What would you do if you were a high school football player whose coach sent in a play, which called for you to run the ball to your opponent’s end zone and score for the other team? It has happened. With seven seconds left in a game, Tishimingo High School was leading Faulkner High School, 16 – 14. At stakes was a birth in Mississippi’s 1988 state class 1A playoffs. Tishimingo had the ball on Faulkner’s 40 yard line. All they had to do to win the game was run out the clock.
Coach Dave Herbert, who had Lou Gehrig’s disease and coached from the back of a pick up truck, sent in a play to his son, the team’s quarterback. They play called for him to hand off the ball to Shane Hill and for him to run to the other team’s end zone as the clock expired. “Your daddy must be crazy!” protested one of the offensive linemen. So while the argument went on in the team’s huddle, a delay of game penalty was called on Tishimingo. Finally, the team lined up, the ball was handed to the tailback, and he ran 55 yards in the wrong direction. The result was a two point safety that tied the game, 16-16.
Was the coach crazy? Was he out of his mind for calling such a play? Absolutely not. You see in order for his team to reach the playoffs Coach Herbert knew that his team had to win by at least 4 points. Faced with the fact that he did not have anyone to kick a field goal from the distance they faced and he felt his chances of completing “Hail Mary” pass were equally dismal, he decided that they should go the “wrong” way. What was the result of the coach’s play? Tishimingo won in overtime 22-16, on a third down, two yard run by Shane Hill. Hill ended the game with a negative 29 yards rushing, but his team made it to the playoffs and Coach Herbert looked like a genius.
The story sounds a little bit like the cross to me. God became a man, was pushed around by his enemies, and executed as a criminal. I have to believe that the disciples must have seen the crucifixion of Christ as a bad call, the wrong play headed in the wrong direction. Everything changed on Sunday morning when they began to realize that the whole thing was a part of God’s plan that led to the ultimate victory. The fact is the disciples got so excited about the whole thing that they began to tell the story to anyone who would listen.
The next time something happens in your life that appears to be a 65 yard safety for the opposing team just be reminded that like Dave Herbert, the play caller hasn’t lost his mind. In fact, you can know that ultimately you will get to be a part of a great victory celebration.