Glenelg quarterback Trawick throws for two TDs, runs for two more vs. Reservior Friday
By Brandon Hopp | Special to The Gazette
Despite a slow start, the Glenelg High football team was able to right itself in time for a 28-21 win over Howard County League foe Reservoir on Friday night.
Behind quarterback senior quarterback Gage Trawick's all-around performance and running back senior Shannon Maura's big second half, the Gladiators (5-0 overall, 5-0 Howard County) were able to overcome a 14-6 halftime deficit.
Trawick overcame a frustrating opening half to pass for 108 yards and two scores, while rushing for two TD's.
"Gage has done a tremendous job for us all year long," said Gladiators' head coach Butch Shaffer.
"He's been our starting quarterback for three years and it shows. I'm very happy how he kept himself together and handled the offense in the second half."
Maura sparked his team in the second half with a 50-yard kickoff return, which kick-started a drive that ended when Trawick hit junior running back Colin Osbourne for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Trawick then hooked up with Scott Wheeler to tie the game early in the third quarter.
"Shannon is the emotional leader of our team, he sets the tone and that kickoff return really got us flying, it was a big spark for us," said Shaffer.
"We came out flat in the beginning of the game and I knew that we had to make a big play," said Maura, who wrote the name of his late grandfather, Charlie Maura, under his eye black as inspiration.
"I wanted to score, I should have scored but we got it to the 35-yard line and it got us going."
(as of Sept. 29)
Team W L
Atholton 4-0
Glenelg 4-0
River Hill 4-0
Long Reach 3-1
Howard 2-2
Mt. Hebron 2-2
Wilde Lake 2-2
Centennial 1-3
Hammond 1-3
Reservoir 1-3
Marriotts Ridge 0-4
Oakland Mills 0-4
Friday, Oct. 2 games
Oakland Mills at Atholton, 7 p.m.
Wilde Lake at Centennial, 7 p.m.
Reservoir at Glenelg, 7 p.m.
Long Reach at Marriotts Ridge, 7 p.m.
Howard at River Hill, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 3 game
Mt. Hebron at Hammond, noon
Sept. 25 results
Howard 26, Reservoir 13
River Hill 49, Mt. Hebron 13
Sept. 26 results
Atholton 34, Wilde Lake 30
Long Reach 21, Centennial 14
Hammond 28, Oakland Mills 19
Glenelg 40, Marriotts Ridge 0
Wilde Lake, Howard, Atholton, River Hill and Long Reach also win
By Andrew Conrad aconrad@patuxent.com
Glenelg senior Shannon Maura uses a stiff arm to keep Centennial's Kyle Young at bay. Glenelg protected its home field with a 21-20 overtime win Friday night. (Staff photo by Drew Anthony Smith)
In his varsity debut, Centennial junior Matt Habinson runs back one of his two interceptions Friday night at Glenelg as Jimmy Zito prepares to make the tackle. (Staff photo by Drew Anthony Smith)
(Please see video at original article link)
After scoring a touchdown in overtime to answer Centennial's score, Glenelg had an option. Play it safe and kick the extra point to force a second overtime, or go for the win right then and there.
Glenelg went for the win and defeated Centennial Friday, 21-20, on opening night of the Howard County football season.
Glenelg coach Butch Schaffer said it was his players who made the call to go for two.
"Our kids made a decision. They put the time in in the summer, and I’m going to go with them. I have a lot of belief in them and ... and they executed," Schaffer said.
Senior quarterback Gage Trawick passed to Colin Osborne for the decisive two-point conversion.
"We wanted to go for two ... we wanted to win, we knew we could," Trawick said. "Coach called a perfect play; he trusted me. Colin got behind the (line)backer and I lobbed it in for the win."
Trawick credited his linemen — Nathan Coe, Robbie Shekletski, Kyle Emanuel, Willy DeBlase and Nick Hoyt — for giving him time to make the pass.
In fact, the game could have been over before Glenelg even had a chance for a two-point conversion if it weren't for the offensive line. Moments earlier, on fourth-and-goal from the seven-yard line, Trawick rolled right, saw no one open, scrambled left, and scrambled right again before finally spotting Shane Kellaher waving his arms in the back of the end zone.
"I just rolled out right, no one looked open and I knew we had to get a touchdown. Luckily, my line blocked for me, and I came back around. They all set up blocks. They didn’t stop blocking, and I found Shane in the back of the end zone with his arms up," he said.
The loss was not without its positives for Centennial. Quarterback Greg Edmonds and wide receiver Marcos Ocadiz connected for 72 yards on four completions, including a 17-yard touchdown on fourth down.
"He’s a big guy. He’s got good hands ... It’s a good thing to have on the team," said Edmonds, who twice completed long passes on fourth down from midfield. Edmonds also ran for more than 100 yards, including a 74-yard scamper on the first drive of the game.
And junior Matt Harbinson, in his varsity debut, made two interceptions and — entering the game as a backup quarterback after Edmonds had to leave late in the fourth quarter with a sore shoulder — scored the first touchdown in overtime on an option run.
Centennial led, 13-7, with just under four minutes left when Osborne caught a Centennial punt at the 40-yard line and ran it back 60 yards for the tying score. Each team missed an extra point and was unsuccessful on a field goal attempt.
Osborne and Centennial's Kyle Young each had rushing touchdowns to make the score 7-7 at halftime. Osborne's five-yard touchdown was set up by an 80-yard march down the field led by Shannon Maura, who had 61 yards on seven carries on the drive.
Centennial's Frank Bloom tackled Trawick behind the line of scrimmage for a 10-yard sack, and Lee Lucas made a five-yard sack for the Gladiators, as well as blocking an extra point and making another tackle for a seven-yard loss.
Maura, who led all rushers with 125 yards and recovered a fumble, wore the word CHARLIE on his eyeblack as a tribute to his grandfather who died a week before the season began.
"He’s been to every game since second grade," Maura said.
Centennial 0 7 6 0 7 - 20
Glenelg 0 7 0 6 8 - 21
C: Ocadiz 17 pass from Edmonds (Hugel kick)
G: Osborne 5 run (Russo kick)
C: Young 1 run (kick blocked)
G: Osborne 60 punt return (kick failed)
C: Harbinson 8 run (Hugel kick)
G: Kellaher 7 pass from Trawick (Osborne pass from Trawick)
