No. 2 Spalding sails to MIAA A Conference title game
Spalding quarterback Malik Washington and wide receiver Max Moss share a special connection.
The duo has tormented opposing defenses throughout the season, as more than a third of Washington’s touchdown passes have been to Moss. In Friday night’s Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference semifinal against McDonogh, all of them were.
Washington found Moss for three scores as Spalding (10-1) and its explosive offense overpowered the Eagles (5-7), scoring six unanswered touchdowns in a 41-6 victory to advance to the A Conference title game. The Cavaliers will face the winner of Saturday’s game between Mount Saint Joseph and Calvert Hall.
“I trust [Moss] with my life,” Washington said. “We’ve been together since we were like 10. We’ve been through ups and downs, thick and thin. That’s really my dog.”
The battle was a rematch of last season’s semifinal in which McDonogh upset the Cavaliers.
But this year figured to be different. Spalding crushed the Eagles, 45-12, in their regular-season matchup and won games by an average margin of more than 25 points this season. An upset never felt possible Friday.
The Cavaliers steamrolled through their regular-season slate, overcoming a season-opening loss to New Jersey’s Don Bosco Prep by winning nine consecutive games to complete a near-perfect season and finish 6-0 in conference play.
Spalding’s offense found itself in a 6-0 hole Friday after two scoreless possessions to open the game but jumped to a 14-6 advantage midway through the second quarter as Washington and his skill-position players finally found a rhythm.
The quarterback led the two quick scoring drives. He hit Moss for a 45-yard catch-andrun score on the first play of the Cavaliers’ third possession. The fourth ended with a touchdown run by Hakim Simms, the running back’s ninth of the season, after Spalding got the ball back via a fumbled punt.
“That was the spark we needed,” Spalding coach Kyle Schmitt said. “Max takes that hitch … next thing you know, we’re rolling.”
McDonogh, which lost its last four games entering the postseason, struggled to generate offense over the final three quarters. Quarterback Braeden Palazzo connected with receiver Jefferson Exinor Jr. on a goalline fade for an early lead, but it was their only score.
Old Mill 32, Glen Burnie 0: Old Mill walked into the second half in a dangerous spot. An 8-0 halftime lead supported by very limited offense would not propel them to a victory in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs over Glen Burnie.
So the Patriots did everything they could to bury that situation. They scored a safety and followed that up by blocking a punt, grabbing an interception and recovering a fumble — all leading to touchdowns. And all but the safety was scored in the fourth quarter alone — leading to a 32-0 blowout on Friday night in Millersville.
At halftime, the Patriots asked one another to lock in. They’d worried too much about the wrong stuff, senior running back Daquan Dorsey said. They reminded each other they didn’t watch more than 20 hours of film this week for nothing. They knew how to beat the Gophers.
“You keep your head up, all the confidence will stay up,” Dorsey said. “From there, it was like: ‘It’s time to go.’ ”
With the win, the Patriots will be reseeded (8-3), which the coaching staff impressed into their giddy players. They’ll never wear a uniform darker than white from here on out, bound to the road to face increasingly dangerous opponents.
— Katherine Fominykh
Franklin 17, Bel Air 7: Franklin’s strong defensive effort resulted in a 17-7 win Friday night over host and previously unbeaten Bel Air in a Class 3A North Region second-round playoff game.
The Indians’ defense pitched a shutout, while the offense did enough to get the win.
“What we’ve talked about all year is just trying to be patient and do our jobs and assignments,” Franklin coach Anthony Burgos said. “Our resume on what we’ve done throughout this year and the teams that we’ve lost to and played got us prepared for these moments.”
The Indians’ defense struck big late in the first quarter. Kyran Harry picked off a Bel Air pass inside his own 20.
A few plays later, Franklin (8-3) quarterback Billy Hartman connected with Desean Walker for a 30-yard touchdown pass. Hartman added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 9:34 left in the half.
