Zebras, and Penalties, and Bears, Oh My!

POCATELLO:  The Firth Cougars played the Bear Lake Bears in the 2A State Football Championship game late last Thursday night but came up short, taking second for the third year in a row.

Just like Dorothy and Toto, all Firth had to do was get down the Yellow Brick Road to win the championship. But, in the end, the obstacles were too significant for them to get back home with the State Championship Banner. 

Zebras

Some questionable officiating may have distracted the Cougars on their quest for the title.   The first questionable call came during the second quarter of play after the Bears scored a touchdown. The Cougar Garret Nelson blocked the PAT kick, but the officials did not blow their whistles, ruling the ball dead. Instead, they allowed the Bear’s kicker to recover the ball, who threw it to a receiver, who then ran the ball into the endzone for two extra points. 

According to the NFHS Football Handbook, once a player on the field blocks the ball, it should be ruled as being dead.   The confusion comes from college football, where a blocked PAT may be recovered by a kicking team member and run into the end zone. But only for one point, as the play began as a one-point PAT.

During the third quarter, the bears scored a second touchdown. The same thing happened during the PAT. Yet this time, a Cougar picked up the ball and ran it back toward their endzone. But the officiator correctly blew his whistle, ruling the ball as being dead. This call infuriated the Firth fans.

The third incident came during the final minute of the game. Firth had just completed a second downplay where a pass to Alex Vasquez was batted down. On the ensuing play, with a minute 22 seconds left on the clock, the officials blew the whistle for a false start.   The ball was marked back 5 yards, and the backline officiator blew his whistle to begin the clock.

But the rule is, in the final two minutes of the game, the clock will continue to run after a penalty is assessed unless the play before was an incomplete pass play or an out-of-bounds play, which stops the clock.

When the Firth coaches brought this to the official’s attention, they refused to put 20 seconds back on the clock. This resulted in Firth’s head coach yelling at the referee nearest to the Firth side, who promptly threw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“I have studied the football handbook and understand the rules of the game,” Firth’s Football Head Coach, Rigo Vasquez, said. “I am okay with officiators judging and making calls during the game. But when they change the game’s rules, it is impossible to coach your team effectively.”

Penalties

Both teams were heavily penalized during the game, with more than 165-yards combined between the two teams. The Cougars had 70 yards assessed against them in penalties. 

Critical penalties throughout the game killed many of the Cougar’s offensive drives. One of a few drives free of penalties resulted in Firth’s only touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Bears

The Bear’s defense was crucial to the defeat of the Firth Cougars. The Bears held the Cougars to 80 yards with 26 plays in the first half alone. The Cougars had only 20 yards of offense before the last possession before the half. That is a low number for a team known for its prolific offense. The Bear’s defense continued dominating the Cougars in the second half. 

In the end, the Bear Lake Bears defeated the Firth Cougars 14 to 6. But the Firth Cougars should hold their heads high. They overcame some difficult trials during the season and returned to the State Championship game for the third straight time. A feat most teams never accomplish. Congratulations to the Firth Cougars, taking second in the 2A Football State Championship playoff.