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Warwick coach Bob Locker and the so-called Warrior Nation will never forget the play.
Can you blame them?
Leading 13-10 in the fourth quarter, needing a win to have any chance at a District Three playoff berth, Warwick had Wilson pinned third-and-41 from the Bulldog 20.
Somehow, Wilson quarterback Zach Zweizig handled a bad snap, eluded a would-be tackler and delivered a strike to a wide-open Sheldon Hannibal-Nixon behind the Warrior defense for a 66-yard gain.
Three plays later, Wilson scored the go-ahead touchdown and added two more en route to a 31-13 win Friday night in West Lawn.
"Forever," said an emotional Locker, when asked how long the play will haunt him. "It's one of those plays ... I'm not blaming the kids, it was like a four-second play. You lose sight of where your guys are at. It's just an unbelieveable offensive play on his part."
The Bulldogs, who completed their perfect run through Section One (7-0 league, 9-1 overall) hope to use their second comeback win in as many weeks as a springboard to the postseason.
Wilson, the No. 2 seed in Class AAAA, will host a first-round game next Friday night, likely against York (6-4).
Warwick (3-4, 5-5), meanwhile, left Berks County knowing their season was over.
"I feel horrible for them because we're so close to being a good football team," said Locker, as he tried to hold back tears.
"I feel bad for the kids," he added. "I think they deserved a better fate as a class of seniors than they got."
Chris Schaffer, Warwick's workhorse running back, didn't go down without a fight.
The senior rushed for 129 yards on 32 carries and his one-yard TD plunge midway through the third quarter gave the Warriors the aforementioned 13-10 lead.
It was Schaffer's 27th carry of the night that was the most pivotal.
Warwick faced fourth-and-1 from the Wilson 5 and as time was winding down in the third quarter, Locker sent in kicker Adam Zipko, who had already booted a pair of field goals (35, 39).
But the quarter ended and as they changed ends of the field, Locker changed his mind and went for it.
Schaffer ran around the left end, but was dropped inches short of the first down.
"We thought we had an opportunity to get a 10-point lead," said Locker, of not kicking a field goal. "It would have been 16-10. Honestly, I didn't think that was enough points to win the football game."
"They're a very, very good football team so we took some chances tonight," he added. "I have no regrets about any decision we made."
Still leading by three, the Warriors allowed Wilson to drive to the Warwick 49 before a pair of sacks and a penalty pushed them back to the 20 for the now-infamous fourth-and-41 play.
It was one of four third-down conversions on the drive, including the 14-yard TD run by Kriss Brown.
"What can you say,?" said Wilson coach Doug Dahms. "The kids made the play. As I told them, if you want to win a championship, you have to get a little bit of luck, a lot of luck and you have to make some plays."
And, on this one at least, devastate the Warriors.
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