Linganore orchestrates thrilling comeback to upend Milford Mill; captures 3A state title

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ANNAPOLIS — Behind 190 total yards and three touchdowns from junior running back Davon Butler, Linganore erased a 19-point deficit to upend Milford Mill, 28-27, and capture the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletics Association Class 3A state title at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Thursday night.

This is Linganore’s sixth state title in school history and first since 2009.

Milford Mill took a 19-0 lead with 8:10 left in the second quarter on a Desmond Shell 17-yard run, a Savage-to-Rishon Holmes 17-yard pass and Troy Scott 24-yard touchdown.

Linganore (12-2) upstarted the momentous surge when Butler scored on a six-yard run to cap a 60-yard drive and make it 19-7 with under a minute left in the first half.

With 26 seconds left in the third quarter, quarterback Ryan Leyh hit a wide-open Joe Kolick in the flat for a 60-yard strike, which pulled the Lancers within one score, 19-12. After forcing a Milford Mill 3-and-out, Linganore went 60 yards on three plays and went ahead, 22-19, on a Butler 15-yard scamper. 

The Millers weren’t done, however, and responded with a six-play, 82-yard drive to retake the lead when Shell scored from nine yards out. Linganore got the ball back with 3:57 left in regulation and used two monumental fourth down conversions, including a 12-yard Leyh run on 4th-and-10 at its own 35 and a Ben Musselman two-yard rush on 4th-and-1 in plus territory, to orchestrate the game-winning 15-play, 68-yard drive capped by Butler’s 2-yard plunge with 14 seconds to go.

Leyh finished the game 10-for-28 passing with 147 yards and a touchdown through the air. He also added 24 yards on four carries. Kolick caught three passes for 79 yards and racked up six total tackles; two for loss.

This story will be updated.