White River Junction
Hartford rolled up 366 yards of offense while allowing only 102. The Tigers’ lone touchdown came on Simon Fischer’s early 79-yard punt return. Still, the hosts committed 12 penalties for 93 yards. Holds, false starts and personal fouls all combined to create a bit of a frown on fourth-year coach Matt Trombly’s face.
“A lot of it is inexperience,” Trombly said. “Our whole offensive line tonight was (first-year starters), except for the center. One of them, Mehdi Orogi, played soccer until this year. His first season of football, and he’s starting on a Friday night.”
Senior co-captain and lineman Austin Shepard was lost for the season with a knee injury during last week’s opening loss to visiting St. Johnsbury. The trenches were also hit hard by graduation from last season’s Vermont Division I state title team.
“Austin was one of those guys on the field who could coach the sophomores,” Trombly said. “Losing him is a big blow, and we’re hurting.”
Hartford quarterback Tyler Hamilton completed nine of 16 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Porter caught four passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, Hunter Perkins had three receptions for 48 yards and Austin Gaudette grabbed three tosses for 38 yards and a touchdown.
“Tyler did great after really struggling to throw the ball last week,” Trombly said of the senior signal-caller, who also carried 10 times for nine yards and a touchdown. “He was a tailback last year, but he threw tonight like he’d done it forever. He jumped the learning curve in a week, and that gives us another option.”
Kody Rhodes rushed 10 times for 51 yards, and Nick Porter carried nine times for 50 yards and a touchdown. Perkins ran 10 times for 35 yards. Middlebury rushed for just 47 yards, while quarterback Cody Pomainville went 3-for-7 passing for 45 yards and had a toss intercepted by Porter. The Tigers fumbled three times and lost the ball twice.
“We have a lot of kids playing who went right from freshman football to varsity with no junior varsity first,” Trombly said. “There have also been some rule changes that we’re adapting to. You can’t block by leading with your shoulder any more; it has to be with your hands. So we’re re-teaching what we’ve taught forever.”
Middlebury used Fischer’s punt return and an extra point for a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Hartford answered with a 74-yard, 10-play drive capped by a 12-yard Hamilton run and his conversion pass to Perkins. Middlebury was flagged for pass interference in the end zone on the play before the touchdown.
The Tigers mounted a long drive of their own, but the Hurricanes’ Gaudette recovered a fumble at his own 35-yard line. After an exchange of punts and an 82-yard drive, the hosts went up 14-7 on a 24-yard touchdown run by Porter.
Middlebury ran one play and lost a fumble to Perkins on its next drive. The Hurricanes covered 35 yards in six plays and went up, 20-7, a minute before halftime when Hamilton threw an 8-yard touchdown to Gaudette. The drive was aided by a roughing-the-passer foul on fourth down at the Tigers’ 25-yard line.
Hartford capped a long possession with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Hamilton to Porter to open the second half. It came on fourth-and-22 from the visitors’ 27-yard line, and Porter’s conversion run made the score 28-7.
The last touchdown, the first of his varsity career, belonged to Trevor LeBreque, who darted 13 yards with three minutes to play. Rhodes added a conversion run to close the scoring.
Notes: On crutches for the game were Hartford’s Dylan Tucker and Max Pfeiffer. … Tigers and brothers Camden and Skyeler Devlin were injured on the same fourth-quarter play and were helped off the field together. … A weathered plaque on one of the aluminum benches on the Middlebury side honors Francesca Picchioli Covell (1912-2003). … The Hurricanes visit Rice for their next contest. … Middlebury beat Colchester, 49-20, during its opener last week.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.