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The Frederick Douglass High School football team used big plays to advance to the Class 2A South Region title game, defeating Glenelg, 24-12, Friday evening in a semifinal contest in Howard County.

Senior running back Emmanuel Paul rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles (9-2), and Will McKenzie returned an interception 85 yards for another score. Junior Colin Osborne ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass for Glenelg (8-3).

Douglass will play either McDonough or Gwynn Park next weekend for the region championship. Top-seeded Gwynn Park hosts No. 4 McDonough Saturday afternoon. Last season, the Eagles lost to eventual state champion River Hill in the region finals. River Hill was reclassified to 3A this year.

Douglass built a 24-0 advantage through three quarters Friday before the Gladiators battled back into contention in the fourth quarter. Eagles' coach J.C. Pinkney said his team was able to take advantage of opportunities.

"We have to do a better job finishing off our opponents," said Pinkney. "I can't complain too much, but we're fortunate."

Glenelg was threatening to pull within a score when McKenzie, a senior safety, stepped in a front of a Gabe Trawick pass inside the Eagles' 15-yard line and returned it for a touchdown on the final play of the third quarter. The Gladiators responded with their first touchdown, then recovered an onside kick, leading to a 3-yard scoring run by Osborne with 6 minutes, 50 seconds remaining.

Glenelg got the ball back, as Paul fumbled, but an interception by Douglass' Richard Barber reversed the damage. Paul, 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, inflicted pain on Glenelg early in the game. He had a 55-yard run that set up his first touchdown, and then added a 74-yard touchdown run.

"They kept giving me the ball so, in my mind, I needed to score," said Paul. "It's a big momentum builder."

The Eagles benefited from several huge swings. Glenelg took the opening kickoff and mounted a long drive, but the Gladiators lost a fumble at the Eagles' 5-yard line. Paul closed the opening quarter with his 55-yard run, and started the second quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run, capping a nine-play, 96-yard drive.

On his next carry, Paul broke a tackle in the open field and cut back around the 20-yard line en route to a 74-yard score that gave Douglass a 16-0 lead with 4:07 left in the first half. Paul had 154 yards at halftime.

"They had two really big plays that hurt us," said Glenelg coach Butch Schaffer. "Football is a game of big plays and they made them and we didn't."