97-yard field goal attempt results in 6 points

High school football plays don't get much crazier than this one in West Virginia

A 97-yard field goal attempt Friday, Sept. 27, in a West Virginia high school football game resulted in six points. / John Heider/hometownlife.com via Imagn Content Services

Ever seen a Hail Mary version of a field goal?

It happened Friday night in West Virginia high school football, and it resulted in a touchdown.

For the opposite team.

With 18 seconds until halftime on their own 13-yard line, the Riverside Warriors decided to line up for a field goal.

Was some kind of trick play coming? Nope. The Warriors kicked it.

Riverside attempted a 97 yard FG. Not kidding - 97 yds. SC’s Brown ran it back 40 yds for a TD.
Half Riverside 32 SC 20 pic.twitter.com/a6BdIDERbr

— Joey Johnson (@joeyjohnsontm) September 28, 2024

It sailed about 27 yards, and South Charleston junior Malcolm Brown returned the kick 40 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Black Eagles' deficit to 32-20 at the half.

Both teams entered the game winless, but Riverside cruised in the second half to a 56-20 victory.

As if that kick wasn't bizarre enough, it followed a long delay on the field after a fight broke out in the end zone, which the reporter on the scene said ended up involving sheriffs:

A major fight in the end zone between players. Sheriffs are there. Play has been stopped.

— Joey Johnson (@joeyjohnsontm) September 28, 2024

There were 27 penalties in the first half alone.

But after a long night, Riverside went home with its first win of the season and its first in eight games extending to last season.

And now that the Warriors have tried a 97-yard field goal, they probably know to go no longer than 96 next time.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail has the full game story (behind a paywall).

—

-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive | @sblivesports

SBLIVE SPORTS LAUNCHES HIGH SCHOOL ON SI

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before.

For more information, visit si.com/high-school.