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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. October 2, 2004, Updated with Second Photo, UPDATED with More Coverage 9:45 A.M. E.D.T.: Brian Mix fooled the Tigers on a trap play that had been killing the Orange and Black all second half, and romped untouched for the winning touchdown in the second Overtime Exchange Saturday afternoon to end a thriller for the ages with a 38-32 victory. Tiger Fans thought the Tigers had won in regulation on a Point After Touchdown that was called good by the Referee standing behind the kicker, but was ruled no-good by another official positioned to the left on an angle. That sent the game to Overtime, tied 26-26.
RACING FOR THE WINNING TD: Brian Mix leaves the Tigers behind, breaking out of the backfield on a trap, uses speed to get outside and is about to head into the endzone for the Winning 6 to end the second overtime Saturday afternoon. Photo by WPCNR Sports
CONOR’S CATCH TIES SCORE IN FIRST OT EXCHANGE: Kevin Avery threaded the needle to Conor Lantier (running to camera being congratualted by Tommie Lee (21)in the back of the endzone in traffic on 4th Down from the 4 to tie the Knights 32-32. Pablo Siaba’s try for the winner went left, and they went to a second overtime exchange to decide the contest. Photo by WPCNR Sports
EVERYONE THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD BUT ONE REF WHO RULED IT WIDE: The Winner that wasn’t. White Plains tied the game 26-26 in regulation on a 3 yard TD by Ike Nduka. Pablo Siaba’s extra point was signalled “good” by the Referee behind the kicker, Siaba. There were no other officials behind the goal post. An official onthe line by the red shirted spectator on the far sideline ruled the kick was “wide left.” A technician video-taping the game said his tape showed the Referee signaling “good,” and the kick going through. Mount Vernon players were dejected walking off, thinking they had lost. But, NO! The line positioned official rules the kick no good and the Referee changes his call. The lower photo clearly shows no officials stationed underneath the goal post. An official speaking to WPCNR said on a point-after-touchdown one official should be stationed under and slightly behind the goal post to back up the Referee behind the kicker. In the fateful PAT in the photo, two officials are on either side of the line of scrimmage and a third is by the far sideline. The referee is standing on the 7. Photos by WPCNR Sports
This contest which ended so improbably, began as a trim, tight defensive, disciplined contest, very similar in tone to the 1958 Giants-Colts “Greatest Football Game Ever Played,” which also began the same way. The first quarter ended scoreless, and the Tigers had to punt way from the Tiger 40. The Tigers stopped Mount Vernon on three series. The Tigers drove to the Knight 39 in their first series but were forced to punt away.
In the Second Stanza, a Tiger drive stalled on their own 40, and the Knights took over after a short punt on their own 40. After a long run by Greg Harris was called back on one of the first of many illegal procedure penalties on the Knights, Harris fumbled on his own 30 yard line and Gerard Bryant recovered it at the MV 33 for the Tigers.
After Jaime Logan tipped away what looked like a sure TD pass from Mike Lane who had gotten behind Logan, Ike Nduka took matters into his own hands. The Tiger line outmuscled the Knights with “Nuke” running for 7 to the 26, 5 to the 21. On 3rd and 5 from the 18, Nduka dragged tacklers to the 12, and on 4th and inches from the 12, Nduka went off-tackle to the 6 for first and goal. He surged again to the 1 and jammed it in on 2nd and goal for a 6-0 lead, White Plains at 7:10 to go in the half. Pablo Siaba added the Extra Point.
The Trap is Set
Then the complexion of the game turned around on the very next series. On second and 10 from the MV 30, Greg Harris took a stealth handoff from QB Rodney Mack described as a trap play by one of the Tigers, and sliced off tackle into a vacant Tiger secondary and the race was on. Diagonally to the far side he ran finally being pulled down by a trio of Tigers in pursuit at the Tiger 23. After a 5-yard penalty, Harris turned the corner and loped 28 yards into the end zone to make it 7-6, added the point to tie the score at 7-7. The Purple Knights had gone 70 yards in four plays. This was to set a disturbing pattern. The Tigers grinding it out with the Knights explosive running game creating big plays.
