[Baltimore Sun] Harford Tech football hands Edgewood its first loss, 24-21
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When Stephen Kelley II is in trouble, the quarterback’s safest option is often a downfield heave to a target he knows well.
Karon Evans is around somewhere, Kelley confidently tells himself. If he just gives him a chance, Evans can make a play.
Friday night late in Harford Tech’s win over Edgewood, the Cobras needed a play to put them ahead for good. So, naturally Kelley looked for Evans. The receiver slid past his defender on an ankle-breaking double move and hauled the pass in over his back shoulder. It didn’t go for a score, but Kelley took care of that himself, rushing one in moments later.
“My guy over everyone,” the quarterback said emphatically. “Three is down there; I’m gonna find him.”
In the regular season’s penultimate week and a battle between the two best football teams in Harford County, Harford Tech stamped its case as the one to beat with a 24-21 victory, handing Edgewood its first loss of the season.
And yet, Harford Tech (7-1) still feels doubted, like their competition doesn’t view them as a front-runner. Why? Evans doesn’t know, but he’s OK with it.
“They can stay sleeping,” he said.
Kelley finished Friday with three scores: a passing touchdown to Evans in the first quarter and two rushing scores from 1 yard out. The tandem highlighted an impressive offensive output, but it was the Cobras’ defense that shined brightest.
Quarterback Mike Robinson had electrified Edgewood (7-1) during its unbeaten stretch with speed that no one could slow down and an arm to match. But he was stymied Friday and the rest of the Rams’ attack dissipated alongside their struggling quarterback.
Edgewood scored on its first two possessions, but then was shut down until the contest was nearly out of reach. The Cobras intercepted Robinson twice, forced three punts and stopped the quarterback on the goal line for a turnover on downs that would have slingshotted Edgewood ahead by two touchdowns in the second quarter. That let the Harford Tech offense pull ahead in the second half, where Kelley and Evans’ connection sealed their team’s seventh victory.
An assistant coach, “one of our younger coaches who’s pretty fast,” according to head coach Brad Hunt, emulated Robinson in practice this week to give the Harford Tech defense a true feel at a quarterback with the blazing speed that’s been difficult to stop for others.
“He did a really good job of giving us a look,” Hunt said.
“In practice, we really focused on containing [Robinson],” said Evans, who also plays cornerback. “We knew that was their main guy.”
Taking Harford County and the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference is the first step in Harford Tech’s postseason plans. After the midfield handshake line to cap the night, players from the home team darted to the scoreboard to pose for photos in front of the favorable result that it displayed. Talk of chasing a ring echoed throughout the postgame huddle.
With another win next week, Hunt knows his team has a good chance to host early-round postseason games. Avoiding three-hour bus rides would be ideal, he joked.
Friday’s victory moved Harford Tech closer to its lofty aspirations. The Cobras did what no one else in the county had done yet in a way that they hope puts their remaining opponents on notice — but maybe not too much notice. After all, they prefer to be overlooked.
“We’re still underdogs,” Kelley said. “They’re still counting us out. But we’re still here.”
Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at tlyons@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.
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