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L'Zerek Chapman admitted he didn't listen to Laurel High School football coach Brian Moore when he screamed from the sidelines not to return a punt in the fourth quarter of Friday afternoon's game against Oxon Hill.

It was a good thing he returned the punt Moore told him not to touch: Chapman's decision reaped huge dividends for the Spartans.

The sophomore returned the punt 62 yards for a touchdown, helping push Laurel to a 21-20 victory over the Clippers in a County 4A League contest on Cherry Lane in Laurel. In winning for the second time in three games, the Spartans (2-1) have equaled their 2008 win total.

Senior running back DeAntae Love rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns for Laurel, which withstood a 239-yard, three-touchdown showing by Oxon Hill's Malcolm Sumlin. Clippers' receiver Donald Hansberry had five receptions for 120 yards.

With 9 minutes, 42 seconds left in the game, Chapman fielded an Oxon Hill punt, went to his left and found open field before cutting back at about the 15-yard line to elude a defender on the way to the end zone. Wilmer Diaz's ensuing extra-point kick gave the Spartans the lead for good. At one point in the second half, Laurel trailed by two touchdowns.

"The first punt came down the middle and I couldn't get to the sidelines so I had to redeem myself," said Chapman. "It was just instinct."

"[Chapman] keeps aggressively attacking the defense," said Moore. "He used his speed to his advantage."

The Spartans needed every ounce of effort defensively as Oxon Hill (2-1) drove 79 yards on its final possession, reaching the Laurel 6-yard line with 20 seconds to play. After an Oxon Hill penalty and an incomplete pass, Laurel's James Myers snatched a deflected pass on the game's final play.

The Clippers won last year's meeting with Laurel handily, 35-0, and Oxon Hill appeared headed to another decisive victory early Friday, recovering a Laurel fumble in the first quarter and going seven plays in 51 yards for a 6-0 lead. Sumlin shot through a small gap in the middle and bounced off a couple of defenders and sprinted 69 yards, extending Oxon Hill's lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter.

After an interception ended the following possession, the Spartans put together an eight-play, 50-yard drive as Love powered his way into the end zone on a 4-yard run. Laurel followed a 62-yard jaunt by Sumlin with a 2-yard score from Love late in the third quarter, bringing the Spartans to within 20-14.

Oxon Hill had two opportunities to regain the lead after Chapman's return, but came up short. Despite letting the lead get away, Oxon Hill coach Robert Green said he was pleased with his team's showing.

"They ran that two-minute drill almost to perfection and got the ball into the end zone," Green said. "Neither team gave up, but we made a couple of mistakes that opened the door."

"We said this would make or break our season," said Love, who ran for 79 yards in the second half. "I guess we took advantage."