It was the perfect play call at the perfect time and with almost perfect execution. But in the end, it wasn’t.

Trailing 29-23 in the fourth quarter against Naperville North on Friday night, Neuqua Valley went into its bag of tricks and had star running back Andy Barkley throw back across the field to a wide-open quarterback Drake Mennecke, who raced toward the end zone and dove for the right pylon.

What appeared to be a game-tying touchdown that would be followed by a potential game-winning PAT kick, was ruled a touchback when one official said Mennecke lost control of the ball as he reached for the pylon.

Celebration turned into confusion and anger on the Wildcats sidelines and in the home stands.

Instead of a 27-yard score, it was a 26-yard gain and a fumble into the end zone for

See Full Page