A high school football team in the state of Ohio used an unusual rule to pulverize its opponent with a completely unnecessary field goal on a free kick. St. Marys Memorial rolled to a blowout victory.
This is not the first time this kind of thing has happened, and the stakes were not nearly as high as some other kicks, but it never fails to leave unknowing fans surprised and confused!
The Roughriders took advantage of a rule that only applies to high school football and the NFL to get three extra points before halftime. It was completely unnecessary but the goal is always to win by as many points as possible so why not give it a shot?
St. Marys flipped the script on its high school football season.
Although St. Marys has not reached the Ohio state championship game since 2004, it is a consistent playoff program with a well-decorated history. The Roughriders won 25 Western Buckeye League titles and four state titles in the late 70s and early 90s.
This season started out with a pair of blowout losses to non-conference opponents. Momentum swung back in the other direction over the last two weeks.
St. Marys beat Celina by 28 last weekend. It dominated Defiance at home on Friday.
The Riders scored 41 points and did not allow the Bulldogs to score. They were up 27-0 at halftime.
A free kick field goal before halftime?!
Bradey Triplett lined up for a 49-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter. However, the unusual formation looked more like he was going to kickoff than try to score three points through the uprights.
It was completely legal!
Defiance punted the ball to its opponent on the second-to-last play of the half. That allowed St. Marys to call a fair catch to set up what is called a ‘Fair Catch Kick’ for three points.
St Marys Bradey Triplett with a 49-yard free kick field goal puts @SMRiderFootball ahead 27-0 at halftime pic.twitter.com/bKN3xaqVWL
— Michael Hirn (@MichaelHirnPBP) September 12, 2025
By rule, a team that made a fair catch is allowed to attempt a free kick from the spot of the fair catch on the next play. The free kick must be either a place or drop kick. If the free kick passes between the uprights of the opposing team’s field goal, three points are awarded to the team that made the kick.
The ball can be placed on a tee. The defense cannot rush the ball.
A free kick is not allowed if the precursory punt goes out of bounds. A free kick is not allowed if the punt returner does not call for a fair catch. He must call a fair catch to trigger the ‘Fair Catch Kick.’
Credit to the Roughriders’ coaching staff for knowing the ins and outs of high school football. Their knowledge of a niche rule gave them three additional points before halftime.