Long Reach just saved the best for last.

The Lightning broke open a two-point game in the fourth quarter with a pair of touchdowns in a span of 26 seconds as Long Reach pulled away from Atholton to win, 27-12, Saturday afternoon at Atholton High School.

The last three minutes of the game produced most of its action as Long Reach (3-3) recovered its own blocked punt for a first down, recovered an Atholton fumble to kill a Raiders' drive and scored twice to empty the bleachers on Atholton's homecoming and handed the Raiders their second straight loss.

Atholton's Nick Aloi had a 58-yard run which set up Jon Gardenhour's 3-yard pass to Tom Hart with just under seven minutes left in the game to draw the Raiders to within two at 14-12. It appeared as if Atholton would get the ball in good field position for a chance to take the lead after blocking a Lightning punt, but the bouncing ball ended up in the hands of Long Reach's Pat Blackmon, who scampered for a first down. Carl Joseph's 28-yard run a few plays later set up Walker's 2-yard scoring run to increase Long Reach's lead to 20-12 with 1:41 left in the game.

Any hopes of a comeback for Atholton (1-5) were dashed on the next play from scrimmage. Long Reach's Malik Timbers knocked the ball out of an Atholton receiver's hands with a hard hit and Phillip Rhoden recovered the ball. The Lightning capitalized on the turnover as Walker put the game out of reach with a 30-yard touchdown run and a 27-12 lead with 1:16 remaining.

"We knew we had to work hard in the fourth quarter. Our line blocked at the right time," Walker said. "I had a big run, we blocked a punt and Pat picked it up and got us the first down. We're playing for the playoffs."

Long Reach is another homecoming opponent next week as it travels to Centennial for a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday, Oct. 18. Atholton will be Glenelg's homecoming foe also on Oct. 18 at 1:30 p.m.

In the only other county game Saturday afternoon, Marriotts Ridge won easily in its homecoming game over winless Hammond, 48-18. The win was the Mustangs' fifth in six games this season. Hammond scored in double figures for the first time this season. Its previous high had been eight points against Wilde Lake.

For more on these games, read Thursday's editions of the Howard County Times and Columbia Flier.

LONG REACH 27, ATHOLTON 12
Long Reach (3-3)     7  7  0  13  -  27
Atholton (1-5)         6  0  0    6  -  12
Scoring Summary
First quarter
LR: scoring unavailable (kick unavailable)
A: scoring unavailable (kick failed) 
Second quarter
LR: Joseph 53 run (Dayhoff kick), 10:36
Fourth quarter
A: Hart 3 pass from Gardenhour (run failed), 6:56
LR: Walker 2 run (kick failed), 1:41
LR: Walker 30 run (Dayhoff kick), 1:16

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