For most of the second half on Friday, Gilman School’s football team looked listless as Concordia Prep stormed ahead and was in position for an impressive season-opening victory.
Matt Parker refused to let that happen.
The Greyhound senior quarterback engineered a game-tying drive late in regulation, and, in overtime, sophomore Sebastian Chaney’s seven-yard touchdown run gave Gilman a 27-21 victory over the 12th-ranked Saints in a MIAA non-divisional contest in Roland Park.
Parker threw two scoring passes and junior Dejuan Lane had a 94-yard kickoff return for the Greyhounds. Junior quarterback Keshawn Mister had two passing touchdowns and one rushing off the bench for Concordia (0-1).
Parker, who won his third regular season opener as Gilman quarterback (no season in 2020 due to COVID-19), didn’t lose faith after 21 straight Concordia points wiped out a 13-0 advantage.
“Every game comes with adversity and we knew we were going to come back and win this game,” said Parker. “Concordia beat us last year and that set a fire in us.”
The Greyhounds’ “flame” appeared extinguished for about 21 minutes in the second half. Gilman had minus-3 yards and Parker was 0-for-4 and was sacked twice when it got possession with 2 minutes, 31 seconds left in regulation.
Parker scrambled 21 yards for a first down, Gilman’s first of the second half, with 2:16 remaining. After a pass interference call on Concordia with 1:17 left, Parker lofted a pass to senior Matt Morelli to the corner of the end zone for a touchdown, pulling the Greyhounds to 21-19 with 1:10 left in regulation.
Parker (7-of-13, 98 yards passing) hit Lane on a quick slant for the two-point conversion to tie the game.
“He’s pretty cool out there,,” said Gilman coach Scott Van Zile. “He was under some pressure and he was able to keep it under wraps and made the plays when he needed to.”
Lane intercepted Mister to end Concordia’s first touch in overtime. Three plays later, Chaney surged through a hole, bounced off a Concordia defender and fell into the end zone for the walkoff victory in Van Zile’s debut as new Greyhound coach.
Van Zile, who previously guided St. Paul’s School, said he was more impressed with Friday’s effort, not the winning score.
“The thing I’m most proud about is when we needed to dig our heels in, we did,” said Van Zile. “That’s something we’ve talked about, what defines success.”
Gilman, which finished 4-5 last season, got its first score of 2022 as Parker, extending the play out of the pocket, found sophomore Jackson Cheatham in the corner of the end zone. The Greyhounds, thanks to Ian Evans’ interception, had a chance to extend the lead before halftime, but fumbled.
Lane, Gilman’s most dynamic player with early Power 5 offers from Georgia, Oklahoma, Penn State and Virginia Tech, cut across the field to get the second half kickoff, and sprinted down the sidelines into the end zone for a 13-0 lead.
After managing 41 yards in the first half, Concordia Prep got rolling behind Mister, who entered after senior starter Jordan Brooks’ helmet came off during a running play. The Saints went 71 yards in six plays, capped with Mister’s 18-yard score to senior Josh Derry.
Mister (seven-of-10, 87 yards passing; 65 rushing) accounted for all 58 yards on Concordia’s next possession, including a two-yard touchdown run, giving the defending MIAA B champs their first lead with 4:26 left in the third. The Saints advanced the lead to 21-13 as Mister threw a 13-yard pass to freshman Destin Mitchell, who set up the drive with a fumble recovery.
After Gilman tied the score, Concordia got the ball back with 1:04 remaining, and drove from its 38 to the Greyhounds’ 34 with six seconds left. Tyler Nail’s 45-yard field goal attempt was blocked, and the match went to overtime.
The Saints advanced to Gilman’s 6, but a one-yard loss and holding call left Concordia with 3rd-and-12. Mister was intercepted by Lane on the next play.
“We’re young, first game, a lot of penalties, but I’m proud of how we fought,” said Concordia coach Joe Battalgia. “That’s a young, talented young team (Gilman) and gave us a great test. They had a little bit more at the end.”
Battaglia, a 2004 Gilman grad and former football player, talked to the Greyhounds after Friday’s thrilling opener. He believes the Greyhounds, the area’s dominant program from the late 1990s to mid-2010, will return to relevance under Van Zile.
“I grew up here, my dad coached here, my brother went here, so many amazing people here,” said Battaglia. “This program belongs at the top in this state…Van Zile is going to take them to the promise land and I’m excited to see it.”
Gilman School 27, Concordia Prep 21 (OT)
Concordia 0 0 14 7 0 - 21
Gilman 7 0 6 8 6 - 27
First quarter
Gilman - Jackson Cheatham 25 pass from Matt Parker (Brian Checkley kick)
Third quarter
Gilman - Dejuan Lane 94 kickoff return (kick failed)
Concordia - Josh Derry 18 pass from Keshawn Mister (Cam Gross pass from Mister)
Concordia - Mister 2 run (pass failed)
Concordia - Destin Mitchell 13 pass from Mister (Nail kick)
Gilman - Matt Morelli 18 pass from Parker (Lane pass from Parker)
OT
Gilman - Sebastian Chaney 7 run (end of game)
