Fourth-down success propels undefeated Oakland Mills football to win over Atholton | Howard County sports roundup
Oakland Mills had a love-hate relationship with fourth downs on Friday.
On one hand, the Scorpions hated the three turnovers on downs in their own territory, including one in the fourth quarter.
On the other, however, there was plenty to love about three fourth-down touchdowns in the red zone — two of which came on fourth-and-long.
In the end, love won out, as quarterback Kanye Holland’s fourth-down heroics propelled the Scorpions to a 26-20 victory over visiting Atholton.
“I always trust my team when it comes to fourth-down conversions,” Holland said. “We get them all the time. All we had to do was execute. I knew my team could get the job done.”
Holland, the centerpiece of coach Tom Browne’s run-heavy offense, ran for 114 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and added 73 yards and two scores on 6-of-8 passing.
“We put a lot of trust in Kanye,” Browne said. “He can run and he can throw. We don’t throw much, but when we do, he can do it pretty effectively. I can’t say enough about him, but the guys around him are damn good football players as well.”
Both teams entered the contest 3-0, and now the Scorpions join Long Reach (4-0) as the only undefeated teams remaining in Howard County. The 4-0 start is the first for Oakland Mills since 2015.
“What separates this year and the spring is just being around the guys and having an actual offseason,” Browne said. “We have a senior class with guys who have been with the program for three or four years. That senior leadership makes a big difference. The buy-in has been great.”
This story will be updated with more information, quotes from coaches and players and a photo gallery.
Oakland Mills 26, Atholton 20
A — 0 7 6 7 — 20
OM — 6 0 14 6 — 26
Scoring plays:
First quarter
OM: Aki Harvey 15-yard pass from Kanye Holland, kick no good [6-0]
Second quarter
A: Dillan Watkins 4-yard run, Banna Araya kick [7-6]
Third quarter
OM: Holland 13-yard run, Holland run [14-7]
A: Watkins 5-yard run, kick blocked [14-13]
OM: Kylik Perry 12-yard pass from Holland, kick blocked [20-13]
Fourth quarter
OM: John Tatum 3-yard run, run failed [26-13]
A: Watkins 2-yard run, Araya kick [26-20]
OTHER FOOTBALL SCORES:
River Hill 14, Mt. Hebron 6
Long Reach 21, Howard 17
Wilde Lake 28, Hammond 0
Reservoir at Marriotts Ridge (PPD)
Don’t see scores or stats from your favorite team? Send results and any game information to Jacob Meyer at jameyer@baltsun.com.
