There are tackles, and then there are TACKLES. This one from Pine Forest (N.C.) High School goalkeeper Cassie Sturtz falls into the latter bucket.
Watching this video, it's hard not to assume that Sturtz momentarily blacked out and awoke as office linebacker Terry Tate:
According to fayobserver.com, Cassie Sturtz was not originally assessed a penalty for the tackle. Which leads us to believe that the officials also blacked out momentarily.
To be fair, victim Riley Barrett of Pinecrest High School was called offside at the time of the tackle, so clearly the "no harm, no foul" policy was in effect. Well, actually, it may have been the "some harm, no foul" policy. But you get the point.
Eventually, Barrett did leave the field under her own power. And having learned an important lesson. Nobody backs Cassie Sturtz into a corner. Nobody.
After coming to their senses, officials conferred after the match and agreed Sturtz should be assessed a flagrant contact foul — and that, frankly, her technique could use a little work.
Pine Forest eventually lost the match 4-1 to Pinecrest, settling once and for all which of the Pine-themed schools is better.
