LACONIA, N.H. — Despite the defending champs being up 14 points early in the second quarter in Saturday’s NHIAA Division IV football championship, Hillsboro-Deering shut down Mascoma defensively the rest of the way and got its offense rolling, scoring 28 consecutive points en route to a 34-20 win and the school’s first state gridiron title.
Both teams had their share of mistakes with penalties and miscues, but the Hillcats were able to capitalize on their chances.
One sequence early in the fourth appeared to turn the tide. The Royals were clinging to a one-point lead, 20-19, after the Hillcats ate up the entire third quarter on a 19-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a touchdown on a fake field goal as Hillsboro quarterback Joshuwa Perron hit Chase Owen in the end zone.
That drive was almost thwarted when Perron was pulled down behind the line on a third-and-4 at the Hillsboro 38. But an illegal tackle penalty tacked on 15 yards and gave Hillsboro a first down on the Mascoma 46. Ten plays later, the Hillcats scored on the trick play.
On their next possession, the Royals began on their own 20 but a holding penalty and a bad snap put them in a third-and-27 on their own 3-yard line. They had a chance for a first down after quarterback Justin Fletcher hit Colin Myers with a pass and Myers fought his way to the 25-yard line, giving Mascoma a fourth-and-5. The Royals’ ground game had been solid all afternoon, but a false start penalty made it fourth-and-10, leading to a punt.
The Hillcats took over on their own 48 and, on the second play from scrimmage, senior running back Robert King — who had a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter — broke to the outside on the second play from scrimmage and ran for a 52-yard score. The two-point conversion gave Hillsboro its first lead of the game, 27-20.
Mascoma coach John Daley said after the game that the Hillcats’ ball control in the second half was a big factor.
“They chewed up the clock so well,” Daley said. “They controlled the tempo. Slowed themselves down when they needed to. Took an entire quarter on a single drive.”
On their next possession, the Royals moved the ball 16 yards to their 36 before an interception on a fourth-and-10 ended the drive at midfield.
Hillsboro’s final score came five plays later. After a 20-yard run by King, Richard ran in for the score from the 6, and the extra point made it 34-20 with 3:43 to go in the game.
The Royals (6-2), second seed behind the top-ranked Hillcats (8-1), got off to a strong start with a punishing running game led by seniors Declan Lyons and Paxten Roberts and junior Keano Gianini.
Starting on their own 35, Mascoma went 65 yards in eight plays, aided by a 15-yard facemask penalty on the Hillcats, and scored on a 3-yard run by Roberts for a 6-0 lead. The extra-point try was no good.
Hillsboro-Deering answered right back when King — who did the bulk of the running for the Hillcats and amassed more than 150 yards — raced 60 yards for a score to tie the game at 6-6 with 7½ minutes to go in the first quarter.
“He is explosive. Played a nice game,” Hillsboro-Deering coach Jay Wood said after the game about King.
Mascoma continued its dominance on the ground in its next possession, marching 65 yards on seven plays. The same trio of running backs broke off big chunks of yards, pulling tacklers with them at times. With a first-and-10 from the 20, Roberts got his second score of the day, breaking a few tackles to reach the end zone. A two-point conversion pass from quarterback Justin Fletcher to Lyons gave the Royals a 14-6 lead with four minutes left in the first quarter.
Hillsboro was stopped on its next possession and Mascoma took over at its own 42 at the start of the second quarter. On first down, Justin Fletcher connected with Lyons, who carried the ball to the 10-yard line and then followed that with a touchdown run on the next play from scrimmage, giving Mascoma a 20-6 lead with 11 minutes left in the second.
Hillsboro responded with a six-play, 58-yard scoring drive capped off with a 23-yard touchdown run by Daniel Richard, making it 20-13 at halftime.
Wood said his troops were hanging their heads a bit at halftime because of Mascoma’s size, especially up front.
“Some of the kids were a little down, saying they are too big, too fast,” Wood said after the game, holding the championship plaque. “I told them, ‘No, we are not talking like that. Get yourselves together and get back out there.’
“They did, and the tide began to turn a little. They hung in there and did what they did all season.”
Wood credited his defense for stepping up against Mascoma.
“We were a little late starting defensively, but they have been like that all year,” Wood said. “We are athletic, fast and like to hit.”
Before the first half ended, Mascoma had a chance to double its lead. Hillsboro quarterback Perron was hit as he released a throw and senior linebacker Colin Burns intercepted the ball at the 37-yard line. A penalty on the Royals on the second play from scrimmage pushed the ball back to the 46, and Mascoma was unable to get a first down with an incomplete pass on fourth-and-6.
Daley said the Royals played well on both sides of the ball in defense of their D-IV crown.
“That was a great game of football,” Daley said while his team gathered its equipment and the seniors posed for a photo together. “We ended up on the short side, but they played well. Hillsboro played a little bit better. Someone has to lose. Unfortunately, it was us this time.”
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
