The Delmar varsity football team put together a 60-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter of last Friday’s home contest against Laurel to break a 6-6 tie before the defense turned a fourth down fumble into a touchdown to seal the 19-6 win.
“It feels good. The last two years they got the best of us,” said Delmar quarterback Ayden McCauley. “We limited mistakes and did what we had to do and didn’t let our emotions get the best of us.”
The ball flies just out of the reach of Laurel’s Tristen Johnson on a pass on third and goal from the 10 in the Bulldogs’ road loss to Delmar. Photo by Mike McClure
The Wildcats started with the ball on their own 43 yard-line and moved the ball to the Laurel 15 on a 15-yard run by Khalid Schoolfield. Laurel’s Asante Lofland recorded a sack for a 10-yard loss on third and eight to force a Delmar punt.
Delmar punter Ryder Keidel pinned the Bulldogs back on their own nine and the Delmar defense forced a three and out and a Laurel punt.
Starting on the Laurel 43, Delmar kept the drive going on a two-yard run by Schoolfield on third and one from the 34. McCauley completed a 12-yard pass to Keidel on third and 13 from the 25. On fourth and one from the 13 Delmar senior Elijah Holbrook ran the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked by Laurel’s Kei’shaun Copes to keep the score at 6-0 with 2:12 left in the opening quarter.
Lofland had two carries for 13 yards to move the ball into Wildcats’ territory late in the quarter, but the Bulldogs had to punt the ball early in the second quarter.
Laurel got the ball back on the 47 following a Delmar punt. Laurel quarterback Koby Shockley picked up 10 yards on a keeper on third and four from the Delmar 47. The Wildcats’ Dason Baine dropped Shockley for a two-yard loss on third and seven from the 22 before Shockley completed a 10-yard pass to Copes on fourth and nine. Shockley was stopped short of a first down on a run on third and six from the 10 and Laurel kicker Bryan Gonzalez-Rivera booted a 26-yard field goal to make the score 6-3 (2:46).
Laurel opened the second half with the ball on its own 36. Lofland ran for 10 yards on third and one from the 45, but Delmar took possession of the ball on the Laurel 45 following a miscue on the Bulldogs’ punt. Connor Nichols had a 13-yard run on third and 14 from the 48 and McCauley picked up a yard on a keeper on fourth and one. Copes and Brynnnen Thompson combined for a sack on second down to help force a Delmar punt.
Baine recorded a sack on third and 15 to get the ball back for Delmar. The Wildcats fumbled the ball on a punt and the ball was recovered at the Delmar 7 by Laurel’s Joseph Baynard. Facing fourth and goal from the 10, Gonzalez-Rivera booted a 27-yard field goal to knot the score at 6-6 with 8:32.
That’s when the Delmar offense put together its scoring drive, starting at the 40. McCauley completed a 10-yard pass to Nichols and ran for five yards on a keeper on fourth and four from the Laurel 31. Holbrook added a 10-yard run to the 16 and on fourth and four from the Laurel 10 McCauley completed a touchdown pass to Schoolfield. The two-point run was no good and the score remained 12-6 with 1:03 left in the game.
“It’s one of those plays we practice every week,” McCauley said of the touchdown pass. “He stepped up and I threw it over his (defender’s) head and Khalid made a good catch and scored.”
Laurel’s offense started with the ball on the 33. Following two incomplete passes, Shockley completed a seven-yard pass to Jeremiah Mizzelle-Hopkins, who was brought down by Delmar’s Orian Church. On fourth and three from the 40, the ball was snapped over Shockley’s head, both teams battled for it as it rolled toward the end zone, and Delmar freshman Lionel Hickman picked it up at the seven and ran it in for a touchdown. Liam Cromer booted the extra point to make the score 19-6 with 10.3 seconds left.
“I was just thinking go and get it, go get it for the team,” said Hickman. “I know my defense very well and I know they’re going to come up with the big play.”
“Every time we play Laurel we know what’s at stake. It’s more than just a trophy. Everything’s at stake and it just feels good to win that game,” McCauley said of the win.
Scoring Summary:
D- Holbrook 13 yard run (Kick Failed)
L- Gonzalez-Rivera 26 yard Field goal
L- Gonzalez-Rivera 27 yard Field goal
D- K. Schoolfield 10 yard pass from McCauley (2 pt Failed)
D- Hickman 7 yard fumble recover (L. Cromer Kick)
