Ryon Thomas delivers ORR past Apponequet

MATTAPOISETT — On three separate occasions, the odds of picking up a first down seemed slim for Ryon Thomas and Old Rochester.

But the junior quarterback showcased his poise under pressure to not only move the chains, but get the ball into the end zone.

Thomas completed 5-of-10 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns — all of which came on either third or fourth-and-long — as the No. 4 Bulldogs scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to upend fifth-seeded Apponequet, 35-17, at Hagen Memorial Field in a Division 6 first-round matchup Saturday.

“I just needed to make a play for my team,” said Thomas as ORR advances to face No. 8 Norwell. “I trust my receivers a lot and I’m willing to throw them the ball in big moments like that and they executed.”

A 35-yard touchdown run by Dylan DeWolfe gave ORR (7-1) its first lead late in the third quarter, but Apponequet (5-3) answered before the frame was over when John Mahan III (10-of-31, 183 yards) threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Chace Gorman. The Lakers added the two-point conversion for a 17-14 advantage.

In the fourth quarter, Thomas made up for two first-half fumbles that staked Apponequet to an early 9-0 lead.

Facing a third-and-14, Thomas tossed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Durocher to put the Bulldogs back in front, 20-17, with 10 minutes remaining. The play was eerily similar to Thomas’ first touchdown pass to Durocher that was also from 33 yards out and came just before halftime on fourth-and-8.

Six minutes later, Thomas threw a dagger scoring strike, hitting his brother, Dylon, on third-and-12 for a 31-yard touchdown and a 27-17 lead.

ORR, which was shutout by Apponequet early in the regular season, capped its torrid fourth quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run from Camden Brezinski.

“Our kids were sick of hearing about (the Apponequet loss),” said ORR coach Bryce Guilbeault. “I reminded them going into the fourth quarter you got to finish these drives and finish these opportunities. They made the plays on the field.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/33aD5HP