Math teacher boots semifinals field goal

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Photo by Emmanouel, Pixabay.com

Mackar’s game-winning field goal sent Chardon into the state championship game. Chardon would win the D-II state title over Rayland Buckeye Local.

Branden Elliott, Guest Writer

Marty Mackar, a state champion and a Chardon High alumni, may have been the luckiest football player to ever kick a football.

Mackar’s coach wanted him to kick a field goal in practice, having it bounce off the goalposts and go in. He could not do it during practice, but when the time came on that Friday night of a tied state semifinals game against Walsh Jesuit in 1994, he did it.

With Chardon in the red zone with two seconds left, the center snaps the ball and Mackar kicks it.

Byers Field went completely silent. The ball sails through the air, hits the right goalpost and goes in. Mackar said, “My coach grabbed my facemask and said, ‘Don’t ever do that again’.”