Publication: THE
Published: 09/01/1999
Page: P3B
Curious call
Some people at Laidley Field last Thursday were wondering about George
Washington's final pass attempt of the game, which came in the last
minute of a 20-7 victory over Nitro.
The Patriots had just
gained a key first down on Nitro's 19 via a
29-yard burst by Mike Sykes on a third-and-17 call. With the clock
ticking down under 30 seconds and GW holding a two-TD lead, the
Patriots only needed to kneel a couple times to close it out.
But quarterback Pete
Ambrose fired an incomplete pass in the end zone,
stopping the clock. One more Sykes carry would whittle off the
remaining time.
Many thought the call was
in retaliation for Nitro's final score in
last year's game, a 41-20 Wildcats victory. In that game, J.R. House
hit Chris Martin in the right flat with a short toss and he scooted 36
yards for a TD with 12 seconds left.
But the only difference
there was that Nitro was facing a fourth-and-1
call - not a first-and-10 - and wanted a first down to run out the
clock. The pass was no more than 5 yards, but GW failed to tackle
Martin and he kept going.
Whatever the incentive,
Nitro coach Robert "Little' Burdette wasn't
concerned. "I have never had a problem with
that,' Burdette said,
"when teams are trying to score on us.