Patty’s Ponderings: A Real Football Hero

Michael Ferns is a star running back for his high school football team in Clairsville, Ohio. He was just about to win the game while scoring his 12^th touchdown of the season, when he stopped just a breath away from the goal line and went out of bounds.

His teammates and his coach knew what he was doing. No one else, (including the refs), did. His teammate Logan Thompson, a much loved freshman varsity player, was grief- stricken over losing his dad to a stroke just two days prior to the game and the coach and players wanted to give Logan a gift in memory of his late father.

That gift was scoring a touchdown. Logan had yet to carry the ball in any game and the refs almost spoiled the whole plan by ruling that Clairsville scored the touchdown. Michael’s teammates protested and the refs revoked their decision.

Play continued with Michael switching from running back to fullback and he quite literally escorted Logan into the end zone for the winning touchdown. The two young men hugged, and I imagine tissues were dabbing at teary eyes all around the stadium.

After the victory Logan Thompson tweeted - -"Looking straight up into the sky after scoring my first varsity touchdown…i know the old man was watching! love and miss you so much daddy."

His coach said: It “was something that touched the whole team. Logan was going through so much and for a few minutes we helped him get his mind off of things. It honored his dad. It was just an awesome moment."

It was indeed.