The ruling by Judge Kathleen Kennedy came in a lawsuit filed by Fenwick against the Illinois High School Association, which had refused to hear an appeal by the private Catholic school in Oak Park, citing a bylaw declaring that decisions by officials shall be final.
A mistaken decision by officials with no time left allowed Plainfield North to tie last weekend's game with a field goal in regulation and then win 18-17 in overtime on a two-point conversion.
Near the end of regulation in Saturday's semifinal game, Fenwick was clinging to a 10-7 lead and had the ball at its own 15-yard line. With four seconds left, the Friars' quarterback threw a deep pass on fourth down for an incompletion, seemingly ending the game.
But the officials ruled that play to be intentional grounding, a penalty. With no time left on the clock, the officiating crew then awarded Plainfield North one play, allowing them to kick a game-tying field goal.
Several hours after the game, the IHSA issued a statement stating the officials erred when they gave Plainfield North one final play after the passing penalty. The IHSA cited bylaw 6.033 states that "the decisions of game officials are final."
The Fifth Down Game was played on November 16, 1940 between Cornell University and Dartmouth College. The college football game was conceded by the victor after films confirmed that errors by the game officials had allowed an unpermitted fifth down as the last play of the game.
Cornell entered the contest with 18 straight victories. Dartmouth managed to corral Cornell's potent offense for nearly the entire low-scoring game. Dartmouth scored first, kicking a field goal early in the fourth quarter.
With less than a minute remaining in the game, Cornell got the ball on Dartmouth's six-yard line. Cornell had four chances to win the game. On first down, FB Mort Landsberg gained three yards. A second down run by HB Walt Scholl moved the ball to the one-yard line. On third down, Mort Landsberg tried to run up the middle, but gained only a few inches. On fourth down, Cornell was penalized for delay of game, and Referee Red Friesell spotted the ball just over the 5-yard line in order to replay the fourth down. With nine seconds left on the clock, quarterback "Pop" Scholl threw an incomplete pass into the end zone. Normally, the ball would have gone to Dartmouth, which would have used up the remaining seconds and won the game, 3–0.
But following the fourth down, Linesman Joe McKenny signaled that it was first down and that the ball should go to Dartmouth at the 20 yard line. Referee Friesell did not agree and gave the ball to Cornell and placed it on the six-yard line on fourth down when in actuality it was "fifth" down. Making the most of the unexpected opportunity, QB Scholl threw a touchdown pass to William Murphy, and following the extra-point kick, Cornell won the game 7–3.
Officials discovered their error after reviewing the game films. Head Coach Carl Snavely, acting athletic director Bob Kane, and President Edmund Ezra Day, a Dartmouth alumnus, agreed that Cornell should send a telegram to Dartmouth offering to forfeit the game. Cornell players voted unanimously to award the game to Red Blaik's Indians. Dartmouth accepted.
Although there is some doubt whether the 1940 Cornell forfeit was "official" according to NCAA rules, the game is regarded as a 3–0 Dartmouth victory, instead of a 7–3 triumph by Cornell. This is the only time in the history of football that a game was decided off the field.
Here's hoping East St. Louis High beats Plainfield North fair and square in the state championship game. We only have eight justices on the United States Supreme Court.
Paul Murphy
Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy
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