Whenever the topic gets brought up, which is still frequently, Margaretta football coach Rock Farlow still gets surprised at how big of a deal people make out of it.

Ironton vs. Perkins for the 1999 Division IV title needs no introduction to area football fans. It's the game where Ironton coach Bob Lutz — the all-time wins leader in Ohio history — 'blew the game' by electing to go for it on fourth-and-1 at his team's own 29 with just 49 seconds remaining.

Ironton had a 14-10 lead at the time, and less than one more yard would have clinched a state championship. But instead, as we all know quite well, the Perkins defense stuffed Ironton and took over with a 29-yard field. On the third crack at it, QB Brent Adams found Burt Jarrett for a 29-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds left.

Perkins 16, Ironton 14 F. The Pirates ran the table at 15-0 overall and created memories to last a life time.

And to this day, Lutz is vilified for that call. However, Farlow was actually HOPING he would punt at the time rather than go for it.

"To me, it wasn't as crazy as they made it sound that day or the weeks and years to come after," Farlow said. "People were all over him, but I don't really think ... I mean, there were so many different scenarios that could happen there.

"He was concerned a lot of bad things can happen on a punt, and with good reason. We had blocked a punt earlier in the game and we had returned a kick and a punt for a touchdown in the playoffs already entering that game, which I'm sure he noted on film."

Re-analyzing the situation 10 years later, Farlow said no matter what Lutz chose to do, it was going to take a deep pass for Perkins to win.

"We got it at the 29-yard line that game, but let's figure they punt and the average high school punter can kick it 30-to-35 yards," Farlow said. "Let's say we have a modest return of 10 yards. That puts us at roughly our 46 or their 49.

"So either way, we have to win with a bomb, and we did. If you beat him deep, you beat him deep no matter where you are on the field."

It's easy to look back in hindsight, whether it was the minutes, hours or days after — or today, 10 years later — and question a play call. However, to this day, Farlow can recall standing across the opposite sideline and hoping Lutz would decide to ...PUNT.

"To be quite honest, I was really hoping he would decide to punt," Farlow said. "I didn't figure there was ANY way we'd stop them twice in a row when they needed less than a yard, because their fullback at the time was a pretty big kid.

"The miracle play we pulled off wasn't so much the catch, it was stopping them there on fourth-and-inches. It's one of the greatest plays I've ever witnessed."

I agreed with that then, and now. It's easy to point out what went wrong (or right) in hindsight in a game of that magnitude (See Bill Belichick), but you only get once chance at it. I've ALWAYS believed that if you can't move the ball less than a single yard with the game on the line, then you honestly don't deserve to win.

I probably would have gone for it. If you pull off falling forward for LESS than a yard, the game is over.

What about you? Where do you stand on the infamous call? What would you have done?