OT rules ignored: Bison-Baptist game ends in 12-12 tie

Carlisle's Kamryn Taylor heads toward the end zone for a Bison touchdown against Baptist Prep. (Photo courtesy of Julie Carter)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

CARLISLE — For the first time in 10 years, a Carlisle game ended in a tie. However, that should not have happened per Arkansas Activities Association rules.

Carlisle and Baptist Prep were tied 12-12 at the end of the fourth quarter. The game should have been extended with an overtime with both teams getting a possession at the opponent’s 10-yard line. 

However, the game officials ended the contest. 

The rule was changed three years ago to allow non-conference games to play overtime. Previous to that, only conference games would use overtime to decide a game.

“It was a poor job on all sides — officials, coaches, everybody for not knowing, enforcing, pushing the current rule,” Carlisle coach Caleb Shock said. “For years and years and years, non-conference games could end in a tie. You’ve got officials and coaches both who did not pursue it the way it should have been done.”

Shock said he told the officials that he wanted to play overtime. 

“We agreed to that,” he said. “We do a coin flip. We’re about to start overtime. The officials told us that this will not count, and that this will go down as a tie.

“After they conferenced about it, it was decided not to play the game because of that. That should not have been the decision that was made.”

Shock said he will take the blame for the game not being played to a conclusion.

“Ultimately, I’m going to put it on me,” he said. “Nobody knew the correct rule. if I had done my job and known it, I would have just sat out there on the field and argued and not got off the field until we got a rulebook and gotten the right thing done.” 

Carlisle’s last tie was a 13-13 game with Perryville in 2008. The Mustangs were coached by former Carlisle coach James Clayton.
The Bison are now 0-2-1 while Baptist is 1-1-1.

The Bison trailed 6-0 in the first quarter after the Eagles recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. The Bison tied it at 6-6 when Eli Moody scored on a 5-yard run with 9:16 left in the first half. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 6-6. 

Baptist reclaimed the lead at 12-6 when Robert Lewis threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Leavitt.

The Bison tied it at 12-12 on a 21-yard run by Kamryn Taylor with 2:21 left in the first half. 

“We had 223 yards in total offense and we had an additional 110 yards in penalties,” Shock said. “We should have had 350 yards of offense last night. If we had done that, I have no doubt in my mind if we had done that, there would have been no discussion about overtime.”

Moody completed 10 of 20 passes for 51 yards. Jasean Harper rushed for 73 yards on 18 carries. Moody had 29 yards on 11 carries. Taylor had 21 yards on six carries. 

Shock also said his defense played well, giving up only one touchdown. 

Ian Seidenschwarz led the Bison defense with 13 total tackles. Davarius Allen had six. Kaleb Boyle and Harper had five tackles each.

The Bison will host undefeated Hazen in the 2A-6 opener this Friday at Fred C. Hardke Field. Shock said he knows Hazen is a good team but is looking forward to the game.

“We look at this as an opportunity to play a very good team in Hazen.,” he said.