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The main issue surrounds a whistle that many people heard just around the time Dowling, who was stopped on the kickoff return and was being driven backwards, flipped the ball to Zaffino. (Zaffino himself was one of those who heard it.) Check it out on the Jersey Sports Now raw video of the play above; you can hear a tweet just after Zaffino gets the football. MSG Varsity was filming at the other end of the field and on their video the whistle sound is a little louder.
There is no proof that the sound is a referee's whistle, and in fact some contend the whistle came from the stands instead. If it was one of the refs, what probably happened is that he thought Dowling was stopped, but as he went to blow his whistle the star senior got rid of the football. The ref probably then tried to swallow the whistle, but couldn't keep himself from emitting a sound. It's possible he didn't even realize he had done so.
Of course, by the letter of the rules, that inadvertent whistle should have stopped the play. Wayne Hills would have gotten the ball at the point the whistle blew, or the kickoff would have been replayed. But that would have ignited an even bigger firestorm of controversy had the officials blown the play dead while Zaffino was galloping to the end zone.
The mystery whistle isn't the only issue the video shows. At one point, a Wayne Hills blocker briefly gets a fistful of jersey of an Old Tappan player, although it wasn't near the ball carrier. Some also believe the Golden Knights' player in the #1 jersey was blocked in the back, but our video shows that block came more from the side.
In any case, you can understand why Old Tappan players, coaches and fans believe they got a raw deal. On the flip side, Wayne Hills is justified to think that it earned the touchdown and the win.
How will this play be remembered? For some perspective, consider a similar event, the kickoff return simply known as "The Play" that lifted California past Stanford in 1982. It is best recalled for its five laterals, and Cal's Kevin Moen running over a Stanford trombone player at the goal line after the band ran onto the field.
But Cal also lined up improperly for the kickoff and may have had a couple of players step on the field during the runback. Also, one of the laterals appears to have been illegal. And similar to the Wayne Hills play, one lateral came after a ball carrier was stopped and was about to be tackled, with some arguing it should have been blown dead.
Just as Stanford fans still bemoan The Play, Old Tappan supporters will probably never accept the Meadowlands Miracle as legitimate. But most fans remember The Play as a great moment in football history. We suspect that in the long run, the play that won Wayne Hills its latest state sectional title will be recalled in a similar fashion. -- Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now
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