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This has to be the most exciting "tie" game every played by Hart or anyone else. Interestingly, it is the only
tie game in the Herrington era.
As the first game in a new season, there were a lot of question marks for the Indians. Hart started 8 new kids on offense
and 9 on defense against the No. 2 ranked team in Southern California and, according to USA Today, the tenth ranked team in
the country. It also was televised. And an away game to boot. Needless to say there was lot of pressure on a lot of inexperienced
kids.
In the first Los Al series, the Griffins moved the ball fairly handily from their 20 to just inside the Hart 30 where
the Hart kids pretty much stuffed 'em on four plays and took over on downs. My initial observation: this defense plays very
similar to the ‘99 group. No real burners but an entire group that has good "football" speed and reacts
very quickly.
Hart's first offensive play was a nice 11-yard gain on a pass from Sean Norton to Paxton Howard, the RB. Thereafter,
it was 3 and out. Los Al then went three and out (Los Al alternated QB's), followed by a Hart three and out. Through each
exchange, Hart was getting backed toward it's own goal little bit.
At the beginning of the fifth series, Los Al started at Hart's 44. Elway dropped back and lofted one down the right sideline.
Dan Howell, Keith Howell's brother, was in perfect position on the inside shoulder of the receiver. It looked like a sure
interception. Then Howell tripped and fell trying to slow down as the throw was a little short. The receiver caught it at
about the 10 and basically walked into the endzone. Los Al 7-0.
Hart started at the 13 on its next series and moved as far as the Los Al 33 before a sack and a penalty forced a punt.
On Los Al's next play, they tried the identical play on which they had scored. This time Kevin Ciccone was playing corner.
The ball was underthrown and Kevin intercepted it. On the ensuing series, Hart moved from the Los Al 49 down to the Los Al
34 but turned over the ball on downs.
Los Al ran a few plays, getting to the 50 but then punted.
Hart got the ball on it's 20. On the first play, Norton fumbled when he got hit from behind and Los Al took over on the
Hart 19. The Griffins got to the Hart 6 and then following a tackle for loss and an incomplete pass, they kicked a field goal
with 28 seconds left in the half to lead 10-0 at half.
Hart took the second half kick off at its own 22 and started with a 1-yard run, a sack for minus 8 and another sack for
minus 11, then a punt.
Los Al, starting at the Hart 39, moved down to the 2 on 6 plays and then got jammed up and tried another field goal.
Los Al 13-0.
The Hart offense then got in the game, starting the next series on their own 11. Howard ran for 8 yards followed by a
to Todd Wilson (a slot) for 9 and then a run by Howard for 2. Then the perfect play. Los Al blitzed the safety on the right.
Howard had gone to the spot vacated by the safety and Norton just lofted it over the charging safety to Howard who had a Griffin
defensive end in pursuit. It was no contest and Howard had a 56-yard gain. On the next play Norton ran for three and on the
following play Howard ran for 26 and a TD. Los Al 13-7.
Next series: Los Al 3 and out.
Hart ran off 9 plays and advanced to the Los Al 39 but had to punt.
Los Al 3 and out (you may gather by this time that the Hart defense was really getting to the Griffins).
Hart went 3 and out again but each time this happened, Hart gained some net yardage on the exchange of punts.
Los Al went 3 and out again. Hart started at the Los Al 49 and the series went like this: incomplete, pass to Wolfe (a
sophomore) for 9, illegal procedure for minus 5, pass to Wilson for 17, incomplete, run by Norton for 14, pass interference,
run by Howard for 2, pass to Wolfe for 4 and a touchdown. The PAT is good and Hart led 14-13 with 3:45 left in the game.
Los Al started at the 20 and Elway passed for 10 (and got flattened for his effort), passed for 14 (and got flattened
again), run for 8, incomplete (and got flattened), illegal procedure, and then . . . the identical play that Los Al scored
on in the first quarter. Same route. Same receiver. Almost the same result. Ciccone was playing corner this time and he
slipped and fell in the EXACT same place as Howell earlier in the game. Fortunately, he managed to trip up the receiver as
he fell down so Los Al had first and 10 at the Hart 2. Hart used up its timeouts and Los Al scored 3 plays later which made
it 19-14. The Griffins for two, got it easily and lead 21-14 with only 29 seconds left (and no timeouts for Hart).
Hart took the kickoff to the 37, running 6 seconds off in the process. The Indians set up a play but Norton could not
find a receiver and was sacked. He finally got everybody back and killed the clock by spiking the ball with 2 seconds left.
The ball was placed on the Hart 32.
The Indians apparently have a play for this called "Big Ben" Everyone took off down the field and Norton threw
it as far as he could. It seemed like the entire Los Al team was waiting back there. The ball hit off one defender (I think
he was trying to catch it rather than knock it down), bounced off a second defender and Cody Kase picked it up like it was
a handoff from the second guy. Kase got it in full stride and ran about 15 yards into the endzone -- CELEBRATION HART. Too
much celebration. All the kids on the bench ran onto the field and the ensuing 15-yard penalty for excessive celebration
effectively killed any chance of going for 2 and left kicker Will Simons with a 35-yard PAT kick. He drilled it. Tie Game.
Whew!
Here's a link to the "Big Ben" play
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