GERMANTOWN -- Seneca Valley breezed through the regular season, winning all 10 games and using many weapons to outscore opponents 372-27. The two-time defending state champion Screaming Eagles convinced many that they are the best team in the state.
Last night, Randallstown became a believer.
Mike Baker, Davin Nesmith and Kinte Sipes combined for 230 yards rushing and three touchdowns, and Ryan Miyamoto threw for 104 more yards as top-seeded Seneca Valley rallied from a slow start to score a 27-6 victory over eighth-seeded and visiting Randallstown in a Class 3A state quarterfinal playoff.
Seneca Valley, which has won 16 straight, advances to the semifinal next week. Randallstown, making its first trip to the state playoffs in four years, finished 8-3.
Seneca Valley (11-0) controlled the game with its multi-dimensional offense. The Screaming Eagles used their wing-T to run up 334 total yards and keep the ball for much of the game. Baker (100 yards), Nesmith (68 yards, two touchdowns) and Sipes (62 yards) let the Screaming Eagles control the clock.
They also let Randallstown do little on offense. The Rams finished with 142 yards total offense -- only 49 of which came in the final three quarters.
Seneca Valley held Angelo Todd to only 25 yards on 19 carries. The Screaming Eagles surrendered only 70 yards passing -- 54 of which came on one play in the first quarter.
XTC "They're a good ballclub," said Randallstown coach Jack Bush. "They're a heck of a ballclub. We learned a lot from Seneca Valley, [and] I think we'll be a much better team next year."
Randallstown caused Seneca Valley some trouble early. The Rams took the opening kickoff and used up nearly half of the first quarter with a 10-play, 80-yard drive that Todd capped with a 1-yard scoring run.
Seneca Valley moved the ball well from the start, but the Screaming Eagles kept hurting themselves with penalties. They were penalized 11 times for 115 yards and lost three touchdowns to flags.
The Randallstown touchdown was the first time this season that anyone has scored on Seneca Valley in the first quarter. It was also the first time the Screaming Eagles trailed this year. And the Rams took that 6-0 lead into the second quarter.
But then Seneca Valley woke up.
On the third play of the quarter, quarterback Miyamoto (6 for 14) found Kinte Sipes with a 25-yard pass that gave the Screaming Eagles a first down at the Randallstown 20. Three plays later, Nesmith bulled in from a yard out. Louie Forbrich's kick made it 7-6 with 9:03 left in the half.
After that, Seneca Valley began to roll. The Rams punted after three plays on their next possession. Seneca Valley started at its 26 and needed just seven plays to drive the 74 yards, capped by Nesmith's 3-yard run with 3:43 left.
Seneca Valley had more of the same on the final drive of the half, as it moved to the Randallstown 19. Forbrich finished the scoring for the half by kicking a 36-yard field goal with 25 seconds left for a 17-6 lead.
Randallstown kept hurting itself with penalties. The Rams were hit with 14 penalties for 95 yards. They got off to a good start, but Seneca Valley eventually took over.
"They put us in a situation where we had to battle," said Seneca Valley coach Terry Changuris. "Maybe we didn't handle it very well. I think our defense played fantastic; we gave up only six points and I'll take that."