Deonte Banks steps up for Rams

Senior back rushes for 220 yards, 4 TDs to help clinch Chesapeake Division

Edgewood senior running back Deonte Banks ran for 220 yards and four touchdowns Friday night to lead the Rams over host Havre de Grace, 44-14, in a UCBAC Chesapeake Division game.

The win gives Edgewood (6-0, 8-1), which forced four turnovers, the division title.

The Rams started quickly with quarterback Antwain Banks racing 61 yards to the end zone just minutes into the game.

Antwain Banks (12 carries, 208 yards) left the game two snaps into the Rams’ second possession of the second half with cramps in both legs.

Deonte Banks, who added his first scoring run (59 yards) in the final minute of the first quarter, took over most of the remaining snaps.

“Honestly, we do it in practice sometimes, we’re just playing around and I go to quarterback and we just do it,” Deonte Banks said of his second-half position switch. “It was easy for real. It just came to me. Then I just had to calm down and get back to the job, but we got the job done.”

The Rams’ lead grew to19-0 a short time later when Antwain Banks reeled off 59 more yards for another score.

Havre de Grace (4-2, 7-2) made a game of it, although, briefly, over the next 20 seconds.

Brandon Rabbitt, who led the Warriors with 114 rushing yards on 15 carries, pounded his way to the end zone on a 21-yard touchdown run.

“I just put it in my left arm, saw I had some space, stiff-armed one guy and got past him, side-stepped to the right and saw a lane,” Rabbitt said. “I knew I was gonna get dragged down from behind, so I just dove in and tried to get it.”

Two snaps into the ensuing Edgewood possession, Warrior Alex Gresock stepped in front of a pass from Antwain Banks, picking it off and returning it 19 yards for a score. Chandler Russo added both extra points and the Warriors were suddenly down by five, 19-14, with 6:39 left in the half.

Edgewood responded with an 80-yard, nine-play drive, capped by Deonte Banks scoring on a 5-yard run.

The Rams, leading 25-14 at the half, opened the second half with more points, and did so through the air. Antwain Banks threw a 59-yard strike to Monzell Ware, who out-dueled a defender to make the catch at the 15. He then stayed in bounds and trotted into the end zone.

Edgewood’s other second-half points came in the final quarter. Deonte Banks ran four yards and 25 yards, respectively, for the game’s final points.