Before i post this...congratulations to Sierra and go win a bowl game. Also...I'm not a Sutter guy....but i felt like puking when a left this game.
i was at this game. it was decided by penalties, which many were "blown" calls. that is what they were, nothing more.
lets call this what it is....a game decided by referees blowing game changing calls. Sutter won on the field and doesn't get to go.
What a shame for those young men, for that officiating crew etc. etc. etc.
some questionable penalties besides the illegal forward pass blown call.
1st half - Sierra 3rd and 8ish in their own 20ish. Same side judge calls a "horsecollar" on sutter from across the field and 20 yds downfield and 15 yds behind the play and on opposite side of the field. He was 40 yds +/- away from the play and this was not even his call to make. Sierra O stays on the field. next play was a hit out of bound on sutter (likely legit, could not see this as well). 2 plays 30 yds Sierra TD.
After this call, I started calling this side judge "Phantom"....for this Phantom horsecollar call.
the refs dominated the 1st half...with a distinct advantage to Sierra in terms of # of calls and yardage. BLOWN CALL
1st half - 3rd and 5 ish. Sierra QB scrambling (he is a fantastic athlete BTW). He has three Sutter D Lineman coming after him....one is hooked around the neck by an o lineman and another dlineman's jersey nearly ripped off from behind. he scrambles for the 1st down leading to a sierra score. no holding call with the side judge within feet of the play (this is the opposite side judge). BLOWN NO CALL
3rd Qtr. - Sutter 3rd and long. 35 yd +/- play action pass complete for 1st down into Sierra side of field. Late flag for a high/low. was watching the receiver and not the line, but flag came out on time. probably a legit call?
4th Qtr. - THE BIG BLOW. Game deciding Blown call takes the winning TD off the board. Sierra may have changed their calls on their last drive and gone for TD instead of field goal on their last 3rd and long, but in this tight of a game, this blown call made the difference.