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9/29/2008-Football
Snap decision
By TOM MARKOWSKI/The Detroit News
Robert Bolden might have been the most surprised person at Southfield-Lathrup Saturday night when Orchard Lake St. Mary's center Phillip Schoof snapped the ball. Schoof wasn't supposed to snap the ball and, for a split second, Bolden, St. Mary's fine quarterback, was in the Twilight Zone.
St. Mary's led Birmingham Brother Rice, 31-28, with 2:39 left in the game. St. Mary's had possession at its own 34, it was fourth down and the Eaglets needed four inches to make a first down. Because of an injury stoppage, St. Mary's coach George Porritt had time to decide what to do. The safe call was to punt in hopes of pinning Brother Rice deep.
Porritt called for no play, meaning Bolden would go under center and bark out the signals in an attempt to draw Brother Rice offside. If the Warriors didn't jump, Porritt would signal for a timeout and St. Mary's would punt.
That was the plan.
"We weren't supposed to snap it," Bolden said. "When he did, I just took off."
When the ball was snapped, none of the St. Mary's players moved except Schoof and Bolden.
Bolden gained a yard, St. Mary's kept possession, gained another first down and ran out the clock.
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