The Londonderry High School football squad needed to travel to Haverhill Mass., for their first game and victory of the season, and did it with four touchdowns and a safety, securing a 30-7 win over the Salem Blue Devils.
Salem High School is getting some new turf, thus the reason for the road trip over the border, but the longer drive didn’t seem to get in the way of the Lancers ability to score on both sides of the ball.
Londonderry set the tone early, with the defense forcing a quick three-and-out after the kick-off, nine plays later, LHS led by a touchdown thanks to a six-yard run by Adrian Cruz from the three-yard-line.
Blake Thompson finished with the extra-point.
The Lancers were able to make it 9-0 before the end of the first quarter when senior Sam Ogden tackled a Salem runner in the end zone for a two-point safety.
Both sides struggled in the second quarter, leaving the field at halftime with the same 9-0 score.
In the second half, Salem got on the board first after Kevin Todisco Jr, carried the ball 98-yards to the LHS end zone, bringing the game to 9-7.
That was as close as it got for Salem, with LHS scoring three, unanswered TDs to end the season opener with a 23-point lead.
Following the SHS touchdown, it only took seven plays before one of the LHS quarterbacks, Ogden, was able to run the ball in from the two-yard in to help make it 16-7 in favor of the visitors.
In the fourth, fellow quarterback, Alexander Villa, had a two-yard touchdown carry of his own to make it 23-7, after another Thompson extra-point.
The final points of the game came with three-minutes left. Villa handed the ball off to Jordan Ball where he pounded it in from the 9-yard-line.
Thompson remained perfect on extra-point attempts for the 30-7 victory celebration.
Londonderry finished with 409 yards of total offense, while Salem finished with 220.
Of the 409-yards, LHS ran the ball for 361-yards, leaving just 48-yards in the air.
Carson Palma lead with 100-yards on the ground, Ogden and Adrian Cruz got 97-yards. Jordan Ball rushed for 67-yards.
Ogden had the longest reception for LHS, a 34-yarder in the second quarter.
That was also the longest pass for LHS, coming from Villa.
Londonderry will travel back to the Bay State for its second game of the season, an Out-of-Conference match-up with St. John’s Prep, in Danvers.
Londonderry won’t have its first home game until the final weekend of September during the Mack-Plaque contest with Pinkerton on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 2 p.m.