WOODLAWN - It was the perfect setting for something strange to happen at the Carl Jones Sports Complex last Friday night.
With a full moon peaking from behind the clouds over the east endzone, the Woodlawn Bears seemed to have the game under control with a 32-6 halftime lead over the winless Marvell-Elaine Mustangs.
But Marvell, which deferred to take the second half kickoff, managed to recover Woodlawn's onside kick attempt, and on the first play of the third quarter, the Mustangs' massive quarterback, Jabaris Green, fired a missle down the right sideline to Tryeiven Campbell, who pulled it in for a 49-yard touchdown strike. The two-point conversion pass was no good, leaving the Bears with a 32-12 lead.
It really got interesting on the ensuing kickoff, however, when it appeared that Woodlawn's Matthew Green had clearly recovered Marvell's onside kick attempt. While on game official ruled Woodlawn had recovered, the others gathered near midfield. Moments later, the head official signaled a first down for the Mustangs at the 50 yard line, sending the Woodlawn coaching staff into a frenzy. Looking back at that episode after the game, Bears Coach Zach Meyer said it actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"We clearly recovered it and our guy gave it up once the whistle was blown, and with their speed, they could have got loose and scored quick," Meyer said about the controversial call. "Sometimes the calls don't go your way.
"It kind of sparked a fire in us. It was kind of a good thing in a way. We were kind of playing in a lull, and when that happened, it kind of sparked a fire in everybody," he said.
Two incompletions, a one-yard loss on a third-down pass and two penalties for illegal motion, Marvell was punting from its own 39. Woodlawn went on to score on its next three possessions to come away with a 56-12 victory.
Woodlawn improved to 3-2 in South Conference play and 5-3 overall wit...
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