By Kyle McFadden

After a successful football season, in which Maryland Sports Access covered 27 football games, we have whittled down to the 10 most memorable games that many will look back on years down the road in astonishment. As it was an extremely tough decision to sit down and actually rank these games number 10 all the way down to our best game, we can all assure that these contests will be billed as classics of the 2015 football season.

Here’s to a football season that was filled with shocking upsets, epic barn-burners, renewed rivalries and many more.

 

No. 10

3A State Championship – Damascus 45, Dundalk 14

Austin McFadden / Maryland Sports Access

Don’t let the score fool you on why this one should make an appearance on the most memorable games of the 2015 campaign.

This years 3A state championship wasn’t a classic by any means, but it was how Damascus capped off an ever so dominant season that makes this game one to admire. As lopsided victories are no fun to witness from a fans perspective, you have to sit back and appreciate what the Hornets accomplished this year.

Just some eye-popping stats and records to list – in their 14 wins, Damascus won by an average of 39.4 points per game including one win by 63 points and three playoff wins by more than 40 points; the 662 points accumulated broke an 11 year state record previously held by Hereford (637); running back, Jake Funk’s 57 touchdowns rewrote history books and ends a historic high school career second in touchdowns with 101 to current NFL standout, Tavon Austin (123).

A large part to Funk’s success this season, in which he was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Maryland, All-Met Player of the Year, and shattered numerous of records was his bedrock offensive line that paved the way for nearly 3,500 team rushing yards. Linebacker Da’Quan Grimes was named Montgomery County Football Player of the Year and led a defense that gave up on average of 9.6 points per game.

The 2015 Damascus Swarmin’ Hornets football team is up for USA Today National Team of the Year, and they have every reason to be in that conversation as they completed a season that will go down as one of the greatest in Maryland high school football history.

 

No. 9

Week 5 – Sherwood 16, Northwest 13

West Virginia commit and Sherwood wide receiver/defensive back, Marcus Simms, used his elusive play-making ability to help propel his no. 18 Sherwood Warriors over the reigning 4A state champions, no. 13 Northwest Jaguars.

On Sherwood’s first offensive drive, Simms broke free down the right sideline to haul in a 29-yard touchdown reception to put the Warriors out on top, 7-0.

Just before halftime, Simms ball-hawked an interception from his own 34-yard line that was tipped up in the air a teammate and flashed Deion Sanders-like elusiveness – shaking Northwest tacklers out of their cleats that resulted in a 56-yard return to the Northwest 10-yard line. That offensive drive ended in a field goal with 4.7 seconds left in the second quarter, which happened to be the difference maker once the buzzer sounded.

Northwest then mounted a comeback that featured a Martin Foray kickoff return for touchdown and a Juwon Farri touchdown reception from Mark Pierce.

The Jaguars nursed a 13-10 lead going into the final quarter, but Travis Levy’s 3-yard run with 7:47 to go and Simms’ last second game clinching interception held true for the Warriors as they prevailed in a thriller, 16-13.

Simms finished the night with 124 all-purpose yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and held Northwest wide receivers to 11 yards on two receptions.

 

No. 8

Week 2, The Kings Trophy – Seneca Valley 14, Northwest 7

The Washington Post

This game would probably be in the top two if it weren’t for so many other games that happened to end in more dramatic fashion. Nonetheless, the 2015 battle for the Kings Trophy will go down as an instant classic.

The reigning back-to-back 4A state champions, Northwest Jaguars, hosted a game that they won the previous two seasons, but this time around had a different script.

When it appeared Northwest secured momentum early, mounting a well-sustained drive into Seneca Valley territory, running back Khalil Owens got congested at the line-of-scrimmage, coughing up the football that was scooped up by Screamin’ Eagles linebacker Dione Jordan.

Jordan returned the fumble 65-yards to the house to put Seneca Valley up at the end of the first quarter, 7-0.

Then with under five minutes until halftime, SV quarterback Petey Gaskins flipped a screen pass to bruising running back Darius Golston that he took 36 yards, steam rolling five Northwest defenders on his way to the end zone. Northwest quarterback Mark Pierce then put together a drive right before halftime that was punched home by a 7-yard QB sneak to bring the game closer, 14-7, still in favor of Seneca Valley.

