East able to take advantage of opportunities in CHaD football win over West

MANCHESTER - There aren't many football teams that will win games while losing in so many key statistical categories.

But despite coming up short in yards, time of possession and first downs, the East all-star team was able to do what good football teams do to pull out a tough win - take advantage of opportunities. That helped the East pick up a 28-14 victory, its second win in a row, Saturday over the West in the CHaD East-West All-Star Football Game.

The East forced two turnovers in the first half, scoring off both of them, and with the game still in the balance, the East offense was able to take advantage of two key penalties on the West that kept a drive going and led to the game-clinching touchdown.

With both teams in search of some success on offense in the first quarter, it was the East defense that struck first, as Brian Auffant (Winnacunnet) jumped a short route by West's Nick Lorden (Bishop Guertin). It was something the East had anticipated and worked on all week, and Auffant read the play correctly, intercepting the pass by JT Hiscoe (Bishop Guertin) and returning it 50 yards for the touchdown.

But while that play proved to be the spark that got the East going, that momentum looked like it was about to shift late in the second quarter, when West's Jackson Housman (Bishop Guertin) picked off East quarterback Jason Hughes (Timberlane).

A holding call on the return gave West a first down at its own 38-yard line, instead of in East territory. On the first play, Hiscoe tried to scramble, and was hit from behind by Keith Schultz (Laconia), who knocked the ball loose.

Theodore Scarlett (Kennett) recovered for the East, and five plays later, Hughes found Nick Donnelly (Londonderry) over the middle for a 12-yard touchdown pass and a 14-0 lead with 58 seconds left in the first half.

Hughes and the East then put the game away early in the fourth quarter. Up 21-0 with 2:53 left in the third, the East took over at its own 24-yard line and quickly went on the move, moving to midfield as the quarter came to an end.

Twice on the drive, the East faced third-and-long and was able to pick up a first down thanks to pass interference penalties on the West, the second of which gave the East a first down at the West 15-yard line.

At first, the East appeared to go up four touchdowns on a 13-yard run by Hughes, but the score was called back on a holding penalty against the East. But two plays later, Hughes connected with Hunter Long (Exeter) on a 10-yard touchdown that made it 28-0 with 11:18 to play.

And although the West was able to answer with two touchdown drives of its own, the East had done enough with its opportunities to put the game away.