For wont of nail, a shoe was lost, for wont of a shoe a horse was lost ---

Rats!

First, congratulations to MV. Their defense was every bit as good as advertised, especially the defensive line.

Now on to a recap and some thoughts.

Hart won the coin toss but deferred. The teams charged out on the field ready to play but it turns out they were about 3 minutes early so everyone stood around for a bit. The opening kickoff was into the end zone and MV started at the 20. Rodarmel started at QB. The first series went: run for 1, incomplete, run for 4, punt -- for 51 yards.

Hart started at the Indian 23: pass to Kase for 7, run by Norton for 5, a 12-yard loss when the center launched one over Norton's head (don't know if you count this as a "sack" because there was never any chance to even show "pass;" Norton was simply trying to track down the ball -- this problem unfortunately was not the only time); incomplete; sack for -4 and punt.

MV started at the MV 33: run for 4, run for 3, run for 2, punt.

Hart started at the Hart 30: Illegal procedure (-5); pass to Wolfe for 11 (his first catch); 1-yard run by Norton; pass to Wilson for 10; incomplete pass to Howard (tipped); pass to Wolfe for 8 (No. 2); run by Howard for 22 down to the MV 25; inc to Ciccone; run for no gain by Howard; pass to Ciccone for 16 down to the 9; five-yard loss by Howard on a run; pass to Wilson for 4 back to the 10; incomplete to Ciccone (I had trouble with this call -- it was 3rd and goal and the pass was to the five-yard line, the routes should probably have been at or near the goal line); 27-yard field goal by Simons for a 3-0 Hart lead with 2:13 in the first quarter.

Simons kicked to the 4-yard line and Matt Scott made a very nice tackle shoe string tackle to put MV at their own 11-yard line. Here's the series: run for 4, pass to Tadman (the backup QB from whom we will soon hear a lot more) for 11, pass for 12, run for 0. On the next play, Rodarmel threw too long down the middle and the Hart FS, Coutin, picked it off and returned it to the MV 46 to end the first quarter.

Hart's next series: pass to Kase for 9, run by Howard for 4, incomplete to Ciccone, pass to Wolfe for 8 (his third of the day) -- then one of the few real mistakes by Norton: he rolled right and was heavily pursued. He ate, rather than unloaded the ball and ended up with a 17-yard loss (the play started at the MV 25 and ended up at the 42). In Norton's defense, I really didn't see were all the receivers where -- it may be they were just too far down the field. In any event, Hart had to punt.

MV took over at their own 11. And Rodermal saw his last action: Tadman was inserted at QB. First play: 23-yard run by Tadman; run for 9; pass for 25 and then run for 5 down to the Hart 25. Then sort of a highlight play. Apparently the center snapped the ball early and it went squirting to the ground. The MV line remained frozen in place for it seemed like at least two full counts. Then the quarterback started after the ball, the Hart defenders realized what had happened and bowled over the O-line and knocked the QB back before he could get the ball and Hart recovered the fumble.

Hart started at the 27: pass to Kase for 9; a pass interference penalty moved Hart to the MV 49; 12-yard pass to Wilson. The next play was a standard Hart trick play that had "screwup" written all over it: Norton got the ball to Wolfe going around to the left (who probably should have just kept on running as he would have had a nice gain) who pitched it back to Ciccone who was coming back around from his left WR spot. He was supposed to pass to Norton going down the right. No chance! Norton was well-covered and Ciccone ate it for a 10-yard loss. Wolfe caught the next pass for 24 yards (his 4th).

A holding penalty negated a very big Norton run and cost the Indians 16 yards (marking the hold from the spot of the foul is incredibly unfair to passing teams!). On the next play Howard got no yards on a pass from Norton, followed by an incomplete to Wilson. On 3rd down and 26 from the 39, Norton lofted one to the right side to the goal line which was picked off at the 3. It was not too big a deal as it was better than any punt would have been.

MV: run for 2, run for 9, run for 10, run for 9, run for 4, incomplete, run for 7, run for 1, punt.

Hart started at the 17: pass to Wolfe (No. 5) for 12; pass to Wolfe (No. 6) for 6, pass to Kase for 14, run by Norton (out of bounds) for 5, sack (another fumbled snap) forcing Hart to use its last time out of the half. Pass to Kase for 7, run by Howard for 2 on fourth down and then a spike to set up a very long field goal try which was straight but short. There ended the first half: 3-0 Hart.

Statistically Norton did well in the first half. He was 16 of 24 for 157 yards with 1 interception. According to my notes both teams had about 146 yards total offense for the half, in other words the score very much reflected the play on the field.

It was the first six minutes of the second half that proved Hart's undoing. The MV kickoff went into the endzone so Hart started on the 20. The first snap was again over Norton's head -- an 11-yard loss back to the 9. The next snap appeared a little unsteady as well (although Norton was under center on this one) and there was another 6-yard loss and Hart found itself back on the 3-yard line. On the next play, MV players burst through all over the place and nabbed Norton for a safety. Hart 3-2 at 10:47 of the third quarter.

