The Northern California Officials Association has acknowledged that its officials made a mistake when they ruled that West High missed its last-second field goal attempt at the Oct. 24 football game at Edison High in Stockton.

A letter released Wednesday by the NCOA Sac-Joaquin, South Division, Chairman Doug Barnhill begins with an apology from the section and an admission that the officials’ mistake cost West the win.

Video recordings of Adam Crandall’s kick, including the recording that West coaches use to evaluate the team’s performance, show the ball hit the crossbar and bounce over the bar. They also show that the line judge right underneath the ball ducks as the ball hits the bar, and then signals that the field goal attempt was no good.

Barnhill’s letter goes on to state that national rules will not allow the NCOA to overturn the call based on video evidence, and the score of the game as of the final whistle that night, a 22-21 win for Edison, will stand as the official score.

Barnhill’s letter stresses the importance of proper training and standards for NCOA officials, and then says that a “breakdown in communication and proper mechanics resulted in an error that clearly cost West High School the win.”

Barnhill said Thursday that the NCOA’s Sac-Joaquin Section South board referred the matter to its disciplinary committee, which reviews all disputed calls. That board comes up with a recommendation for action, but Barnhill said that the NCOA will not disclose that action to the public or to coaches, nor would he say if any particular officials, or all five at the game, were under review.

West coach Steve Lopez said his main concern now is to win the last two games at McNair High in Stockton on Friday, and next week in Lodi against Tokay. Even if the Edison game has no effect on West’s post-season fate, Lopez said the credibility of the NCOA is at stake.

“It would be nice to know if anything is going to happen to those officials,” Lopez said. “When we show up in Lodi are they going to be there? I hope not.”

Barnhill added that while his organization keeps disciplinary action within its administration, coaches always know in advance who will officiate their games.

“The opportunity exists where a coach can make a statement that he doesn’t want that group,” he said.

Edison won the game 22-21, and the field goal would have made it a 24-22 win for West. If West had won the Wolf Pack could still hope to finish in a tie with Edison for second place in the Tri-City Athletic League, and the win would favor West for a playoff spot.

Instead, West now stands at 0-3 in the league and lost its last chance to make playoffs with its loss to Stagg last week. Edison is 3-0 in TCAL and has a chance to clinch a playoff spot on Friday when the Vikings play Stagg, and could end up playing for the league championship on Nov. 13 against St. Mary’s.

“If it somehow keeps us out of the playoffs it is a big deal,” Lopez said. “Right now we have to worry about winning these two games, and then we could worry about it. But it doesn’t mean anything right now. We have to see if it’s going to make a difference.”

Contact Bob Brownne at 830-4227 or brownne@tracypress.com.