Rams out of football playoffs

Clarksburg rallies to beat Rockville, 14-10

But despite some limping and grimacing between plays, Graham, who scored both Clarksburg touchdowns in a 14-10 win on 14 carries for 120 yards, Small (15-75) and Osborne (13-31), looked sharp as ever, powering through the Rams’ defense and leading the Coyotes (11-0 record) to their first-ever regional final, in the second-year program’s first-ever playoff appearance. They’ll battle Frederick County’s Middletown (7-4), which upset Carroll County’s Liberty, 26-21, Friday, for a spot in the state’s final four.

‘‘We move on to a regional championship next week and for a second-year program, the first year with seniors, that’s a tremendous, tremendous achievement,” Hurd said. ‘‘Rob, Mark and Avery haven’t practiced at all. They just played tonight. But they’re tough. These kids are strong. They’ve got a real strong mentality.”

Friday’s win was Clarksburg’s second over Rockville (5-5) in 2007 — it defeated the Rams, 18-15, on Oct. 19. The Coyotes erased a first-half deficit in both contests. Graham ignited the hometown crowd Friday with a 75-yard touchdown run on the Coyotes’ first possession to give them an early 7-0 lead. But Rockville earned a 10-7 halftime advantage with junior quarterback Peter Nalle’s 15-yard touchdown pass to junior Malcolm Robinson and junior Westin Hayden’s 37-yard field goal to close out the second quarter.

Though Clarksburg is still inexperienced, it’s proven to have a championship mentality and short learning curve. The Coyotes dominated the line of scrimmage in the second half, denying Rockville any big plays, all the while making the important ones themselves.

They took advantage of two 15-yard facemask penalties by Rockville on their first possession of the second half. And they used the clock well, maintaining control on offense for five minutes before Graham pushed Clarksburg ahead, 14-10, for good, with a 6-yard run into the end zone in the sixth minute of the third quarter.

Clarksburg’s speed and overall consistency proved too much for the Rams Friday. Though the loss was disappointing for Rockville, which had had won two straight after a three-game midseason skid, it can still reflect on an ultimately successful year— Friday’s playoff appearance was its first since 1997.

And, it was a positive learning experience for a young team that’ll return nine players on both offense and defense.

‘‘All the things we executed in the first half, we came back and attempted to execute in the second, but didn’t,” second-year Rockville coach Mark Maradei said. ‘‘The Clarksburg line took control of the game. And when you don’t win the game on the front line, whether on offense of defense, you don’t win the game. But, no one expected us to make playoffs this year. We came back this year after a 7-3 year and losing 26 seniors and people wrote us at a .500 team, marginal at best. And I think we functioned higher than a marginal team.”

The Coyotes took the field after halftime with an increased intensity, a seemingly insatiable hunger. They dominated the line of scrimmage, stifling the Rams’ offense and helping their own injured players ease up the field. And that was the deciding factor in Friday’s historical win.

‘‘The most important thing was our line,” Graham said. ‘‘They did a good job of blocking. Our backs were able to go to the hole untouched because our line. We talked at halftime about holding the rope. We’re a brotherhood, and we stuck together. We want this for ourselves and for our school. People come here and they know, the first playoff team, they’re going to know everyone who was on it.”