3A high school football playoffs: Judge escapes despite giving up late Hail Mary

HEBER CITY — The first 59 minutes and 58.3 seconds of Judge's showdown against Wasatch in the quarterfinal round of the 3A tournament were both gripping and dramatic — must-see theater in every sense of that phrase.

But the last 1.7 seconds?

They made everything that had happened before them seem like you had been watching paint dry.

Between when the scoreboard clock inside Wright-Tree Stadium read "0:1.7" and the end of the game, Judge went from believing it had won to believing it was going to lose to — ultimately — actually walking away with a victory.

Wasatch's final play of the game began with 1.7 seconds, and with no time on the clock, Wasp quarterback Tyler Purdy sprinted out to his right and completed a 36-yard Hail Mary to Keefer Babbitt in the corner of the end zone to incredibly pull the Wasps within a point, pending the PAT.

But agonizingly for Wasatch's sophomore kicker — and for his team — his ensuing kick sailed wide right, and Judge jubilantly walked away with a wild 35-34 victory Friday afternoon.

"Phew," said Judge coach James Cordova, who was inadvertently knocked to the ground during the Bulldogs' joyous post-game celebrations and had blood dripping from his right hand. "I can't believe it."

Judge sprinted out to a 28-7 lead in the second quarter, but the Wasps came flying back after that point — ultimately, Judge's players survived by the thinnest of margins.

"We got lucky. We got lucky," said Judge tailback Christian Weidle, who rushed for 146 yards and three TDs. "God was on our side today. We were just praying."

When Babbitt cradled the ball with no time remaining in regulation, it seemed as though it was Wasatch's prayers that had been answered.

Babbitt's miraculous catch — and the less miraculous miss that followed — capped what proved to be a see-saw affair, if ever there was one.

With 2:23 remaining, Weidle scored a touchdown from two yards out to put the Bulldogs ahead by two touchdowns, 35-21, and seemingly put the game out of reach.

But Friday's quarterfinal clash was really just getting started.