Final stand moves Salem football past Londonderry in D1 quarterfinals

SALEM - It felt like the climax of a movie.

After the Salem High School football team deftly held onto an eight-point halftime lead for the entire second half, Saturday's Division I quarterfinal against Londonderry came down to the last play.

With the ball on the 3-yard line, Londonderry sent junior running back Matthew Perron into the line to get the touchdown and put the Lancers in a place to potentially tie the game.

He was stuffed short by David LeBel, which set off chaos on the home sideline as Salem advance to next weekend’s semifinal with a 21-13 win over the Lancers. The Blue Devils will face Nashua North on Nov. 14 at a time and site to be determined.

“That play was great for us all day so I went right back to it,” Londonderry coach Jimmy Lauzon said. “To be honest, that’s what I was going to use for a two-point play if we got to it. The way we call that play there’s supposed to be no penetration, so I didn’t anticipate them getting through there.”

The story of the game was turnovers and how Salem (5-1) converted.

An early Lancers fumble inside their own 30 turned into a Dante Fernandes touchdown. A Kaleb Bates interception in the final minute of the first half turned into a 16-yard touchdown pass from Cody Clements to Jacob Brady to put the Blue Devils up 21-13 right before half. Fernandes also recovered a fumble in the second half.

Bates and Fernandes each had an interception in the fourth quarter to take the wind out of Londonderry’s sails. The Lancers outgained Salem 332-188 but couldn’t overcome the five turnovers.

The last drive seemed to click for Londonderry, as the Lancers raced 68 yards in four plays in 32 seconds to set up the play at the goal line before LeBel made the win-clinching tackle.

“We had a pretty good game plan,” Salem coach Steve Abraham said. “When we played it, we stopped them. But that last drive is what I wanted to see: adversity and we didn’t back down. We made a great tackle and a goal line play to end it.”

Aiden McDonald had 123 of Salem’s yards, including 68 on a touchdown run in the second quarter to put the Blue Devils up 14-13.

Fernandes added 35 yards on the ground of his own to go with his stellar defensive performance.

“Blocking was executed perfectly,” Fernandes said. “We were getting blocks, cutting upfield, seeing the holes, and busting through them.”

The win avenged a 16-0 loss in the regular season and propels Salem to the semifinals next weekend and a date with unbeaten Nashua North. A win there will send the Blue Devils to their first state title game since winning the Division I championship in 2009.

Abraham said he’s cherishing every moment with his team this season and grateful for at least one more game.

“All the stuff that goes on in the world, that’s out there,” Abraham said. “When we’re here it’s football. I get to coach 50 kids. I love coming to work with them. It’s a dream job for me.”