Hart, of course, had to kickoff. It was a nice kick back to about the MV 20 but the return was very good as well, to the MV 45. The series went: incomplete, run for 7, run for 3 (first down), incomplete, run for 2, pass for 11, a holding penalty for -11, run for 3 and -- the play of the game: a 28-yard pass for a TD. The Hart CB was covering in the flat and I don't know where the FS was. The receiver was wide open. MV went for 2 and it was 10-3 MV at 6:35 in the third quarter.

Hart started the next series at the 20: Wolfe ran for -4, pass to Kase for 9, pass to Kase for 7, run by Howard for 7, a delay of game penalty, pass to Wilson for 4, then a - barely incomplete - shovel pass to Howard which would have been a big gain. But, alas -- Hart punted.

MV started at the 32: 3-yard run, incomplete, 2-yard pass and punt.

Hart started at the 33 and on first down there was another pass interference which moved the ball out to the 48: incomplete (knockdown), pass to Wolfe (no. 7), run by Howard for 7, run by Howard for 3, sneak by Norton for 1, pass to Ciccone for 16, -1 on a run by Howard and there ended the third quarter with Hart at the 16-yard line and 2nd down.

Hart started the fourth quarter with an incomplete to Wolfe, an incomplete to Kase and had to settle for a 33-yard field goal and it was 10-6 MV with 11:45 remaining.

MV started the next series at the 16: pass for 6, run for 6 (plus 5 more for a facemask at end of the play), run for 12, run for 2, run for 5, run for 3, incomlete, run for 12, run for 4, illegal procedure, run for 4 down to the Hart 34. Then the QB launched one -- actually very poorly thrown -- which was intercepted by Coutin at about the 10. He returned it to the MV 40 and it looked like Hart was headed for the promised land.

The first play was 11 yards to Wolfe (reception number 8 to the 29. The next play - oh the next play - down the middle and about 6 inches too long for Wolfe - it was gonna be a TD but instead was an incomplete. Howard, 2-yard run, pass to Wolfe for 1 (No. 9), and on 4th down -- another bad snap and a sack.

MV took over at the 34 and went run for 5, run for 2, run for 0 and punt.

Hart got the ball back with 2:51 --plenty of time. The first play was a nice intermediate crossing route to Ciccone -- incomplete. The next play was an intermediate crossing route to Kase -- off his hands and intercepted.

MV started at the Hart 39: run for 5, run for 1 run for 1. It was fourth down. Hart used its last time out.

And then - from Hart's point of view [and of course I am a Hart partisan] - the refs REALLY blew the call. MV huddled - and then broke the huddle WITH 12 PLAYERS: number 1 trotted out to the sidelines. They ran for two and a first down - the Hart coaches, particularly Coach 2 (Rick Herrington) went absolutely and justifiably ballistic. Coach 1 had to drag him off the field. That incredibly obvious play right under the refs nose took away any chance Hart might have had. The game ended a couple of plays later.

So here are my thoughts.

Once again: the MV defense was terrific. Certainly Hart expects the QB to get sacked a few times. MV made SURE that happened. It wasn't so much that Norton got sacked, it was when and the number of yards involved - most of the season, when he has been sacked, it has usually been for a relatively paltry number of yards. In the first half, MV had 4 sacks - really not that big of deal in most instance but three were for 12, 17 and 10 yards.

The first three plays of the second half were devasting. And herein lies the graveman of Hart's demise - and the title of my post - for wont of nail, a shoe was lost, for wont of a shoe a horse was lost etc etc. Or more appropriately here -- for wont of a good right thumb.

Hart's RIGHT-HANDED center has been FLAWLESS all year but he severely injured his right thumb a couple of weeks ago. He's been snapping with his LEFT HAND for the last two games. The extra defensive pressure in this game, worrying about blocking, appeared to have caused him a huge amount of trouble snapping with his left hand when the QB was in the shotgun. That problem lead very directly to the safety which in turn gave MV the great field position on the next series which ended in a touchdown.

The Hart center has never put one over the QBs head in 13 games. He did it twice here to devastating effect plus a few other snaps that went very low or very wide. Tough day. It happens. Just remember Hart center -- you really did a terrific job all year in a very difficult and usually completely unheralded position (unfortunately, its one of those spots that no one notices until there's a mistake).

A couple people were wondering when Hart last failed to score in double figures: Hart was 11-0 going into the quarterfinals in 1992 when, as the result of a huge number of turnovers (6 or 7?) they lost 13-6 to Crescenta Valley - by the way, Davis Delmatoff was the QB that game and now is the Hart offensive coordinator. Tell ya one thing - won't happen again with Delmatoff and Norton back next year.

I have no idea when the last time Hart failed to score a touchdown.

Again: great defensive effort by both teams, especially MV.

Hart returns a lot of kids next year so I wouldn't be surprised to see them back again in the finals (statistically that should bear out -- Hart's been there 7 of the last 9 years!).

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