Winter Park win ruled a loss to Lake Mary

A classic girls water polo playoff game that both sides have said was one of the best ever played in Central Florida won’t be renowned for its dramatic “golden goal” finish.

Instead, last Saturday’s Lake Mary at Winter Park region final will be recalled as a day when competition was overshadowed by controversy.

Winter Park initially celebrated victory and a berth in this weekend’s state tournament when McCarron Evans scored off an assist from Molly Evans to culminate a triple-overtime victory.

But two days later, following an appeal by Lake Mary, the Florida High School Athletic Association declared the Rams the winner by a 5-4 score based on its finding that referees applied an incorrect overtime format to decide a game tied 4-4 at the end of regulation.

By state rule the game should have gone directly to sudden-death OT. And because Lake Mary scored the first goal in extra time the FHSAA ruled Monday that the Rams are region champions because the remainder of the two 3-minute OT periods and sudden death 7-6 was null and void.

“We do not see it as an overturn,” FHSAA public relations specialist Kyle Niblett said in an email reply to the Sentinel. “The game was viewed as officially over when the first goal was scored.”

The decision advances Lake Mary (24-4) to a Friday state semifinal against Lake Nona (23-5) at 4 p.m. at Ransom Everglades School in Miami.

“I feel for both programs,” Lake Mary coach Paige Baker said. “I really respect Winter Park, and their coach and their players. Both teams played an amazing game. I honestly just wish that it didn’t come down to this.”

Winter Park and Orange County Public Schools appealed the decision in a conference call hearing on Tuesday, arguing that the game was decided fairly because the overtime procedure was explained by a contest official — albeit incorrectly — and agreed to by both teams at the end of regulation. The teams played two 3-minute overtime periods, ending each in a tie, before going to sudden death.

Nine members of the FHSAA’s 16-person board voted unanimously to uphold the decision made by the association’s executive director, George Tomyn, and his administrative staff.

“In any sport they don’t go back and change the outcome of a game,” said 30th-year Winter Park coach Barry Creighton. “If the referees make a bad call, they make a bad call. You live with that. It’s part of sports. For them to go back and change this is really unfathomable.”

Winter Park cited clause 1.6.1 in FHSAA rules that states: “the decision of the officials shall be final,” that “protests of interscholastic events shall not be allowed,” and that “the outcome of all interscholastic contests are final and can

Creighton said the referees followed the National Federation of State High School Associations rule book — just as they had one round earlier when his team won an overtime game vs. Dr. Phillips. The FHSAA rule differs. “The saddest thing about this is that it was a great game,” Creighton said. “The stands were packed. It was back and forth. It was really exciting. There was no controversy at all. I wish we could have left it with that.” not be reversed.”