Stephen Decatur mounts furious comeback to defeat Westlake, 27-20, in overtime classic
November 30, 2024
BERLIN, Md. — Coming back from a 20-0 second half deficit, the Stephen Decatur Seahawks (13-0) defeated the Westlake Wolverines (10-3), 27-20, in overtime to advance to the 2A State Championship game for the second consecutive season.
After seemingly not being able to move the ball at all in the first three quarters, Decatur figured things out late in the third quarter, and held down the Westlake offense to complete the epic comeback.
Westlake started the game out strong and was the first team onto the scoreboard. After both teams exchanged punts for the majority of the first quarter, the Wolverines took advantage of a fumble forward that they recovered for a first down, and then running back Devin Cox broke loose for a 30-yard touchdown run. Brayden Erdolino added the extra point to give the Wolverines a 7-0 lead, that they would take into the second quarter.
The second Westlake score of the night came on an incredible catch by receiver Caleb Phillips. Quarterback William Drakeford threw a pass up for Phillips who twisted his body, came down in bounds, and then ran past his defender up the sideline for a 68-yard score. The Wolverines took a 13-0 lead, after the extra point was blocked. Decatur had several chances to do something before the break, but came up short. Westlake took the 13-0 lead into the locker room.
Things looked to be more of the same in the second half. Westlake’s defense was shutting down Decatur, and their offense continued to steadily move the ball. The Wolverines added a third touchdown and second on the night for Cox, who ran in from 23 yards. Cox tallied 163 yards on 36 carries on the night, and was a big part of the Wolverines 211 yards of total rushing. Westlake took a 20-0 lead and seemed to be in control.
Decatur finally got on the scoreboard, however, when quarterback Johnny Hobgood was finally able to connect on a 38-yard scoring pass to receiver Zakhari Baker. The Seahawks broke the ice, but they still had a tall mountain to climb, as Westlake took their 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter.
As Westlake struggled to move the ball and run the clock out in the fourth, Decatur’s offense came to life. With quick passes and scrambles by Hobgood, the Seahawks moved down the field quickly. Nate Tapley took the snap from two yards out and jumped over the top of the line for a touchdown. Decatur cut the Westlake lead to 20-14 with just over six minutes to play.
After forcing Westlake to go three-and-out, Decatur got the ball back again and immediately started moving. Time ticked down, and after it looked as though the Seahawks were stalling after moving the ball into the Westlake 10-yard line, Hobgood connected with Davin Chandler into the corner of the end zone for the touchdown. However, the extra point attempt hit off the upright and was no good, so the score was tied 20-20 with just over a minute to play.
Heading to overtime, Stephen Decatur got the ball first. On the second play of its overtime possession, Hobgood took the ball and ran 8 yards for the score to start the extra period. Now all the Seahawks needed was a stop, and that’s exactly what they got. The Wolverines had four attempts and could muster nothing on offense. The Decatur defense stood strong in overtime and secure the stunning come from behind overtime victory.
Westlake finishes its season 10-3 in its first year under head coach DaLawn Parrish. While the Wolverines ultimately came up short tonight, there is no question the future is bright in Waldorf. Stephen Decatur advances to the 2A State Championship game next Saturday in Annapolis and will have a re-match with last year’s championship game opponent, Huntingtown.
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