Broadneck upsets Old Mill with early strike and stout defense

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/broadneck-upsets-old-mill-with-early-strike-and-stout-defense/2015/11/23/aa1cd24e-916d-11e5-a2d6-f57908580b1f_story.html

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There was no doubt that Keonte Coates’ 99-yard opening kickoff return for a touchdown in Friday night’s game between Broadneck and Old Mill was a key moment in what figured to be a low-scoring Maryland 4A East region final. There was also no reason to believe the early touchdown and extra point that followed would be the only scores of the game.

But as the night grew longer and one drive after another ended in a punt, turnover or missed field goal — just about any form short of a scoring play — Broadneck’s 7-0 upset victory and trip to the state semifinals solidified in the cold Millersville night.

“We were pretty excited,” Bruins Coach Rob Harris said. “Both teams were playing physical and aggressive football, and we were right there in the middle of it.”

Through its first 11 games, Old Mill was nearly untouchable, riding a plus-421 point margin to 11 clean-cut wins. The Patriots (11-1) never trailed at halftime and were tied after two quarters only once – Week 8 against Broadneck, which resulted in a 38-22 Old Mill win.

Still, despite all that was stacked against them, there was no trepidation on the ninth-ranked Bruins’ sideline.

“We knew we could beat them,” senior linebacker Ryan Kennedy said. “We had them the first time, or at least I thought we had them the first time that they beat us. We just wanted to get revenge on them and prove that we were the better team, and I thought we did a pretty good job of that.”

That desire for revenge had been stewing ever since the Patriots ended Broadneck’s undefeated 2014 season in the first round of the playoffs.

For No. 10 Old Mill, its best chance to counter the early score came just before halftime. But it missed an opportunity to tie the game from inside the 5-yard line and then botched any hope of cutting into the deficit by missing a short field goal.

“That was a huge moment right there,” Kennedy said. “They were knocking on our door right before half, but we didn’t give in and they missed the field goal. That was huge.”

The win evened the record between the two Anne Arundel rivals at 9-9 over the last 18 contests, and it propelled Broadneck (10-2) one step closer to its first state championship in over a decade.

Waiting on Friday night with plans of ending Broadneck’s season one stop shy of M&T Bank Stadium will be Howard (12-0) — a team that spreads out far more than Old Mill does but likes to gash defenses on the ground all the same.

“Football in the state of Maryland and Anne Arundel County, it’s tough to get to a state semifinal,” Harris said. “So we’re really excited that we got there. But at the same time, we’re ready to go to work.”