Alvirne opens season with big win over Pembroke

PEMBROKE – Tony Beaulieu and Ryan Rule each scored two touchdowns and the Alvirne High School football team cruised to a 48-14 win over Pembroke Academy in a non-division game Saturday.

Beaulieu scored on touchdown runs of 18 and 42 yards, while Rule returned an interception and a kickoff for scores for the Broncos (1-0), who didn’t win their first game until mid-October a year ago.

“To get that win, it’s a great momentum builder,” Alvirne coach Bobby Nimblett said. “We’re a very young football team. We went down 6-0 and our kids didn’t flinch much, which was a good sign. In the past, that’s where some of our problems have come.”

Rule, who finished the day with 200 yards in kick returns, took the game’s opening kickoff into Pembroke territory and the Broncos moved down to the Pembroke 6. But the Spartans came up with the stop on defense and drove 95 yards in seven plays, scoring on an 11-yard run by quarterback Seth Gonya.

Alvirne came right back, as Rule returned another kick 65 yards to the Pembroke 15. Beaulieu gained 12 yards on the first play, and, after a penalty, the senior back picked up 18 yards for the touchdown, and his extra point gave the Broncos a 7-6 lead.

“This group hung together,” Nimblett said. “We gave up the touchdown, but the kick return team came right back. For a young football team to be able to do that, it’s a good start.”

Beaulieu, who finished with 72 yards rushing on three carries, added a 42-yard scoring run on the next drive. Alvirne ran for 352 yards, averaging 9.5 yards per carry, and got another 117 rushing yards and a touchdown from Chase Clark. Josh Cohen and Brandon Rule also had touchdowns.

“Our backs ran real hard today and our offensive line did an unbelievable job,” Nimblett said. “That’s what we think is our strength and they really showed it.”

Pembroke scored on its first drive of the second half, cutting the Alvirne lead to 27-14, but Ryan Rule answered by returning the kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to put the Broncos back up by three scores.

Alvirne will open its Division II schedule Friday when the Broncos travel to face Keene.