Crest quarterback Namajay Thompson scored one of the coolest touchdowns of the entire high school football season during the state championship game in North Carolina. It did not count.
The rules set by the National Federation of State High School Associations do now allow hurdles.
Only the state of Texas does not use NFHS rules for high school football. Fortunately, this specific play did not have a direct impact on the final score. But what if it did? Is it time to change the rules?
Crest defeated Hunt to win the state championship.
Crest High School is located in the town of Shelby, North Carolina about halfway in between Charlotte and Asheville. It enrolls approximately 1,100 students in Grades 9-12.
The Chargers compete on the Class 5A level of high school football in the Old North State and lost only two games during the regular season to clinch the No. 4-seed in the playoffs and a first-round bye. They advanced to the state championship game on Saturday with dominant wins during the next four rounds.
Crest played in five-straight championship games from 2013-15 and won two in a row in 2014 and 2015. It ultimately defeated Hunt by a final score of 31-14 to break the decade-long drought.
Running back Michael Edwards finished with 95 yards and two touchdowns. Jason Black finished with a game-high 119 yards on 19 carries. Quarterback Ely Hamrick finished with 320 yards of total offense and two touchdowns to be named as the Most Outstanding Player. It was a dominant win.
National high school football rules do not allow hurdles.
Crest wide receiver Namajay Thompson scored the coolest touchdown of the game that didn’t count. The Class of 2027 recruit already has interest from Duke, App State, Old Dominion and Wake Forest, among others. It’s not hard to see why. He is a freak athlete.
Thompson took a jet sweep to the edge during the state championship game and jumped over a defender en route to the end zone. His body cleared the would-be tackler by a full 12 inches.
Hurdling a player is not legal in high school football so the TD doesn't count, but what a play by Namajay Thompson! They took the TD away, but the can't take Crest's 5A state title away.@majaythompson12 @WBTV_Sports @CrestFBRecruits pic.twitter.com/PtyYtXWzZI
— Nate Wimberly WBTV (@NateWimberly) December 14, 2025
Unfortunately, the touchdown was called back because hurdling is not allowed by NFHS rules.
It is illegal for a player to jump over an opponent if the opponent is only contacting the ground with his feet or knees. A player is only allowed to jump over an opponent if the opponent is completely down on the ground, meaning more than just feet or knees.
Namajay Thompson hurdled a defender who was still on his feet. The touchdown was overturned.
This was not the only touchdown of this kind that was called back during a state championship game over the weekend. Fortunately, neither touchdown proved to be the difference between a win and a loss.
But what if they did?
The rule is in place for player safety to prevent head and neck injuries from players who kick upright opponents. It only applies to 49 of 50 states because Texas does not use NFHS rules.
Is it time for the National Federation of State High School Associations to update its rulebook?