Khalil Viera rushed for 201 yards, and EJ Gilman scored a pair of touchdowns, leading Wilde Lake to a 42-25 decision over host Long Reach in a Howard County league match Friday night.
Quarterback Joe Kelly scored twice for Wilde Lake, which improved to 2-0 overall and league play. The Wildecats defeated Glenelg last weekend in a battle of 2009 state playoff teams.
Wilde Lake started fast again in the first half, getting a 17-yard interception return for a score by Terrell Nickens and Gilman’s two-yard for a 14-0 advantage at intermission. Long Reach (0-2, 0-2) pulled to within 14-7 after a six-yard touchdown run by Allan Cross.
Viera, a senior running back, scored from 13 yards out, and Kelly added a 15-yard run, extending Wilde Lake’s lead to 29-7 entering the final 12 minutes of regulation. Phillip Rhoden answered Kelly’s score with a 70-yard kickoff return for the Lightning.
Rhoden added 35-yard score and Dajon Modeste tossed a 20-yard pass to Scott Korzeniowski for Long Reach. Gilman and Kelly added their second scoring runs in the fourth.
The Wildecats rushed for 385 yards with Nickens providing 70 and Gilman had 48. Jordan Mynatt had an interception for Wilde Lake defense, and Erik Smith recorded a quarterback sack.
The Wildecats look to move to 3-0 next weekend as they host an improved Hammond squad, coming off an upset of No. 18 Atholton Friday evening. Long Reach travels to Clarksville next weekend for a match with No. 4 River Hill.
Wilde Lake 42, Long Reach 25
Long Reach 0 0 7 18-25
Wilde Lake 7 7 15 13-42
First quarter
WL-TERRELL NICKENS 17 INTERCEPTION RETURN (KELLY KICK)
Second quarter
WL-GILMAN 2 RUN (KELLY KICK)
Third quarter
LR-CROSS 6 RUN (GUITTEREZ KICK)
WL-VIERA 13 RUN (KELLY RUN)
WL-KELLY 15 RUN (KELLY KICK)
Fourth quarter
LR-RHODEN 70 KICKOFF RETURN (RUN FAILED)
WL-GILMAN 1 RUN (RUN FAILED)
LR-RHODEN 35 RUN (PASS FAILED)
WL-KELLY 5 RUN (KELLY KICK)
LR-KORZENIOWSKI 20 PASS FROM MODESTE (PASS FAILED)
