Edinburgh football eliminated by Hagerstown

<p>Edinburgh’s football team put itself in optimal position in Friday’s Class A sectional semifinal game against Hagerstown.</p><p>Unfortunately for the Lancers, they couldn’t take advantage of its best shot, and the visiting Tigers took advantage, emphatically and decisively.</p><p>Edinburgh trailed 12-6 at halftime and had the ball to start the second half. The Lancers started the half at their own 45-yard line, and moved the ball to the Tigers’ 32. But they turned the ball over on downs, and Hagerstown scored 22 points in the third quarter to seize control of the game and win, 40-12.</p><p>Edinburgh ended the season at 1-9, but that ending — which included a 24-12 first-round sectional win over Cambridge City Lincoln and a strong first-half showing against Hagerstown — left Lancers coach Jason Burton feeling optimistic.</p><p>“Getting that feeling of having success, seeing what they can do when they do everything the right way, that goes a long way,” Burton said. “That makes summer workouts easier, it makes spring weight training easier. Seeing wins creates positivity and excitement among kids and parents.”</p><p>Edinburgh jumped on Hagerstown early, which fumbled away the first play from scrimmage at its own 8-yard line. After a one-yard loss, Tyson Sackman found Bryce Burton in the end zone 58 seconds into the game to give the Lancers a 6-0 lead.</p><p>The Tigers scored a pair of touchdowns and outgained Edinburgh 238 yards to 48 in the first half, but the Lancers stayed close thanks to strong field position. They started their average first-half drive at the Hagerstown 41-yard line, while the Tigers’ average drive start came at their own 20.</p><p>Edinburgh missed out on a pair of golden opportunities to tie or take the lead. The Lancers drove the ball to the Tigers’ 17-yard line late in the first half, but a quarterback sack shortly before time expired when Edinburgh had no timeouts killed that drive.</p><p>At the start of the third quarter, Edinburgh recovered Hagerstown’s onside kick attempt at its own 45-yard line, then a 23-yard Lennon DeLoach run moved the ball to the Tigers’ 32. Edinburgh couldn’t advance it any farther, however, and turned the ball over on downs.</p><p>Five plays and 64 yards later, Hagerstown extended the lead to 20-6 after a nine-yard Mason Hicks touchdown run, which was set up by a 39-yard pass from Dominic Anderson to Camden Rhoades.</p><p>“We had a lot of energy (coming out of the half); unfortunately, we didn’t capitalize,” Burton said. “There were some penalties and mistakes that against a good team like Hagerstown become insurmountable.”</p><p>Hagerstown proceeded to score touchdowns on three straight possessions to put the game out of reach. Bryce Burton concluded the scoring for Edinburgh when he broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run with 1:16 remaining.</p>