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Thursday, July 31, 1997

Despite some heartbreak, high school coaches like OT rule

By GALEN WELNICKI / Corpus Christi Caller-Times

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - If anyone has a reason to treat the new overtime tie-breaking system used by the University Interscholastic League with disdain, it would be Moody High School football coach Jim Elam.

In a Class 5A Division II bi-district game last November, the Trojans dropped a 27-21 decision to Laredo Alexander in overtime. There was little consolation for Moody in being the first Corpus Christi-area team to decide a playoff game under that format.

Under the statistical tie-breaking system used by the UIL prior to 1996, Moody would have won the game at the end of regulation on the basis of a 4-3 advantage in penetrations inside its opponent's 20-yard line. On that night, a 4-3 edge in penetrations and 75 cents may not have purchased a cup of coffee in a fashionable Laredo eatery.

In overtime, Alexander stopped Moody with a pass interception at the goal line, then the Bulldogs scored the winning touchdown on their fifth offensive play.

"We would have advanced on penetrations," Elam said, "but I still think it's better to settle it on the field. I'd rather play it off than go to statistics. We should have won in overtime."

Calallen's Phil Danaher, who saw his team eliminated in the 4A Division II state semifinals on a La Marque field goal in overtime, echoed Elam. The 24-21 decision was a gut-wrenching fourth consecutive semifinal loss by Calallen to the Cougars.

"I think it's a good thing to end a game with a winner determined on the field," Danaher said. "It's the fairest way. I just wish we could have done better. I don't know if we would have won under the old system. I was too concerned with the overtime to dwell on that."

Immediately after the December game, though, Danaher noted that Calallen would have advanced under the old tie-breaker. After regulation, the teams were tied on penetrations, but the Wildcats led on first downs.

A third Coastal Bend coach experienced overtime in the playoffs, but from a much different perspective. Victoria coach Mark Reeve finished a long night at Buccaneer Stadium seeing his team win in a fourth overtime period. Using a pass interception in its favor, Victoria beat Brownsville Rivera, 44-38, in a area showdown that was deadlocked, 17-17, at the end of regulation.

"A lot of people have said deciding a game on the field is less painful," Reeve said. "But it's always tough to lose, no matter how it's done. But I think the rule is good because it puts a lot of excitement in a game. Against Rivera, the overtime was much more exciting than the regulation."

The UIL tie-breaker, which gives each team an offensive possession from its opponent's 25, is the same as the one used by NCAA schools on all levels.

The rule has been amended two ways for 1997, its second season. In an attempt to reduce the probability of extra-long games such as Victoria-Rivera, teams will be forced to attempt two-point conversions after a second overtime period.

"Our game was the longest (high school game) in the history of the NCAA rule," Reeve said. "They changed the rule partly because of our game. It's a record that may never be broken.

"Going for two adds more difficulty - especially for a team like us that thinks in terms of scoring and then kicking the extra point."

The other change this year will see the rule used for non-district games as well as district and playoff contests. However, sub-varsity and middle school games will not be subject to overtime.

Elam disagrees with the non-district application.

"I think we only need it in district and in the playoffs," Elam said. "If a non-district game ends in a tie, let's go home and get ready for next week."

The major motivation to contain the length of overtime games is to counteract fatigue, which the rules committee felt led directly to a greater chance of injuries.

However, Danaher and Reeve pointed to a more practical fatigue factor. The team with depth and fresher bodies has a definite advantage after the regulation 48 minutes.

"If a team plays the game the way it should be played, fatigue should be a factor in overtime," Danaher said. "You have to suck it up and go. It (fatigue) cost us against La Marque. We had more kids going two ways (playing offense and defense), and they were tired."

"There's no question that fatigue is a factor," Reeve said. "That's one of the reasons there was so much opposition to the rule at first. People said it would lead to an increase in injuries. A team that plays two separate platoons - 11 different players on each side of the ball - will have the biggest advantage."

Danaher said the mental aspects of fatigue were potentially more harmful than the physical ramifications to a team's chances to win in overtime.

"At that point of the game, more mistakes tend to be mental than physical," Danaher said. "Offsides, lining up wrong and running the wrong (pass) patterns are the result of mental fatigue."

Reeve said he didn't feel the current refinement of the overtime rule was complete. "I don't think this will be the last. There'll probably be something to limit the number of overtimes - some single-elimination device at the end."

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