kick to call a time out. It is relatively new for coaches to do that trick only last few years. It defintiely shouldn’t be done at High School level. Coach was fine to call the timeout, referree should have stopped the play before he kicked the ball the first time. So the complaints regarding the Peachtree Ridge Coach on calling the timeout are not warrented. The referee could have saved a lot of this controversey by stoppping the play so the first kick never happened and he obviously waited too long to blow the whistle.
Powell
August 23rd, 2010
7:41 am
It’s unfortunate that McEachern did not make the 2nd kick and go into overtime; however, the PR coach used the time out within the rules. There have been two comments that I would like to react: (1) Coach out of coaching box (2) no time out after the center places hands on ball.
Coaching Box: For a 47 yard field goal the ball is usually snapped from appx. the 30 yard line.The coaching box is between the 35 yard lines. The PR coach could easily be talking with the official from the 35 yd. line.
No Time out after center touches ball: Will this rule apply for every play? The FG attempt
is a regular offensive play, no different than a pass play. Are you saying that in the 2nd quarter if a coach or a defensive player notices that his team only has 10 men on the field and the center has his hands on the ball, he cannot call time out? I don’t think any coach or fan wants to go to that extreme. With all said and done, I do not like the last second call on a FG attempt, but it is within the rules.
HARD ROCK
August 23rd, 2010
7:45 am
We All Lose:
A couple years ago they made the rule where the coach can call a timeout from the sideline….This has happened in the college ranks several times….The rule should be in the coach wants to call timeout, it should have to be called before the center puts his hands on the ball. Once the center puts his hands on the ball, no more timeouts can be called…What happened was strictly within the rules, but the rule should be changed…..
rhino
August 23rd, 2010
8:20 am
So if the coach had noticed that he had too many or too few players on the field he shouldn’t be able to call a timeout if the center touches the ball? A time out is allowed before the ball is snapped and the play begins. It doesn’t matter if it is in the first quarter or fourth quarter this is the rule. To change the rules for the last minute of a game is stupid. Football is a game and the rules are part of the game. If a coach uses the rules to his advantage then that is good coaching.
keep it fair
August 23rd, 2010
8:21 am
we all know that if that first kick had missed there would not have been a timeout called ! DIRTY CROOKS stealing from children
rwdekalb
August 23rd, 2010
8:26 am
The biggest mistake made in the game was the play McEachern made on 4th and 2 in the fourth quarter when they had a 7 point lead and the momentum. They proceeded to fumble, picked up by Ridge defender who runs sixty plus yds for the tying score and changed the energy and momentum back to the Ridge. That was a horribly executed play and as good as McEachern obviously is this year it ultimately cost them this game.
Nick St. AAAAA
August 23rd, 2010
11:21 am
Sad when a kid, leaves a school just so he can play AAAAA…Better luck next time Wide Left
Nick St. AAAAA-My apology
August 23rd, 2010
11:36 am
That wasnt nice of me…my apologies….Great kid and Good Luck to him and McEachern
Noneya
August 23rd, 2010
12:13 pm
For those of you who would like to officiate please go to GHSA.net find an association and link up with them. There is nothing illegal about this play and the people saying that this was some kind of shady conference are just plain wrong. The wing official during a time out take a position near where the teams come to the numbers to hold their conference. It is a common practice for the coach to communicate with the official during this time usually to ask a question such as how many timeouts do I have left, etc. Same thing happens in basketball. There is no rule that prevents the coach from telling the official at that time I would like a timeout as soon as he puts his hand on the ball. It’s similar to a team that is down on defense and the team with the ball is trying to run the clock out. The coach will communicate with the officials as soon as the runner is down I want a time out. This happens all the time. This play was legal and there was nothing unsportsmanlike about it.
Stoopit
August 23rd, 2010
12:45 pm
This thing can go both ways, guys. What if the kicker had missed the first kick and made the second? Then PR would be kicking themselves (no pun intended) for calling the timeout. You see, this is fair play. IT GOES BOTH WAYS.
Georgiabase
August 23rd, 2010
1:15 pm
doesn’ t this mean that Peachtree Ridge called two time outs back to back, without a play – is this even legal?
ZebraFool
August 23rd, 2010
1:17 pm
The problem is the officials are too involved in the game and their involvement is impacting the sport (and the sportsmanship). The rules explicitly state a coach can request a timeout. But I can’t seem to find anywhere in the rules where a coach can tell an official to stand by him and to call a timeout when a future event occurs (Coach’s words). If the timeout cannot be scheduled in advance, then the official should call it when the coach says “Timeout” or not at all. By accepting a coach’s request for a timeout in the future, the official is not only officiating the game but is participating in the coach’s strategy.
