Botelho’s recovery/return goes national

Stokes Botelho‘s punt return/fumble recovery return for Kahuku on Friday was nominated for national play of the week by CBS MaxPreps media manager Jim Stout.

On the fourth-quarter play that you can watch here: http://t.maxpreps.com/1Lw6lNG, Botelho takes a Kaiser punt and begins to return it. He fumbles and the football takes on Ping-Pong characteristics, with players seemingly recovering it, only to let the ball slip away. Up and down the field the ball goes until it emerges into the hands of Botelho, who gains some speed, gets to the outside on the left and sprints to finish off what would have become a dramatic 50-yard fumble recovery return for a touchdown.

The only problem? The play was called back to due a penalty. One play later, Kahuku took a knee to end its 34-3 victory over the Cougars at Carleton Weimer Field.

Botelho’s 65-yard punt return in the third quarter set up Ted Kenese‘s 4-yard for Kahuku’s final TD of the game.

This is one of the craziest punt returns you'll ever see — even if it was called back on a penalty. WATCH: http://t.co/cmmQJKj0GW

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— ESPN (@espn) August 24, 2015

ESPN tweeted out the play Sunday afternoon and it received over 890 retweets and 1,080 favorites by Monday afternoon. A second tweet of the same play that went out Monday morning drew another 440 retweets and more than 540 favorites.

1:55 p.m.: The play was featured by Chris Carter on ESPN Monday Night Countdown’s “Come on Man” segment.