ConVal football uses dominant defense, passing attack to topple Sanborn

PETERBOROUGH – The accumulation of penalties at a rate twice that of your opponent usually spells defeat for the oft-penalized team. Or, at the very least, makes the prospect of winning against a tough opponent that much more difficult.

Fortunately for the ConVal High School football team (4-0), a dominant effort by the defensive line and a deep passing attack by the offense was enough to offset the yellow flags that littered the Cougars’ side of the field Friday night during a 35-14 victory over visiting Sanborn (1-3).

Filling the stands to capacity, a loud and energetic homecoming crowd erupted early in the first quarter when, on Sanborn’s second offensive possession, ConVal senior Dan Curran broke through the Indians’ line and sacked Brian Mcgough just as the quarterback was looking to heave a pass downfield. The hit jarred the football loose from Mcgough, and a slew of Curran’s co-defenders dove for the ball, ultimately recovering it for the Cougars at the Sanborn 3-yard line.

On the very next play, Scott Stanley’s stout frame crossed the goal line giving ConVal an early lead.

Cue a thunderous roar from the home crowd.

But before ConVal fans could fully appreciate a rare early score, Mcgough connected with teammate Cullen Maguire for a monster gain when the tight end slipped behind coverage to make the catch, and then streaked down the sideline to the Cougars’ 25-yard line.

On a third-down play, Mcgough floated a pass to the far side of the end zone.  As the ball hung in the air, Sanborn’s Mike Macneil turned his head to locate the ball, twirled his body into a backwards dive, and snagged the ball before it could sail over his head.

In a matter of minutes, the luxury of an early lead disappeared for ConVal.

Unlike the previous week against Kingswood, when a relentless ground game chewed up big yardage, the Cougars took to the air and displayed a fluid passing attack on their next two scoring drives en route to regaining the lead.

Following the Sanborn score, Stanley and quarterback Dan Spezzaferri strung together a succession of effective rushes to get ConVal across midfield. Once in Sanborn territory, Spezzaferri took a long snap and rifled a pass down field, accurately hitting Makeen Wilson in-stride for a 28-yard touchdown. Two offensive possessions later, Spezzaferri again connected with Wilson for a long pass play in which the senior receiver outran Sanford defenders on his way to a 63-yard score.

While the ConVal offense was airing it out, Curran and his defensive teammates were reliably finding their way into the Indians’ backfield. On several occasions, Curran himself met the Sanborn ball carrier at the point of the handoff from the quarterback. ConVal’s disruptive presence induced multiple hurried handoffs and fumbles by Sanborn’s offense throughout the game.

However, despite the pressure applied by ConVal’s defense, Mcgough was able to put Sanborn on the board again shortly before halftime when he connected with Jeremiah Scott for a 32-yard scoring strike, making it 28-14 at the break.

Sanborn’s hopes of closing the deficit in the second half were dashed on the opening drive of the third quarter when ConVal’s offensive line quickly opened up a lane for Zach Obuchowski to sprint untouched through the defense on his way to a 46-yard score, in the process extending the Cougars’ lead by three touchdowns.

Often unsung, ConVal’s offensive line was once again on a mission to control the trenches. Jake Phillips, Andrew Stockwell, Pat Laroche and Nick Bernier joined Curran in pushing defenders away from ball carriers, and for a second consecutive week kept Spezzaferri from getting sacked.

“Those guys did an outstanding job,” ConVal coach Paul Landau commented after the game, referring to his linemen.

After the Obuchowski score, the ConVal defense held Sanborn scoreless for the remainder of the game despite penalties by the Cougars that extended their opponent’s drives. A blocked field-goal attempt re-energized Sanborn in the fourth quarter, but by then the clock was not on the Indians' side.

In the wake of another win, Landau’s team will enjoy a bye next week and bring its undefeated record into a home matchup against Hollis Brookline on Oct. 6, while Sanborn plays host to Pelham on Sept. 30.