WARE — Through one full quarter Friday night, things were progressing nicely for the Mohawk Trail Regional High School football team. Not only did the Warriors keep Tri-County League-leading Ware High School off the scoreboard over the first 11 minutes of action, the visitors put together an impressive 9-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a go-ahead touchdown.
But just as Mohawk seemed to snatch control, the host Indians pulled it back. Ware scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter and held the Warriors scoreless the remaining 33 minutes to stay atop the TCL with a 29-6 victory.
“We got beat by a better football team tonight,” Mohawk coach Doug McCloud offered. “We did some good things in the beginning of the game. But then, we just couldn’t stop anybody after that.”
Mohawk (1-5 overall, 1-3 TCL) did take a 6-0 lead with three seconds left in the opening quarter. Taking over on its own 20 after a Ware punt, the team put together an impressive drive that included a fourth-down conversion run by quarterback Shawn Davenport to keep things alive. On the next play, Davenport extended the play with his legs and hit Jordan Grenier downfield. Grenier broke a tackle and turned it up, ultimately scampering 61 yards before being hauled down at the Ware 8. Four plays later, Davenport again scrambled to prolong the play, and this time he floated a pass over a Ware defender in the right corner of the end zone, connecting with Cam Lococo for a 5-yard touchdown toss and a 6-0 advantage.
The conversion that followed ultimately set the stage for what was to come over the next quarter of play. After being moved back 15 yards after Lococo was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following the TD, Mohawk attempted a lengthy extra point kick. The try came up short, and while play should’ve halted when the ball hit the ground, no whistle was blown. Ware picked the ball up and ran it back all the way for what was initially ruled a two-pointer the other way, although the officials did get together to make the right call and rule the play was over after the kick fell short.
On that play, however, Davenport went down with an injury after being blocked by a Ware player on the change of possession. He did return two drives later, though the injury to his arm did seemingly hamper him the rest of the way.
The touchdown, combined with the wild play that followed on the conversion, woke a stagnant Ware offense. The Indians (5-2, 4-0) scored on the first play of their ensuing possession, when Robert Viera (6 carries, 115 yards) ripped off a 66-yard touchdown run. Keith Smith booted the extra point, giving Ware a 7-6 lead it would not relinquish.
The Indians followed with touchdowns on their next two drives before halftime. Quarterback Devin Slattery (5-for-11, 101 yards) connected with Dillon Slattery for a 10-yard score with 6:51 remaining, and Viera tallied his second TD of the night with a 21-yard scamper with 57 seconds left to give the hosts a 21-6 lead into halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, Ware put it away when Devin Slattery kept the ball and ran it 19 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 29-6.
Mohawk’s offense got the ball into Ware territory four times on the night but could only manage the only score. Davenport finished 5-for-13 for 81 yards and the touchdown, though the Warriors were held in check on the ground by a Ware defense that recorded several large negative plays to the tune of 31 carries for 38 yards. Ryan Walker led the ground-game with 9 carries for 42 yards.
Mohawk finally returns home after more than a month on the road this week for its Booster Day game. The Warriors welcome Palmer (2-4, 2-2) to Buckland on Friday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff.