Good editorial on the VHSL - Norton screwjob

**cvcgrad** · December 13th, 2006, 09:21 AM

In the Bristol Herald-Courier

http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tr...urtongame.html

**TheBeast** · December 13th, 2006, 09:43 AM

That video clip is pretty obvious what the call was and who made it. The ref at the back of the endzone was reaching for his flag and pulling it out as Ethan tossed the ball at him.
What a JACKARSE! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

**imported_trumpet1988** · December 13th, 2006, 10:30 AM

Well look at that. The guy from Riverheads was celebrating more than Ethan Stewart was. Where's the flag?

**NotSoSilentBob** · December 13th, 2006, 10:38 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Well look at that. The guy from Riverheads was celebrating more than Ethan Stewart was. Where's the flag?

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wall.gif[/img]

The flag wasn't for celebration, it was for the slapping of hands with a cameraman.

Which is asinine to say the least.

**imported_ut1** · December 13th, 2006, 11:43 AM

Here's one from the K T-N:

U n o f f i c i a l l y, VHSL's refs got it wrong

George Thwaites is a sports writer for the Kingsport Times-News. E-mail him at [email protected].

Over 17 seasons at this newspaper, I have seen football officials make some awful calls. During the 2006 regular season I saw at least two game-changing officiating mistakes, including one that probably determined a district championship. Usually, I try not to dispute calls in print. Good calls, bad calls and no calls usually average out. Officials are, after all, only human. At least one hopes so. The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty levied against J.I. Burton late in Saturday's Group A, Division 1 state championship game with Riverheads probably challenges that assumption.
The penalty, attributed to "excessive celebration"? after a late comeback scoring drive by the Raiders, was the most sickeningly arbitrary flag I have ever seen thrown in a high school football game.
I saw the play. I observed no behavior out of the ordinary for group of hard-working kids who believed they were on the verge of winning a state championship.
The Raiders were making their third consecutive state title game appearance, after having lost the previous two bids.
Before the season even started, the squad lost all-state defensive end Rickie Harris to a fatal automobile accident. All season long, Harris served as the team's iconic 12th man during Burton's 13-0 march to Harrisonburg.
How were these kids supposed to act? Like robots?
Riverheads was a worthy opponent and did a terrific job containing the Raiders' double-slot rushing attack. Their wing-T offense was also clicking on all cylinders. Burton unquestionably had its hands full.
The Gladiators went up 21-14 late in the game on a brilliant 17-play ground drive that eroded 8:55 off the clock. With roughly five minutes left to play, Burton quarterback Ethan Stewart spearheaded a storybook comeback drive, capping it with his own 8-yard scoring run with 50 seconds left in the game.
Then the yellow flag hit the turf, tugged from the hip pocket of the field judge.
Interestingly enough, the crew for the Division 1 finals was comprised of seven officials, including a field judge. The crew for the preceding Division 2 finals included six officials and no field judge.
In the James Madison University press box, the consensus reaction to the penalty was astonishment.
Days later, after scrutinizing the game tape, Norton school officials concluded that the Raiders' first two scores contained more overt displays of emotion than the play in question.
Raiders coach Jimbo Adams appealed to the head official, who declined to call a conference over the penalty. And yet in the first half the crew conferred for several minutes before reversing an incomplete Riverheads pass attempt. The bounce-pass was ruled a lateral.
At the other extreme, a no call for pass interference in Norton's last, desperate possession showed the crew was capable of restraint. Where was that restraint after Stewart's touchdown?
Before the penalty, momentum clearly belonged to Burton. After the flag, probabilities clearly shifted in Riverheads' favor.
Stewart's 32-yard scoring run in the first quarter marked Burton's biggest gain from scrimmage the entire game. The next-longest: 15 yards. The penalty took Norton from the 3-yard line to the 18. Do the math.
Whether placekicker Will Godsey could have hit a 35-yard field goal to tie is a moot question. Before the flag was thrown, Adams was already signaling to Stewart for the 2-point conversion.
"I don't know if we could've stopped them in overtime. We didn't stop them all day,"? Adams said. "But we should've had our chance. We made our plays to get in that position. You don't take something like this out of the kids' hands."?

**cvcgrad** · December 13th, 2006, 12:04 PM

The fact that local media are responding is a good thing. This is exactly what we need to get the attention of the VHSL.

I personally would be feeding links to these stories and editorials to as many media outlets throughout the region and even nationally as possible. I would even email ESPN! From a former news writers' perspective, there is actually a pretty good angle here: local high school located just a few short miles from the hometown of NFL Pro's Thomas and Julius Jones victimized by controversial official's call in quest for state championship.

**Breanna** · December 13th, 2006, 12:15 PM

That is a really good idea!!! Thanks!!!! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img] [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img] [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]

**BALLCOACH** · December 13th, 2006, 12:27 PM

Just sent the Bristol article with video to ESPN Radio's(Mike and Mike, The Herd, Dan Patrick, and The Sportsbash). Chances are they won't say anything about it...but you never know, it's really kind of a slow sports day.