All season long, Glenelg football has espoused a team-first credo.
On Friday, the Gladiators got a chance to prove it on the field.
Glenelg was without top running back Nick Crabill coming into the game, and his replacement, Jared Jacoby (47 yards on nine carries), left the game with an injury after a collision late in the first quarter.
In place of Crabill and Jacoby, Ryan Perry (100 yards), Glenn Lucas (39) and Drew Dziwulski (23) stepped in to drive the Gladiators' running game.
"Whoever we've got we're going to play and our kids are going to play hard, that's something about this team, they're young and they're going to give you everything they've got every play," coach Butch Schaffer said. "That's what we preach and that's what they do."
Glenelg (9-2) earned its first playoff win since 2003, defeating visiting Gwynn Park (8-3), 17-14, Friday night.
"We just put some other people in, we adjusted some things and we got the job done," Lucas said. "We all play different positions, we're just a team."
Gwynn Park scored first, on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jay Adams to Vanderbilt-bound receiver Brandon Banks (3 catches, 92 yards) with 26 seconds left in the first half. But Glenelg answered on the ensuing kickoff when Perry fielded the ball inside Glenelg's 20 and handed off to sophomore David Brookhart (2 returns, 97 yards), who ran up the home sideline for a go-ahead touchdown after Alex Paul's extra point.
Glenelg extended its lead with a 1-yard run by Glenn Lucas in the third quarter and a 32-yard field goal by Alex Paul midway through the fourth.
Gwynn Park answered that score by passing its way down the field and scoring on a 6-yard pass from Adams (9/18, 183 yards) to Marc Bronson. The Yellow Jackets were successful on the 2-point conversion to make it a 3-point game, but they never got the ball back as Glenelg squeezed all of the time out of the clock with a four-minute, 45-yard drive to the Gwynn Park one-yard line, where the game ended.
"The thing about this team is they're unselfish, they play as a group, they don't care who gets the credit and they're going to step up when asked," Schaffer said. "Ryan Perry and the offensive line and Glenn Lucas and those guys did a tremendous job and the defense played awesome all night."
Glenelg fumbled the ball away twice, including once on Gwynn Park's goal line on the first drive of the game. But the Gladiators were penalized only three times for 15 yards while Gwynn Park lost 70 yards on ten penalties. Glenelg also possessed the ball nearly twice as long as the Yellow Jackets.
Crabill was injured in a collision during a game Oct. 28 at River Hill, but was on the sideline for Friday night's playoff game, and could be back as soon as next week.
Glenelg junior kicker Luke Brister, who kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired Sept. 30 at Hammond and threw a touchdown pass in a 23-20 win over Long Reach against Long Reach a week later, is also out, with a leg injury. His replacement, Alex Paul, was 2-for-2 on extra points Friday night in addition to the 32-yard field goal.
"We might get (Brister) back next week, but Alex Paul had a tremendous game tonight, it's good to have a little depth," Schaffer said. "We're just fortunate to have them both."
Next Friday, Glenelg, the No. 2 seed, will host fourth-seeded Douglass (9-2). Douglass defeated top-seeded Patuxent, 26-20, in the other 2A South semifinal game.
Douglass defeated Gwynn Park, 14-6, earlier this season. In 2009, Douglass defeated Glenelg in the opening round of the playoffs, 24-12.
"It'll be a battle just like it was tonight," Schaffer said. "There aren't any easy games in the South region."
GP (8-3) 0 6 0 8 - 14
G (9-2) 0 7 7 3 - 17
Second quarter
GP: Banks 4 pass from Adams (kick blocked), :26.
G: Brookhart 82 kickoff return (Paul kick), :12.
Third quarter
G: Lucas 1 run (Paul kick), 6:36.
Fourth quarter
G: Paul 32 field goal, 5:08.
GP: Bronson 6 pass from Adams (No. 1 pass from Adams), 4:14.
Leading rushers
GP: Bronson 9 carries, 58 yards; Staten 5-20; Hayman 4-19; Adams 3-7; Team 21-104.
G: Perry 20-100; Jacoby 9-47; Lucas, 10-38 TD; Dziwulski 6-23; Team 53-197.
Leading passers
GP: Adams, 9 completions, 18 attempts, 183 yards, TD.
G: Darden 4/5, 40.
Leading receivers
GP: Banks, 3 catches, 92 yards, TD; Bronson 2-32, TD; Wingard 3-30; No. 1 1-29.
G: Perry 1-18; Carta 2-16; Lucas 1-6.
Kick return leaders
GP: Wingard 4-17.Āæ
G: Brookhart 2-97, TD.
Penalties
GP: 10-70
G: 3-15
First downs
GP: 10
G: 17
Third-down efficiency
GP: 2/7
G: 6/12
GP:
0/2
G:
3/4
3A East
In the 3A East region, Atholton (10-1) and River Hill (9-2) each won by shut out to set up a regional championship showdown next Friday at Atholton.
The Raiders blanked Stephen Decatur (7-4), 49-0, after taking a 21-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
Senior quarterback Brian McMahon rushed for a 26-yard touchdown 24 seconds into the first quarter, then threw three touchdown passes to Dequan Ellison (22, 14 and 44 yards) by the end of the first half. McMahon finished with 51 rushing yard on five attempts and completed eight of his nine pass attempts for 136 yards. Ellison caught five passes total for 98 yards.
The Raiders had two 100-yard rushers: Kenny Thomas (11-138, 2 TDs) and Jorry Matherson (8-104, TD).
Brett Haas was a perfect 7-for-7 on extra points.
It was Atholton's sixth shut out of the season.
The defensive effort was led by Ean Katz (10 tackles), Brandon Anthony (7 tackles, fumble recovery), Matherson (5 tackles, fumble recovery), Patrick Mullens (7 tackles), Steve Whiting (5 tackles, sack, forced fumble), Cameron Fogle (5 tackles, sack), Thomas (interception, pass break up), Damon Wells (5 tackles) and Paul Federinko (5 tackles),
SD (7-4) 0 0 0 0 - 0
A (10-1) 28 14 7 0 - 49
First quarter
A: McMahon 26 rush (Haas kick), 11:36.
A: Thomas 22 rush (Haas kick), 9:30.
A: Ellison 22 pass from McMahon (Haas kick), 9:07.
A: Thomas 66 rush (Haas kick), :05.
Second quarter
A: Ellison 14 pass from McMahon (Haas kick), 4:05.
A: Ellison 44 pass from McMahon (Haas kick), 1:50.
A:
Matherson 23 rush (Haas kick), 4:53.
The Hawks took out county rival Howard (7-4), 29-0. Earlier this season, River Hill defeated Howard 42-7.
Junior Evan Grifin scored twice, on a 14-yard run and a 32-yard pass from Raamah Vaughn.
The Lions won their last two games of the regular season to secure the third seed in the playoffs.
Ho (7-4) 0 0 0 0 - 0
RH (9-2) 0 10 6 13 - 29
Second quarter
RH: Griffin 14 run (Grove kick), 10:39.
RH: Grove 24 field goal, :54.
Third quarter
RH: Lawson 80 blocked field goal return (kick failed), 2:23.
Fourth quarter
RH: Griffin 32 pass from Vaughn (Grove kick), 5:19.
RH: Wells 1 run (kick blocked), :34.