Downey High School football team’s fake punt went viral Tuesday. Here’s the story
If you know anything about football at Modesto’s Downey High School, it’s that if anything was going to go viral, it’d be a passing play.
Over the past three full seasons since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Knights have had quarterbacks pass for 2,421 yards in 2021 (11 games), 3,191 yards in 2022 (11 games) and 2,173 yards in 2023 (eight games, starting quarterback missed time due to injury).
Tuesday afternoon, it wasn’t a conventional pass play making the rounds on X. It was a decade-old special teams pass.
In 2013, Downey lined up in punt formation at its opponent’s 40-yard line. The punter handled the snap, but instead of sending a booming kick downfield, threw the ball straight up underhanded, simulating a punt. The trick play fooled the opponents (Central Catholic High School) completely. While the receiving team waited for the ball to land, the gunner caught it at the 22-yard line. He was subsequently tackled and the Knights maintained possession.
“I don’t remember what inspired the idea, but we just talked about, if we threw the ball underhand as far as we could to the defense, it would look like a bad punt,” said Downey High head coach Jeremy Plaa, who has led the team since 2007. “Whenever a bad punt comes out, everybody on the defense starts shouting ‘Get away! Get away!’ And so we send a receiver down there and have a punter that can throw the ball underhand that far. It’s a forward pass, and if we get hit while we wait for it to come down, it’s pass interference.”
The name of the play? “Vomit,” Plaa said. Because they throw the ball up. Tristan Best caught the pass off Thomas Reynolds’ underhand bomb.
The play made the rounds on X after being posted by The Spread Offense at 11:55 a.m. Tuesday
“Thomas Downey HS with the fake punt of the year. I’ve watched this on repeat this morning.” the post reads, not noting the game was more than a decade ago.
It has since gained more than 3 million views on X and was reposted by a number of sports accounts, including Barstool Sports.
The play originated from Plaa’s first head coaching job at Delhi High School in 1999 during its first league game. His team was trailing 7-0 and ran it on fourth down. Plaa said his Delhi team not only converted the trick play but went on to score later in the drive and punched in the two-point conversion. Delhi won the game 8-7.
Years later, Downey High ran it again against McClymonds. This time it went for six.
“I saw the concept and kind of copied it,” Plaa said, reminiscing on the first time he ran the play. “It’s one of those plays where, if it works, it’s awesome. And if the kid drops the ball, or the referees don’t call PI when the receiver gets jacked up, then it looks horrible.”
Downey High plays in the Sac-Joaquin Section and is currently 2-0 in 2024. The Knights have made the playoffs in each of the last 12 seasons in Division II. This year, they will compete in the Division I playoffs.
Could we see the play again from Downey? It’s possible. Plaa said they run “vomit” every few years. It could even make its debut at the next level.
“I hope we see it on Saturdays, because colleges run the shield punt, too,” Plaa said.
This story was originally published September 3, 2024 at 6:31 PM.
