Defense leads Con-Val football to win over Hollis Brookline

HOLLIS – The Hollis Brookline High School football team saw its offense score just as many points as Con-Val’s on Saturday.

Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, it was the Cougars’ defense that did the most damage.

Con-Val got two touchdowns from its defense and recovered a fumble at HB’s 6-yard line to set up another touchdown and the Cougars picked up their first Division III win, beating the Cavs 24-7 on HB’s homecoming weekend.

Jeremy Doubleday did a little bit of everything for the Cougars (1-5, 2-5). The senior gained 122 yards on offense and kicked a 40-yard field and two extra points, but that was nothing compared to what he did on defense.

Doubleday had three of Con-Val’s six sacks of HB quarterback Max Friedman, forced two fumbles and recovered another that he returned 20 yards for a touchdown. Con-Val also got a 60-yard interception return for a score from Chris Queen, and Ben Edes forced a fumble and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run.

“Our guys, we put four solid quarters together,” Con-Val coach Ryan McCartney said. “We scored 14 on defense, which was big. We were solid in all three phases and the kids played a great game. It’s good to get a win.”

The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Cougars, while the Cavs (1-4, 1-6) lost for the fifth straight time.

“Offensively, we made too many mistakes,” HB coach Milt Robinson said. “You can’t give up a pick-six and a scoop-and-score and give them a fumble on the 2-yard line and expect to beat anybody. They capitalized on mistakes and we didn’t.”

The game got off to a strange start, as HB tried a surprise onside kick on the opening kickoff, but Peter Bertone only got a piece of the ball and it traveled under a yard. Con-Val started its first drive at the HB 43, but a fumbled snap gave the ball to the Cavs.

After each team turned the ball over on downs, the Cavs faced a third-and-7 at their own 28 when Edes crashed through the middle of the line to hit Friedman. The HB quarterback lost the ball and Doubleday was right there to pick it up and score.

While Con-Val’s defense was making the big plays – the Cougars allowed 86 yards in the first half – the Cavs’ defense wasn’t breaking either. HB gave up 153 yards in the first half, but other than Edes touchdown on a short field, the defense kept the Cavs in the game.

“Defensively, that’s probably the best performance we’ve had and I’m proud of them,” Robinson said. “(At halftime) we switched some personnel around and that seemed to help. We changed things after seeing what they could do and it seemed to work.”

The Cavs defense was put to the test right away in the second half. Already down 17-0, HB failed to recover a short kickoff to open the half and Con-Val recovered at the HB 30. The Cougars had a first down at the Cavs’ 14, but turned the ball over on downs.

HB surrendered just 29 yards in the second half, and the Cavs took over at their own 36 with 9:55 left. HB moved into Con-Val territory, but on second-and-3 from the Cougars’ 45, Friedman’s pass was tipped at the line and went right into the arms of Queen, who outraced everyone for the 60-yard score.

“Certainly that’s a big play,” McCartney said. “They’re still trying to do the ground game, but that tipped ball and interception was a big deal. It kind of sealed it.”

Friedman hit Joe Brooks on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 58 seconds left in the game for the Cavs’ only points. Friedman finished the game 9 of 18 for 150 yards.

“The kids fought hard,” Robinson said. “It wasn’t like they didn’t play hard. We made too many mistakes to win the football game.”