We need Instant Replay in High School Football, Clarkston vs Stevenson shows why

Written Sunday November 22, at 12:12 AM

If you missed Saturday night at Troy Athens, it had everything, from an exciting finish, bad decision making, and controversy. It might be one of the reason's why we need instant replay in High School football in the first place.

College and professional football have instant replay, it now time for the Michigan High School Athletic Association to do the same, no matter the cost, bring in the cameras immediately, especially in big and playoff games, but back to the football game at Troy Athens.

It was 35-31 Clarkston, with about two minutes left in the game, when the Wolves defense stopped Sterling Heights Stevenson's quarterback Jason Fracassa and the Titan offense on a interception in the end zone by junior cornerback Chris Canada.

All was left to do for the Wolves to get their first trip to the State Finals was to keep the football, don't turn the ball over, and run the clock out.

Unfortunately disaster struck for the Wolves.

As Clarkston ran the ball they apparently fumbled the ball, and the Titans recovered the football, but Wolves running back Dakota Bender was down on the ground, and the refs didn't see it. Stevenson then had the ball into Clarkston territory at the Wolves 40 yard line with 38.4 seconds left in the game. If the MHSAA had instant replay then that call would be overturned, but they don't, so the refs call stand.

When Stevenson had the ball, the Titans marched down to the Wolves red zone, however as Stevenson was driving, time was clearly Stevenson's arch enemy. The clock was ticking down from eight seconds to 1.4 seconds left, Stevenson had to spike the ball to stop the clock and also save their season, The Titans spiked the ball, or did they?

Apparently Fracassa fumbled the football as he was about to spike the ball and stop the clock. Clarkston recovered the fumble and were ready to go to Ford Field right? well not quite. The referees blew the whistle, and instead of it being Clarkston's ball, it was Stevenson's ball with one last shot to win the game and go to Ford Field themselves.

Stevenson took that shot, Fracassa threw a one yard touchdown pass to tight end Dylan Cooper as time expired to lift the Titans to a 37-35 win over the Wolves in the MHSAA State Semifinals and also sending the Titans to play Novi Detroit Catholic Central on Saturday afternoon at Ford Field at One PM.

For Stevenson, this win takes them to their fourth MHSAA State championship game ever as a school and likely will be head coach's Rick Bye's last chance to get a State Championship. However it doesn't avenge their last loss to Lake Orion in 2008, but it comes pretty close to avenging it. They did beat Orion's arch rival Clarkston, and now they are in the championship game as the experts expected they would be against powerful and the only other unbeaten standing in their way, Novi Detroit Catholic Central.

For Clarkston, this was a devastating loss, all the Wolves had to do was just take a knee and force Stevenson call their last timeout, instead of running the football. It was a bad mistake, they had this game all wrapped up, and they gave it right back. It's disappointing to see this come to an end for Clarkston this way. If they kneed the ball, then maybe we'll be talking about how the Oakland Activities Association Red division would had their second team in the MHSAA State Finals, however it wasn't meant to be.

Everybody is going to talk about from here on out is how did Clarkston head coach Kurt Richardson decide not to take a knee when they had the game all wrapped up, and the horrible officiating at the end of the game. It all comes down to one question and one question only, we need instant replay in the MHSAA, just to get the calls right.

It was a great 2009 season in the Oakland Activities Association Red Division, let's hope 2010, brings out the same next fall.