After using a stingy defense and a ball-controlled offense to capture its first three games of the 2025 season, the Sparrows Point football team went off script Friday against Loch Raven, but the result was the same.
After surrendering of an uncharacteristic game-tying touchdown on an electric 11-yard, fourth-down scramble by Loch Raven quarterback Cai Perry with 1:03 left in the game, the Pointers marched 60 yards in just three plays to produce the game-winning touchdown with nine seconds remaining for a thrilling 18-12 victory against the host Raiders (2-2).
“This was definitely a different way we had to come at this game, but no matter what goes on, I’ve always got my guys’ backs, and they came out and did what we had to do,” Sparrows Point coach Nick Burkhardt said. “Four and 0 feels fantastic, but we are far from done. We have a long trip to get to where we want to go.”
Trailing 12-6 for the entire second half, Loch Raven drove the ball 66 yards on eight plays to tie the score on Perry’s fourth-and-2 scramble touchdown. Perry rolled left to start the play, but he couldn’t find an open receiver amidst pressure. He then broke to his right and beat the defense to the end zone. The ensuing two-point conversion pass was bobbled and dropped in the end zone.
Undaunted, the Pointers came right back three plays later to pull out the victory on a 2-yard quarterback sneak by Maceo Hardnett (7 of 14 for 122 yards), following a 48-yard pass to Macin McNew that was coupled with a horse collar penalty to bring the ball inside the 10-yard line. McNew broke free in the middle of the field, then nearly took the ball to the end zone before being taken down by the back of the neck.
“We’ve got to come back and make a play,” McNew said. “Big-time players make big-time plays. I had to trust my quarterback at all times. I knew he was going to get the ball in my hands, and we’re going to win every time.”
Two plays and two timeouts later, Hardnett snuck into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with nine seconds left. The subsequent two-point run by McNew came up short.
“They only gave 1 minute and 3 seconds, but we’re the Point, and we can’t be broken,” Hardnett said. “We’re the strongest team in 2A, and like I said, you can’t break us. It’s impossible.”
The Pointers did, however, find themselves trailing on a rare occasion this fall, when Loch Raven wideout Darrien Carter turned a tipped pass into a 76-yard touchdown reception with 21 seconds left in an offensively-challenged first quarter into a 6-0 lead. Carter caught the wobbling ball in the middle of the secondary and then raced untouched down the visitor’s sideline for the score.
After struggling with turnovers and with a strong Raiders defense, Mike Maynor (124 rushing yards) turned a jet sweep on third-and-5 into a 56-yard touchdown run down the Pointers’ sideline to tie the score at 6 with 10:58 left in the first half. The ensuing extra point failed.
Sparrows Point then used a lengthy punt return by Cam Watkins to set up a three-play, 19-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a tight end sneak by McNew following a punishing run by Maynor for a 12-6 lead with 6:49 left in the second quarter.
Loch Raven opened the second half with a strong drive, but it ended with a fumble deep in Pointers territory. The Raiders had another drive stopped inside the Pointers’ 10-yard line as a trio of Sparrows Point defensive linemen converged to sack Perry on fourth down.
“We came up short,” Loch Raven coach Walter Vaughn said. “It’s mistakes that killed us, especially on our last two drives, but hey, that’s the game of football, man. We just came up short. We fought and made too many mistakes in the last minute. What I was more proud of was that the guys actually played until the end of the game. We have about a good 18 strong, and none of them asked to come out. They all played until the end of the game.”
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