Matthews’ 5 Scores Run Linganore past Milford Mill into State Championship
November 28, 2025
FREDERICK, Md. — Linganore senior running back Bradly Matthews had a dominant night, sometimes seemingly running at will, as the Lancers (12-0) defeated Milford Mill (10-1) on Friday night to advance to the MPSSAA Class 3A State Championship game.
The Lancers were able to move the ball on the ground at will for the entire night. The Millers defense had no answers for the punishing running attack on the legs of Matthews, who totaled well over 300 yards and 5 touchdowns. Linganore identified that mismatch early on and only rarely moved the ball through the air, and wore down the Milford Mill defenders.
Linganore seemed poised to get off to an early start, as the Lancers won the coin toss and chose to receive the ball, looking to set the tone early. And that’s exactly what they did. Less than two minutes into the game, the Lancers were already on the board, with a 4-yard run by Matthews to take a 7-0 lead after the PAT by Ayden Marsh.
After forcing a Millers three-and-out, the Lancers were off to the races again, as Matthews scored from 39 yards away to give Linganore a 14-0 lead that it would take into the second quarter. Milford Mill had a drive that worked deep into Lancers territory right at the end of the quarter, but the Millers turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert on 4th down from the Lancers 15-yard line.
Matthews added a third score, this time from 4 yards away, midway through the second quarter, and Junior quarterback David Doy connected with Jeremy Allen in the end zone for a 26-yard passing touchdown to give the Lancers a 28-0 lead that it would take into halftime.
Milford Mill received the kickoff to start the second half, and started to move the ball quickly on the legs of Senior running back Damon Ferguson. The Millers gained some momentum, moving quickly and not taking much time between plays, but the drive abruptly stopped at the Linganore 10, when the ball was fumbled on a fourth down rushing attempt. The Millers had gained enough yardage to pick up the first down, but the ball was jarred loose on the tackle, and recovered by the Lancers defense.
With its rushing attack still in full force, Linganore took advantage of the Milford Mill miscue, and marched downfield quickly to score again, on an 8-yard run by Matthews, to force a running clock to begin. The running clock was short-lived, however, as on the ensuing kickoff, Ferguson returned the kickoff 90 yards for the first Milford Mill score of the night. The PAT was blocked, and the Lancers held a 35-6 lead.
But only two minutes later, Matthews added his fifth and final score of the night, this time from 23 yards, to start the running clock once again. The extra point was no good, and the Lancers led 41-6 heading into the final quarter of play.
Linganore inserted backups onto the field on both sides of the ball, and Milford Mill was able to add one more score with just under five minutes to play in the game on a 33-yard pass from quarterback Owen Newberns to receiver Amauri Patterson. The two-point conversion came up short, and Linganore took the ball back and secured a 41-12 victory.
Milford Mill’s season comes to a close after picking its first loss of the season. This marks the third straight season in which the Millers end their season in the state semifinals round, after winning the state title in 2022, and finishing as the runners up in 2021.
Linganore will advance to its third straight state championship game, and its seventh title game in the last eight years. The Lancers have lost their last five title game appearances, and will face off against cross-county rival Oakdale to attempt and win its first championship since 2017, and seventh in school history.
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