Fallston’s playoff run ends at Queen Anne’s

For a second consecutive week the Fallston football team was on the road for a Class 2A playoff game on the Eastern Shore. Friday night, however, the results were not as pleasant as the week earlier, as the Cougars were routed, 54-28, by host Queen Anne’s in the 2A East Region championship game, in Centerville.

Queen Anne’s, which is now 12-0, took control early, scoring on its first two drives of the night, capped by a pair of long touchdown runs. Queen Anne’s Joey Clark dashed to the end zone from 25 yards away and Chris Willis made it 14-0 on a 41-yard burst.

Fallston (9-3) put together a gutsy drive early in the second quarter, as they marched 71 yards for a touchdown, with Zimmie Nwaigwe going the final three-yards to cut Queen Anne’s lead in half. Later in the quarter, Cougar quarterback Grant Kelly scored on a one-yard sneak, but in between the host Lions got a 29-yad scoring run from Andy Thrower, who also scored from 13-yards just prior to the half, giving Queen Anne’s a 27-14 lead at the break.

Any chance of comeback was thwarted early in the third quarter, as Queen Anne’s picked off three Kelly passes, returning two for touchdowns and moving out to a commanding 47-14 lead entering the final quarter.  Sam Clough went 35 yards with a pick six and Cory Arbaugh jumped a Kelly pass and returned it 32 yards for a score. Arbaugh also had a six-yard TD catch in the third quarter, setup by the third interception of the quarter.

Kelly bounced back with a pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes – a 13-yarder to Andrew Thrasher and a 23-yarder to Chris Cooper, but it was not enough to rally the Cougars.