By Pete Digiovanni, Daily Local
The West Chester Rustin football team will travel to play Strath Haven in the District 1 5A semifinals in a rematch of last season’s District 1 5A championship game, a contested 34-33 win by Strath Haven. It’s stuck firmly in the craw of every returning Golden Knights’ player and coach ever since.
The Knights felt that the officials had too much of an impact on the game. The Panthers jumped offside twice late in the fourth period on successful extra point attempts, negating the extra point. On the third try the snap was fumbled and the game went to overtime instead of a one-point Rustin win.
In overtime on a fourth down play, Panthers’ quarterback Sam Milligan rolled to his right and dove for the touchdown pylon. The officials ruled Milligan was in for the score, while everyone associated with the Rustin program believed Milligan was short of the goal line. And the home crowd at Rustin roared its disapproval for a very long time.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for a team that is used to winning. Since 2006, when Rustin became a high school, the Knights have known nothing but winning under head coach Mike St. Clair, and are one of the most respected teams in District 1.
