High School Quarterback's 'Play of His Life' Negated Due to Celebration

By Joshua Rhett Miller

Published December 06, 2011 | FoxNews.com

Matthew Owens, a senior quarterback for Boston's Cathedral High School, had the state championship in his sights as he raced across the 20-yard line toward the end zone for a would-be go-ahead score.

But Owens -- on his 18th birthday, no less -- saw the "play of his life" negated during Saturday's Division 4A Super Bowl for briefly raising his left arm for two strides, prompting a referee to enforce a sportsmanship rule that bans players from celebratory behavior during scoring plays.

Owens, who was rattled by the call according to the school's athletic director, threw an interception on the very next play following the nullified touchdown. Cathedral went on to lose the game to Blue Hills Regional Technical School 16-14.

Jimmy Lynch, athletic director of Cathedral High School, said the "misinterpreted" call cost his team the state title, but noted how proud he was of his football team's sportsmanship following the controversial call.

"If there's a lesson to be learned, it's that our kids are unbelievable kids, and that we haven't been unsportsmanlike," Lynch told FoxNews.com. "What people don't realize is that no matter what, our kids tried hard for the rest of the game."

And despite the agonizing loss, Lynch said Cathedral players willfully congratulated their opponents after the game.

"That's what sportsmanship is all about," he said.

Owens, who could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, did not "high-step, strut or slow down" as he ran for a late fourth-quarter touchdown during the game at Bentley University, Lynch said.

"I think it was just pure player excitement," he continued. "I don't think that's excessive celebration … it's a shame the call had to be misinterpreted."

Lynch said he and Cathedral football coach Duane Sigsbury spoke to Owens after the game and during school this week. Owens, a three-sport athlete, will now focus on playing guard for the school's basketball team.

"He's a great kid, a strong kid," Owens said. "He made the play of his life and he was excited about it."

The call, however, is "going to stand," Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association spokesman Paul Wetzel said.

"There's no provision about doing something after a game has finished," Wetzel told FoxNews.com. "You can't come back and say, 'Hey, the umpire blew this call.' It was an official's judgment, that's that."

Wetzel said it was an "unfortunate situation" that Owens was penalized on such a significant play, but added there is no appeal process to be considered. He also noted that more than 6 minutes remained in the game following the play.

"This wasn't the last play of the game," he said. "It didn't cost them the championship, it cost them a chance to be in front in this game."

Wetzel said the association began implementing the new sportsmanship rule this year after it was announced last season by NCAA officials. While NFL players may celebrate prior to a touchdown, it is banned on high school and collegiate levels, he said.

Kenneth Owens, Matthew's father, said his son merely raised his hand because "he was going to the pinnacle," he told the Boston Herald.

"There was nothing dishonorable about the play," Kenneth Owens told the newspaper. "There was no doubt it was a touchdown. He gets 20 yards in -- and he's not thinking about the rule -- and he just raised his hand."

NCAA spokesman Christopher Radford confirmed to FoxNews.com that if a player makes a taunting gesture to an opponent en route to scoring a touchdown, a taunting flag would nullify the score and penalize the offending team 15 yards from the spot of the foul.

An example of the rule's enforcement, Radford said, was a fake punt that resulted in a touchdown for LSU against Florida in October. That score by LSU punter Brad Wing was ultimately called back after Wing was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Wetzel, meanwhile, said one of the main lessons young people can learn from sports is that "sometimes you get bad calls," or that bad decisions are made.

"We can all look back at anytime in your life and say 'I had a boss who made a bad decision,' or things happen that go against you and you have to learn to accept it if there isn't anything you can do to change it," he said. "Accept it and move on, that's part of life."

Hmm, anyone think that the ref deserves a "bad call" without appeal? Maybe a pink slip?

 

Wonder how the people in the stands reacted. Its pretty neat that they still teach sportsmanship and respect for authority in some schools.

 

gulp! as a lifelong suffering Buffalo Bills fan, tell me again about this celebritory penalty-

back-up receiver, now first-string due to injuries Stevie Johnson made a great catch, score for the go ahead TD. so instead of being a team goal/even personal goal; he decides to pretend he shot himself in the leg impersonating Jets star Plexico Burress.......from an event in 2008!

give me a break- how stupid can you get....really?

