ORANGE — A potent rushing attack along with timely passing helped the Mahar Regional football team knock off Easthampton High School, 33-14, at the Woodward Complex in an Intercounty League North matchup on Friday night.
The win over the Eagles could help Mahar’s (6-2, 5-1 IL) playoff positioning in Division 8, and the Senators sewed up sole possession of second place in the IL North behind league champion Frontier.
Jake Tenney had another busy night out of Mahar’s backfield with 25 carries for 158 yards and three touchdowns.
“Our coaches are great,” Tenney said. “My teammates are great. Without them this wouldn’t be able to happen.”
Easthampton (4-3, 4-2) had the fourth position in the Division 5 Power Ratings, but a loss to the Senators could knock them out of the playoffs.
“I am not sure we are going to make the playoffs,” Easthampton coach Matt Bean said. “It depends on other things.”
The Eagles scored on their first and last drives of the game but couldn’t get anything going in between with some injuries along the offensive line.
“We had two new kids playing on the front line,” Bean said. “We just struggled on the line on both sides.”
Matt Champagne and Peter Holbrook missed the game for Easthampton.
Meanwhile, the Senators could leapfrog Lee to move into the third position in Division 8 with the win. If that’s the case, Mahar would play Ware on the road when the playoffs begin next week.
Quarterback Noaha Chabot made some important connections downfield for Mahar and finished 5-for-7 for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
“We predominantly want to run the ball,” Mahar coach Jim Woodward said. “But we can throw. If our running game is working, we still need to have some complementary plays.”
Both teams scored quick touchdowns on their first drives.
On a fourth down play, Jacob Neumann went straight up the middle for a 58-yard touchdown. The running back picked up the conversion to give the Eagles an 8-0 lead.
Neumann carried eight times for 55 yards.
Mahar answered with a three-play, 52-yard drive, all on the legs of Tenney who finished things off with a 9-yard touchdown.
After forcing a three and out, the Senators scored again on a five-play, 56-yard drive capped by a Chabot 46-yard touchdown throw to Luke Melanson.
Todd Chiasson, Jakob Carron, Peter Tattan and Matt Lyesiuk did well on Mahar’s defensive line, limiting Easthampton’s rushing attack.
Carron spent a lot of time in the Easthampton backfield with three tackles for loss.
The Senators led 14-8 after the first quarter.
Mahar used a 21-play, 80-yard drive for a score in the second quarter that killed most of the clock. The drive ended with Chabot’s second touchdown throw of the night, an 8-yard connection to Charlie Barnes.
“Just trying to grind it out and get first downs,” Woodward said.
Chabot rolled out and found Barnes near the pylon, beating the coverage of Marcus O’Meally.
Chabot made some plays with his feet as well, rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
The long drive gave the Senators a 21-8 lead at halftime.
Mahar used the possession after the half to double-up on the scoreboard. Tenney scored again on a 21-yard rushing touchdown to close a nine-play, 68-yard drive.
Jacob Murphy had a productive game for Mahar with 14 carries and 61 yards.
Tenney added another rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Fred Murray had a sack in the fourth quarter for the Eagles. On a late fourth quarter drive, the Eagles got a 6-yard rushing touchdown from Bennett Kelly.
Kelly had nine carries for 27 yards.
Liam Burke had a couple long completions to Kelly and Marcus O’Meally to highlight the drive.
O’Meally led the Eagles with two catches and 47 receiving yards.
Connor Mott had a 30-yard catch on a halfback pass from Kelly in the first quarter but Easthampton’s drive stalled.
Barnes intercepted Burke on Easthampton’s last passing attempt on offense in the fourth quarter.
