Best finish ever? Name one better
They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, but I might double that number after watching what might be the most dramatic ending to a high school game - any sport - I've seen in 15 years of doing this job.
It would take me at least that many words to do justice to the play Marmion center fielder Mark Peters made to end the Cadets' 7-6 win over Burlington Central on Thursday at the Class 3A DeKalb sectional.
Luckily our photographer Rick West was on hand to capture the play and let our readers see for themselves.
Peters also made a play like this to win a game this year against Aurora Christian.
"It doesn't even compare," Peters said. "This is great."
You know it's probably a pretty big catch when your coach has to go back to Derek Jeter in the World Series as a comparison, which is just what Dave Rakow did.
"If you leave in play and catch the ball before you are out of play you are OK," Rakow said. " I remember Derek Jeter doing it in the playoffs about 10 years ago. If your feet leave the surface you are OK even if you land out of play."
As for me trying to describe the catch? I think Rakow said it best.
"That might be the best play I've ever seen on any level in any situation," Rakow said. "When you take into account what was on the line there. Bottom of the seventh, one-run game. That might be the best play I've ever seen regardless high school, college, whatever. I don't know if I'll ever see it again."
That got me thinking about any ending I've seen any better in any sport. It's a short list, and given everything that was on the line when Peters made his catch there might not be a better one.
(Keep in mind these are just the games I was lucky enough to cover in person. There's plenty more I wish I was at, like Batavia's thriller over St. Viator on its way to the 2006 football state championship game.)
A pair of football playoff wins jump to mind, one in 2006 when Boone Thorgesen and Casey Crosby teammed up to lead Kaneland from 8 points behind late in regulation to a 52-45 double overtime victory over Sterling.
That was the definition of a classic, perhaps topped only by a miraculous comeback by Geneva at Freeport in the 2004 quarterfinals. The Vikings trailed 21-17 with 27 seconds left and facing third-and-21 at their own 20, then watched Alex Pokorny hit Nick Sanchez on a 72-yard play to set up Matt Skaar's game-winning TD reception.
A miraculous win for sure, one that still brings a smile to think about.
That's just what Peters, Rakow and every Marmion player, parent, coach and fan is going to do with Thursday's win. Today. Saturday. Next week. Next year. In 10 years, 20 years...you'll still be smiling thinking of that catch and I bet you still will not have seen a more dramatic end to a game.
jlemon@dailyherald.com
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Photo Galleries</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/story/?id=385696">Images of Marmion's game-saving catch </a></li> </ul> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=385605">Peters' play saves the day for Marmion in upset of BC <span class="date">[06/03/10]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>