HERMON- Dylan Yeo was the beneficiary of a hit on Wells quarterback Noah McDonough, coming up with an interception late in the fourth quarter Friday night in helping the Hermon Hawks ice away a 22-16 football victory over the Warriors in their home opener at Pottle Field.
Hermon (2-0) played a very strong first half despite committing two turnovers. After the Hawks fumbled away the ball deep in Wells territory with the opening possession of the game, a high snap on fourth down on the first possession for Wells went over the head of the punter and through the endzone for a safety to put two points on the board for the hosts. The lead would grow to 9-0 later in the opening period when quarterback Ethan Curtis went up top to Sam Hopkins for a 36-yard touchdown pass. Hermon would extend the advantage going into halftime on a fourth down play in the final moments of the second quarter when Curtis rolled out to the left and found Hopkins in the back of the endzone for a 7-yard scoring play. The extra point was blocked and it was 15-0 Hawks at the break.
Wells (1-1), who is now also in Class C after winning the last two state championships in Class D, got on the board for the first time just over halfway through the third quarter as McDonough took it himself on 4th and goal with a 1-yard QB keeper to cut it to 15-7. Hermon responded with a sustained drive, and would go back up by double digits on the third TD pass of the evening from Curtis to Hopkins on 4th and goal from the Warriors 5-yard line with 8:13 left to play. Wells wasn’t going away and after a key conversion on 4th and long on a pass from McDonough to Darion Lemont, McDonough would go to him again two plays later for a 37-yard touchdown pass. They would also convert a 2-point run by Dominic Carbonneau to slice it to a six point deficit with 4:23 remaining. After the Hawks had to punt with their ensuing possession, the Warriors had one more chance in the final 3:00 from their own 21-yard line. The Hermon defense was able to clamp down though, as on 2nd down and long at their own 44 McDonough dropped back to pass and was rushed and hit from behind by Jacob Murzyn popping the ball into the air. Yeo was in the right place at the right time to grab the interception, returning it deep onto the Wells side of the field. The Hawks were then able to run the clock out to hang on for the victory. Hopkins and Griffin Dunton also had interceptions on the night for the defense.
Both teams are back at it next Friday night at 7 p.m. as Hermon travels to Oceanside, and Wells will make a visit to Gardiner to take on the Tigers.
