Friday was the night of the gimmick winners in the high school football world.
In a four-overtime game in Georgia, Loganville High ended in an upset overhead pass this somehow worked and won the game. Meanwhile, about 600 miles north, Ohio’s Westerville Central High School was running its own trick play in regulation.
Trailing by three with 5.1 seconds left on the clock and standing more than 70 yards from the end zone, Westerville Central couldn’t make a play for an overtime battle against Westerville North. They had to do everything at the last second. Instead of a Hail Mary, the Warhawks called for the hook and ladder play.
It works to perfection. According to the Columbus Dispatch, senior wide receiver Jacob Harris caught the ball around the 42-yard line and flipped it to senior wide receiver Coby Davis. Davies had room to operate and picked up speed to outrun the nearest defender, who had stopped short when it looked like Harris was under attack.
Davis outran all defenders for a touchdown of about 73 yards to put the game away. Final score: 23-20.
Westerville Central is on the winning streak after going just 2-9 last season. They will look to carry the momentum forward better than last season, when the team opened with a similarly close 17-14 win over Westerville North but lost its next seven games. If anything can get a team moving, it’s a game-winning hook and ladder.