FROSTBURG — Allegany and Mountain Ridge waged war for four quarters, and the Campers did just enough to come out on top in a must-win game.
The Campers, trying to end a 10-game skid in the series, fumbled at the Miners’ two-yard line with 58 seconds remaining, giving Mountain Ridge one final chance to drive the length of the field down eight points.
Allegany’s defense held up, stopping the Miners at their own 38-yard line as time expired, and the Campers rushed the field in celebration of the 21-13 victory over their Allegany County rivals on Friday.
It was a sloppy game that featured seven combined turnovers and a series of procedural penalties, but both teams’ heart was on full display. In the end, Allegany did just enough to knock off Mountain Ridge for the first time since 2017.
“(Eight) years I think it’s been,” Allegany head coach Bryan Hansel said. “And these seniors stayed and worked hard and they deserve a win like this and deserve to go out their senior year, and I’m just ecstatic and happy for all our guys.”
The contest was an important one for both teams who were looking to springboard their seasons after an uneven opening two weeks.
For Allegany, the Campers avoid a second straight 0-3 start by improving to 1-2. Mountain Ridge’s loss drops it to 1-2.
Mountain Ridge led 13-7 at the half but was shutout in the second half. The Allegany defense held the Miners to just 71 yards after the break with three first downs, converting 1 of 5 third downs.
“It was an absolute war, and we just came out on the wrong side of it,” Mountain Ridge head coach Nathan Shipe said. “Both teams played extremely hard, and really I’m proud of the kids’ effort. A couple plays here and there.”
“Allegany was able to grind out some yards there in the second half, and we were stuck in the mud.”
Amanni Blowe led the way for Allegany with 16 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown. Khiante Bible added 12 carries for 47 yards, making his presence felt with a series of strong blocks and hard tackles over the course of the night.
Allegany’s Dylan Blank completed 2 of 7 passes for 70 yards, both 35-yard connections to Sebastian Stewart, and an interception.
The two linked up for the go-ahead score. Blank hit Stewart on a slant route, and the Mountain Ridge cornerback tried to jump it in vain, resulting in a 35-yard touchdown.
Stewart kicked in the point after for a 14-13 edge with 11:51 to play.
After a three-and-out forced by its defense, Allegany then called the number of freshman Maddox Hensel.
Hensel gave Blowe a blow at fullback and took a handoff, broke through the line and ran 38 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-13 Allegany with 6:40 left.
“He has fresh legs at that point,” Hansel said. “I could see Amanni was dragging, but he’s not going to tell you. So we just took him out like, ‘Hey we’ll give you one blow, come to the sideline.’ And then Maddox hits it and bursts it.”
Both teams lost fumbles late — recovered by Allegany’s Sully Watkins and Mountain Ridge’s Noah Hartlaub — but neither team turned them into points.
Mountain Ridge’s Carter Clites completed 17 of 30 passes for 163 yards, two first-half touchdowns and an interception.
Daniel Swindle caught seven passes for 94 yards, Levi Clise had four catches for 50 yards and a TD, and Nathan Miller had five grabs for 48 yards and a score.
Allegany out-gained the Miners, 289-199, and held Mountain Ridge to only 14 yards rushing on 21 carries.
The Campers had four turnovers to the Miners’ three. Mountain Ridge was penalized eight times for 40 yards, and Alco had 10 penalties for 60 yards.
Allegany ran for 219 yards on 40 carries.
Mountain Ridge and Allegany combined for five turnovers in a wild first half, including three straight during the second quarter.
The Miners, who led 13-7 at the break, began the zany sequence with an onside kick recovery following their first score, a 12-yard touchdown pass from Clites to Clise with 8:54 left in the second quarter.
Mountain Ridge recovered the onside kick on the Allegany 42, and two plays later it fumbled, recovered by the Campers’ Daulton Harper.
Allegany fumbled on the next snap and Mountain Ridge’s Kaiden Lissau pounced on it.
Mountain Ridge then took a shot to the end zone on the ensuing play, and Allegany’s Trevin Cox intercepted it.
Allegany finally broke the streak with a three-and-out, and Mountain Ridge drove 40 yards on seven plays for the lead, capped by an eight-yard touchdown pass from Clites to Miller on third down.
Grayson Cummings drilled the extra point, and the Miners led 13-7 with 3:29 left in the quarter. His 41-yard field goal attempt at the halftime buzzer came up short.
Miller intercepted an Allegany pass later in the half, and Lissau came down with his second fumble recovery — which was forced by Brayden Whetzel.
Whetzel missed last week at Boonsboro with an injury and shined early, recording a third-down sack on Allegany’s second drive to force a punt.
Allegany scored on its first drive when Blowe shook off an arm tackle and had nobody in front of him. He scored 50 yards later, capping a six-play, 77-yard drive, to give the Campers a 7-0 lead with 9:07 remaining in the first quarter.
Allegany followed its opening drive with three punts, two fumbles and an interception.
But the Campers pieced it together after halftime, outscoring the Miners, 14-0, after intermission to end their 10-game losing streak in the series.
Allegany hosts Albert Gallatin (5-0) on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
“When you have four turnovers and you make them in places you shouldn’t make them, and you miss plays we could have made and we didn’t make, and these kids just kept flying, fighting, it has to give you momentum,” Hansel said.
Mountain Ridge will hope to get back on track when it faces Clear Spring next week.
“We’ll come in tomorrow, watch the film today, and then kind of clear that out of our system by noon tomorrow and look to Clear Spring,” Shipe said.
“They were a quality team last year. They returned some good athletes, especially on the outside, so we’ll expect a good fight and we’ll get ready for next week.”