Belen Jesuit (Fl.) beat powerhouse Miami Northwestern (Fl.) 36-28 Friday thanks to an unusual coaching decision that worked to perfection.
Belen coach Rick Stuart instructed his team to call for fair catch on a punt return with 16.7 seconds left. Instead of running plays to get closer for a field goal, or to try and score a touchdown, Stuart called a rare play: a free kick.
Free kicks are allowed after fair catches. Kickers can then choose to kick using a tee like on a kick off, or a drop kick like they would on a punt, or like they would on a field goal with a holder (it’s similar to the kicking options following a safety).
With Northwestern standing 10 yards away by rule, kicker Sergio Sroka nailed a 49-yard field goal off the tee to give his team the lead. It was redemption for Sroka who had missed a 37-yard field goal on his team’s previous drive.
Belen added an interception returned for a touchdown as time expired to win 36-28.
Here’s a video of Sroka’s impressive boot to win the game:
The bold call capped an impressive comeback for Belen which was down 28-7. The Wolverines are now 6-1 after the win.
The last time a free kick was attempted in the NFL was November 2008 by Neil Rackers of the Cardinals against the Giants. It did not work out very well.
So who had the better kick, Sroka, or this person?
Helmet knock to Prep Rally, via Play Action Picks