The rules also do not allow a practice kick on the field of play. I’m waiting for the FG attempt when the offensive coach tell his kicking team in advance and does the same thing to get his kicker a ‘free’ on the field practice kick. Would the officials then penalize the offensive team for the practice kick?
Ted Striker
August 23rd, 2010
2:41 pm
If you tell a ref what you’re gonna do — call a timeout — before the snap of the ball and you actually do it, well, that’s darn good coaching and strategy.
Ted Striker
August 23rd, 2010
2:43 pm
p.s. I’ve seen Urban Meyer — and I’m not a UF fan — do exactly the same thing. If you want to be sure a ref doesn’t miss a call, you give them a heads up on what you’re doing.
footballfan
August 23rd, 2010
3:45 pm
I have no problem with a coach calling a TO to ice the kicker. That is football and good strategy. BUT, the official needs to make the call clear to everyone. From the pictures I have seen, The ball is well on the way to the goal and no indication of a TO is being made by any of the officials. Call it before the snap….not AFTER the play!!
Tony
August 23rd, 2010
3:46 pm
Great football game. McE appeared to be the better team but made crucial mistakes in the 4th quarter. I am a McE fan and was extremely dissapointed with the outcome of the game. However, the PR coach used the rules to his advantage. Like it or not, it was a good call. Keep your head up McE playerrs!!!!
Quinn of the Ridge
August 23rd, 2010
3:50 pm
@footballfan, I watched film from one of the coaches of the play. Before the ball is snapped, you can clearly see the ref next to Ballard blow his whistle and begin to walk from his position on the sidelines onto the field. He just didn’t signal by waiving his arms that timeout had been called.
footballfan
August 23rd, 2010
4:15 pm
Quinn……maybe the video tells a different story. I have seen frame by frame stillshots, and the ball is in the air with the ref sill on the sidelines.
JHillsman
August 23rd, 2010
4:32 pm
Carvell, when I walked by you at the end of this game I said “I”m ready to see what you were going to say about this one”. I should have said “I know the blog is gonna roll with this one”
Now all you people calling for a change in the rules forget it! It’s not “trickery”, “low rent” and sure as heck isn’t “unsportsmanlike” it’s called coaching. This has happened enough now in football where the kicking teams coaches should be be prepared for it PERIOD NO EXCUSES! I don;t want to hear nothing bout “in the heat of the moment etc” because that what a coach is paid to do, make decisions in the heat of the moment. The scoreboard indicates how many timeouts each time has and that my friends is a part of coaching. I recently attended a high school, YES HIGH SCHOOL practice where the coach let his kicker kick but then told him timeout had been called and made him do it again. In the end the best thing that comes from that is that now the kicker is mentally prepared and stronger for it when it happens in a game. Forgot all this yelling about a rule, coaches are paid to coach and that is a coaching move. In this day and age when it’s all about winning you better be prepared for anything when the game is on the line.
Now I’m going to tip some coach off who reads this (trust they read more than they tell you) but if it were my team getting ready for a clutch field goal late I’m going to assign my blocker closed to the opposite teams bench to watch their coaches and the linesmen and if he even notices anything fishy he’s got to let his team know, just like an audible. Now is that a lot to ask of a high school player, nope because it would have been done in practice everyday and that player would be a responsible senior. Even if my kicker kicks it and it’s good or no good and a timeout was called he’ll be prepared to kick it again, again it has to be worked on in practice as I’ve stated before. So everybody shut up about the rules, learn how to play by them and hold your coaches accountable for preparing his team in practice for ANY and EVERYTHING!
Good game McEachern and Peachtree Ridge. This happened in August, what the heck would the blogs do if it were in December…hopefully the coaches prepare their team for it.
Indian Chief
August 23rd, 2010
6:41 pm
Although I don’t agree with the coaches decision, I understand his point of view. He has an obligation to try and do what’s possible to win for his team. The officials however handled the situation poorly and should be reprimanded for the way everything played out. I agree with RidgeDawg that these are two talented teams that should be making a late run into the playoffs. Hopefully if the planets align, these two teams will see each other again. Good job Indians. Qb Dondre Purnell, Wr Chris Davis, Wr Amba Etta -Tawo, Rb Zarold Wilder, and lets not forget the kicker Nicholas St. Germain for being able to hit that kick the first time. Good job Indians
Facts
August 23rd, 2010
7:05 pm
Perhaps McEachern should have done a better coaching job with their kicker…..maybe then he would know how to be more consistent.
