By Sheldon Shealer
Three quarters of work can be undone in a matter of seconds.
Just ask Fort Hill. Or Calvert. Or High Point. Or Eastern Tech. Or Wilde Lake.
Well, you get the point.
Week 3 of the Maryland high school football season was crammed with fantastic finishes, and the aforementioned schools all watched late leads, and ultimately games, slip away in dramatic fashion.
Just when it appeared Surrattsville was finished, Richard Bums scooped up a fumble and returned it 52 yards with 24 seconds left as the Hornets stung Fort Hill, 24-20, in Cumberland. The loss left the Sentinels (1-2) in jeopardy of not making an appearance in the A.P. Top 20 for the first time since the rankings were started in 1990.
Calvert took a 22-8 lead at halftime before Westlake drew even in the third quarter and eventually won the game, 25-22, on Robbie Paskevichís 27-yard field goal in the second overtime period.
High Point, already holding a 21-20 lead, scored a touchdown to go ahead 27-20 in the fourth quarter. Instead of kicking the extra point (which the High Point kicker hasnít missed this season), the Eagles opted for a two-point conversion attempt. High Point failed, and Parkdale scored a touchdown and got the two-point conversion to snag a 28-27 victory.
Dundalk scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns ó the go-ahead score with less than three minutes to play ó and surprised state-ranked Eastern Tech, 26-19, ending the Mustangsí 20-game regular-season undefeated streak.
Wilde Lake, in the midst of a 31-game undefeated streak against Howard County opponents, had a 14-12 lead over Howard in the final seconds of the third quarter. However, the Lions ran off three touchdowns for a stunning 33-14 victory.
If those scenarios werenít enough, check out these results from last weekend: Douglass-Balt. scores 22 points in the fourth quarter for a 22-8 victory over Carver; Francis Scott Key scores the last two touchdowns of the game in the fourth quarter for a 20-12 victory over North Hagerstown; and Paul VI (Va.) scores 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to stun Potomac, 30-22.
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TAKE NOTE
Is it just me or do the weeks run together?
Week 2 stretched from Thursday, Sept. 9 through Tuesday, Sept. 14, due in part to a Jewish holiday and bad weather.
Ditto that for Week 3, which ran from Thursday, Sept. 16 through Tuesday, Sept. 21.
After a day of rest (Wednesday, Sept. 22), it starts all over again with Week 4 as two Frederick County schools play host to Thursday night football. Traditionally, during the week of the Great Frederick Fair, students get that Friday off school, and several sports events are contested that Thursday.
While many schools have returned to the standard Friday or Saturday contest, Thomas Johnson (at home against North Carroll) and Brunswick (at home against South Hagerstown) still play Thursday.
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STAT STARS
Rockville PK Chris Dye connected on a 27-yard field goal with less than two minutes left as the Rams stunned Wheaton, 24-23.
Dundalk RB Esker Mace rushed for 248 yards and three touchdowns and had 11 tackles and a quarterback sack as the Owls ended Eastern Tech's winning ways, 26-19.
Glenelg QB Zack McQuigg completed 16 of 24 passes for 289 yards and five touchdowns in the Gladiators' 48-0 victory over Atholton. In the same game, WR J.T. Smart caught 11 passes for 203 yards and four TDs.
DeMatha DB Dominque Stewart had three touchdowns ñ one offensive, one defensive and one special teams ñ in the Stags' 34-12 win over Eastern (D.C.). Stewart returned a kickoff 97 yards, then hauled in a 66-yard scoring pass and returned an interception 55 yards for a score.
Old Mill QB Brian Williams, who had a big game two weeks ago, completed 9 of 12 passes for 237 yards and four touchdowns in the team's 42-7 win over Glen Burnie.
Blake Defense ñ The first-year varsity team had six interceptions in a 26-0 win over Kennedy.
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MAJOR MATCHUPS
Watkins Mill (3-0) at Gaithersburg, Friday, 6:30 p.m. ñ The winner of this meeting has the inside track to the Class 4A West region title.
Bowie (3-0) at Suitland (2-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ñ Upstart Bowie is off to its best season in years and now must face the two-time defending Prince George's County 4A League champion who is 26-3 in its last 29 games.
Milford Mill (3-0) at No. 20 Dundalk (3-0), Saturday, 1 p.m. ñ A key Baltimore County 3A/4A League contest.
Gilman (3-0) at Landon (1-0), Saturday, 1 p.m. ñ State No. 4 Gilman puts its 14-game win streak on the line against No. 19 Landon. Gilman needed a goal line stand to win last year's meeting.
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DID YOU NOTICE?
After three weeks, only Frederick Douglass-PG and Middletown remain as the lone teams that have not surrendered points this season. Both have three straight shutout victories. Since the start of the playoff era in 1974, no MPSSAA school has put together 10 straight shutouts in the regular season. Seneca Valley holds the state record with 11 shutouts in 12 games, allowing a lone score in a regular-season game against Gaithersburg during Week 8 of the 1977 season.