Harris Electrifies Crowd
The Tigers went three and out and Mount Vernon got the ball back and moved to the Tiger 45 where they had to punt. Only the Tigers caught a break. A bad snap was muffed by the punter, Brian Mix and the Tigers took over, but could not move it and punted. Greg Harris caught Siaba’s punt at the 10, and lit to the near sideline, cut back, and headed back across the pursuit to the far sideline breaking clear at the Tiger 40 and DOWN the sideline he flew…35-30-25-20…put on a blaze of speed outdistancing a desperate Mike Lane, and into the end zone for a 90-yard touchdown run to give the Knights a 13-7 lead at the half.
Tigers Tie in Third Quarter
Mount Vernon took the second half kickoff and the Tigers stopped them on downs, and once again a low snap to the punter deep in Knight country, turned over the ball the Tigers on the Knights’ 23 yard line. Coach Santa-Donato called Number 28’s number and Ike Nduka, having a great rushing day, (he carried for we estimate over 150 yards on about 35 carries), responded again. It was Nuke for 3 to the 18; Nuke for 6 around right end to the 12; Nuke straight ahead to the Knight 8; and Nuke dragging tacklers on his back into the end zone for the equalizer with 7:38 to go in the Third Quarter. With the score tied, Pablo Siaba’s Point After Touchdown was blocked. (This would haunt the Tigers later when the long shadows of autumn started to descend on the stadium.)
Tiger Trap Moves That Ball
After the tying touchdown, the Tigers tried a squib bouncing kick to keep the ball away from the deep threat and Mount Vernon began their series on their own 23. A 16 yard yard pickup on the pesky trap play by Jaime Logan followed by a personal foul from the point of the indiscretion put the Knights immediately on the White Plains 39 yard line.
Two plays saw the Tigers looking at a 3rd and 5 situation. Again the trap play was called. A Tiger explained to WPCNR what was happening. A fake hand off would lure the Tigers into a rush to the wrong ball carrier. He said that the quickness of the Knights backs actually getting the handoff enabled them, Logan, Mix, or Harris to slip into the linebacker area, causing the Tiger linebackers to run into each other attempting to counter pursue. The speed of the Knight back enabled them to blow by the linerbackers trying to reverse direction to grab the interloper, springing the Knights for the big gainers.
It happened again on that 3rd and 5. Rodney Mack faked a handoff to Harris this time, and scampered 12 yards to the White Plains 22. Harris took the ball to the 14 next. And on 2nd and 2 on the 14, Rodney Mack led Greg Harris beautifully on a pretty floating pass to the far left, Harris behind the defender, turned to his left drew the pass in and loped gracefully into paydirt to give the Knights a 20-13 lead, lead with their extra point with 4:14 to go in the Third Stanza. The Knights had gone 80 yards in 6 plays, and it did not look good.
Connor to the Rescue with Key Pick
This was such a great game. White Plains was stopped on its next series. Mount Vernon drove to the White Plains 25 but was forced to punt. The Tigers deep in their own territory punted to Mount Vernon who took over at the Tiger 47 when a 15 yard penalty pushed the Knights back to their own 43. Penalties at in opportune times hurt Mount Vernon all afternoon. WPCNR estimates they were called for 100 yards in penalties between illegal procedures, offsides, clips and personal fouls.
Attempting to get the penalty back, Rodney Mack threw a pass out to the flat, on the far side and Connor Lantier climbed the ladder snared the missile two handed high over his head, coming down with it and getting to the Knights 40. First and 10, White Plains on the third key Knight turnover.
White Plains had only one sustained drive all day for a touchdown.
After first down gained nothing, Mike Lane swept left end to the the 32. Ike Nduka carried to the 27 as the third quarter ended, 20-13, Mount Vernon.
Nuke clear Holocaust.
Nduka reminiscent of Walter Payton in this game, blew around left end to the 19, then jigging and jogging ran to the 12. The Knights knew what was coming and it was Nduka but they could not stop him. You know he’s good when the other team knows he’s coming and they still can’t stop him.
It was Nduka again to the 6, up the middle. He failed on 3rd and 1, then Kevin Avery took it on a keeper for a first and goal on the 5. Then gave it back to Nduka for 2, and then Ike lugged it in from the four moving a PILE of Knights with him to make it 20-19. Pablo kicked the point to tie the score 20-20.