Quinn of the Ridge
August 23rd, 2010
7:14 pm
It’s not easy to hit two 47 yard field goals in a row no matter how good you are…. St. Germain is a great kicker and if he continues to progress I expect him to be kicking in D-1.
Tenn Tech
August 23rd, 2010
9:53 pm
“Now all you people calling for a change in the rules forget it! It’s not “trickery”, “low rent” and sure as heck isn’t “unsportsmanlike” it’s called coaching.”
It’s not coaching. Coaching is teaching. This tactic takes no football ability, just a familiarity with abuses allowed by the rules. A kid from Harvard who knows the rules but has never played the game could make the same call………..is he a good coach? Hardly. But knowledgeable of tactics, yes.
It was a legal call but it was not good “coaching”. It was gamesmanship. Same as trying to distract a kicker by yelling something personal. Legal, certainly, but not part of coaching.
Note that in basketball you can ice the free throw but not once the shooter is touching the ball.
This disaster rule needs to be corrected.
cat doc
August 24th, 2010
6:50 am
Good coaching
wow.
August 24th, 2010
8:22 am
@Tenn Tech… that was definitely a good “coaching” call, and it is absolutely unreasonable to think that a highly educated student could make that same tactical call. unless you have been living under a rock, you should know that it takes much more than “teaching” to win a football game. in this particular case, the decision made by this coach during the game is not something that is easily remembered in a high risk game such as this. the decision was thinking on his toes at best. any coach, and i mean ANY COACH in that same situation would do the exact same thing. it’s not fair, but football is never fair. life itself is never fair. sports don’t always end in happy fairytale endings like you want them to, and they don’t always end in disappointment like you expect them to. nothing about this rule should be changed. if you want to do something about it, then prepare that young man for more situations like that one, because it’s going to happen for as long as he decides to play. that’s football. that’s life. good “coaching tactic”, and better luck next year.
TD
August 24th, 2010
9:49 am
WOW… Your comments are right on.. I am a Cobb fan and was for Mac in the game. Pretty good game by the way, but what I am sick of is people attempting to twist things to fit what they believe or should I say what their emotions feel. This was nothing more than a fair and what turned out to be a good coaching decision.To abuse this coach is stupid. Is a fair to blitz a 16 year old QB from the blindside and hit him as hard as you can? YES… Is it fair to fake out a 16 year old free safty and burn him on a deep pass and make him look like a fool in front of everybody? Yes! Is it fair to call a timeout after seeing the offensive formation on 4th and 3? YES! Is it fair to call a TO right B4 a 16 year old attempt a FG? Yes it is FAIR…. Life isn’t though….So takes your loses the best you can and quick attemting to twist things into being like you think they should be!
PACKDADDY
August 24th, 2010
10:53 am
I did not read all the comments on this one but here is my spin. The head official is in charge of the field.. If he does not call the timeout and blow the ball dead, then there is no stopping the clock. I have seen this before where the time out is not gotten in before the play begins. Had the side judge told the head official what was going on, the clock would have been stopped. That is the fault of the officiating crew, not either team. I would not argue if this is good coaching strategy or not. That is not the issue. The issue is that the officials did not take control of the game. The kick was attempted the first time, the clock was not stopped, and the kick was good. There should be a protest of the game by the principal and head coach.
Beachbum
August 24th, 2010
10:59 am
For those of you who think the ref did something wrong, let me give you the view from someone on the side lines. The coach did indicate that he was going to call a time out. This is normal practice. The coach NEVER told the ref to come and stand by him. The ref was in his proper position. He informed the coach that he still had to request the time out once the ready for play was given. The coach did let him know, and the ref began blowing his whistle and signaling the time out.
As for the other refs, due to the fact that the snap was imminent, they were all in their position and paying attention to their responsibilities. If they had been watching the sidelines, they would have NOT been doing their job.
The only mistake that was made here was that the ref didn’t come running in, and only walked toward the line of scrimmage. It happens all the time, at all levels, that a time-out is called before the snap, but the play starts before everyone hears the whistle. The noise on the field is deafening, and it is that much worse in the Dome!
Tim
August 24th, 2010
1:41 pm
Sorry, the second time out, timed to insure the kick went off, was bush league in my opinion, and poor officiating abetted that. Life may not be fair, as the skilled philosophers above duly note, but the rules of football are meant to make the game fair. The bounce of the ball may not be fair, but football is a fair game…..as long as you have good officials.
