BREWER- Alec Smith ran for three touchdowns, and quarterback Bruce Coulter rushed for two more on Friday night as the Hermon Hawks defeated the Brewer Witches 54-12 at Doyle Field in the football season opener for both Class C North teams.
Hermon didn’t take long to get the scoring started. Coulter returned the opening kickoff 50 yards to the Brewer 40-yard line, and just a few minutes later he scored on a five yard run and also ran in the two-point conversation. After the Witches went three and out with their first offensive possession and pinned the Hawks back inside their own 10-yard line, Coulter on an option play took it himself 93 yards for a score slicing up the middle and down the right sideline, and again converted a two-point run for a 16-0 lead. The hosts got their only score of the first half on a 20 yard touchdown run by senior tailback Hunter Merrithew. Smith for the visitors added first half touchdown runs of 1 and 6 yards. Late in the second quarter, with Brewer driving and trying to gain some momentum, Anthony Addessi intercepted quarterback Ethan Leavitt and returned it 49 yards setting up a two yard scoring run of his own as the lead was increased to 38-6 at halftime. Damon Kimball and Smith both scored on 1 yard runs in the second half, while the Witches final scoring of the night came on a 74 yard touchdown run by Merrithew in the third period.
Smith finished with 11 carries for 73 yards, and the three touchdowns in the win. Coulter rushed seven times for 168 yards and two scores, all in the first half. Kimball had 67 yards on 11 attempts with the second half touchdown. The Hawks ran for a team total of 397 yards. Merrithew led Brewer with seven carries for 113 yards, and had both of the Witches touchdowns. Both teams are back in action next Friday at 7 p.m. as Brewer visits Hampden Academy, and Hermon will host perennial Class C power Oceanside.
Recap/Photos/Videos by Chris Lessner
