NFHS Rules and a weird ending.

[ajmc]

There's always a "remote" possibility that the announcer, article writer and Coach all happened to be confused (and wrong).

The article wasn't all that clear, but if the play (before the spike) ended in-bounds, the clock would continue running.

If the result of the play created a 1st down, the clock would stop, to reset the chains and restart on the subsequent RFP signal.

If, in the excitement/confusion "A" snapped the ball prior to the RFP signal, the clock should not have started, a DOG penalty would be assessed moving the offense back 5 yards and the clock started on the snap (UNLESS the Referee considered the stoppage illegal, in which case he could exercise

If the previous play ended OOB, the clock would have stopped (and 1st down or not) started on the subsequent snap.

If the timer failed to stop/start the clock as prescribed, the Referee may have exercised his authority under NFHS 1-1-6.

There is no "2 second provision" in the NFHS code, although the State of Ohio may have decided to addressed this circumstance uniquely for games under their jurisdiction. Their may be some confusion with NFHS: 3-4-7 (added in 2017) "When a penalty is accepted with less than 2 minutes remaining in either half, the offended team will have the option to start the game clock on the snap."