The Screamin’ Eagles defense locked down the Northwest offense the rest of the way, forcing some kind of turnover whether it was a turnover-on-downs or interception on three of the final seven drives.

Seneca Valley hoisted the Kings Trophy for the first time since 2012 and found themselves in the region championship when it was all said and done at the end of the year.

 

No. 7

3A West region semifinals – Seneca Valley 30, Linganore 27

Austin McFadden / Maryland Sports Access

 

In the teams first meeting since the 2002 Class 3A state championship, Seneca Valley rode workhorse Adrian Feliz-Platt, all the way until the end of this controversial contest to hand no. 5 Linganore its first home loss since 2012.

In the first eight minutes of the game, Feliz-Platt found the end zone three times on runs of 11, 30 and four yards. Two of the scores came off of Linganore turnovers deep into their own territory to give Seneca Valley a commanding threshold, 21-0, in the first quarter.

Rey Genovez connected on a 29-yard field goal to push the Eagles lead to 24-0 with 2:18 to go in the first half. Many thought the game would get out of hand, but Linganore refused to give in. With 33 seconds until halftime, Linganore senior gunslinger Nathaniel Musselman found Wade Stieren in the wide-open flat as he powered ahead for a 32-yard score to make it 24-6, Seneca Valley.

Then on Seneca Valley’s first offensive possession to open up the second half, Linganore defensive lineman and Army commit, Tyler Fleagle, made his way into the backfield to force a fumble on Eagles quarterback, Petey Gaskins. Daniel Ross of LHS picked up the loose ball and scooted 23 yards for the touchdown. A successful 2-point conversion brought the game even closer, 24-14, still in favor of the Screamin’ Eagles.

A few minutes later and momentum swaying towards the Linganore sideline ever so slightly, Feliz-Platt received a truck-wide seam up the middle courtesy of his offensive line and ripped off a 75-yard touchdown to energize the Seneca Valley faithful once more. The lead was pushed to 30-14 with 5:16 left in the third.

Linganore pulled to within 10 when Musselman darted a pass to Jack Staub that he took 25 yards to the end zone. And then three plays later, Josh Faulconer scooped up a mishandled Seneca Valley lateral pass and hauled 63 yards down the field for a touchdown.

Just like that, a 24 point lead was a nail-biting three point game with under 11 minutes to go the final quarter.

With 23 seconds left, facing a 3rd-and-1, Seneca Valley needed one more first down to the close out the ball game. That’s when quarterback Petey Gaskins lunged forward and appeared to lose control of the football. Faulconer picked up the loose ball and took off for what seemed to be a walk-off 69 yard touchdown, triggering an atmosphere that no word could describe.

After a heavy discussion among the officiated crew, Gaskins picked up the necessary two yards needed for the game clinching first down and the play was whistled dead before the ball came loose.

Many claim did they not hear a whistle blow, sparking a controversial ending that will be talked about for many years to come. But, it wasn’t the first controversial officiating call throughout the game.

On Feliz-Platt’s third touchdown run, the ball appeared to have popped out at the two-yard line with Linganore regaining possession. And on the 63-yard Linganore fumble return for a touchdown that was a ruled as a mishandled lateral pass by Seneca Valley, seemed to be an incomplete pass.

Despite a “bozo the clown” twist to a playoff thriller, this one will go down as a classic.

Feliz-Platt totaled 224 yards and four touchdowns on 28 touches while Linganore quarterback, Musselman, finished with 299 total yards and two touchdowns.

 

No. 6

Week 5 – Linganore 7, Walkersville 6 OT

For the entirety of four quarters in the middle of a heavy, gelid rain swell, either team failed to find the end zone. Offense came at a premium as 80 yards, nine punts, six fumbles and one pass attempt occurred in the first half between the two teams.

Bizarrely, the score stood at 0-0 heading into overtime as virtually zero scoring chances presented itself in the first 48 minutes.