Bel Air (10-1) had trouble moving the ball, totaling 40 passing yards while leading rusher Nehemiah Ramsey had 56 yards on nine carries. Nate Furrow was held to 36 yards on nine carries.
Two mistakes led to more points for Franklin at the end of the half. Two personal fouls on one play moved the ball to the Bel Air 13. The Bobcats’ defense held by recording two tackles for loss and forcing an incomplete pass, but Hartman kicked a 32-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-0.
Franklin’s final points came in the final minute of third quarter. Gibson, who rushed for 99 yards on 13 carries, raced 13 yards for a score.
Elijah Mathis ended the next Bel Air possession with an interception, but it was just minutes later when the Bobcats’ defense came up big. Senior Savion Ricketts picked off a Hartman pass inside the Franklin 10 and easily rumbled into the end zone for a touchdown to make it 17-7.
— Randy McRoberts
Arundel 29, Leonardtown 3: The Wildcats extended their season to the Class 4A/3A state quarterfinals by scoring entirely in the second half. Gavin Kamachi went 9-for-15 for 112 yards and two touchdowns and running back Ahmad Taylor had 31 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Chris Downs caught one of Kamachi’s touchdown passes and finished with 91 yards on seven receptions.
Broadneck 30, Meade 13: The Bruins (9-1) found themselves in a true rallying mindset after falling behind the Mustangs 7-0 in the second quarter. Broadneck scored 14 points in the third quarter to take the lead and 16 in the fourth to run away with the game. Quarterback Cam Catterton finished 9-for-14 for 125 yards and a touchdown for Broadneck. Running back Ian Mauldin totaled 155 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. Machi Evans caught five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. The Mustangs cycled through two quarterbacks after starter Jaquail Marks went down with an injury. Sophomore quarterback Alijah Johnson stepped up, throwing a touchdown pass to Kayvawn Simms-Rodgers in the fourth quarter.
Long Reach 14, Chesapeake-AA 13: The Cougars’ journey through Class 3A fell
short in the second round as the Lightning took the lead in the third quarter and never looked back. Logan Clark brought in the first touchdown for the Cougars, scoring from 25 yards, but the extra-point attempt was missed. Brice Koontz delivered a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Etheridge in the second quarter, giving the Lightning a 7-6 halftime lead. In the third, Rushaun Tongue intercepted a pass and returned it for 47 yards to give Chesapeake a 13-7 lead. After Tongue’s pick-six, Koontz scored on a quarterback keeper from a yard out, putting Long Reach on top. The Lightning will host No. 4 seed St. Charles in the quarterfinals.
South Carroll 20, Boonsboro 14: AJ Rodrigues rushed 25 times for 128 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Cavaliers quarterback Carter Mazawlewski rushed 12 times for 52 yards and two touchdowns and went 5-for-8 passing with 71 yards and one interception. Jackson Strzelczyk had four carries for 33 yards, a 30-yard catch and a 12-yard kickoff return. Strzelczyk’s final carry for 10 yards picked up a crucial first down that put the game away for the Cavs. On defense, Mazalewski also intercepted a pass late in the first quarter and made several tackles. Mason Sutton, Ben Simmens and Manny Rodrigues all logged tackles for losses. Janero Marchany added a sack. With the win, the Cavaliers secure a trip to the 1A/2A West Region finals for the second consecutive year.
St. Frances 34, Clarkson North (ON) 10 Atholton 28, Marriotts Ridge 7
River Hill 35, Wilde Lake 0
Westminster 28, Edgewood 20
Harford Tech 30, Parkside 13
Potomac 36, Northeast 0
Paint Branch 42, Laurel 16
Elkton 27, Rising Sun 19
Hereford 10, New Town 7
Brunswick 21, Patterson Mill 14
Patuxent 37, McDonough 7
Broadneck 30, Meade 13
Dundalk 34, Dulaney 0
Arundel 29, Leonardtown 3
Seneca Valley 40, Howard 0
Middletown 35, Oakland Mills 0 Joppatowne 72, SEED School 12
Perry Hall 7, Mervo 6