Historically speaking, Keene High School’s varsity football teams are usually in the playoff mix season after season.
In maintaining that tradition, the 2013 KHS Blackbirds’ team made it all the way to the Division I semifinals last fall before falling to the Pinkerton Academy Astros.
But the Keene team is very much in a down cycle this season after losing 10 starters from last year’s strong crew. And the Londonderry High Lancers – aiming to return to the winning track following a noteworthy Mack Plaque loss to Pinkerton two Fridays ago – had an extremely easy time of it against the Keene contingent at LHS last Friday night, Oct. 3.
First-year coach Jimmy Lauzon’s Lancers tallied more than 300 yards and built up a 27-0 lead in the first half en route to a 41-7 thumping of the Blackbirds, and in doing so upped their 2014 record to 4-1 while keeping Keene winless at 0-5.
The victory was a full-team effort for the locals, who received rushing yards from 16 different players and tallied 250 passing yards as well in collecting the blowout.
Dave Wiedenfeld ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass, quarterback Eric Fairweather ran for a score and passed for one as well, and the Lancer defense stymied the frustrated Keene offense at a great many turns.
Londonderry scored on four of its first five offensive series’ of the night, with Fairweather running the football in from 22 yards out, Dennis Bishop scoring from four out, Wiedenfeld sprinting into the end zone from 10 yards out, and Wiedenfeld catching a 69-yard touchdown pass from Mike Ryan as the hosts raced out to their 27-0 lead.
The Londonderry lead bulged to 34-0 on a 2-yard scoring push by Josh Brathwaite half-way through the third quarter, but Keene negated the hosts’ shutout hopes early in the fourth quarter.
However, Lancer sophomore Cam Reddy then wowed the remaining crowd by making a magnificent, one-handed circus catch and sprinting to pay-dirt on a 52-yard pass connection with back-up quarterback Bobby McEachern.
The victorious locals finished with 245 rushing yards and 495 total yards worth of offense.
The Lancers will attemt to boost their season record to 5-1 on Friday night as they will travel to face the 2-3 Merrimack High Tomahawks.