It's been nearly 16 years since Leon Lett taught the world to not touch the ball after a missed field goal. (Crap, I"m old.) Sadly, current high school kids were too young to learn that lesson.
A high school football game ended tragically this weekend, when a potential game-winning field by Jericho Mount Mansfield in Vermont—that's the school, not the kicker's name—fell very short and into the arms of a waiting Otter Valley player. Otter Valley had just finished a remarkable comeback to take a 2-point lead with 16 seconds left and the missed desperation field goal as time expired seemed to seal the deal.
Except the Otter Valley player took the ball on the fly, ran out of the end zone with his arms raised in celebration, then spiked the ball on the ground. As the former Dallas Cowboy could tell you, the play was not yet dead. An alert Mount Mansfield player scooped up the ball and ran into the end zone. Touchdown. Game over.
Why the coach put two players back to receive the kick may never be known, but we won't name him or the player out or respect for their loved ones.
Alert play leads to bizarre ending in Vermont football game [Max Preps]
Move over Bartman [The Pigskin Doctors]
[Video via WCAX]