Defensive Scores Key in Comets 35-15 Victory at Woodlawn

Judging from how the majority of his players respond, Catonsville head coach Rich Hambor might want to start making his halftime speech prior to the game’s opening kickoff.  

For the third time in three weeks, the Comets exploded out of the gates to open the third quarter, this time against a Woodlawn squad they dominated in the first half, but led only 14-8 at the break.

Catonsville outscored the Warriors 21-8 in a second half that included a 75-yard touchdown hookup between wide out Deniko Carter and quarterback Aaron Jones, as well as a 55-yard fumble return by defensive end Julian Jones that iced the cake for a 35-15 victory.

The Comets (3-0) have now outscored their opponents 48-18 in the second half.

“The coach, that half time speech he gives just pumps us up. Makes us go all the way,” Julian Jones said of a fired up Hambor during the halftime break. “It makes us work harder and harder and harder. Hopefully next week we can come out harder [in the first half] and it’ll be a blowout.”  

Still, Catonsville narrowly missed out on blowing the game wide open late in the second quarter.

Already ahead 14-0 on a nifty two-yard touchdown run by Jerome Williams and a 35-yard interception return from Carter, the Comets marched 51 yards on nine consecutive runs and seemed primed to go up 20-0 when Williams gashed the middle of the defense for an apparent 41-yard touchdown romp.

However, the score was called back for holding and on the Comets ensuing fourth down Eric Medinger’s punt was blocked near midfield and returned all the way to the Catonsville 11-yard line.

Western Tech transfer Juleon Killikelly-Lee’s 12-yard touchdown reception on fourth-and-11 and a two-point conversion made the score 14-8 in a half where the Warriors (1-2) recorded just one first down and Catonsville accounted for seven.

“We were upset,” Hambor said of the halftime tone. “We very upset that we didn’t capitalize and finish some plays. We thought we could’ve been up 21-0, maybe even more than that. We were very unsatisfied at halftime. We let them know that we’re all in this together, we can come out and play a great second half.”

That they did.

Following a Woodlawn three-and-out to open the quarter, the Comets drove 57 yards over 10 plays culminating on a five-yard DeAndre' Lane touchdown in which the running back found a gaping hole opened by tackle Antoine Wright and guard Jon Reymann on the right and followed fullback Julian Singletary into the end zone virtually untouched.

Catonsville’s drive appeared to be halted when Aaron Jones' fourth-and-five pass attempt was jarred from Carter in the corner of the end zone, but the rangy wide receiver was able to draw a pass interference penalty that awarded the Comets a fresh set of downs. Lane scored on the very next play.  

With the score 21-8 early on in the fourth quarter, the Comets following scoring drive was not as methodical as the one prior.

After a loss on first down and a false start penalty, Carter—on second-and-18—sprinted past his defender down the sideline and hauled in Jones’ pass, weaving in and out of defenders and diving into the end zone to take a three-score lead.  

Although the Warriors would cut the deficit to 28-15 and regain possession on a Catonsville turnover on downs near midfield, the Comets defense still had one big play left in them.

On the second play of Woodlawn’s possession, Antoine Wright wrapped up quarterback Kevin Powell from behind while Julian Jones crashed in from in front, forcing the ball loose.

Staying on his feet, Jones scooped up the fumble and galloped down the sideline for the game’s final score.

“You don’t count on it, but it always gives you more peace of mind,” Hambor said of his team’s two defensive touchdowns. “I think we always have that feeling that it’s going to happen.”

The Comets, who now have four defensive touchdowns on the season, will look to remain unbeaten when they take on last year’s Class 3A runner-up Franklin (2-1) next Friday for Homecoming.