Levi Brickner helps Calvert make a loud statement with a rout of Patuxent
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Version 0 of 1. Levi Brickner wanted the whole state of Maryland to hear. Late in the fourth quarter of a Southern Maryland Athletic Conference Chesapeake Division game Monday night at Patuxent, the junior linebacker from Calvert sprinted toward the visitors’ sideline, closed in on receiver Jared Massengill and audibly levelled him. The sound was something like a thunderclap. The effect was a turnover on downs. After a lightning delay postponed the game in the first quarter Friday night, Bricker and the Cavaliers had waited 72 hours to prove they were the toughest team in Calvert County. And with a 21-7 road win against a previously undefeated perennial playoff contender, Calvert showed it has goals beyond the conference. “It’s just a big hit [to] send a message to the whole SMAC and state of Maryland,” Brickner said. “We made a statement here tonight, but we’re going to go farther than SMAC. We’re going to go to state.” After Brickner’s powerful pop, the linebacker left the field shaking his head. Following three quarters of shutout defense, he figured the Panthers’ quarterback would have left him alone. “He should have known better,” Brickner said. Patuxent generated just 194 yards of offense and only 11 rushing yards as a team. By contrast, Calvert enforced its will between the tackles all night. Junior quarterback Jack Lanham handled 24 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns. A four-yard sneak into the end zone capped a Cavaliers drive that took up the entire third quarter and the first five seconds of the fourth. Lanham completed two passes in the game. One converted a fourth down on Calvert’s first scoring drive. The other was a 26-yard touchdown to junior Levi Buck, who added a recovered onside kick and one of two Calvert interceptions to his big night. “I think this really solidifies our season. It was a great signature win,” Lanham said. “A lot of our guys were itching to get back on the field.” For the first half, Patuxent (5-1, 2-1 SMAC Chesapeake) looked snakebit: Including two fumbles, the Panthers gave the ball away on five straight opportunities. Sophomore quarterback Reese Crounse relieved junior Jaelen Gross in the fourth quarter, throwing for 106 yards and a 19-yard touchdown to senior Tyler Gross. Calvert (5-1, 2-0) had not beaten the Panthers since 2003, one year after the Cavaliers’ last playoff appearance. The Panthers have been in the state tournament four years in a row, but a loss to a fellow member of the Maryland 2A South region could have implications in November. |