On the first possession, Linganore quarterback Nathaniel Musselman dropped back into the pocket, tucked the ball into his chest and went 10 yards for the touchdown. Anthony Sparacino connected on the point-after-touchdown to give Linganore the lead, 7-0, with Walkersville getting one try to extend the game into a second overtime.

Walkersville quarterback Billy Gant ran almost the exact same play, as the sophomore QB sneaked his way into the end zone on a 10 yard keeper of his own. On the ensuing PAT, Linganore defensive lineman Tyler Fleagle penetrated off the line of scrimmage to get a hand on the football as it misdirected errantly and dribbled to the turf.

The Lancers pulled out a nail-bitter in dramatic fashion as they downed Walkersville, 7-6.

Linganore’s Tyler Fleagle was the only defensive Player of the Game the entire year, totaling 16 tackles, forcing one fumble and blocking Walkersville’s game-tying field goal in OT to seal the LHS victory.

 

No. 5

Week 7 – Gonzaga (DC) 24, DeMatha 14

Evan Engelhard / Maryland Sports Access

 

In a nationally televised game on ESPN, the then third top-ranked team in the country, DeMatha, had a premier spotlight opportunity to showcase the talent that bolsters throughout the Stags roster.

But, Gonzaga (DC) had different plans, upsetting DeMatha on national television, 24-14.

It was fitting for DeMatha to take their first offensive play from scrimmage 92 yards to the end zone courtesy of Maryland commit, Lorenzo Harrison, and find themselves up 7-0 off the bat. But little did everyone know that would be one of the lone bright spots for the Stags throughout the night.

Gonzaga then pounced on DeMatha, forcing four turnovers and ultimately capitalizing. Sam Brown connected with Max Fisher for a 34-yard touchdown in the second and then shortly after, Tyree Randolph punched in a three yard score to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead heading into halftime.

Randolph would hammer home another three yard score to push Gonzaga’s lead 21-7 in the third quarter. Tino Ellis then took a fumble from his own teammate, Harrison, and raced 59 yards to cut into the Eagles lead, 21-14.

But after that, little to no chances were generated by the Stags offense as Gonzaga accomplished the improbable.

DeMatha’s Lorenzo Harrison finished with 179 rushing yards on 10 carries.

No. 4

Week 6 – Linganore 21, Oakdale 20

Linganore quarterback Nathaniel Musselman (7) leaps up in the air and collides with teammate Jack Staub (5) after completing the game winning 2-point conversion. Austin McFadden / Maryland Sports Access.

 

Billed as Frederick County’s game of the year between two previously unbeaten’s, Linganore versus Oakdale, the hype certainly lived up to expectations and a new rivalry may have intensified.

With either team struggling to move the ball down the field in the early minutes, the Bears flashed a wrinkle of trickery to break things open. Wide receiver Cory Schlee took a jet sweep from quarterback Sean McGaughey, selling the end-around. Catching the Linganore off-guard, he heaved a 30 yard pass to a wide open Ben Simonica that he walked into the end zone.

In the first quarter, the Bears sacked opposing quarterback, Nathaniel Mussleman, four times and held a 7-0 lead. Linganore only managed minus nine yards of offense on nine plays and failed to pick up a first down on all three of their drives.

Then, in the second quarter, tides changed for the Lancers as they took an 11-play 56 yard drive that was capped off by a 2-yard run by Dante Butler. Oakdale used a pivotal return on the ensuing kickoff from Ben Simonica that set up a McGaughey 31-yard touchdown strike to Cory Schlee just two plays later.

For the entire first half, Oakdale was in control – dominating the total yardage 165 to 91 and held a 13-7 lead despite fumbling twice inside the red zone, one of them coming at the goal line.

Oakdale would continue to push forward, taking a 6-play 60 yard drive to open up the second half that was finished off by a Simonica 22-yard touchdown from McGaughey. With 24.2 seconds left remaining in the third quarter, the Bears carved through the Linganore defense once more and faced a third-and-goal at the three yard line.

