Moment: Johnson Follows Purple Wall
October 15, 2020
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
Brad Johnson saw the wall and was off to the races.
The star do-everything player for Schoolcraft had already scored one touchdown on the day in the 1988 Class D Football Final against Frankfort at the Pontiac Silverdome, and back in a punt return mode in the second quarter, he faked a reverse, saw the wall and he was gone.
An 87-yard punt return, the longest in state finals history by a good 25 yards.
“After making my fake, I looked up and there was a wall,” Johnson told the Detroit Free Press. “All I had to do was outrun everybody.”
The play gave the Eagles a 21-7 lead at the time and broke the game wide open. Schoolcraft cruised to a 42-7 victory to finish the season at 13-0.
PHOTO by Gary Shook.
Be the Referee: Football OT
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
November 5, 2024
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 – Football OT - Listen
We’ve got a football overtime question for you today. In high school, what is the only way a defensive team can score in overtime?
- Can they return an interception for a touchdown?
- Can they pick up a fumble and take it back for a touchdown?
If you said yes to either of those, you’re wrong.
In overtime, if the defense gains possession of the ball – be it by fumble or interception – the play is over. There’s no advancing of the ball, and the offensive possession is over.
So back to the original question: How can the defense score in overtime? There’s only one way – via safety. And with teams starting at the 10-yard line, that would be a pretty wild play – and it would end the game with the defensive team victorious.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
Oct. 29: Officials Registration - Listen
Oct. 22: Volleyball Serve - Listen
Oct. 15: "You Make the Call" - Soccer Offside - Listen
Oct. 8: Roughing the Passer - Listen
Oct. 1: Abnormal Course Condition - Listen
Sept. 25: Tennis Nets - Listen
Sept. 18: Libero - Listen
Sept. 10: Cross Country Uniforms - Listen
Sept. 3: Soccer Handling - Listen
Aug. 24: Football Holding - Listen
PHOTO An officiating crew confers before this season’s Fowler/Bath varsity football game. (Photo by John Johnson.)