Mayde Creek edged closer to its first playoff berth since 2008 on Thursday, Oct. 24, at Legacy Stadium, overcoming a fourth quarter deficit and the loss of two offensive starters in a 41-31 victory against Seven Lakes.

The win improved the Rams to 7-1 overall, 3-1 in District 19-6A play. The Rams have a seven-win season for the first time since 1997. The loss dropped the Spartans to 3-5, 0-4 in district play, and eliminated them from playoff contention.

The Rams will secure a playoff berth with a win in either of their final two games remaining, against Katy and Morton Ranch, or if Morton Ranch loses against Seven Lakes this week. The Rams also get in if Taylor loses this week against Katy.

Mayde Creek coach Mike Rabe said from the start of the year, the coaching staff saw the kids putting in the proper work to have a successful season.

“I think we have a group of kids that have truly bought into what we’re trying to do with this program,” he said. “They’re really excitable. They’re really coachable and stay in the present and focus on the next snap. That’s part of how they can stay in these close games.”

One week after the Rams rallied from a late 10-0 fourth-quarter deficit for a 14-10 win against Taylor, Mayde Creek was the team in the lead struggling to regain its footing in the final period.

Trailing 27-10 with 9:47 left in the third quarter, the Spartans rallied for 21 unanswered points, taking a 31-27 lead on a 25-yard pass from junior Cristian Beltran to senior wideout Eric Johnson. Johnson, one of the top receivers in the district, used his size against smaller cornerbacks to finish with 10 catches for 215 yards and two touchdowns, with a third score negated by a holding penalty. Spartans junior running back Milton Jones had two touchdowns and 151 yards on 19 carries.

On offense, Mayde Creek initially struggled in the second half because of injuries to starting quarterback/wideout Donte Jones, and senior wideout and top playmaker Daniel Huery.

“We had some packages we wanted them to be in coming into this football game, and those got taken away from us, so you could see that we went into a lull there in the middle of the game,” Rabe said. “We were trying to figure out what guys could get what done out there. We got more organized as the game went on.”

Huery and Jones, who had three first half touchdowns after scoring two touchdowns to rally the Rams the previous week against Taylor, didn’t play in the second half.

Rabe didn’t know the status of Jones’ injury following the game.

“I know he’s got a leg injury possibly, but we don’t know the extent of it,” Rabe said, adding that Huery was kept out for precautionary reasons as he deals with a recurring injury. “We probably could have gotten him back on the field, but it wasn’t worth it right now.”

With those two unavailable, senior quarterback John Zolacha and junior running back Julius Loughridge shouldered more of the load. Both said they knew what they had to do to rise to the moment.

“I’ve been there before,” said Zolacha, who completed 9 of 16 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown. “I know this position. I had to step up and make plays to help my team, execute and make throws. Just go down there and win the game. That’s all I was thinking about. Next-man-up mentality, man.”

Loughridge added, “We got depth. We’ve got guys at all levels that can play.”

One of the players to step up was junior wideout L’Den Skinner. Taking Jones’ spot on the outside, Skinner had two catches for 57 yards in the fourth quarter. The threat on the outside opened up more field space for the running game, and sophomore wideout Eddie Harrell put the Rams up for good, 34-31, with a 2-yard touchdown run with five minutes left.

Mayde Creek’s defense held to force a three-and-out. On the second play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive, Loughridge, who had 180 yards on 22 carries, punched through a hole for a 68-yard touchdown that gave the Rams breathing room.

Loughridge attributed the run to his offensive line and speed.

“Those (Seven Lakes) boys are big upfront, so we knew to keep trying to penetrate and that hole would open up in the fourth quarter when those (defensive) boys are tired,” he said. “I got past the front three, and a linebacker tried to arm-tackle me and I broke that tackle, and there weren’t any (defensive backs). I just outran them.”

Rabe said Loughridge had the right mentality when it came to running, noting that the rugged runner had to take hits against defenses stacked against him.

“I know he gets frustrated,” Rabe said. “He never shows it or anything, but I know he gets frustrated. Some of that is why we can throw the ball out quick to the sides, though, because everyone is loading the box. He understands the concept of what we’re trying to get done, and it opens the passing game, and we were able to execute that today.”