By Bill Sones — Sports Contributor
The CCHS Patriots scored four touchdowns in defeating the Shepherd Hill Rams last Friday night, 27-16, to start the season.
After the defense stuffed the Rams’ ground game on its opening drive, led by key stops by junior linebacker and co-captain Eric Nick (who had a game-high 21 tackles) and senior linebacker Aiden Tucker (11 tackles for the contest), the Patriots’ offense took only one play to take its first lead of the season.
The senior co-captains — quarterback Matt Carleton (100+ yards passing and receiving in his first start at QB) and wide receiver Will Hoover (7 catches for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns) — connected on a 40-yard touchdown on the Pats’ first offensive play of the season, just 2:36 into the game. Senior Taylor Ladd’s extra point put the Pats up 7-0.
Shepherd Hill responded with a 12-play, 89-yard march — aided by two CC penalties — that culminated in a 4-yard TD run. The 2-point conversion put the Rams up 8-7, which held into the second quarter.
Taking control of the game
The Pats took the lead for good with an 8-play, 51-yard drive that started with six straight rushes by Carleton, junior running back Lewis Simon, and senior running back Connor Sones to set up another Carleton pass completion to Hoover — this time a 36-yard catch and run down the left sideline for a 13-8 Pats lead.
On the next Shepherd Hill possession, junior defensive end Liam King and junior defensive back Finn Ruhmann forced a Rams fumble that senior defensive back Evan Rowe returned 15 yards to give the Pats great field position. CC extended its lead with a crisp 6-play drive led by four runs by Carleton for 52 yards, including a 14-yard TD scamper with 38 seconds left in the quarter to put the Pats up 20-8 at the half.
The Patriots’ offensive line controlled the play on the drive with excellent blocking by Nick, seniors Cole Liazos-Coffey, Noah Getchell, co-captain Lorenzo Bosch, and junior Jack McWalter.
Icing the victory
The third quarter started with the Patriots again on the move with a 12-play march deep into Rams territory. Shepherd Hill’s defense stiffened and stopped the Patriots’ progress, but plays by the Patriots’ defense kept the Rams from cutting into the lead, and the Pats were deep into Shepherd Hill territory at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
After a 27-yard Carleton jaunt, Sones scampered into the end zone from 6 yards out to put the Pats up 27-8. The Rams answered with a quick touchdown. The teams traded possessions, and the game ended with a 27-16 Patriots win.
The Patriots host Quincy at noon on Saturday, September 21, at Memorial Field. The Presidents are coming off a 53-6 opening game win against Archbishop Williams.
