The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Peach County disputes call
GHSA hearing sought after loss in state title game.
Peach County is asking for a hearing with the Georgia High School Association’s board of trustees this week over an official’s call that might have cost the Trojans a touchdown or even the game in their 10-6 loss to Calhoun on Friday in the Class AAA football championship game.
The Middle Georgia school sent GHSA executive director Robin Hines and the board of trustees a letter Saturday asking for the meeting, superintendent Dr. Daryl Fineran confirmed Sunday. Peach County officials plan to deliver it in person again today.
“We’ve got to do it for our kids,’’ Fineran said. “It was a mistake made by adults that needs to be corrected by adults on Monday. You didn’t see our coaches raising Cain or kids misbehaving after the game. We’ve handled it the right way. Now it’s time for adults to get together and resolve it. I’m optimistic.’’ Symbolically, it’s a good idea. Realistically, it has not a snowball’s chance.
The controversial play — which garnered national attention — occurred with 3:33 left in a game
that Peach County trailed 10-6. Facing fourth-and-8 and Calhoun’s 21-yard line, quarterback Antonio Gilbert threw a pass to Noah Wittington at the 5. Wittington caught the pass and took a couple of steps and reached out with the ball for the goal line.
The ball popped loose when it hit the ground. The official, not in the best position, called the pass incomplete once he saw the ball get loose. It would’ve been a Peach County touchdown or first-and-goal inside the 1.
There also is film of the play that indicates that Wittington might have stepped out of bounds before catching the pass. If the receiver is forced out, he can return and make a legal catch. If not forced, the correct call is a 5-yard penalty and loss of down, giving Calhoun the ball.
Like most games, the Calhoun-Peach County final had multiple questionable calls. There were three others involving potential turnovers, two that went against Calhoun. That’s not unusual.
What made this play go viral was the moment and the gravity of the game — it was the closing minutes of a tight state championship game — and the fact that part of teaching life’s lessons. Georgia Public Broadcasting Control what you can. cameras were all over it and Respectfully protest if you provided plain evidence that believe you’ve been wronged. the call was wrong. Give credit to Calhoun,
It’s appropriate that Peach which played a great game County stand up for its play- and is a worthy champion ers, coaches and fans by and perhaps a victim in its doing all it can to get what own right, not getting its it believes is justice. full due.
As principal Ken Hartley Peach County has done put it to the Macon Tele- that. At some point, expect graph, “I just think we need Peach County to accept the to fight till we can’t fight no unacceptable and move more.” ahead with dignity and class.
Peach County is not a footThe GHSA will not overball team. It is a high school. turn a judgment call by an Its job is education. This is official. Its bylaws — changed
strictly for this purpose in October — won’t allow it.
What makes Peach County optimistic is what happened in May. The GHSA made a rare if not unprecedented exception when the board overturned the result of a baseball semifinal game between Johns Creek and Lee County. The game was tied at 3 in the bottom of the seventh and final regu- lation inning.
Johns Creek received a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, apparently breaking the tie and ending the
game. Lee County’s coach contended that Johns Creek’s runner on second base never touched third. Umpires agreed and disallowed the run, and the score remained 3-3. Lee County scored two runs in the top of the eighth and won.
Johns Creek lost its initial protest to the GHSA, as expected, but won an appeal to have its case heard before the GHSA’s board of trustees — and surprisingly won. The board, convinced by Johns Creek that the umpires blew it, overruled a judgment call.
Board president Glenn White acknowledged the unusual ruling, which also got national attention: “We have set a precedent, so we need to get ready because there will probably be other people coming to see us.’’
Apparently, the GHSA didn’t like that precedent and resealed the can of worms in October when, with little fanfare, it added to its bylaw 2.92 with these choice words: “Judgment calls by contest officials are not reviewable or reversible.’’
In the past, it was simply tradition that prevented the GHSA from reversing judgment calls.
Now, it’s the law. Fineran correctly points out that the board of trustees can override any bylaw for what it deems the best interest of the association.
Not likely to happen here, though. Peach won’t be the first.
Calhoun’s 2014 state championship also came with a questioned call as Washington County’s A.J. Gray appeared to intercept a pass, stopping Calhoun’s game-winning drive. The play was ruled an incompletion, and Calhoun won 27-20.
In March, Greater Atlanta Christian’s girls basketball team, by all evidence, was shorted a point in a playoff game against Beach that ended tied in regulation. Instead of getting the onepoint victory, GAC played into overtime, and lost. Holy Innocents’ boys team lost in similar fashion in Swainsboro in 2015.
In all these cases, the losing teams had video evidence to support their contentions. Video evidence is not allowed in appeals. That’s a national rule. The GHSA won’t allow it.
In 1975, the GHSA overturned the outcome of a football semifinal game originally won by Lakeside of DeKalb County over Douglass of Atlanta. Lakeside kicked a field goal as time expired and walked off a 15-14 winner, but officials had stopped the clock with two seconds left by mistake, allowing Lakeside time for a final play.
Douglass appealed and won.
But that was a case of a rule being misapplied, not a judgment call. The GHSA ruled that time should have expired.
The Peach County game will not be replayed. Judgment call.