On Friday night, Oakland Mills Scorpions lost to the Fredrick Douglass Eagles 22-15 in the 2A MPSSAA State Semifinals.

Before the heartbreaking loss to Fredrick Douglass, the Scorpions defeated the Owings Mills Eagles 22-14 after Oakland Mills scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Kanye Holland’s electrifying 60-yard touchdown run served as a turning point in the game leading Shane King to score the winning touchdown.

The week prior, the ten and one Scorpions put on a show, scoring a combined 83 points with Walkersville. The game came down to the final play in overtime, with Walkersville failing to convert a game-winning two-point conversion.

Much like both of their previous playoff games, Oakland Mills was one play away from beating Fredrick Douglass on Friday night.

The Friday night game started with an 80 play ten-minute opening drive by Oakland Mills, setting the tone for the physical and aggressive game that was about to be played. Going for it on early fourth downs helped establish a theme as well, as there was only one punt in the entire game by both teams.

After this Douglass drove back down the field and put eight points on the board, leading 8-7 at halftime. Douglass received the kickoff and put together a touchdown drive that put them up 14-7 after a failed two-point conversion.

One deep kickoff by Douglass later, Oakland Mills was backed up on their 4-yard line. It was here where Oakland Mills orchestrated arguably their best drive of the season, going 94 yards and taking control of the game. A 26-yard touchdown run by Kanye Holland and a successful two-point conversion later, Oakland Mills was up 15-14.

Oakland Mills then called the riskiest play of the night, kicking an onside kick which paid off as the Scorpions recovered it. At this point it was looking like victory was within reach for OM. This Scorpions drive fell short however on a crucial fourth down, leading to a game-sealing Eagles touchdown drive late in the 4th quarter.

The game was ultimately decided by a pass interference call on a near-impossible 4th and 15 for the Eagles, which set them up for a very obtainable 4th and 4. The Eagles later threw a 16-yard town down on the same drive with only 16 seconds left, putting the run-heavy Scorpions offense in an uncomfortable position.

The Scorpions soon fell to the Eagles after desperate attempts to score a touchdown failed. Although this wasn’t the outcome Scorpions wanted, they played a great game showing resiliency and effort through all four quarters.

Regardless of the final score of the game, the 2021 Oakland Mills Scorpions played a great game and had a historic season that will not soon be forgotten. Congratulations to the Scorpions on a great season!