Be the Referee: Video Review Success
December 5, 2019
This week, MHSAA assistant director Brent Rice discusses the video review utilized for the first time at last weekend's Football Finals, and how it was successful.
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment - Video Review Success - Listen
For the first time in MHSAA history, video review was utilized to confirm or correct judgment calls on the field for our Football Finals. While there is always some apprehension when adding new technologies to sports, the MHSAA’s approach to a limited replay process, reviewing only those plays that involved turnovers or scores, proved to be a terrific success.
There were a few instances where very close but consequential plays were overturned. However, the biggest confirmation replay provided was something we already knew – that is, that MHSAA officials are putting in hard work and dedication and getting the vast majority of their plays correct in real-time live action.
When needed though, competent replay officials were right on top of the situation to correct the plays without challenges, without controversy and with very little delay in the process.
Past editions
Nov. 28: More Injury Time - Listen
Nov. 21: Football Review - Listen
Nov. 14: Sideline Safety - Listen
Nov. 7: Officials Playlist - Listen
Oct. 31: Most Important Line - Listen
Oct. 24: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
Oct. 17: Catch Momentum - Listen
Oct. 10: Golf Rules Changes - Listen
Oct. 3: No Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 26: You Make the Overtime Call - Listen
Sept. 19: Swimming Finishing Touch - Listen
Sept. 12: Curbing Gamesmanship By Substitution - Listen
Sept. 5: Football Safety Rules Changes - Listen
Aug. 29: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen
Moment: Eaglets Clinch on Late TD Catch
September 24, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
More than three months had passed since the last time Ky’ren Cunningham had lined up as a receiver for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
But with one last desperate chance to win the Division 3 championship on the line during the 2016 Final, the Eaglets’ running back moved back into unfamiliar territory.
Cunningham even switched spots in the alignment with teammate Clay Antishin, moving outside as St. Mary’s lined up from the Muskegon 18-yard line trailing 28-23 with 10 seconds to play.
But Cunningham was in the right spot all along.
Six seconds later he split a pair of defenders in the Ford Field end zone and hauled in Caden Prieskorn’s pass to give the Eaglets a 29-28 lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
“I play running back,” said Cunningham, a junior at the time. “It was one-on-one and the safety didn’t come over the top. Caden just threw it. He just made the read.
“My body felt so weak (when I caught it). I don’t remember much.”
Longtime Detroit sportswriter Tom Markowski described the play’s setup this way in his report for Second Half:
Make no mistake. This was desperation, and it was a makeshift play. Cunningham is a starting running back. The last time he lined up as a receiver was in the first game this season against Macomb Dakota. Coach George Porritt ditched that plan afterward. Cunningham would stay in the backfield.
“It was a pistol right,” Prieskorn said after the game. “All we knew was we were going to have man-on-man coverage.”
St. Mary’s had entered the playoffs 5-4, running its record to 10-4 with the victory. The championship finished a string of three straight Division 3 titles for the Eaglets.
PHOTO: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Ky’ren Cunningham rolls up with the ball tucked after scoring the game-winning touchdown in his team’s 2016 Division 3 championship victory over Muskegon.