HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Michael Stewart made two of his seven carries count in a big way Thursday night.
Stewart broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown run on North Hagerstown’s second offensive snap of the game, then raced 82 yards for another score on the Hubs’ first play of the second half.
Those two bursts highlighted a dominant performance by fourth-seeded North Hagerstown, which overwhelmed visiting No. 5 Northwood 48-0 in the Maryland Class 3A West football quarterfinals.
Stewart finished with 156 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries, while the Hubs’ defense recorded five sacks, forced four turnovers and limited the Gladiators to 142 yards of total offense.
North (5-5) advances to face top-seeded Oakdale (9-0), which had a first-round bye, on the road next week. Northwood finished its season at 4-6.
“We swarmed to the ball,” North coach Nathan Butts said of his team’s defensive effort. “We did what we needed to do, came in here and dominated right from the get-go.”
Stewart’s 46-yard touchdown run came just 42 seconds into the game, giving North a 7-0 lead.
After Drexel Smitley blocked a punt for the Hubs, quarterback Ronnie Savage scrambled 20 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 6:53 left.
On North’s next possession, Smitley rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. The extra-point attempt was blocked, leaving the Hubs ahead 20-0 with 3:25 remaining in the opening quarter.
Smitley’s touchdown was particularly meaningful to Butts, who wanted to give the versatile senior an opportunity to score in his final home game.
“He’s our Swiss Army knife,” Butts said. “He’s played all these different positions. I felt it was important to get him one tonight.”
Smitley made his presence felt in several other ways, recovering a fumble and recording a sack, along with blocking the punt.
North added two more touchdowns in the second quarter.
Smitley’s fumble recovery at the Northwood 21 set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Mykai Bostic, extending the lead to 27-0 with 6:27 left before halftime.
North’s defense kept the pressure on, with Donald Rivers recording a fourth-down sack to give the Hubs possession at their own 43 late in the half.
Savage immediately capitalized, connecting with Nas Cameron for a 57-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline. Chase Garver’s extra point made it 34-0 with 1:50 remaining.
Northwood showed some life on its opening possession of the second half, picking up three first downs and driving deep into North territory.
But the Hubs stiffened, forcing a turnover on downs at their own 18-yard line.
On the very next snap, Stewart took off for an 82-yard touchdown run, extending North’s lead to 41-0 with 7:03 remaining in the third quarter and putting the running clock into effect.
The Hubs put the finishing touches on the shutout early in the fourth quarter when junior Tyler Mulkey intercepted a pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown. Garver’s sixth successful extra point made it 48-0 with 11:35 remaining.
Butts was especially pleased to see Mulkey deliver a big play.
“He’s a promising junior,” Butts said. “He’s got all the skill set. It’s just getting him going a little bit. He’s a big dude, and he can move.”
The defensive statistics reflected North’s dominance.
Rivers led the Hubs with 14 tackles, including three for loss and a sack. Carter Hillegas added 10 tackles, five for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. Sydney Smith contributed nine tackles, four for loss and two sacks.
Antonio Rivera-Herrera also intercepted a pass, while Jonathan Loski recovered a fumble.
Northwood managed just 104 rushing yards on 41 carries and completed four passes for 38 yards.
Offensively, Savage completed 3 of 4 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, while also scoring on his only rushing attempt. Cameron caught two passes for 89 yards, including his 57-yard touchdown.
Six different Hubs scored touchdowns in the victory.
Now comes a considerably tougher challenge.
Oakdale enters next week’s region semifinal unbeaten, presenting a formidable challenge for the Hubs. But Butts said his team isn’t intimidated by the opportunity.
“I just told them, this is a state championship-caliber game,” Butts said. “They’re one of the best in the state. It’s playoff time. You’re going to see these teams. We’re not going to shy away from it. We’re going to get ready, and we’re going to go compete.”
