By now, we’re all sick and tired of hearing about “the play.”

So I’m not going to talk about it. It’s been almost a week since it happened, and I’ve seen enough to make me sick.

However, here’s the thing. The play was called a touchdown. After that, Warren Central rode their momentum through the end of the game. Final score, 42-36, a Warrior victory. No amount of protest or calls to the IHSAA will get that changed.

The point I want to drive home is that we lost. By playing in the State Championship, both Carmel and Warren Central agreed to abide by the rules of the game, right? Official discretion is included in that rulebook.

That’s the word; “discretion.” Throughout the game, Carmel abided by the official’s discretion in a number of different plays. This is the premise of official discretion.

If that same call had come in the first quarter, nothing would have come of that whistle.

By entering a football game, the team agrees to allow an official to monitor the game. In essence, a sort of contract is signed between the team and the officials. That discretion is something we expect and rely on. When we agree to let the official use his own discretion, we agree to accept that discretion.

“The play” was called a touchdown. And we accept that call as supporters of the game.

Carmel fans owe it to the team to show a bit of class in the wake of a loss. I’ve seen some sick things since the game ended Saturday night. The text messages, facebook groups, t-shirt ideas, and other things portray Carmel as an immature group of kids that can’t let go. As if Carmel needs that image reinforced.

I won’t deny that I feel like something was stolen from us. And I can’t tell you that the official made the correct call.

But the Hounds have built a reputation all year of being a hard-working, levelheaded team. Carmel started at the bottom this year, and worked all the way through the State game as this type of team.

As Carmel fans, there is no reason we should bring that reputation into question.