On Friday, November 14, the Linganore Lancers hosted their very first playoff game of the 2025 season.

Following a first-round bye due to an outstanding 9-0 regular season where the Lancers won almost every game in an extremely convincing manner, they came into last Friday’s game prepared for anything North Hagerstown threw at them. The Lancers kept an average point differential of 32 points separating them and their opponents at the end of regulation throughout the season, so they came out with the mindset that this game would be no exception.

This gave the Lancers an extra week of preparation and rest before last Friday’s game. While the lancers were developing strategies and creating a gameplan, the North Hagerstown Hubs were taking care of business elsewhere, dominating the Northwood Gladiators 43-7, sending a message to Linganore that it would be no easy task defeating them.

This first-round bye led to some unintended consequences for Linganore, however. The Lancers came out looking sluggish and unable to generate anything on the offensive side of the ball last Friday.

Thankfully, the Lancers defense was ready to play from kickoff, stopping the North Hagerstown attack again and again leading to a scoreless first quarter for their opponent.

The second quarter was more of the same. Both defenses locked in, not letting either offense even get in range for a field goal attempt.

However, late in the second quarter, the Lancers offense started to get going, completing pass after pass and converting first down after first down. They quickly found themselves inside North Hagerstown’s 5-yard line.

In one of the last plays of the quarter, Linganore handed the ball off to their star running back Bradly Mathews, who ran it straight into the end zone, without being touched, for the Lancers first score of the game. Senior Ayden Marsh added the extra point to put the Lancers up 7-0.

“We could have been scoring more before that, but it felt good to get that first one in there,” starting quarterback David Doy said while speaking on the Lancers first touchdown.

7-0 would stay the score going into halftime as Linganore got yet another defensive stop to end the half.

The third quarter is where the Lancers dominant offense really started to show. They pushed the Hubs defense back possession after possession scoring touchdown after touchdown. Mathews punched in 4 touchdowns in the quarter alone, as well as Marsh not missing a single kick.

“Just have a goal, kick it through the upright and my job is done. That’s what helps me lock in,” Marsh said.

Going into the final quarter, the Lancers held a firm 35-0 lead. The 4th was much like the first, with Senior Jeremy Allen scoring one more touchdown for Linganore to push the lead to 42. The Lancers defense completed the shutout, keeping North Hagerstown from scoring all game.

Linganore’s dominant performance in their first playoff game has many excited for the rest of the year.

Doy’s goal for Linganore this season: “Go to States and win it all.”

Will the Lancers live up to these high expectations?