IMLAY CITY, Mich. – Football players at Imlay City High School were left disappointed when their season ended because of a coin flip tiebreaker.
A no-options rule by the Michigan High School Athletic Association was called upon to determine wether Imlay City or Durand High School would advance to the playoffs.
"It's weird," senior Riley Bertram said. "It's a weird feeling."
"I'm more disappointed than angry," senior Joe Harper said. "We could have done other stuff this season and not have to rely on a coin flip."
The Spartans overcame last year's 1-8 record to earn a chance to make the high school playoffs in 2019.
"I would have liked to play for it," senior Dylan Heber said. "That was what I said when I found out we were tied."
The two teams were tied in every sense of the word. They had identical records, but there was only one spot left in the playoffs.
The MHSAA had to use an obscure rule that left the last playoff spot down to heads or tails.
"I couldn't believe that that was a thing," coach Brian Tresnak said. "There had to be some other tiebreaker."
Tresnak said there was a FaceTime call Sunday night between both teams and the league. He was assigned tails, but the coin landed on heads.
"It was definitely the weirdest way to end a season that I've ever had," Tresnak said.
"I'm disappointed to a point, but at the same time, I'm also proud of the different things that we accomplished this year," Heber said.
"I'm just hoping that all the underclassmen realize that we're not this crappy city team that goes 1-8, 0-9 every year -- that we can win, and that just motivates them more over this offseason to lift more, practice more and put in the extra work," Harper said.
This would have been the first time Imlay City made the playoffs since 2001. Ironically, the Spartans' first game next season will be against Durand High School.