There may never be conclusive evidence to prove whether Scotty Lathrop’s knee hit the ground before the ball crossed the goal line.

Perhaps one thing is more certain: the players and coaches involved with Friday’s GAC North thriller will not soon forget those defining moments, regardless of what side they were on.

Warrenton fell short on Homecoming, losing 35-34 in double overtime.

“It was absolutely a great football game,” said Moore. “It’s hard to be on the losing end, especially of one that’s somewhat controversial ... It’s nice to be part of something like that. It’s a lot better to be on the winning side.”

“These kids are going to remember this for the rest of their lives,” added Washington coach Zach Schneider.

The Warriors called a timeout after sending out the kicking unit in the second overtime. The decision to go for the two-point conversion was made, and coach Ken Moore put the ball in the hands of his senior quarterback.

Lathrop dashed toward the right sideline, coming up just short of the goal line, according to officials.

“We felt pretty comfortable with what we had for a two-point call,” said Moore. “And it was there — both options that we were looking for. We had the pass or the run.”

Heartbreak ensued on what Homecoming, and Moore was quick to inform his players of how proud he was of their effort.

Washington never led until the second overtime but constantly had an answer for the Warriors’ scoring attack. The Blue Jays used a bruising rushing game to pound their way through the interior line. Kyle Phipps led the attack with 167  yards on 26 carries.

“Until we figure out that we’re going to man up up front and stop that kind of stuff, it’s going to be pretty hard,” said Moore. “That’s what teams are going to do to us ... Our defensive line has got to step up a little bit. It’s kind of hard to do anything when a team can run the ball on you like that.”

Washington sophomore quarterback Luke Hasenjaeger completed 18 of 38 passes for 321 yards.

“We thought that if we could get in there and really pound on them and wear them down, that later in the game we’d have the opportunity to score some points,” said Schneider.

Warrenton struck first, driving downfield on the wings of the passing game, after several rushing attempts yielded limited results. Lathrop hit Bennett on a three-yard reception, with Darren Hackmann adding the extra point.

Much like its first drive, Washington’s second possession quickly stalled, and the Warriors regained possession.

The Blue Jays finally responded on their third drive of the game. The rushing crew of Dillon Bollmann and Phipps bullied their way downfield before Hasenjaeger hit XXX Hopkins on an 11-yard touchdown strike with 27 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Warrenton offset a 7-7 tie midway through the second period, going to a new look on offense. Lathrop moved to a receiver role, as sophomore T.J. Lafaver stepped in at quarterback. He connected with junior Nick Todd on a 25-yard reception to set up an eventual 10-yard touchdown catch.

“Offensively, we had our moments,” said Moore. “But as a whole, we have to execute more consistently. I think we’ve kind of lost that edge a little bit.”

Washington promptly responded with a three-yard touchdown run by Phipps. Todd put the Warriors back on top just before halftime, scoring on a nine-yard run.

Warrenton’s 21-14 halftime advantage would stand until a pivotal fourth quarter momentum swing that turned the tables for the Blue Jays.

The Warriors stood less than a yard away from a two possession lead, when Washington came up with the stop on fourth and goal. The Blue Jays immediately carried that positive energy over onto offense.

Hasenjaeger hit Adam Hawkinson on a short route that resulted in a 99-yard touchdown reception, tying the game at 21-21.

Moore says how his team responded was crucial in the final minutes of regulation.

Washington faced fourth-and-five on the Warriors’ 13-yard line with 2:26 remaining. The Blue Jays initially sent out the field goal unit but decided to keep driving after calling a timeout. Warrenton took over on downs following an incompletion.

The drive fell short but Warrenton would have one more chance, as senior Derrik Chapman forced Hasenjaeger to fumble on a sack.

The 38 seconds remaining wasn’t enough for the Warriors to drive the length of the field.

The first overtime saw Warrenton need just three plays to score from the 25-yard line. Lathrop hit senior Travis Doyle on a 21-yard reception. Two plays later, Lathrop danced into the end zone. Hackmann’s extra point put the Warriors in control 28-21.

Phipps countered with a 16-yard run to send the contest into a second overtime.

Facing fourth and one, Hasenjaeger found Brandon Garrard on a 16-yard touchdown pass, giving the Blue Jays their first lead of the night.

Lathrop hit Todd on an 11-yard pass, but the Warriors’ two-point conversion fell short of the goal line.

“I told our guys that if we were in that situation, we were going for two,” said Schneider. “I told coach Moore after the game that was a great call, and I give him all the credit in the world ... We contemplated it after the first overtime.”

Lathrop finished with 103 rushing yards on 21 carries. He had 210 yards on 13 of 29 passing, with two touchdowns and one interception.

Lafaver finished six of 14 through the air with 84 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Todd led all receivers with 115 yards on seven catches, while adding 27 rushing yards on seven carries.

“Both teams played really hard, and they had many opportunities to kind of put us away,” said Schneider. “I was very proud of our kids for sticking in there and getting a goal line stop.”