Along about this time, you felt this game was something special. Like the Twentieth Century Limited racing the Broadway Limited to Chicago. In the sweep of the old concrete Parker bowl it had a Yale-Harvard feel to it. What was to unfold in the fourth quarter and two Overtime Exchanges to come will be remembered for a long time.
The Purple Knights Strike Back!
Having had success keeping the ball away from the Knight deep return threats, the Tigers kicked off with a squib down the middle. It was picked up by Jaime Logan at the Knights 30.
Uh-oh! Logan slipped behind 5 or six Knights and found an alley on the near sideline, he sidestepped two Tiger tacklers at the Knight 40 and DOWN the sideline he went! 50 – 45-40-35-30…25-20-15-10-5 TOUCH DOWN…still on his feet. The Tigers could not penetrate the pursuit and Logan had run 70 yards to put the Knights on top 26-20. But their try for a 2-pointer was stopped as Connor Lantier turned aside the ball carrier. There were 8 minutes and 21 seconds to go in the game and you thought the Tigers were done.
But, hey, this is White Plains.
Mount Vernon stopped the orange and black on three and out, and took over at their 48, moved the ball in fits and starts to the White Plains 43 but no farther, and Brian Mix punted to the White Plains 6 yard line.
The Tigers had 2 minutes and 53 seconds to go. They were 94 yards from a touchdown, and three time outs left. No problem.
The Tigers began a 94 yard drive for the equalizer. Two running plays produced a face mask penalty and a first down on the 15. A run to the 18 and one time out was taken. Nduka ran to the 31 around the end and out of bounds, stopping the clock.
A run pickup up four. A pass was incomplete, stopping the clock. Avery completed a pass to Mike Lane for a first down on the 42, and Mike stepped out, stopping the clock with 1:20 left.
Avery threw across the middle to Connor Lantier, who turned caught it at his belly and was downed at the Mount Vernon 42. White Plains took their second time out.
Ike Nduka scampered out of bounds to the Knight 32 with 1:12 to go. A pass to Lantier got them to the 29 and a third down. Avery nonchalantly faded back as if to pass, looking right and casually handed off to Nduka who rumbled around left end. The Knights had shifted right. And incredibly Nduka was headed to the end zone hauled down at the 5.
There were 34 seconds to go in the game. Nudka took one shot and did not get it. Mount Vernon was called for delaying the game, not unpiling quickly enough. A huge break it moved the ball to the 2.
Nduka tried again to get it in. No way. White Plains quickly lined up and tried again…and IN he went. Touchdown! TouchDOWN. It was tied 26-26 and the stage was set for Pablo Siaba to win it with a true-blue kick for the PAT.
The Good PAT that was “No Good.”
After much delay as Mount Vernon tried to freeze Pablo. They finally lined up for the PAT. The snap was back, the kick was up headed to the left upright and to this eye, it looked good. It looked good to the Referee standing behind Siaba. It looked good to the White Plains players. It looked good to the Mount Vernon players who trudged off the line of scrimmage, obviously feeling they were beaten. Not one Mount Vernon player jumped up and down indicating they thought the point was missed.
But suddenly a linesman coming in from the far side of the field was signaling with hands down. No good. There was a discussion and Mount Vernon players, presented with a gift started leaping up and down in joy.
This was an unbelievable call, because a video tape of the sequence taken by a parent who videos all the games appeared to show the Referee signaling good, and the ball inside the left upright.
It was also an unbelievable call because there was no second official standing behind the goal post to back up the ref ‘s call. That is not the way the officials are supposed to line up according to the rule book. But the call stood. The teams went to overtime.
The Tigers tied it it up after Mount Vernon scored on their first overtime possession on a 4th pass from Avery to Lantier. This time for the PAT for the win, Pablo Siaba drilled it left and truly missed it. Pablo was holding his head in his hands in misery. But Mr. Siaba has hit many a clutch kick for the Tigers, and he will always be remembered by all who saw this game as the man who kicked the winning extra point that the ref called good and an official from the side called “no good.”
On the second exchange, Nduka could not get a first down to the 10 in the second overtime exchange, and Mount Vernon scored on theirs to win the Second Greatest Football Game Ever Played
