Kent outlasts Queen Anne’s in exciting Week 1 shootout

For the second season in a row, the Kent County Trojans football team defeated their cross county rival Queen Anne’s, 46-45 in a back and forth game in Worton.

The game started off as many anticipated, a shootout. Kent senior QB Stevie Curran found junior slotback Marcquan Green for a 82 yard touchdown with 6:34 to go in the first quarter. The touchdown was a sign of things to come for both teams, with both offenses beginning to roll.

On the insuing kickoff, Ricky Dunkerly took a kickoff down the sideline and looked to be headed to the endzone when a Kent defender stripped him from behind, causing a fumble, in which the Trojans would recover. The very next play, Kent RB Daquan Seymore took a handoff 67 yards to the house to give KC an early 15-0 lead. Queen Anne’s would answer with their next two possessions with senior fullback Ahmad Gray and Jykel Garner would score rushing touchdowns of 3 and 35 yards. The Lions would then take the lead with 6:07 to go til half when Dunkerly blasted a 26-yard touchdown thru the right side of the Trojans defense, to give QA their first lead of 21-15.

Kent would soon answer with a fake punt, Curran found receiver Dashawn Lister for a 35-yard score to retake the lead 22-21 with 4 minutes til the half. Queen Anne’s would retake the lead on a Luke Metrinko field goal, to retake a 24-22 lead on a wild first half.

When the teams returned from half the fireworks continued, with the teams trading scores. Dunkerly converted his second rushing touchdown of the night , this one from 43 yards out. Only a couple of minutes later, Curran found Green for a 61 yard touchdown to pull the Trojans within 3 (31-28) late in the third quarter.

The back and forth affair continued, with the teams again trading scores. After Garner’s second touchdown of the night for the Lions, Curran found Joshua Frey from 17 yards out. Next possession Dunkerly would score his third of the night, this one from 30 yards out, pushing the Lions lead to 45-34 with just over nine minutes remaining in the game. The Trojans again would respond with Marcquan Green getting his hands on his first kickoff return (as the Lions kicked away from him all night, and for good reason) and proceeded to go 92 yards the other way with it.

Trailing 45-40, Kent County would force a fumble and take a 46-45 lead with 3:35 remaining in the game, when Curran found Seymore in the corner of the endzone for his fifth passing touchdown of the game.

Things got bizzare from there. With Queen Anne’s reaching the Trojans 30 yard line with 1:25 remaining in the game the lights in Trojan Stadium went out. With school officials worked to get the lights back on, the teams remained on the field. After about a 20 minute delay, the lights returned and the teams began to stretch.

When play continued, the Lions worked their way down to the 13 yard line, with nine seconds remaining. Luke Metrinko took the field, looking to convert another field goal for the Lions, this one for the win. The 30-yard kick went up, had the distance, but fell wide right to the delight of the Trojans and their fans. Curran would take a knee to secure the 46-45 victory for Kent.

The win gives Kent the biggest victory in the Bayside in week 1, and second of their rivals in their last two trys. The Trojans (1-0) will now travel to Princess Anne to take on Washington next week, while the Lions (0-1) will travel to Salisbury next week to take on Bennett.