Timpview's Shumway makes controversial touchdown catch to beat Bruins
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This game was a Nail Biter, not our best but still a win.
In one minute the Mountain View Bruins went from delight to disbelief.
Timpview mirrored the transition just minutes later.
Trailing 25-21 with 49 seconds remaining, the Thunderbirds engineered a pass-oriented drive from their own 33-yard line to Bruin 33-yard line. After three incomplete attempts and with one second remaining, quarterback Jake Lloyd heaved a pass to the right corner of the end zone intended for Rickey Shumway.
Video footage appeared to show the ball came loose for a second from both Shumway and Bruins cornerback Kevin Criman. Thinking Criman had at least broken up the play, Mountain View players rushed the field.
Shumway, however, contested he had actually stripped the ball away from Criman and obtained possession in the end zone. After a short delay, officials ruled as Shumway had indicated, giving Timpview a 27-25, buzzer-beating win.
Mountain View fans continued to celebrate before quieting, confused as Timpview players and fans began to cheer. When the public address system announced the final ruling, Bruins fans erupted in protest even as Mountain View coaches and players ceased their own objections and began leaving the field.
"They said [Criman] came down with possession and their guy came up with it," Bruins head coach Jon Snyder said. "It was a bad call, I'm not going to lie. It wasn't the right call and the coaches know it."
Timpview head coach Louis Wong disagreed.
"I saw two guys going after the ball," Wong said. "After that, possession goes to the offensive guy. That's what I saw and that's why I ran out, because our guy ended up with the ball."
Timpview had little time to exult, however, before realizing one of their own wasn't in a position to celebrate the win. Senior linebacker Sam Cusick lost consciousness shortly after the final play following a hard hit in the previous scrum.
Cusick regained partial consciousness as Orem medical personnel arrived, complaining of pain and weakness. He was quickly immobilized and transported to a local hospital for immediate evaluation. His official status is unknown.
"He was fairly weak from what I understood," Wong said. "He probably made a tackle with his head down."
The Thunderbirds were likely weak with relief regarding the victory, one Wong didn't hesitate to associate with luck. Despite the win, he credited Mountain View's effort and focus, something he isn't as confident about for his own team.
"They've got some heart," Wong said. "Once you get that heart and once you start believing, that's when your program starts moving forward. It's a check for us, because I'm not too sure where our heart is at right now. I told our guys we can't live off the past. We have to establish our own identity."
"I'll take the win because it fell our way, but I'm not one of those guys that lives on luck," he said.
Mountain View felt anything but lucky following a game that saw them storm back from a third-quarter, 21-10 deficit behind Taylor Wach. The senior running back carried defenders with him for extra yards multiple times, including the Bruins' third-quarter drive that ran eight minutes off the clock, ending in a Wach rushing touchdown.
After another Wach score and a two-point conversion to earn a four-point lead, however, the Bruins fell apart in a matter of seconds for the second time that game. After scoring to take a 10-7 lead with 28 seconds remaining in the first half, Mountain View allowed Lloyd and the Thunderbirds to connect for seven pass completions, culminating in a 40-yard touchdown pass to Austin Fullmer.
Despite disagreeing with the outcome, Snyder vowed his team would not dwell on the loss or the manner in which it happened.
"We're not going to cry about it, "Snyder said. "We're not going to whine about it. It makes us better and tougher because we lost."
"We all know. We all know what we did out here."