Viking 68
August 24th, 2010
4:55 pm
Enter your comments here
Viking 68
August 24th, 2010
4:57 pm
that last post was fopa
Viking 68
August 24th, 2010
5:18 pm
I believe that was great coaching, the only was PT was going to win was use all advantages you have at your disposal, The rule allowed the coach to pull this off, nothing wrong there, Think back how many times we have seen a coach working the clock from the sideline, QB stands a few feet behind the center, waits for a signal from the coach then start calling cadence, well coach just ran 29 seconds off the clock, For the fans that understand all the rules, this must come across as a bit unfair. But this ls part of the game. For those who may have forgotten the foreword pass came about many, many years ago, The coach called a pass play, there nothing in the rule books that said you could not do that, would we want to go back & get rid of the foreword pass I think not, as a fan I have been on both sides of the rules issue, when its your team , man it hurtsssss , but that is life, we take as it comes. If you are still having heartburn over this talk to GHSA to get the rule changed, sounds like it was a barnburner of a football game, Wished I could have been there
NICK ST.GERMAIN
August 24th, 2010
8:43 pm
This is Nick St.Germain, I’m the kicker that choked in the Mceachern game on Saturday. Just wanted to comment on the situation… First of all a kicker has THREE jobs each game, FIRST, control field position of the other team by kicking touchbacks on all kickoffs. SECOND, make all extra points after touchdowns. THIRD, make all field goals attempted within their range. The 53 yarder, as well as both 47 yarders are all in my range, I just choked. The snaps were great, the holds were great, and my kicks weren’t. I make no excuses for missing those kicks. As far as icing kickers is concerned, it is totally legal and is something we expect to have happen at any given time. The coach did absolutely nothing wrong, and it is my job to make kicks no matter how many were taken in a row, they were in my range and I should have made them. There is not much else to say about the situation except, to all Peachtree Ridge players, coaches, and fans, your welcome
And to all Mceachern players, coaches, and fans, I’m sorry. PTR is a good team that will go to the playoffs, as well as us. Hopefully we meet in the playoffs, and I truely hope I have a chance at some 53 & 47 yarders, because I’m confident that the outcome will be different. Sunday after the game, I practiced kicks, and it took TWELVE tries from 47 before I missed, and 9 kicks between 53 and 55 yards before I missed.. just choked in the game, next time will be different. Hope this clears up some of the arguments between fair or unfair on the time out situation, it was totally legal, and there is no excuses to miss field goals in my range EVER.
Ed
August 24th, 2010
9:10 pm
This isn’t just about young Mr. Germain. This is also about the kid who normally doesn’t hit that kick, and who does it, under pressure, for the first time ever. Some believe you shouldn’t have to hit it twice to get three points. It never happens in basketball where you have to make the critical three pointer twice. Are the football powers that much dimmer that they can’t see the obvious need for the rule change?
OMacG
August 25th, 2010
11:29 am
Be careful not to get too caught up in these blogs and vents, 16…but that is a classy post that displays a great amount of maturity for a young man your age. It is rare these days to for a man to step up, accept responsibility, and vow to improve…but don’t be too hard on yourself. There are grown men who kick in the NFL who couldn’t make that kick twice in a row in that same situation. You performed exceptionally well in your first game wearing Blue & Gold; I told folks two months ago we will win some ball games because of your work ethic, leadership and talent. Keep on keepin’ on, bro.
wow.
August 25th, 2010
5:08 pm
@Tim… where is everyone getting this information from about a second t.o. by ridge? there was no second t.o. called by ridge. yes, there were two timeouts called, but the first was called by mac to ensure enough time for a kick. the second was called by ridge to ice the kicker. it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
footballfan
August 25th, 2010
9:04 pm
Well said OMacG!! Keep your head up Nick…..You are going to do great!!
inYOface
August 25th, 2010
10:38 pm
McEachern did not call a timeout… it was a wack play in a desperate way to win a game that ridge ALMOST lost, even though they are one of the top schools in the state.
Tim
August 25th, 2010
10:57 pm
wow…..With all due respect, you may indeed need a rocket scientist to read these posts to you and explain their points as it appears you have not “figured that one out”. No one said both timeouts were called by pt ridge. Reread the post. Ponder the points before responding.
Ed
August 25th, 2010
11:01 pm
AJC “Peachtree Ridge coach Bill Ballard said he called a timeout before the first kick, organizing his defense, and telling the sideline referee that he wanted to call another timeout “as soon as the center puts his hands on the ball.”
“I told the official exactly what we wanted to do and had him come stand by me,” Ballard said. “As soon as the center put his hands on the ball, the ref starts waving his hands and everything, but the [lead official] in the white hat wasn’t looking at him. No one was looking at him.”
.
August 26th, 2010
7:36 am
too bad about 5 posts up the person said the first time out was called be MAC