Furman, Cummings end Arundel’s perfect season

Brad Cummings was ready to take the blame.

It wasn’t necessary.

Cummings combined with Josh Furman and the offensive line to end Arundel’s perfect season and give Old Mill a 58-55 win in double overtime to claim the Class 4A East Region title last night.

“Don’t let my team down,” said Cummings, who missed four extra-point attempts after going 43-for-44 in his first 11 games. “They counted on me to do it, and I did it. They believed in me the whole time.”

Furman rushed 42 times for 414 yards and six touchdowns to bring the Patriots back from defeat and put them into the state semifinals for the second time in five years.

Furman countered a fourth-quarter comeback orchestrated by Billy Cosh and R.J. Harris with a 2-yard touchdown run with 46.7 seconds left in regulation to make it 48-48 and force overtime.

“I knew we had our backs up against the ropes when they came back and took the lead,” Furman said. “I was like, ‘We can’t lose.’”

Joe Blackwell rushed for a 10-yard touchdown in overtime to answer Furman’s score from the 5.

Marquell Pratt ripped a pass out of Harris’ hands at the goal line on the Wildcats’ next possession to put Old Mill in position to win. Furman couldn’t get through Arundel’s defensive line, but Cummings hit a 29-yarder, and his teammates swarmed him at the 35.

“He’s not a good, he’s a great kicker,” Patriots coach Damian Ferragamo said. “Maybe this stage got to him, but that last one went through.”

Cummings’ kick spoiled big nights from Cosh and Harris. Cosh was 32-for-60 for 443 yards passing and four touchdowns, and Harris pulled down 20 receptions for 293 yards and three scores.

Harris broke the single-season record for receptions shared by Alec Lemon and Brandon Johnson-Farrell with 114.

“It’s great, but I just wanted to get the win,” Harris said. “I just wanted the win.”

The Wildcats, who handed Old Mill a 34-27 defeat in Week 1, hadn’t lost to an Anne Arundel County opponent since Week 2 of last season.

“It’s a tough one to swallow,” said Cosh, who ran for two 1-yard scores in the first quarter and threw two interceptions after tossing five all season. “We played our hearts out the best we could. They’re the better team.”

Old Mill, the third season in the Class 4A East Region, knocked off an undefeated team for the second consecutive week after taking a loss to Broadneck to end the regular season.

Furman scored touchdowns from five, 39, 85, seven, two and five yards, and he broke for a 46-yard run to set up his last score in the fourth.

“We were planning to run the clock and take the life out of the game,” Ferragamo said. “But then Josh kept scoring. You can’t kill the clock when you run 80 yards down the field.”

After forcing a 20-20 tie with a 39-yard score just before the half, Furman put Old Mill ahead with an 85-yard score down the right side. Avery Taylor intercepted Cosh at the 37-yard line to give Jason Clements a shot at the 3.

Clements, who rushed for 72 yards and two scores, hit Arundel’s line on his first attempt, but broke through on the second to make it 34-20.

Cosh came back with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Harris, who broke through the middle at the 9 and skated away from A.J. Butler for the score.

But Furman hit a hole for a 7-yard score with 6:16 left in the third for a 40-27 advantage.

“I wasn’t expecting a shootout,” Cosh said. “Josh Furman played well. They all did. It was a great game.”

Arundel turned two Old Mill turnovers into touchdowns to start the fourth. Cosh followed Butler’s fumble on a punt with a 2-yard strike to Harris. Furman fumbled on the Patriots’ next drive, and Cosh hit Harris for a 15-yard touchdown to make it 41-40.

Blackwell followed with a 5-yard run with 4:09 remaining for some cushion.

“We didn’t say much,” Furman said. “I just told my teammates that I’ve got your backs because I fumbled the ball early on in that game. I just told them, ‘I’ve got your backs because I’m not coming out of here with a loss.’”

He was right.

Furman broke for a 46-yard to set up shop at the 3, and he followed Randy Spann into the end zone on third down to force overtime.

“It wasn’t easy,” Spann said. “It was hard. It was very hard. But we kept our heads in the game, and I tried keeping my team up when they scored. I told them they were going to make plays, and we had to make plays, too.”

Old Mill will play Class 4A West champion Sherwood in the state semifinals – another undefeated team – for a shot at its first championship game appearance.

“It’s not even who wins,” Ferragamo said. “It’s who survives these games. That’s the best game I’ve seen or been a part of – high school, college, pro, youth. If there’s better game somewhere, I want to see it.”

Old Mill (10-2) 6 14 20 8 7 3 - 58

Arundel (11-1) 14 6 7 21 7 0 - 55

First Quarter

AR – Cosh 1 run (Young kick)

OM – Furman 5 run (kick failed)

AR – Cosh 1 run (Young kick)

Second Quarter

OM – Clements 23 run (kick failed)

AR – Washington 7 pass from Cosh (kick failed)

OM – Furman 39 run (Thornton run)

Third Quarter

OM – Furman 85 run (kick blocked)

OM - Clements 1 run (Furman run)

AR – 32 pass from Cosh (Young kick)

OM – Furman 7 run (kick failed)

Fourth Quarter

AR – Harris 2 pass from Cosh (Young kick)

AR – Harris 15 pass from Cosh (Young kick)

AR – Blackwell 5 run (Young kick)

OM – Furman 2 run (Furman run)

First Overtime

OM – Furman 5 run (Cummings kick)

AR – Blackwell 10 run (Young kick)

Second Overtime

OM – Cummings 29 field goal
PASSING: OM – Thornton 1-7=38 yards; AR – 32-60-4-2=443 yards. RECEIVING: OM – Hicks 1-38; AR – Harris 20-293-3; Washington 7-104-1; White 3-8. RUSHING: OM – Furman 42-414-6, Clements 16-72-2; AR – Blackwell 18-76-2; Cosh 3-2-2.