Last week, Damon Martin of Poland High School (Maine) returned a fumble 107 yards for a touchdown in a thrilling 48-25 victory over Madison. This incredible play caught the attention of MaxPreps reader Miguel Cyr, who asked, “Is there a record for the longest fumble return?”

A great question!

Martin’s 107-yard fumble return grabbed national attention when it was featured in a MaxPreps top plays segment. Along with this impressive play, Martin also returned an interception for 56 yards, recovered another fumble for 44 yards, and contributed two offensive touchdowns with 5-yard and 15-yard runs.

So where does Martin’s 107-yard fumble return rank in the history books? Unfortunately, Maine doesn’t have an official state record book, which makes it tough to compare on a local level. However, determining its place on the national stage is even trickier. Around 40 states have official football record books, but fewer than half include categories for longest returns, and even fewer specify longest fumble returns. Neither the NFHS nor the MaxPreps National High School Football Record Book track these records either.

But after some deep research into state record books and historical newspaper archives, MaxPreps has compiled a list of what may be the longest plays in high school football history across seven categories. It’s worth noting that prior to 1912, high school football fields were 110 yards long, making possible returns of up to 119 yards and offensive plays of up to 109 yards. Many early newspaper accounts of these plays were often vague, providing little detail.

Here’s a look at some of the longest football plays of all time:

Longest Run from Scrimmage
While no runs of 109 yards were found, there were two instances of 108-yard runs:

• On October 21, 1910, Neal of Navasota (Texas) ran 108 yards for a touchdown in a 5-5 tie against Bryan.
• A year later, on November 10, 1911, Guy Lee of Volkmann (Boston, MA) ran 108 yards in a 17-0 win over Browne and Nichols.

Longest Pass from Scrimmage
The longest recorded pass play occurred on October 28, 1910, when Slaughter of Grant County (OK) caught a delayed pass and ran 109 yards in a 35-5 win over Byron.

Longest Fumble Return by Offense
In a bizarre play on October 10, 1969, Art Kuehn of Cubberly (Palo Alto, CA) recovered a fumble near his own end zone after a botched backward pass and ran the full length of the field for a touchdown. The defense didn’t realize Kuehn had the ball until it was too late.

Longest Kickoff Return
At least three players have returned kickoffs for 110 yards. Walt Eckersall of Hyde Park (Chicago) did so in 1902, Hart of St. Mary’s Institute (OH) in 1910, and Captain Kincaid of Chelsea (MA) in 1904.

Longest Interception Return
While several players have returned interceptions for 109 yards, the longest was Todd of Laurens (SC) on October 15, 1910. Todd intercepted a pass and ran 110 yards but was tackled near the 5-yard line.

109-Yard Runs
A handful of players have recorded unofficial 109-yard runs, typically after retreating deep into their own end zone before breaking loose. These include Red Harp of Pineville (KY) in 1933, and several others throughout the 20th century.

Longest Fumble Return by Defense
The longest plays in high school football history are believed to be two 115-yard fumble returns. The first occurred in Kansas in November 1903, when Breck McCarter of Louisburg returned a fumble 115 yards. The second happened in Maine on October 15, 1906, when Anderson of Calais recovered a fumble and returned it 115 yards for a touchdown.

In conclusion, Damon Martin’s 107-yard return may not hold the record, but it certainly joins the ranks of some legendary high school football plays. Nearly 118 years ago, and just 50 miles away from Poland, a fumble return for 115 yards became the longest in history—a record that still stands today.