Botched TD call could cost West Meck a playoff spot. Take a look at what refs missed
West Mecklenburg High School football fans, players and coaches are upset over a missed call by officials that could end up costing the school an NCHSAA playoff berth.
In the first quarter of West Charlotte’s 7-0 win over West Mecklenburg on Friday, West Charlotte quarterback KD Smith threw a pass to Caleb Barringer on third-and-5 near the West Meck goal line.
The ball was thrown low, and Barringer dove for it. Officials called the result of the play a touchdown, though videos shot by fans and posted to social media showed the pass clearly hit the ground. The official video stream, via the NFHS Network, was cloudy and did not show a good view of the play.
During a taping of The Observer’s “Talking Preps” show Sunday, West Meck coach Beady Waddell said he was obviously disappointed with the call. Because West Charlotte and West Mecklenburg are the only 3A teams in the Queen City 3A/4A conference, the winner of their game gets the league’s automatic playoff bid.
Waddell said the school will file an appeal Monday with the N.C. High School Athletic Association.
“We saw the play in real time in the first quarter,” he said. “We tried to dispute it. We tried to talk to the refs. They kind of dismissed us and didn’t give us an explanation until after the (PAT) kick. Even after (that) they really didn’t give us a whole lot of answers. Their thing was to go review film and submit it” to the state association.
West Charlotte coach Sam Greiner didn’t dispute that the call was incorrect, but said he felt it would be difficult for the officials to see the play clearly because it happened near the corner of the end zone and not in a direct line of sight.
“It was such a unique play,” he said, “because the ball was tipped by a defender. It’s a bang-bang play. At the time, I’m on the other sideline. I can’t see. Caleb did an amazing job saying, ‘I caught the ball,’ and we’re cheering. That’s a great heads-up play by Caleb. You don’t have as many officials, or replay, in high school.”
Greiner said he didn’t see the definitive angle of the play until videos surfaced Saturday night. Now his team (3-3) is going back to the playoffs.
At 4-2, West Mecklenburg is probably going to have to win two of its last four games to qualify for an at-large spot.
On social media, Hawks fans shared copies of the play offering comments like, “They called this perfect defensive play on 4th down a TD in the most important game of both teams’ seasons to go to the playoffs (and) this (is) how the refs played us.”
Another added: “Make it make sense. (Is it) about the adults of the kids?”
The Hawks play Hough (4-1) on the road Friday, followed by a home game against North Mecklenburg (3-2) before finishing regular-season play at Hopewell (1-4) and at Mallard Creek (3-2). Hough is No. 2 in The Observer’s Sweet 16 poll. Mallard Creek is No. 13.
“We’re determined,” Waddell said. “We’re locked in. We’re in it for the long haul. We have a good young team and they’re disappointed, but they’re ready to get back after it. I think we can split and go 2-2 and maybe even upset somebody along the way.”
This story was originally published September 25, 2022 at 6:39 PM.