Another touchdown would give them a commanding three possession lead heading into the fourth. But, for the third time in just under 36 minutes, a turnover inside the red zone eluded any chance from that happening.

Though Linganore’s woes continued on into the second half, only managing three yards of offense in the third quarter on nine plays, they received new life starting the final 12 minutes returning the Oakdale fumble to their own 46-yard line.

Lancer senior quarterback, Musselman, would then orchestrate a 54 yard drive and punch in a 2-yard sneak to bring the game down to one possession, 20-13, with 9:54 remaining.

Both defenses stood robust, forcing punt after punt. With 2:52 remaining, Linganore took over at their own 45-yard line having zero timeouts in their back pocket.

Musselman moved the ball down field at will – to the 48, then across midfield to the 39, the 21, to the 10. That’s when he found Dante Butler on the 10 yard touchdown reception with 26.3 seconds left. Instead of kicking the potential game-tying extra point to most likely send the game to overtime, Linganore head coach Rick Conner yielded to a rather gutsy 2-point conversion try.

Rolling out to his left, Musselman darted a pass to Wade Stieren that was brought in for the game-winning 2-point conversion.

Oakdale would then attempt a 47-yard field goal with the handful of seconds that was left, but the kick fell yards short. Linganore erased a 13-point fourth quarter deficit with 10 minutes remaining to upend Oakdale, 21-20.

In the first three quarters, Musselman completed four passes on 10 attempts for 26 yards and rushed for nine. An old folklore states, it’s not how you start, but how you finish and Musselman justified that, finishing the fourth quarter with a 133.8 quarterback passer rating (158.3 scale) on eight for 10 passing with 112 total yards.

 

No. 3

2A State Championship – Patuxent 21, Walkersville 20

Austin McFadden / Maryland Sports Access

 

Though the first three football state championships were blowouts decided by 30 points or more, the class 2A game was well worth the wait and added a cherry on top to what already was an eventful season of football, if you’re a fan of down-to-the-wire contests.

Much like the Linganore-Oakdale game mentioned above, this one had almost the exact same script, just on a bigger stage. Chad Gleason helped Walkersville control the game throughout the first three quarters, carving out the Panthers defense for 223 yards, including touchdowns of four, 15 and 30 yards.

Gleason’s third touchdown gave the Lions a 20-7 lead late in the third quarter, but Walkersville missed the extra point, which later would come back to haunt them.

Patuxent quarterback Reese Crounse came on in the second half to jolt the Panthers offensive attack, completing eight of 13 passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns. The second was a 23-yarder to Juan Watkins early in the fourth quarter that cut the deficit to 20-14 with 10:34 left. Patuxent then marched 79 yards on 14 plays on its next possession lasting just over six minutes, ending with a 2-yard Chris Long scored through the teeth of the Lion defense.

The Panthers took their first lead of the game, 21-20, with 1:23 left. But Walkersville wasn’t done as Jacob Wetzel returned the ensuing kickoff 59 yards to the Patuxent 35-yard line. Walkersville failed to move the ball any further, turning it over on downs thus giving Patuxent the victory as they hoisted the championship trophy in a comeback for the ages.

No. 2

Week 3 – Woodberry Forest (VA) 66, Bullis 65 OT

Austin McFadden / Maryland Sports Access

Just when you thought the games above were already crazy enough, wait until you hear about this one. Nearly one mile of all-purpose yards were eclipsed (1,334), 131 combined points, 58 first downs, 17 total touchdowns and zero punts all occurred between the two teams.

And did I mention it went to overtime? Insanity. I guess that’s what happens when two of the top ranked quarterback prospects in the nation go head-to-head, Dwayne Haskins of Bullis and Lindell Stone of Woodberry Forest.

Haskins, a Univerisity of Maryland commit, tossed for 442 yards and seven touchdowns, completing 29 of his 44 pass attempts. He also added 63 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

With 1:31 remaining, down eight and no timeouts to spare, Bullis and Haskins would get one more shot at their own 29-yard line. The touted Maryland commit turned up the heat and carried his team down the field every so slightly – from the 29, to the 46, then crossing into enemy territory to the 42 yard line.

