Running back Justin Warren rushed for 161 yards and scored four touchdowns to pace Seneca Valley's 35-13 romp at No. 7 Annapolis in the Class 3A state football quarterfinals last night.
Warren, who transferred from Abbington High in Pennsylvania in January, has a school-record 23 touchdowns this season. He carried 28 times last night and scored three of his touchdowns in the first half.
As the eighth seed, Seneca Valley (8-2) will play again on the road next weekend in the semifinals against No. 4 seed Calvert.
Making its sixth straight and 14th overall playoff appearance, both Anne Arundel County records, top-seeded Annapolis finished 9-2.
"The bottom line is we lost to a better team," said Annapolis coach Roy Brown. "We had to do everything right coming into the game. We knew that. Our kids played hard and we lost to a quality team."
Annapolis had three fumbles and an interception through the third quarter, and there was a stretch in the second half when the teams combined for five straight turnovers.
The Screamin' Eagles played like a top seed, and the addition of Warren could result in Seneca Valley adding to its Maryland record of 11 state titles.
"His dad came down last fall and said that they were getting ready to move to the area and they were looking for a high school," said Seneca Valley coach Terry Changuris. "So I gave him the great sales pitch and said this is the place you want to be and we sold him on it."
Warren carried the load on Seneca Valley's first two drives last night, scoring from the 1-yard line each time.
Annapolis' Demario Harris broke a 60- yard touchdown run to make it 14-7 in the second quarter. Seneca Valley answered with an 11-play, 63-yard march capped by Warren's 7-yard run for a 21-7 lead at the half.
Seneca quarterback Brandon Chapman completed five of 10 passes for 146 yards in the first half to help set up Warren.
"We did what we do best - pass it when we need to pass and run when we need to run," Warren said.
Seneca Valley probably delivered the knockout punch on the initial drive of the second half, going 61 yards in eight plays, with Warren scoring from 13 yards to make it 27-7.