NORTHAMPTON — Riding a dominant advantage in rushing yards, time of possession and first downs, host Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School made it a homecoming to remember on Saturday.
The Vikings won the battle up front, and methodically marched up and down the field to capture a convincing 39-14 victory over Mohawk in a Tri-County League contest.
The numbers told the story for Smith Voke (1-2 overall, 1-0 TCL). The Vikings had a 20-9 advantage in first downs, while outgaining Mohawk (1-2, 1-1) on the ground, 278-45. The Warriors were unable to climb back into the game after falling behind largely due to the time of possession advantage enjoyed by Smith Voke. The home team had the ball on offense for over 28 minutes, nearly holding a 2:1 edge in that department.
Senior tailback Ethan Rivera led the way, rushing for 130 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. Eric Leet missed most of the game after exiting with an ankle injury on the team’s first drive of the game, but returned in the fourth quarter and wound up with 12 carries for 89 yards.
That opening drive set the tone for the Vikings offensively. Using a big offensive line up front, the hosts picked up sizable gains almost every play, with quarterback Nick Marcinowski (4-for-9, 59 yards) charging in for a 5-yard touchdown run on a sneak to stake Smith Voke to an 8-0 lead with 2 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
That advantage doubled to 16-0 early in the second quarter, when Rivera scored his first touchdown of the afternoon, also from 5 yards out.
Mohawk’s offense did show signs of life, mostly thanks to its big play ability. Quarterback Shawn Davenport connected with Matthew Pollen for a 42-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 16-8 just three plays after the Vikings scored their second touchdown.
The see-saw affair saw Smith Voke regain the cushion on a 9-yard Rivera touchdown, but Mohawk again wasted little time answering. This one came in the form of a 57-yard touchdown from Davenport to Evan Shippee, who hauled in a swing pass from his QB, made two defenders miss and broke free up the sideline to get the Warriors within 24-14 at halftime.
After failing to get Smith Voke off the field in the first half, the Warriors got a badly needed defensive stand in the third quarter. Cam Lococo recovered a fumble at his team’s 21, giving the visitors a chance to cut the deficit to a one-score margin. But the drive stalled thanks in large part to penalties, and the Vikings put things out of reach when Rivera capped off his big day with a 14-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 32-14.
Andrew Pearce put the finishing touches on the win for the Vikings with 2:08 remaining, as he intercepted a Davenport pass and returned it 18 yards for a pick-6 that accounted for the 39-14 victory.
Davenport finished 5-for-15 for 155 yards and two touchdowns to go with three interceptions. Ryan Walker was the team’s top rusher, totaling 42 yards on 5 carries. Shippee was bottled up on the ground to the tune of 12 carries for minus-1 yard, but did haul in two catches for 80 yards and a score.
Mohawk has a bye before playing an independent game against Athol on Oct. 5, while Smith Voke heads to Pathfinder Friday night for another TCL contest.