Hough defense helps team deliver 34-7 playoff victory over Ardrey Kell
Hough used a stifling defense and punishing ground game to take a 34-7 second-round 4AA playoff win over Ardrey Kell on Friday.
The Huskies rushed for 194 yards in the first half alone on the way to a 17-0 halftime lead.
Sophomore running back Rashad Williams scored on runs of 3 and 9 yards in the second quarter to cap long Hough drives in which the Huskies didn’t throw a single pass. Hough covered 67 yards on seven rushes leading to Williams’ first score, and he ran eight straight times for 64 yards on his second touchdown.
Sophomore Jarrett Nagy piled up 105 yards rushing on 12 carries in the first half, on his way to 194 for the game on 19 tries. Williams rushed 20 times for 85 yards for the game. Senior Marquill Osborne added 49 yards on six carries.
Hough opened things up early in the second half, with quarterback Jackson Gibbs hitting fellow junior Sean Hershey on a 57-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. Nagy added an 8-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Ardrey Kell didn’t score until the 8:04 mark of the fourth quarter, when senior quarterback Bryce Maginley hit Kirk Augustus on an 18-yard touchdown pass.
It was quite a departure from the third week of the regular season, when the Huskies stopped Maginley just short of the goal line as time expired to preserve a wild 41-37 Hough win.
Hough coach Miles Aldridge said containing Maginley, who came into the game with more than 3,000 yards of total offense and accounted for 34 touchdowns running and passing for the season, was the difference this time.
“We were just very conscious of him and knew he was the guy we had to stop,” Aldridge said. “And we did.”
Records
Hough is 12-1. Ardrey Kell finishes the season 7-6.
Quote
“I have none.” Aldridge, when asked if he had any thoughts on the Huskies’ opponent in the third round, two-time defending state 4AA champion Mallard Creek. He then turned and immediately walked off the field, ending the interview. Hough beat Mallard Creek 31-28 in overtime on Oct. 9.
Worth mentioning
It was the eighth straight win in the best season in Hough’s six years of varsity football. All of Hough’s points were scored by sophomores and juniors, including kicker Zack Stearns, who was 2-3 on field goal attempts, hitting from 45 and 36 yards. Hough senior linebacker Justin Giacalone ended two Ardrey Kell drives with interceptions.
What’s next
Hough plays Mallard Creek at home.
This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 11:32 PM with the headline "Hough defense helps team deliver 34-7 playoff victory over Ardrey Kell."