TURTLE CREEK, Pa. — Woodland Hills and Central Catholic met for the 30th time in history as the Vikings took care of the Wolverines’ mistakes all night long.
But Woodland Hills was on the right side of a wacky sequence that took place late in the third quarter that will leave a haunting memory in the head of Central Catholic’s Roman Thompson.
Woodland Hills quarterback Cam Walter dropped back and was pressured quickly. He was hit from behind and the ball jarred loose. Thompson quickly swarmed in to pick up the ball. As he approached the end zone, Thompson prematurely dropped the ball.
D’Jarrard Dutrueille was there with the heads-up play to scoop the ball and take off for the end. Sprinting down the sideline in front of his bench, the junior took it 100 yards for a Woodland Hills touchdown.
Shades of Utah’s Kaelin Clay, who coughed up a 78-yard touchdown in a similar fashion at the goal line back in 2014 as Oregon returned the costly mistake 100 yards as well. And the same can be said for then Eagles wideout Desean Jackson, who flipped the football back at the 1-yard line and allowed the Dallas Cowboys to grab an easy turnover.
It’s a hard lesson to never celebrate too early, at any level of football.
Even with Woodland Hills capitalizing on the mistake, Woodland Hills still trailed 48-14.
