ATLANTA — A widely-panned touchdown call that helped decide a Georgia state championship high school football game last weekend could lead to the use of replay in the state.
One of Georgia's top high school sports officials told 11Alive that "we owe it" to schools to explore using replay after the call, which was described as "unbelievable" in some of the more generous language used to comment on it.
The call was made on a 3rd and goal rushing play from the 2-yard-line with under a minute to go in the fourth quarter between Cedar Grove and Sandy Creek in the Class 3A championship game.
Though the run was stopped well short of the goal line - about an entire yard short - it was ruled a touchdown, and Sandy Creek went ahead and won 21-17.
Videos of the play, which was broadcast by Georgia Public Broadcasting, went viral as it clearly showed there was no touchdown.
Longtime Atlanta sportswriter David O'Brien, with The Athletic, tweeted that it was "absurd, inexplicable" and "remarkably awful."
Georgia High School Sports Association (GHSA) President Dr. Jim Finch said in a statement that there has not yet been a meeting of the association's Board of Trustees on replay, but that he was "confident" it is "something the Board is at least willing to explore."
"There are many details and moving parts to this situation. But, ultimately, I think we owe it to our member schools to explore the possibility of the use of instant replay, provided we have the appropriate funding, training, support, and technology," Finch said.
The GHSA's executive director, Robin Hines, also said he was "sure it will be discussed" at the next board meeting.
The GHSA Board of Trustees generally meets every few months, with their last meeting having occurred on Nov. 14.