Atholton quarterback Brian McMahon had just one thought Friday night when his screen pass was tipped and River Hill’s Max Williams intercepted the ball and took off down field.

“When the ball got tipped, I thought, ‘That can’t be good,’ but as soon as he intercepted it, I knew I had to stop him,” the junior first-year starter said.

With the host Raiders leading No. 3 River Hill, 10-0, McMahon said it never entered his mind that he might have given up a touchdown and given away the momentum. He just took off.

“I believe we were on their 10 and I tackled him on our 30-yard line,” McMahon said. “I was about seven yards in front of him when he made the pick and he had two blockers in front of him. They pushed me to the left when we were about even, but I ran and caught up to him and jumped on his back. I was glad I saved a touchdown, but I still felt bad about the interception.”

No worries though. The Raiders defense stopped the Hawks on four downs and finished the game with the first shutout over River Hill since 2001, ending a 48-game Hawks' winning streak against Howard County opponents.

For McMahon, who scored the game’s only touchdown on a short keeper in the first quarter, the victory was the highlight of his athletics career.

“We took the knee [on the last play] and then the fans rushed the field. That was really great. Everyone was jumping around and cheering. That was the first time I had ever experienced anything like that.”

The Raiders improved to 3-2 and are one of six teams in the heart of the Howard County title race at 3-2 or 4-1.

“It makes every Friday night more exciting. It’s just a wild season and it’s been a lot of fun,” McMahon said as the Raiders get back to business to prepare for Reservoir at home Friday night. The Gators are also 3-2 and coming off a 21-14 loss to Howard, which is 4-1 along with River Hill, Hammond and Wilde Lake.