Ardrey Kell 16, South Meck 9

Ardrey Kell coach Joe Evans said his team came to him at school Friday and said they weren’t ready to go home yet.

Despite getting pounded 51-24 just last week at South Meck, Ardrey Kell played its best game of the year, holding South Meck to 155 total yards and getting a goal line stand in the final seconds to upset the No. 7-seeded Sabres 16-9 in a 4AA West first-round game.

Leading 7-6 at the half, Ardrey Kell surprised South Meck with a successful onside kick to open the third quarter. Merrick Haston capped a seven-play, 47-yard drive with a three-yard scoring run and Ardrey Kell led 13-6.

Each team kicked a field goal then, things got crazy late in the fourth. Ardrey Kell lined up to punt with 1:20 left but the snap was bad and South Meck took over at the Knights’ 42 with 1:09 left.

South Meck got the ball down to Ardrey Kell’s one-yard line and faced fourth down with 14 seconds left. Quarterback AJ Elam tried a sneak up the middle but the Ardrey Kell defense stuffed him to preserve the victory.

Quote: “You will always face adversity and it’s how your respond to that which shows true character,” Evans said. “The kids had each other’s back all night and played their hearts out, and we live to play another day.”

Records: Ardrey Kell improves to 7-5 overall while South Meck’s season ends at 9-3.

Worth mentioning: Ardrey Kell quarterback Bryce Maginley ran for 129 yards and a touchdown and added 53 yards passing. He also made a key interception on defense with three minutes left in the game to stop a potential South Meck drive.

One way Ardrey Kell kept South Meck off the scoreboard was keeping them off the field. In the opening half the Knights ran twice as many plays (28 to 14) and allowed only 49 yards.

South Meck stayed in the game in the first half with their special teams, getting a blocked punt by John Brannon that led to a touchdown early in the second quarter.

What’s Next: Ardrey Kell will travel to second-seeded Hough next Friday.

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 10:48 PM with the headline "Ardrey Kell 16, South Meck 9."