Heading into the fourth quarter, the only thing left was for the clock to hit zero.
Atlantic City was in complete control against Cherokee in the NJSIAA/Xfinity South Jersey Group 5 quarterfinal, the home team holding a 24-point lead.
As Atlantic City made personnel changes late in the game, Kelly didn't realize he should have been on the sideline. A fierce competitor, the junior edge rusher was in the backfield seemingly all night and wanted to get a third sack. He failed to do so on that extra play, but more than did his job on this night.
"I was trying to get another one," he said with a laugh.
Moments later, Kelly was sitting on the bench. One by one, teammates came over to congratulate him on his performance.
"That's Omar Kelly," one player said, clearly elevating his voice for all to hear.
Kelly is no joke. With 14 sacks on the year, the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder is a force to be reckoned with on a weekly basis. There are certainly others around him who have had an impact on the Vikings' success, but Kelly seems to be the guy that brings everything together.
"He's respected," Atlantic City coach Keenan Wright said. "The way he plays is just fun to watch.
"He's known. Ask every team we've played."
Like every other player, Kelly doesn't want the season to end. How could you blame him? The multi-talented defensive star is having a career year, leading the Vikings in total tackles (67 1/2), tackles for loss (15 1/2), assists (38) and sacks (14).
He's aggressive, has a nose for the football and brings the kind of energy every coach wants to see. It's a cliche, but his motor simply does not stop.
"He's relentless and trains that way," Wright added. "We had 5 a.m. workouts in the summer and he'd sit in the locker room with his helmet on waiting for the bus to get here. He'd stare at every single one of them as they came in.
"Strong safety, linebacker, edge rusher. ... He does it all. He was doing some things last year at receiver, but we've had him exclusively on the defensive side of the ball. He took it upon himself to make my life miserable during scout team. That makes our offense better."
Kelly has always excelled on defense. He played strong safety last season and finished with 36 tackles. It's where he started this year before coaches let him roam as an edge rusher, just another opportunity to get the most out of quickness and strong instincts.
His biggest strength?
"My speed; my get-off is pretty fast," Kelly said. "A lot of teams don't expect it. They see it on film, but speed is different in person.
"I love both (positions). This one is definitely more fun, but I'll always love being in the secondary; reading the quarterback's eyes and looking to get picks. ... I'm a dog. Resilient, coachable."
Kelly will put on his No. 9 uniform Friday when the Vikings host three-time defending Group 5 state champion Toms River North in the sectional semifinals. It's an opportunity he was already focused on before walking off the home turf a week ago.
At this point, an already laser-focused Kelly was thinking about that next sack.
"I've been playing for a while. Edge is my nature," he said. "I won't let anyone outwork me. I'm going to work as hard as I can to help put my team in the best possible position to win."