MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Bo Sechrist (5) leaps over the Shamokin defense but drops a pass in overtime in the endzone. Shamokin players jumped offsides during the extra-point attempt in overtime, but officials did not make a call.

In the closing stretch of the District 4 Class AAAA final between Jersey Shore and Shamokin, the Bulldogs stood one point-after away from extending the mostly unblemished thriller to a second overtime period. While PATs are rarely guaranteed in high school football, especially with the stakes as high as they were, kicker Paul Hale had been perfect on the night and 9-of-10 in the playoffs up to that point.

There was a good chance he could’ve made that count 10 of 11, even with the added pressure and recency of his prior field goal miss. But he’d never even get a chance to get another up.

Following the snap, the impending Shamokin rush would halt Hale in his tracks, signaling Elijah Jordan to take up the snap and try to make something happen. And despite his and his team’s efforts to turn a blown play into two points, Jordan’s pass fell incomplete, granting Shamokin the district crown.

There was just one problem.

Prior to the snap, multiple Shamokin players had crossed the line of scrimmage and one had jumped over the offensive line, warranting at least an offsides call. It was clear at the time and made crystal when film was reviewed following the game.

But obviously, that call never came.

That absurd no-call was met with justified, interrogative jeers from the Jersey Shore crowd, unrest that had been building up following a similar no-call on a previous field goal attempt and a questionable horse-collar call on Shamokin’s game-tying drive.

And while I can excuse the latter two for being more difficult to call, it is baffling to try to figure out how three separate officials right next to the action, and two on either side of the end zone, could miss such a blatant offsides penalty on a game-deciding play.

“I don’t know how to comment on it. I don’t know how to comment on the last play,” emphasized Jersey Shore coach Tom Gravish following the game. “I’m just very disappointed in the last play and not disappointed in our guys at all.”

To have such a great game marred by controversy is a travesty. Truly. It’s a disservice to both teams, their players, coaches and fans, and an embarrassment on the end of PIAA and its officials.

It’s obviously unfair to the Bulldogs, who stood little chance of extending or winning the game on that play, only getting one thanks to the composure of their senior quarterback. In a game with competent refs, they would’ve gotten another shot at the 1 and could’ve either gone for two to win or re-attempt the kick to extend it.

But it’s also unfair to the Indians, who now have to hear rumblings about their win not being completely earned, even after playing an incredible game and putting themselves in a great position to win.

While Shamokin is a well-coached unit and likely won’t have its confidence damaged by that, it deserves to be able to fully relish what was a historic title victory for the program.

It doesn’t deserve an asterisk by its win just for playing with heart and aggression. And if you’re here to see me claim their title invalid, this isn’t the article for you.

Whether or not Shore got another shot at either winning or extending the game, there’s no guarantee it would’ve converted. Sure, moving up to the 1 would’ve increased its chances but nobody knows if it would’ve extended the game, won the game with a two-point conversion or gotten stuffed.

And that’s the problem.

Though the Bulldogs had chances to close out the game in the fourth quarter, they did everything in their power to bounce back from those shortcomings and keep themselves in position to take home the title.

Now they, most notably the seniors, will forever have to wonder what could’ve been, especially if the Indians end up making a deep run in states.

They don’t get the same closure that would’ve come with fairly falling short. And that’s on the refs.

SHORE’S HEART AND

JORDAN’S HEROICS

Controversy aside, the heart and composure Jersey Shore played with on Friday cannot be understated. Even after fumbling the ball on the first play, their response was swift and stout, a testament to the team’s preparation prior to the game and progress they’d made since the teams’ first matchup.

Defensively, the Bulldogs were able to make Shamokin one-dimensional, holding a rushing attack that had previously bullied them through the latter half of their first match to just 2.5 yards per carry. And behind hard-nosed running, Shore posted its second highest rushing output of the season, rushing for 280 yards and over six yards per carry.

“I’m proud of the guys,” said Gravish when discussing their effort. “We left it all out on the field and did everything we possibly could to try to win. Special shoutout to our seniors, how important they are, all of their effort and dedication. We believe in our players and the sun will rise again tomorrow.”

Under center, Elijah Jordan made numerous huge plays that called for collectedness and fight. His first touchdown pass on the night came on fourth down, a 35-yard bomb to fellow senior Evan Snyder, and many of his runs featured him putting his body on the line and giving an extra effort, with many of his 141 rushing yards not coming easily.

With the game on the line, facing fourth and goal in overtime, he initially couldn’t find anyone open and was forced to keep the play alive with his legs, getting backed up by as many as 14 yards from the line of scrimmage.

But he managed to find enough space to set his feet for a pass to the endzone, finding Snyder for their second touchdown connection to make it 28-27. And although his effort on the ensuing debacle ended up being in vain, finding an avenue to a win despite the odds is a testament to how much he grew as a quarterback throughout his lone season at the position.

“I don’t want this to be my last game,” said Jordan when discussing his mindset on those plays. “I’ve got to do everything I can to possibly make this game go longer. We had the fourth-down conversion, just couldn’t pull through on the extra point.”

In his lone high school season at the helm, he totaled 3,202 yards (2,401 pass, 801 rush) and 36 touchdowns, which is incredibly impressive considering how quickly he had to adjust to playing the position. He, along with a stout senior class, will be greatly missed.

GLIMPSE AT THE FUTURE

While Shore departs with a stacked senior class, including but not limited to the likes of Jordan, Snyder, Hale, Brodie Herr and Slate Sechrist, one returning piece that should build excitement heading into next season is Bo Sechrist.

As a linebacker, the junior had already made a name for himself prior to this season, surpassing 100 tackles as a sophomore and building on that success in 2024. But he appears to be on the brink of an exceptional offensive season as well, developing considerably as a running back through the latest span of games.

Against Shamokin on Friday, Sechrist was electric, turning 11 touches into 111 yards and displaying considerable effort, acceleration and agility on both his touchdowns runs. His most impressive play on the night came on his second touchdown, a 40-yard run which saw him break multiple tackles and sidestep multiple defenders, capped off with an ankle-breaking juke to finish the run in the end zone.

While there are more question marks heading into next season than the last, Sechrist figures to be a great piece to build around as the team looks to end its two-year district title drought. It’s tough to get excited after such a tough loss, but Gravish is optimistic heading into 2025.

“We really like our underclassmen as well. It’s mostly about our seniors in the last game, but they (underclassmen) had an exceptional JV season,” said Gravish. “Many of them played varsity this year. Many of them will letter this year as a varsity player. They practice hard, got good habits, good skills.”

“I’m confident that the Bulldogs will be bouncing back in 2025.”

Henry Huber is the sports editor at The Express. He can be reached at hhuber@lockhaven.com. Follow him on Twitter at @HenryHuber_.