Mike Kelly's 289 Yards: Just Short of Record

UPDATED 2:40 p.m.: Mike Kelly fell three yards shy of a playoff record with his 289 yards rushing in Friday's state semifinal win against Brunswick.

The senior running back's rushing yardage ranks as the second-highest in Harford County and Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference playoff history—at least, as it is best ascertained.

There is no statistical record-keeping body for Harford County high school sports.

Joppatowne's Epe Henriques ran for 292 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries in a playoff game in 2009. Henriques, now a senior, plays for Dunbar—which Havre de Grace plays in Saturday's Class 1A state championship game.

Joppatowne coach Bill Waibel, who has put together some of the most productive rushing attacks in UCBAC history, confirmed Henriques' performance Tuesday afternoon. He said Henriques' family moved to Baltimore after last season.

Former Joppatowne star David Dudley is believed to hold the record for single-game rushing yardage—regular season or playoffs—with his 383 against Havre de Grace in an early regular-season home game in 2005.

Sheldon Shealer, a Maryland sports journalist, compiles a comprehensive state-wide record book for football statistics. As the go-to contact for all thing prep football statistics, Shealer couldn't confirm Kelly's performance as the greatest in Harford/UCBAC history. But he was able to confirm that no Harford back—aside from Dudley in 2005—has ever rushed for a recorded yardage above 325.

Richard Holly, a computer technology teacher at Havre de Grace High School, has compiled football, basketball and baseball statistics for Harford County schools since 1980. While the statistics he oversees are cumulative season figures, Holly said Friday's 289 yards stand out to him as a record for a playoff game.

Harford County Supervisor of Athletics Ken Zorbach admits to not following the statistics of individual sports closely. And he has no way of confirming nor denying that 289 yards would be a playoff record for a Harford County student-athlete.

Kelly had 25 carries for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Most of that work came in the first half, when he had 18 carries for 196 yards and a score. He was actually slowed in the second half by cramping in his right calf.

Ten of his runs went for ten yards or more. Just once he was stopped at or behind the line, a four-yard loss on the first drive of the game. He had matching 53-yard touchdown runs, and another of four yards. He had just two touches in the fourth quarter.

Kelly didn't have a catch in the game. But he had few breaks, playing corner on defense and returning some kicks.

Kelly began the season at Aberdeen, and with his post-season efforts, now stands atop the conference in rushing yardage this year.

Entering Saturday's state championship with Dunbar, Kelly has 1,604 yards and 16 touchdowns on 176 carries—an average of 9.1 yards per touch.