Coming off a disappointing loss on Mack Plaque weekend, the Londonderry High School Football team responded with a 44-point thrashing of the Alverine Broncos at Lancer Park on Friday night, Oct. 4.
The Lancers never allowed their opponents get score in the lopsided victory and were able to put points on the board in every one of their possessions.
Londonderry put up 20-points in the first quarter, another 10 by halftime, and 14 more unanswered points in the second half.
The home team posted nearly 500-yards in total offense with 450-yards coming on the ground and 46 passing yards.
The Alvirne High School squad tallied 184-yards of total offense, with most of that coming through the air, with 147 passing yards.
Interestingly enough, both teams’ were fairly even in time of possession with LHS finishing with 24:41 minutes while AHS had the ball for 23:19 minutes.
It only took Londonderry five plays for the games first touchdown, scoring in less than two-minutes after starting from the 20-yard line. Senior quarterback, Sam Ogden, handed the ball off to senior running back, Carson Palma, at the Broncos 31-yard-line where he carried it into the endzone for a 28-yard touchdown run.
Senior kicker, Blake Thompson, added the extra point and was perfect in all but one attempt in the game.
The Broncos first drive was riddled with penalties, with an illegal shift and two false starts, resulting in a punt after six plays.
Londonderry’s following possession, starting at the LHS 36-yard line, resulted in another quick touchdown, this one in just four plays.
Junior running back, Adrian Cruz, had a 65-yard run to put the ball in the endzone at 6:21 in the first quarter. Ogden handed off the ball to Cruz at the Lancer 32-yard line and took the 13-0 lead.
Thompson’s extra-point attempt was blocked by Alvirne’s Ryan Rocheleau.
Alirne’s second drive of the evening looked as though it would be productive, with Nao Rao catching a 35-yard pass from senior quarterback, Charlie Crawford, but an unsuccessful fourth-and-13 put the ball back in the hands of LHS at the 26-yard line with 3:36 left in the first.
Londonderry’s third touchdown was on a quarterback keeper by Ogden at mid-field. Ogden ran the ball from the 49-yard-line to pay dirt with just :17 seconds left in the first.
The Broncos looked as though they would bounce back in their third drive of the game moving down the field in 14-plays and driving 43-yards only to have a fumble at the five-yard-line spoil their chances.
Rocheleau made a catch at the 17-yard line, but had the ball stripped at the 10-yard-line by senior Devin Boles.
Junior J-Veion Teeter picked it up and ran it to the AHS 29-yard line, where it took just three plays for another seven points.
Senior quarterback, Alexander Villa, finished the short drive with an eight-yard touchdown run at 5:36 in the second for a 27-0 lead.
Another impressive long lead drive by the visitors did not result in points on the board for the Broncos.
An incomplete pass in the endzone from the nine-yard-line put AHS at fourth-and-four where they failed to convert.
Crawford was sacked by senior Colin Couture on fourth down, putting the Lancers at the 16-yard-line with :22 seconds left in the half.
Ogden set up the final three-points on the half with a run to the Broncos 30-yard-line, with :10 seconds left.
A short pass play to senior Ethan Wheeler gave Blake Thompson a 34-yard field goal attempt to make it 30-0 at the half.
Londonderry had a touchdown in each of the final quarters to finish at 44-0.
Ogden had a 50-yard run to the endzone in the third and senior Griffin Massahos had a five-yard run for a touchdown to finish the game.
The win put Londonderry at 3-2 and back at the top of the Central Division standing, after seeing Pinkerton drop their first game of the season, losing 13-27 to Salem.
Alvirne High School dropped to 3-2, where they fell to fourth in the Central standings.
Londonderry will head to Gill Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12, to take on Manchester Central who’s looking for their first win of the season.