Taylor Fulcher of Appomattox (right) pleads for a goal call as goalie Laura Whitaker (red) of George Mason attempts to secure the ball
Charles Conrad

Fans of the Appomattox Lady Raiders girls soccer team will not get their wish of an official apology or co-championship. The controversial overturned goal in the Virginia High School League Class 2 State Championship game on June 9 against George Mason, which likely cost the Lady Raiders a shot at a win, was ruled as inconclusive by the VHSL after review of photographs and video.

With that ruling, the final score of 1-0 in favor of George Mason stands and the Lady Raiders are Class 2 State Runner-ups for the 2018 season. While runner-up is a grand accomplishment, losing the title game due to a controversial call by game officials has left many Lady Raiders players and fans with a bittersweet feeling.

For a recap, Ashlyn Lewis of Appomattox lined up for a penalty kick several feet beyond the goalie box early in the second half with the game scoreless. Her kick sailed toward the left side of the goal, forcing George Mason goalie Laura Whitaker to make a high leap for the ball.

Whitaker got her hands on the ball, but could not maintain control and dropped the ball around her feet. Several Appomattox players were near the goal and signaled that they had seen the ball cross the goal line.

An assistant referee also waved his flag to signal a goal, which gave the Lady Raiders a 1-0 lead. However, after a private conference between the assistant referee and head referee away from the players, the goal was overturned and the game remained scoreless.

The play has been a subject of much scrutiny among the Appomattox team and community, leaving many to feel they were robbed of a possible state championship. According to Appomattox coaches and players, others who were in attendance, including the Giles boys soccer coach, also expressed a similar view following the game.

Since then, Appomattox fans have flooded the VHSL with emails and phone calls asking the Lady Raiders to be recognized as co-champions or, at least, receive an official apology. Photographs and cell phone video recordings of the play have also been submitted.

VHSL Executive Director Billy Haun explained that he and other staff members reviewed all of the photographs and video, including footage from Lynchburg television station WSET, but could not determine conclusively that the ball crossed the goal line.

Haun, who discussed the matter with the VHSL commissioner of officials, stands behind the decision of the game officials even though, as he explained, the assistant referee should not have been the one to call the goal. “It was not his call to make,” Haun said. According to Haun, the head referee is the only one who can affirm a score.

“The referee and assistant referee conferenced and determined that neither one of them could 100 percent be absolutely certain that the ball had completely crossed the goal line. Therefore, you can’t call it a goal if you’re not sure it was over there. In order for it to be a goal in soccer, it’s not where the goalie landed, or any player landed. The fact is that the ball has to be 100 percent across the line.” Haun said.

In many professional and collegiate sports, when a call is made on the field and is unable to be determined whether or not the correct call was made afterward, the original ruling stands. This is apparently not the case in the VHSL, where the original call was chalked up to human error.

“That’s what you get sometimes when you get human beings doing games,” Haun said. “It had been the heat of the battle. I’m not faulting the official or anything like that. It’s interesting because many times, we criticize officials for not getting together and talking about situations. This time they did get together and they talked about it, and they could not be 100 percent sure that the ball had crossed the goal line.”

When asked if any sort of camera placement near the goalie net is an option at future championship-level VHSL contests to prevent such controversies in the future, Haun replied that he does not foresee it happening any time soon, but that anything is possible as technology advances. The financial cost of the replay technology is one hurdle that would need to be overcome.

Another controversial call, on a slide tackle by Appomattox defender Hannah Johnson inside the goalie box in the second half which gave George Mason a 1-0 lead after a successful kick, was deemed to be a judgment call by the officials, according to Haun.

Haun conveyed his understanding of the frustration over the overturned goal, having been involved in the world of sports for many years.

“I played high school sports and I coached for 17 years and I certainly understand,” Haun said. “People are passionate about it. It’s your child and your community. It’s your school. It’s who you’re supporting and you want them to win. I understand exactly how passionate people are about athletic activities, especially a state championship game. It’s hard, but we have to trust the officials that they got it right.”

All things considered, the Lady Raiders have had an exciting run toward the state championship and finishing in second place is an incredible feat. Multiple Lady Raiders have made their marks in the VHSL record books for their 2018 team and individual accomplishments.

While the members of the Lady Raiders and their supporters have expressed frustration that the outcome of the game fell into the hands of the officiating crew, they have also expressed the confidence to know that they achieved what few believed they could in coming within one play of defeating juggernaut George Mason, the winner of 11 straight state titles, and putting Appomattox girls soccer on the map as a force to be reckoned with in the future.