What happens when you give a football to a second-string five-year-old? He runs for a touchdown and touches off a national debate on mercy rules in youth sports.

Back in October, the 65 pound Conshohocken Bears team was playing Roxborough and had scored a bunch of points. Due to a mercy rule, the Bears were not permitted to score anymore without the potential of the coach, Kyle Williams getting fined and/or a suspension.

Williams put in the second string and a five-year-old was given a handoff and promptly raced down the sideline for a touchdown. Williams was right behind him yelling for him to fall down.

All of that would have gone unnoticed until former Eagle Torrey Smith tweeted about the issue of mercy rules and expressed that he did not believe in them.

The debate than found its way to all the local media, talk radio, and national publications. Just google “Conshohocken” and “mercy rule” and scroll through all of the results. It was everywhere.

That is the local sports story of the year.