Hughes, Sommers lead Old Rochester past Northeast to Div. 5 quarterfinals

MATTAPOISET — Old Rochester’s football program has dealt with overcoming obstacles all year.

On Saturday, they dove deeper into their playbook, and were rewarded with outstanding results. Stepping in for injured star running back Walter Rosher, junior Harrison Hughes racked up 12 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Noah Sommers completed six of his 11 passes for 137 yards and three total scores as fifth-seeded Old Rochester coasted past No. 12 Northeast, 26-6, at David S. Hagen Memorial Field in the opening round of the Div. 5 tournament.

“I feel great,” Sommers said after the victory. “I’ve waited my whole life to try to bring my team to Gillette. I plan on trying to do that this year.”

Nearly two years ago, Old Rochester suffered a heartbreaking 20-19 loss to Ashland in the Div. 6 South sectional final. They started shakily Saturday when Northeast recovered an onside kick on the opening moments. But Old Rochester (6-2) eventually found a spark behind Hughes. On the Bulldogs’ initial drive, the junior took a handoff, then cut up the sideline for a 54-yard rush, setting up a 1-yard touchdown scamper by Sommers as Old Rochester took a 6-0 lead with 4:43 to play in the opening quarter.

Facing a second-and-long situation in enemy territory to start the second quarter, Sommers dropped back and connected with a wide open Hayden Rinta. The senior wideout sprinted untouched for a 29-yard TD.

Stephen Donnelly answered on the ensuing drive, as he punched in a 3-yard touchdown run to help Northeast (6-3) cut it to 12-6 by halftime.

Old Rochester coach Bryce Guilbeault and his staff decided to focus on two things. First, the Bulldogs had to keep the Knights’ high-octane rushing attack in check, and they would do so for the most part. The second goal involved breaking away from the norm, and trying to add some creative pass plays for Sommers.

“(Sommers) is a great quarterback,” said Guilbeault. “He runs the option really well. Probably the best since I’ve been here at reading and making the right decisions… We haven’t thrown the ball a ton this year, but we work on it. We knew that at some point, we’d have to go to it, and we were effective in doing it.”

With 4:10 left in the third quarter, Sommers hit Stephen Old for a 27-yard touchdown strike to make it an 18-6 contest, and Old Rochester would roll from there.

Hughes added a 4-yard touchdown rush, then capped things by punching in a two-point conversion for Old Rochester with 10:16 to go.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/31wyF1L