Don’t learn it the hard way

This is one which comes from a little beyond our territorial

limits, but it’s one you’ve just got to hear.

It’s the semifinals of the state playoffs, in Tacoma, Wash., and

Lynden Christian is on its way to a hard-fought, but well-deserved

19-14 upset victory over the Elma Eagles, the ticket to the state

championship in the 2-A division at the Tacoma Dome last week. Just

seven seconds remain, Lynden Christian has the ball at midfield and

it’s fourth down.

Rather than punt, rather than run a dive into the line and giving

the ball up with perhaps a second or two left, the quarterback takes

the snap and runs 50 yards in the wrong direction with the intent on

giving up a two-point safety as time expires.

The Seattle Times’ story does not make it clear who made the call,

although the coach is described as defending “his call.”

So the quarterback took the snap, turned around and ran 50 yards

with no one in front of him, crossed his own goal line and dropped

the ball to the turf, where it rolled around until an Elma defender,

who had been trailing all the way, picked the ball up.

The quarterback, his teammates and all of the Lynden Christian

fans, believing victory was assured, began celebrating, only to see

the referees signal not a safety and two points for Elma, but a TD

and six points for Elma.

Elma wins, 20-19, and all the Elma fans are delirious, too,

simultaneously.

You see, the quarterback didn’t take a knee to the turf. He just

dropped the ball to the ground and it was a still a live ball and a

fumble.

If he had just turned and thrown the ball in front of him, even

from within the end zone, it would have been a forward pass and an

incompletion, giving Elma a first down at midfield, assuming any time

was left. If he tossed the ball out of the end zone it would have

been a safety. But he just dropped it in the end zone and it was a

live ball.

The defender’s actions were described as “just picking up the

ball,” but later he said he knew the ball was live.

What a way to lose. And what a burden the quarterback will carry

with him for most likely all of his life.

Some will tell you “it’s only a game,” but for those who have put

their hearts and souls into a common endeavor, that statement is

pretty hard to swallow.

Lynden Christian had dominated the game, the quarterback had

completed two touchdown passes and its fans were celebrating.

The jubilation and euphoria of the upset victory was turned inside

out in a matter of seconds and the shocked football team eventually

left the scene without comment.

Later the coach told the Bellingham Herald his kids “felt like

they had won.”

The moral of the story is pretty obvious: Whether you’re a Lync

from Lynden or a Sea King from Corona del Mar, know the rules.