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FREDERICK — For much of the first quarter on Friday night, Frederick and Erie traded touchdowns.
First Frederick scored. Then Erie. Then Frederick.
After that, Frederick ran away.
Dalton Hall rushed for 234 yards and four touchdowns as the Warriors thumped their biggest rival 42-21 in a Class 3A non-league game.
“It was awesome,” Hall said. “We knew we had to come to play and we just went out there and we executed everything we talked about this week. It feels great. We thought we could (do it) and then when we go out there and execute it perfectly, there’s no better feeling than that.”
Frederick (3-1) wasn’t flawless, but it felt that way in the first half. The Warriors scored touchdowns on their first five possessions of the half. They might have scored on the sixth, but time ran out after just two plays. They took a 35-7 lead into halftime.
“It was a big game for us,” Frederick coach Thad Lear said. “Our kids were hungry all week. That pride was on the line. The kids did a great job of being focused and coming out and executing.”
Frederick racked up 292 rushing yards in the first half alone, and 387 for the game. Hall had 176 yards and three touchdowns by halftime. Ryan Miller had 70 yards and two scores by the break before finishing with 77 yards.
“I think it stunned our whole sideline,” said Erie coach Larry Gartrell, whose team has lost three straight. “Obviously, Frederick came out ready to play and took it to us and we didn’t respond very well.”
Erie did get its offense going in the second half, as Coltin Brink (104 yards) and Pedro Anderson (100) both topped the century mark, and Ryne Atkins (69 yards) added a touchdown.
By then, however, the Tigers were in a major hole.
“We just started off a little slow and it came back to bite us,” said Brink, who caught a touchdown pass. “It was like a blink. That’s a tough deficit, but you always have to fight back and try to come back and give it your all.”
Lear knew putting Erie in that big of a hole was huge, though. Erie doesn’t throw the ball much, so rallying from 28 points down isn’t easy.
“At that point, they were in catch-up and I don’t think they’re comfortable with that, and really we aren’t either,” Lear said. “It’s nothing that either team likes. We like to ball control and so do they.”
The two teams, in fact, combined to throw just seven passes all night. The battle for ball-control clearly was won by Frederick, at least in the early going.
Hall and Miller pounded the Erie defense, running behind their talented offensive line.
“I had a blast,” Hall said. “Up front, just unbelievable job. That’s the best job I’ve ever seen them block.”
Erie eventually got its signature offense rolling, which left Gartrell a little pleased.
“I kind of laid down a challenge at halftime and told them we have to start playing the way we’re capable of playing and do the things that they’re coached to do and they responded,” Gartrell said. “I’m proud of them. I’m proud of them for second-half effort. Maybe the first half effort was my fault.”
EXTRA POINTS: Jordan King had two sacks for the Frederick defense. … Warriors kicker Kevin Retchless was 4-for-4 on extra points and sent all seven of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. … Neither team threw a pass in the first half. Erie ran three passing plays before intermission, but was sacked each time. … Erie outscored Frederick 14-7 in the second half and had the ball for 18 minutes, 33 seconds, to just 5:37 for Frederick in the half.
Brian Howell can be reached at bhowell@times-call.com.
Frederick 42, Erie 21
At Frederick H.S.
Erie (1-3) 7 0 7 7 — 21
Frederick (3-1) 14 21 7 0 — 42
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
Frederick — Dalton Hall 9 run (run failed), 10:48.
Erie — Pedro Anderson 55 run (Ryan Haynes kick), 7:48.
Frederick — Ryan Miller 1 run (Hall run), 4:27.
Second Quarter
Frederick — Hall 15 run (Kevin Retchless kick), 10:29.
Frederick — Hall 1 run (Retchless kick), 6:47.
Frederick — Miller 3 run (Retchless kick), 2:56.Third Quarter
Erie — Coltin Brink 22 pass from Anderson (Haynes kick), 4:23.
Frederick — Hall 40 run (Retchless kick), 1:59.
Erie — Ryne Atkins 2 run (Haynes kick), 8:56. EHS FHS
First downs 19 21
Rushes-yards 58-276 44-387
Passing yards 32 0
Comp-Att-Int 3-5-0 0-2-0
Punts-Avg. 4-32.5 1-17.0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 7-68 12-90
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Erie: Brink 24-104, Anderson 16-100, Atkins 17-69, Ryan Romey 1-4, Tristen Lyle 1-(-1); Frederick: Hall 23-248, Miller 11-77, Jaron Balman 6-46, Jacob Sleeteh 3-18, Retchless 1-12.
PASSING (comp-att-int-yards) — Erie: Anderson 1-2-0-22, Lyle 2-3-0-10; Frederick: Balman 0-2-0-0.
RECEIVING — Erie: Brink 2-28, Taylor Dudley 1-4; Frederick: None.
