The Londonderry High School Football team was able to remain on the top of the Division I Central standings despite dropping their final game of the regular season.
The Lancers four-game winning streak came to an end, finishing the season at 6-2 after a 21-10 loss suffered at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.
Londonderry scored twice in the first half and trailed the Blue Hawks by just four-points after the half, but the Lancers inability to penetrate the Exeter defense in the second half lead to the 11-point defeat.
The Lancers also had two drives end interceptions, one in their final push in the fourth quarter.
The LHS offense led in rushing yard, getting 166-yards, with EHS tallying 128, but they trailed in passing with just 87 to Exeter’s 156.
The Londonderry defense came up big during Exeter’s first drive of the game, stopping them at the LHS 23-yard line, where the Blue Hawks missed on the field goal attempt.
It only took the EHS defense two plays to get the ball back after an interception and one play on offense for a 7-0 Exeter lead.
Following that score, Londonderry was able to drive to the 20-yard line in 10-plays to set up a field goal by senior kicker, Blake Thompson. The ball just made it over, bouncing off the bottom post.
On the next Blue Hawk possession, Exeter went ahead 14-3 after a nine-play drive ended with a two-yard run into the endzone.
Londonderry was able to close the gap 14-10 before the half ended with a 14-play drive, which ended with senior quarterback, Sam Ogden, completing a 12-yard pass to senior Mason Paquette, who was waiting in the endzone. Thompson’s extra point was the final Londonderry points of the game.
Exeter was able to put seven more points on the board in the third quarter to tack make it an 11-point lead.
Orgden finished with 70-yards rushing with Adrian Cruz getting 56-yards.
Alex Villa tallied 50-yards passing while Ogden put up 37-yards.
Mason Paquette and Nathan Marshall led the Lancers in total offense with 48- and 46-yards respectively.
Davis Magarian, Colby Walden, and Cooper Freitas each had four solo tackles on defense.
Londonderry’s first game of the NHIAA Division I Championship is scheduled to take place at Lancer Park on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m.
The Lancers received a bye as the number three seed and will play the winner of the Nashua South (#6) vs. Bishop Guertin (#11). The First Round game will take place on Friday night, Nov. 8, at Souhegan High School.