The suspense was building and fans rose from their seats. There was now 20.5 seconds left and Haskins faced a third-and-10. He took the snap, dropped back and scanned the field only to find none of his Bulldog receivers with any separation from defenders. The blitz was coming, Haskins stood firmly in the pocket – shaking left and busting a move to the right side to buy more time.

That’s when he heaved the pigskin downfield and connected with senior Zach Hawkins that put Bullis at the two yard line and ignited the Bulldog faithful. Two plays later, Haskins found Damani Neal on the run in which he crossed the left corner of the end zone a mere seconds away from the end of regulation buzzer.

A converted 2-point conversion on an Andres Lopez run knotted the game at 59.

Bullis scored on their first offensive possession of overtime, but a mishandled snap by Neal on the 2-point conversation was costly as Woodberry Forest came back, scored, and converted the PAT to down Bullis, 66-65.

 

No. 1

116th annual Army-Navy game – Navy 21, Army 17

Keenan Reynolds breaks free for a 54 yard touchdown in the first quarter. This run set the FBS record for most career touchdowns with 84. Scott Poole / Maryland Sports Access

 

Not did the 116th Army-Navy game proved to be one of the most thrilling match-ups between the two since 1890, but the added patriotic atmosphere and showmanship earned it our no. 1 game of the year, respectively.

Records aside in “America’s Game”, the climax and story line fit the bill of an Emmy Award winning movie. Only that it wasn’t script.

Despite carrying a minus 22-point line and two wins into the touted classic, Army brushed that aside and aroused to the occasion. On the opening offensive drive, the Black Knight front-7 quickly forced a Midshipmen punt, stuffing quarterback Keenan Reynolds on a designed run.

Edgar Poe then received a trio of pivotal blocks and raced 50-yards up the field to set up Army with pristine field position at the Navy 40-yard line. The Black Knight’s marched down to the 14-yard line, but couldn’t get anywhere further.

Army’s Daniel Grochkowki knocked through a 32-yard field goal to give his team the early edge, 3-0.

Reynolds then showed why he’s one of the most dynamic playmakers college football has ever seen as on the ensuing drive, he executed a triple-option run read to perfection and zoomed up the gut 58-yards for the touchdown.

On that run, Reynolds broke the record for most rushing touchdowns in Division-1 history. And just when you think he’s shown you enough to make him a fan favorite, he set even more records – the most touchdowns in the history of the Army-Navy game (seven), school record for career passing touchdowns (30) and becoming the only Navy quarterback to defeat Army four times.

When Reynolds had an answer, Army seemed to be unfazed – marching 82 yards in seven plays that was capped off by a 29-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Tyler Campbell to put the Black Nights up, 10-7 with 4:10 left in the first quarter.

The Cadet faithful had ignited. Right then and there a classic was in the making.

Reynolds engineered a 50-yard drive, 35 coming on one scramble, minutes into the second quarter. The quarterback then muscled into the end zone from one yard to push Navy ahead once more, 14-10.

The back and forth slug-fest carried on. Instead of running the clock out, and receiving the ball at the half, Army quarterback Chris Carter floated a beautiful 39-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Poe. With 30 minutes of football in the books, Army took a 17-14 lead and upset aspirations into halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Reynolds zipped a 10-yard slant to Jamir Tillman that he took 40-yards more to make it 21-17, Navy, and what would be the game-deciding score.

Army had it’s chances to prove triumphant, but seemingly didn’t capitalize.

At the start of the fourth quarter, a 29-yard field goal was blown wide left. A drive that was sustained to the Navy 33-yard line, was ended by a botched snap. Two late interceptions that halted productive series’ may very well be the two biggest gashes that will leave scars for Army.

Nonetheless, Navy prevails in a classic over Army, 21-17 on a night where Keenan Reynolds will ride off into the sunset with the Division-1 touchdown record and his fourth and final victory over the Black Nights.

Reynolds went 6 for 14 passing with 113 yards and one touchdown through the air. He also rushed for 136 yards on the ground and two touchdowns on 21 carries.