Bizarre Touchdown Saves Reseda : University Loses 61 Yards, the Ball and Game--All on Last Play

By all accounts, the game was over.

University High had the ball and a six-point lead over Reseda High and there were four seconds showing on the clock Friday night at Reseda.

All University quarterback Craig Perry had to do was run out the clock and down the ball to secure the victory.

But Perry never downed the ball.

Instead, Reseda’s defense pulled off its most incredible play in a season loaded with them. By the time the four seconds had expired, Reseda had somehow escaped with a 13-12 victory and the Pac 8 League championship.

University had the ball on fourth down at the Reseda 19-yard line. Perry took the snap and ran straight backward, intent on running out the clock. Reseda linebacker Chris Vargas chased Perry down and tackled him 61 yards behind the line of scrimmage near University’s 20-yard line, causing Perry to fumble.

“I knew if he didn’t go out of bounds I could strip the ball from him,” Vargas said.

Reseda defensive back Henry Ray scooped up the ball and ran into the end zone to tie the score, 12-12. George Konstantinopoulos kicked the game-winning extra point and Reseda had the improbable victory.

Time ran out while Perry was retreating. All he had to do was put a knee to the ground and the game would have been over.

“We should have won the game,” University Coach Brad Ratcliff said. “He was told to run and down the ball with zero seconds left but he never did it. That’s a coaching mistake. That’s my fault.”

Until Perry’s blunder, University had dominated the game. The Warriors had 269 total yards--excluding the final play which is officially a 61-yard sack--and 15 first downs against a team that had been the stingiest in the area in allowing yards (136.3 per game) and points (8.7 per game).

Reseda’s offense was also sub-par. The Regents mustered only 175 total yards and four first downs. And its first touchdown was scored by the punt team.

After falling behind, 12-0, and failing to get a first down on its first three possessions, Reseda finally moved for two first downs on its fourth drive, but stalled at midfield.

Quarterback Coley Kyman, who doubles as the punter, lined up to kick for a fourth time. But this time Kyman was throwing. He saw Sam Edwards streaking across the middle and threw a high pass that Edwards tipped into the air. Tight end Kevin Gravning snared the loose ball and ran into the end zone untouched to cut University’s lead to 12-6.

“We’ve been practicing that all week,” Reseda assistant coach Mike Stone said jokingly.

University came out passing early, but after its first series ended with an interception, the Warriors ran the ball successfully.

University’s second possession was a 71-yard, 14-play scoring drive. Perry threw a quick out pass to Ron Edwards who, after being knocked off-balance, hopped into the end zone on one foot for a seven-yard touchdown.

The extra-point kick was wide, but University boosted its lead to 12-0 five minutes later on a nine-yard bootleg run by Perry. A two-point conversion attempt failed.

Reseda, the defending City 2-A champion, improved to 7-0 overall, 6-0 in league play. University, which beat Reseda for the league championship last year, dropped to 5-3, 4-2.