Bills penalized. jets get ball on 40 yard line after kick off. score, game.

understand safety stuff but is this a knee jerk reaction from the high school level? it is a game of skills and strategy. if you beat your man on the playing field, he got beat and will do better next time.
if you taunt him, you fire up the defense to crush the other
team. no offensive player wants to be in that mix.

get slammed once to figure out it is not the smart thing to do....
taunting reflects poor coaching.

 

Some of this stuff is getting soo ridiculous.

Its a power tripping type A control freak referee that tried to get attention for himself.

He should be shot.

 

RATATATAATATAT

Bring in the back up ref.

Thats lame. The team handled it well. Some adults don't do so well.

 

Really?

Kids were warned. Coaches were warned. No celebrating before the end zone. Everyone knew. PLENTY of notice beforehand.

Kid raises his arm in what was determined to be taunting / excessive celebration before he got into the endzone.

And the ref should be shot?

How about the kid (and team) learned a valuable lesson.

Plus, the other lesson is that sometimes life gives you a bad call. Get over it.

Steve

 

What's sad is life is being muted. And for what?

Things in life should be celebrated. Joy. Happiness. Exhilaration. Triumph. Winning. Accomplishing the impossible at the time.

As an athlete, a player, a competitor it is sad to see the involuntary joys and elation being muted in he name of PC. What I find more disappointing is that referees are not given the option of discretion on such plays.

What is next, no clapping? No high fives? No cheering? Pathetic.

Yeah, the kids and coaches knew the rules and they took the penalty in stride. That doesn't mean that have to agree with it. The rule is a BS rule. I'm sure when they implemented it it was meant to cut down on the unsportsmanlike rude taunting conduct that can happen. The actions of this kid wasn't one of those times.

 

Thats pretty much what I think

 

I totally agree. But, as a nation, we are taught to obey the rules even if we don't agree with them.
There are mechanisms for changing the rules, and it seems that this is one rule that should be changed. Go to the MIAA and lobby for it to be changed.
However, calling for the ref to be shot for enforcing a rule he didn't make, is ridiculous. Don't shoot the messenger (pun intended).

What about the other team? Perhaps they would have liked to celebrate before they got into the end zone on one of their touchdown runs. But they obeyed the rules.
What message does it send to them if the rule wasn't enforced?

Life without rules is anarchy.

 

That last part was satire. I should've stated "shot with rubber bands or something"...

I wasn't there so I really don't know, but what I have witnessed around here and in my baseball career can get downright ridiculous sometimes. I have experienced a lot of really great guys that love the games and are top shelf.....and then the joker will appear that makes the game all about himself. This sounded like the latter.

You gotta give the kids a little room. In ten years they won't be keeping score at the high school level the way things are going!!!

 

The thing is, the ref is the one who DOES have discretion as to what he calls and doesn't call and he seems to be the only one who considered it a rules violation.

As far as the rule itself goes, it seems totally backwards to me. The pros are allowed to celebrate and as paid professionals, they would be the ones who I would expect to contain themselves and act "professionally". High school and college players aren't paid professionals so they, of all players, could certainly be given some celebratory latitude but, like you said, that needs to be handled through proper channels. In the mean time, it's up to the refs to use common sense and discretion in enforcing this ridiculous rule and that's something that this ref didn't do IMO. Like I said in my original post, I think a pink slip with the ref's name on it would be appropriate.

 

I didn't call for the ref to be shot, you're putting words in mouth or attributing someone elses words me.

What about the other team? I'm sure they're perfectly happy the penalty was called. We assume that the other team obeyed the rules. We only heard about one play. It is that play we here in this thread are commenting about.

Football has rules and has had rules for many many years. The ref, like cops, should have discretion.

 

My reference RATATATAT was humor. Thankfully the 'kids' on the team and the coach handled it well. The ref made his call...and we all know refs can make some real dumb calls. I am sure the 'kids' and the coach have seen their share of dumb calls against them and in their favor.

I stand firm on my thought that its just dumb...raise your hand and you will pay...bull. Thats too much big brother. No fun allowed.

 

What happened to the "Spirit of the Law"?





Ink pens and pencils have all been involved in putting one's eye out. As such, they can all be considered dangerous weapons.

With that,

-> You can all report to your local law enforcement agency and turn yourselves in.

 

Guys, the suggestion to shoot the ref was intended as an attempt at caveman era humor. Gary Larson got a way with a lot worse in the Far Side cartoon.

Excitement/elation at victory should not be misconstrued as taunting in this situation. Calling back a clean play is ludicrous!

A 10 yard penalty on kick off would have been an appropriate warning if it was the first offense.

Anyone agree with this?