Lebanon
Playing their home opener, the Raiders led Pembroke by 22 points after a single period and by 48 at halftime. The 54-6 final score wasn’t indicative of how badly the teams were mismatched. Lebanon (2-0) played its reserves the final two quarters, which were conducted in running time. Lebanon did not attempt a pass.
Raiders running back Ryan Milliken carried six times for 154 yards and produced four touchdowns. The senior scored on a 29-yard run the first time he touched the ball and on a 65-yard punt return the second time his hands cradled leather.
Milliken also ran for touchdowns of 48 and 49 yards, the latter occurring 58 seconds before intermission and irritating McElreavy, the Spartans’ first-year coach.
“I don’t know why they kept him in the game so long,” said the former Newport bench boss, who guided the Tigers to last season’s NHIAA Division III title. “But he’s a great player. He could play for any team in the state.”
McElreavy, who led Newport to a 20-2 mark during his time there and reached two state title games, has gone from one end of the high school football spectrum to the other. Pembroke is 6-21 the last three seasons and is working under its fourth head coach in as many years.
“We’re pretty young and Lebanon’s pretty good,” said McElreavy, whose roster includes only four seniors, three of whom have previous football experience, and five juniors. “It’s a baptism of fire for a lot of our players.”
Pembroke (0-2) went three-and-out during the game’s first possession and Milliken put his team up, 6-0, two plays later. Caleb Broughton booted the extra point and four plays after that, the Raiders led by 13 points as a result of Milliken’s punt-return score.
A third consecutive three-and-out by the Spartans led to an eight-play, 59-yard scoring drive for Lebanon. Matt Eylander’s 13-yard run with 35 seconds remaining in the first quarter pushed the score to 20-0 and Ryan Sullivan scooted in for the 2-point conversion.
Sullivan ended the Spartans’ next drive by intercepting a pass. Three snaps later, Milliken uncorked his 48-yard touchdown run for a 28-0 lead. Pembroke had the ball for five plays on the following possession before punting for the third time. Two plays after that, Solomon Mellish bolted 19 yards for a touchdown and Nate Perkins’ conversion run created a 36-0 lead.
Pembroke’s following drive ended when a pass was intercepted by Sullivan, who ran it back 28 yards for a touchdown. Millken’s attempted extra point sailed wide and the score was 42-0 with five minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Three more plays and yet another Pembroke punt. Three more plays and yet another Lebanon touchdown, this one off a 49-yard run by Milliken. Again, the extra point try failed, leaving the score 48-0 shortly before halftime.
“It was one of those game and I’ve been on the other side of them,” said Lebanon coach Chris Childs, whose team had 341 yards of offense to Pembroke’s 100. “We just wanted to get our starters a half of work and get them out without anyone getting hurt.
“We got some of our young kids some playing time under the lights, which is nice, because they take a back seat most of the week.”
Lebanon’s final points came on an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown by Jack Chamley. Aided significantly by an uncalled block-in-the-back foul, the freshman raced up the right sideline for his first varsity points.
Pembroke broke up the hosts’ shutout bid when it drove 55 yards in seven plays and scored on a 3-yard run by Seth Chouinard run. The Spartans lost their season opener, 42-0, to Bow.
Lebanon’s Dylan Tucker carried twice for 66 yards and Eylander carried three times for 40 yards.
The Raiders take a step up in competition next week when they host John Stark and star quarterback Drew McQuarrie. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound senior turned down a scholarship offer to play quarterback at Temple in order to take one from Boston College, where he’s projected to suit up at tight end.
Notes: Childs said Broughton was kicked in the back and taken out of the game during the first half when a muscle spasmed. … Lebanon student Olivia Smith sang the national anthem. … The Raiders’ student section included some bare-chested supporters. One of those young men had the phrase “RIP Fleury” painted upon his skin, a presumed reference to the transfer of standout lineman Michael Fluery from Lebanon to New Hampton prep school this fall. … Pembroke freshman running back and linebacker Paige Boudreau saw second-half action. She is one of two girls on the team. … Rob Cathcart, who coached Pembroke last fall, resigned to take the same job at Trinity.