Sports

Old Mill Patriots 20- Sherwood Warriors 13

MPSSAA State Semi-Finals

            Shock set in over Caruso Memorial Stadium after Old Mill RB Josh Furman pranced into the North endzone with 17 seconds remaining in regulation on Saturday night, November 28. The Old Mill Patriots (11-2) of Anne Arundel County had just retaken the lead against the Sherwood Warriors (10-3).

Only 82 seconds earlier, the Warriors, leading by one, faced fourth-and-four at the Patriot 21-yard-line. Instead of senior K Andy Estrain attempting a 38-yard field goal or senior P Pat Garland punting the ball away to the Patriots, coach Pat Cilento elected to hand the ball off to senior WR Sumner Wubbenhorst, in the backfield in place of injured starter Cyrus Britt and injured backup Kye Hopkins. Wubbenhorst took the handoff from junior QB A.J. Pignone and ran right and was stopped one foot short of the first-down marker.

“We were going to go for it and try to win the game,” says Cilento. “We came up a foot short. Sumner made a great run, tried to get a second effort. We came up short and they had to go 80-some yards in a minute and 30 seconds. If we kick a field goal and Andy is automatic then we have to kickoff. Our kickoff team has not been the greatest asset of our team this year and I was real nervous about doing that.”

Cilento was rightfully anxious about kicking the ball to Old Mill who sent a tandem of 1,000-yard rushers in Furman and RB Jason Clements back to receive kicks. Old Mill took over at their 18-yard-line and four plays later QB Joe Thornton completed a 34-yard pass to WR Chad Hicks that gave the Patriots a first down at the Sherwood 11-yard-line.

“ I was praying the whole time,” says Pignone. “But I did look at that play and when I saw the busted coverage and the receiver just go up and catch it I was just shocked. I have faith in my defense no matter what so I thought we could hold them to a field goal attempt, but after the penalties and then Furman’s run my heart just sank.”

What ensued would haunt Sherwood seniors for the rest of the weekend; after two Warrior illegal substitution penalties that gave Old Mill first-and-goal from the one-yard-line Furman ran untouched into the endzone with 17 seconds remaining. After an intercepted hail-Mary attempt, Patriot fans ran onto the field and Old Mill advanced to the State Championship on November 4 in which they defeated Wise 17-16.

“You never want to see your senior class go out like that, the way we lost that game, but hopefully it’s a learning experience for these guys,” says Cilento, who only started five seniors, two of whom on special teams, in his first year as Head Coach. “We have a great bunch of juniors that made some contributions and some sophomores looking to move up. We were very young this year.”

The Warriors return practically their entire starting lineup next year; the lone exceptions being Estrain, Garland, senior DT Greg Grant, senior DT Josh Hertz and senior LB Phil Durity. Hertz, a two-way starter left the game early with a knee injury and Durity led the Warrior defense in tackles for the second straight year. The offense will return all of its major weapons including Pignone, Britt who rushed for over 1,200 yards, WR Jamal Merritt and leading receiver WR Alex Cole.