MURRAY, Utah — Using an obscure rule, the Cottonwood football team claimed victory in a now-viral video that confused pretty much everyone but the team themselves.
The rule, Section 24 Article 3 of the NFHS High School Football Rulebook, allowed the Colts to opt for a free kick after a fair catch. They would later win the game 25-24.
"I was just mentally prepared for it, I had imagined it in my head already," said the team's junior kicker Ryan Nielson.
According to the head coach Casey Miller, it's been something for the team to rally around.
"There hasn't been a three-year stretch with 12 wins since 2010," he said. "So yeah, it's a huge deal."
Ever since the team's gone independent, he's made sure everyone's practiced this exact scenario for years now.
"There's only one scenario where you would even attempt it because what you're doing is forfeiting your chance to play offense," Miller said.
But it was a risk they were willing to take against Jordan High School, being down 2 with 18 seconds left.
"I knew we were gunna get the ball closer to the forty and I know he has the leg for that," he said.
And he certainly did, the play has since gone viral, racking up over half a million views so far. If nothing else, Miller believes it would be an educational moment for everyone.
"I mean, I'm sure everybody has gone home and looked at the rule book now," said Miller.
