HANOVER — The Hanover High football team made quick work of Hollis-Brookline during the NHIAA Division II teams’ season opener Friday night at Merriman-Branch Field.
The Bears enjoyed 152 yards and two rushing touchdowns from Jeffrey Vidou during their 35-6 victory, which featured a running clock for the fourth quarter. Quarterback Roger Lucas rushed seven times for 39 yards and completed four of eight passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Hanover forced the first of six Hollis-Brookline punts to begin the game and drove 43 yards in four plays, scoring on Vidou’s 15-yard run four minutes into the contest. Jack Wilkinson added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
The Bears sputtered a bit during their second possession, which began at the visitors’ 33-yard line after a 4-yard punt. A holding penalty and an incomplete pass began the march inauspiciously before Lucas scrambled for 20 yards and completed a pair of passes.
Vidou again accounted for the score, running 8 yards to paydirt. The extra-point try was blocked and Hanover led, 13-0.
Hollis-Brookline next went three and out, leaving the hosts with the ball on the Cavaliers’ 43-yard line. Four consecutive running plays produced a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Matt Brock, followed by a Lucas-to-Brock pass for a 2-point conversion and a 21-0 lead.
A pass play also gave Hanover its next score, which capped an eight-play, 45-yard drive. This time the connection was for 3 yards between Lucas and Teddy Sumner, and Wilkinson’s kick pushed the score to 28-0 shortly before intermission.
The teams exchanged punts to begin the second half before Hanover rolled 40 yards in five plays for its final touchdown. David Frechette scampered 6 yards to the end zone, and Wilkinson’s third PAT made it 35-0 with 3 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Cavaliers scored on a 60-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Velez to Ben Hoesch against the hosts’ backup defenders to avert a shutout with six minutes to play.
Hanover visits John Stark on Friday night. The Generals lost their opener, 27-16, at Milford and were 1-8 last season.
Notes: Vidou suffered a lower-body injury late in the third quarter. He limped off the field and didn’t return.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.