GLEN BURNIE, Md. — In a rematch from Week 7 of the regular season that saw Glen Burnie (7-3) handily beat Meade (5-5), the Gophers had to hold on until the very last second, and even beyond, to defeat the Mustangs, 28-27, in the first round of the MPSSAA playoffs.
Glen Burnie was paced by quarterback Romeo Edmonds, who ran for three touchdowns and passed for another. Edmonds game through for the Gophers when they needed him the most.
The evening started with a bang, as Meade’s Tyrique Jones took the opening kickoff 81 yards to the end zone. The Mustangs took an early 7-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game. But the Gophers would answer right back on their first possession. Edmonds dropped back to pass, saw no one open, and took off for an 11-yard score. The extra point, however, was missed, so Meade maintained a 7-6 lead.
On their next possession, only two minutes later, Edmonds would again find the end zone, this time on a 29-yard run around the edge. The Gophers decided to go for the two point conversion to offset the previously missed extra point, and Edmonds stretched the ball out and dove across the goal line to extend his team’s lead out to 14-7.
Early in the second quarter, the momentum began to shift in the favor of Meade. The Mustangs defense started to disrupt the Gophers, who were attempting to rely on the pass to extend their lead. After stopping a Glen Burnie drive deep in their own territory, Meade took the ball down the field, and capped it with a 9-yard touchdown run by quarterback Brian Jamison. The extra point would tie the game with just under five minutes before halftime.
As the Meade defense continued to play well, the Mustangs were able to get the ball back on offense and score once more right before halftime. Jamison found Jones for a 34-yard touchdown pass, and Meade would take a 21-14 lead into the break.
The third quarter was largely dominated by the defenses of both teams, as well as some sloppy play. Both teams punted to start the half, and then both teams would also turn the ball over on downs. Some penalties sprinkled in along the way would render both teams scoreless.
Glen Burnie would find itself with the ball, facing a 4th down and long early in the fourth quarter. Edmonds dropped back to pass, rolled to his right, then scrambled to the left, and somehow found receiver Dante Todd in the end zone for a 21-yard score. The Gophers elected to go for two, and once again leaned on Edmonds, who would run it in to take a 22-21 lead.
But as quickly as Glen Burnie had taken the lead, the Mustangs took it right back. Jamison passed to receiver Kayvawn Simms-Rogers on a screen, who then weaved through defenders and took it 65 yards to the house. It was redemption for Simms-Rogers, who had two touchdown receptions called back earlier in the game on penalties. Meade attempted a two-point conversion, but was unsuccessful, giving the Mustangs a 27-22 lead with just over nine minutes to play.
The Gophers would take their next possession into the red zone, once more aided by the legs of Edmonds. With just over three minutes remaining in the game, Edmonds leaped over the pile at the goal line and broke the plane to give Glen Burnie the lead once more. Edmonds’ two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, so the Gophers clung to a 28-27 lead.
Meade would have one final shot to score and win the game. Facing third downs a stout Glen Burnie defense, the Mustangs were able to get the ball within striking distance. As time expired, a Jamison pass was incomplete over the middle, but the referees called Glen Burnie for pass interference. The penalty with no time left on the clock resulted in one, final, untimed down for the Mustangs. Needing only two points to win the game, Meade attempted approximately a 28-yard field goal. But the kick went wide and was no good, and Glen Burnie held on for a 28-27 victory.
Glen Burnie advances to the second round of the playoffs, and will face off with Old Mill (9-1) on the road next weekend. Meade sees its promising season come to a close with a .500 record following back-to-back one-point losses to end the year.
