Big fourth quarter lifts Souhegan football past Alvirne

HUDSON – The Alvirne High School football team was in a position that not many outside the program would have thought possible against Souhegan Friday night.

But then Brandon Len took over.

With Alvirne on the verge of extending its 20-19 lead in the third quarter, Len intercepted a Josh Cohen pass at the Sabers’ 6-yard line. The senior would add two more interceptions in the fourth quarter, to go with two touchdown receptions and a big punt return to help Souhegan pick up a 37-20 win over the Broncos in Division III action.

Len finished with three catches for 82 yards and two scores, three interceptions and a 72-yard punt return in the first quarter that set up Souhegan’s first touchdown. Quarterback Tyler Ford was 12 for 20 for 228 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and also ran for another 55 yards and two scores.

“He’s turning into (a leader) of the football team in terms of offensively and terms of explosiveness,” Souhegan coach Mike Beliveau said of Len. “We continue to pass block really well. We continue to give Tyler Ford time, and when Tyler Ford gets flushed out, he gets his eyes down field like I want an athletic quarterback to do. He made huge plays with a broken pocket, finding people down field.”

Drew Prescott also had two rushing touchdowns and Denny Dessureault had six catches for 103 yards as Souhegan (2-0 in D3, 2-1 overall) piled up 359 yards of offense.

But Alvirne (0-1, 0-3) was right there with the Sabers, gaining 366 yards behind a strong performance by Cohen. The senior quarterback was 16 of 32 for 147 yards, but threw three interceptions. Andrew Stevens caught nine of Cohen’s passes for 84 yards.

The Broncos also had 219 yards rushing, as Lucas Notini had 80 yards and a touchdown and Jack Mahoney, who had two interceptions on defense, added 74 yards on the ground.

“They were really balanced on offense, they were really sound. I think they were balanced with a good run game, inside and outside,” Beliveau said. “They had a good play-action pass game. I was impressed with Alvirne with the way they mixed things up.”

After losing to Nashua North and Londonderry by a combined 76-14 to open the season, Alvirne coach Bobby Nimblett was pleased with the way the Broncos responded.

“I thought the effort, the attitude, for the most part, the knowledge of the assignments we had worked on during the week, was good,” Nimblett said. “It’s about cleaning up all the stuff we’re having trouble with. We think we’re a pretty good football team, but we’re still blowing some assignments.”

Alvirne got off to a great start. Souhegan tried to run a reverse on its first play from scrimmage, but Len fumbled the ball and Ryan Donovan recovered it for the Broncos.

Seven plays later, Notini was hit hard at the goal line and fumbled the ball into the end zone, but teammate Tyler Janko recovered it to put the Broncos up 6-0.

“It was huge,” Nimblett said. “To get the turnover right away, and then capitalize on the turnover was a huge momentum builder for our team.”

The Broncos were forced to punt on their next possession, and Len started making up for the fumble, returning the kick 72 yards to the Alvirne 18. That return set up a 2-yard scoring run by Ford and the extra point made it 7-6.

On Souhegan’s next possession, Ford hit Josh Eichel for a 10-yard gain to convert on fourth down and ran for another 17 yards to set up a 5-yard touchdown run by Prescott. Alvirne turned the ball over on downs on its next possession, and Ford found Len on a screen pass that the receiver took 77 yards for a touchdown that put Souhegan up 19-6.

But the Broncos had an answer, going on a 13-play, 77-yard drive in just 3:18 that ended on a 9-yard scoring run by Notini. Alvirne got the ball to open the second half, and it was more of the same, as the Broncos went 60 yards in 14 plays, eating up 7:10 of the third quarter.

Ryan Godschall scored from 2 yards out, and Alvirne lined up for the extra point, but the snap was off the mark. Cohen was forced to throw a desperation pass that fell incomplete, but Souhegan was called for roughing the passer, and on the second attempt, Godschall ran it in to give Alvirne a 20-19 lead.

“We were not playing very good defense for three quarters,” Beliveau said. “They ground-and-pounded us and they hit the underneath stuff with a very accurate quarterback.”

Alvirne took the lead into the fourth quarter, but Souhegan did all the scoring, going back on top, 25-20, on a 1-yard touchdown run by Ford. On the drive, the Sabers converted a first-and-28 when Ford found Dessureault in the flat and the receiver took it 44 yards into Alvirne territory.

After the Broncos went three-and-out, Prescott scored from six yards out to make it 31-20. Len intercepted Cohen for the third time on Alvirne’s next drive, returning the ball to the 5, and on the next play, caught a pass from Ford for a touchdown.

“We overcame some adversity,” Beliveau said. “We walk out of here with a victory, when all the momentum was on Alvirne. My Sabers, they’ve got a lot of heart.”