CHaD Notebook: Change helped Hughes, East get offense going

MANCHESTER - After three offensive series, Jason Hughes felt like he needed more time.

The former Timberlane quarterback was trying to run the East all-star team's offense from under center, but whenever he dropped back to pass, Hughes immediately felt like he needed to get on the move.

And when the East was stopped inside its own 25-yard line on that third series of Saturday's CHaD East-West All-Star Football Game, Hughes - who also punted for the East - gained a little confidence when he dropped back to kick the ball.

The snap was slightly off the mark, and Hughes bobbled the ball. For a moment, it looked like he'd have to run with it, but after scrambling to his right, he was able to get off what turned into a 69-yard punt.

"They were bringing the whole house all night," Hughes said. "I took one step and got the punt off. It gave me a little bit of confidence for the rest of the game."

Hughes went to East coach Craig Kozens and suggested running the offense out of the shotgun, and the coach agreed.

"He came out and said 'coach I'm struggling dropping back,'" Kozens said. "I believe in my kids and it's his comfort zone, so we did a lot of stuff in the shotgun to give him a half a second to see it and throw it. There are big guys out there and he's probably not used to the height. He adjusted and he put the ball in good places."

Hughes started the game completing just 3 of 8 passes for 30 yards and an interception, and was also sacked once for a loss of seven years. But on his final 12 attempts, he completed 10 of them for 149 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and was named the Bo Dickson Most Valuable Player.

"I had more time," Hughes said of the difference. "I could see the routes faster. The drop was working, but nothing is better than just sitting back there and slinging it.

"You're together for a good four hours a day and nothing is better than that. You come in every day, not knowing anyone, and then you just connect with everyone."

One of those connections was made with Londonderry's Nick Donnelly, who caught two touchdown passes.

"He's a great player and he’s going to do great things," he said. "Even from the first day, we all just bonded right away. We were just having fun. Everyone just got so close, so quick, we were just able to come out and execute on the field."

No quit in West

When the East went up 28-0 early in the fourth quarter, Casey Gervais looked at the scoreboard and found himself about to take the field in an unfamiliar position.

The former Goffstown quarterback hadn't trailed by so much in a game in almost two years, and there was just one thing on his mind.

"There was no way we worked this hard all week to come out and put a zero on the board," he said. "We had to put some points on the board. To be able to put points on the board and have fun with it was great.

"The mentality (was different). We were quiet on offense the whole first half and the third quarter. I told the guys at the beginning of the fourth quarter that it's our time now. We've got to come out and make some plays, and that's what we did."

Right away, the West faced a third-and-12 from its own 17-yard line, but Gervais was able to hit Merrimack's Ian Roberts for a 21-yard completion and a first down. The quarterback scrambled for 10 more and another first down on the next play, but soon faced a third-and-9 near midfield.

This time, Gervais found Bishop Guertin's Nick Lorden on the other side of the field for an 11-yard gain, and two plays later, he reconnected with Roberts for a 39-yard touchdown.

"We went out there, ran a couple of plays, and the touchdown was actually a hitch-and-go, because they'd been pressing us all game," Roberts said. "We'd thrown a couple. I stopped on the hitch, and he ended up catching up to me, but it was just a great ball by Gervais. It felt great. When I landed in the end zone, it was just amazing."

After forcing the East to punt, Gervais and the West got another chance, this time going on a six-play, 48-yard drive that included an 8-yard run by Trinity's Saikou Bah on third-and-2, and a 27-yard completion from Gervais to Devin Leonard. That set up a 6-yard touchdown toss from Gervais to Lorden.

"I came out here expecting to have fun and it exceeded my expectations," Robers said. "It's an amazing atmosphere. It's never fun to lose, but to get out here and play with all these kids, the best in New Hampshire, it's an amazing experience."

For the cause

Prior to kickoff, it was announced that all of this year's 80 players participated in fundraising for the Childeren's Hospital at Dartmouth, and raised more than $70,000. Bedford's Bobby Heald was the top individual fundraiser, getting over $6,000, and received a $500 scholarship for that effort.

While Heald was the West's top fundraiser, Bishop Guertin's JT Hiscoe was second, and Portsmouth's Joey Auger, who was the top East fundraiser, was third.

In total, the 2016 game raised over $252,000, and in five years, it's brought in $1.3 million.