Londonderry football hangs on to end Winnacunnet's 18-game win streak

LONDONDERRY - The Week 6 matchup of football teams from Londonderry and Winnacunnet high schools started with an electric feeling in the air, and boy, did the two teams deliver.

Behind a strong performance from quarterback Evan Cormier, the Lancers held off the Warriors for a 38-34 win that ended Winnacunnet's winning streak at 18 games.

Cormier would finish the night completing 14 of 19 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns, and the senior would also add another 50 yards on 12 carries and one rushing touchdown. Running back Jeffery Wiedenfeld also ran for 50 yards on 16 carries and added 25 yards receiving with a touchdown.

The Londonderry defense stepped up to record three sacks, two pass deflections, two interceptions and a fumble recovery on the night.

Warriors running back Jordan Fuller finished with 88 yards on eight carries while also adding two touchdowns on the ground. Winnacunnet quarterback Joe LaRosa would finish the night 7 of 12 for 85 yards passing and a touchdown.

The tone was set on the Londonderry side of the ball on its opening drive, as Cormier connected with Alex Tsetsilas for a 57-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. Scoring on the hard-hitting Warriors defense in only 20 seconds, the big play ignited the crowd and the Londonderry sideline.

Not to be outdone, Winnacunnet would answer, just not in a quick strike fashion. Lead by Fuller, the Warriors methodically worked their way down the field, and answered back to the Lancers opening shot, when Fuller punched it into the end zone from 11 yards out. The Warriors would go for the two-point conversion in an effort to take the lead, but failed to convert.

With the score 7-6, Londonderry had no plans to take its foot of the gas. On the Lancers' second possession, Cormier engineered a nearly six-and-a-half minute drive, that was capped off by his second touchdown pass of the game, putting the Lancers up 14-6 by the end of the first quarter.

After a failed offensive possession to begin the second quarter, the Warriors defense was able to hold Londonderry to a 27-yard field goal by Zach Chau.

With the score 17-6 the Warriors were looking to make a comeback, starting at their own 31. On the first play of drive, running back Louis Granger took the handoff 69 yards all the way down to the Lancers 7-yard line. Brendan Kamarcik would cap off the 40-second drive with a 7-yard touchdown and with a successful two-point conversion, the Warriors pulled within three.

Londonderry would add another score to make it 24-14 going into halftime.

In the second half, the Warriors came out firing on all cylinders. Winnacunnet would make the score 24-20 after a masterful six-play drive ended in Fuller's second touchdown of the game.

After a failed drive which resulted in a punt, the Lancers gave the ball back to the Warriors and they were looking to take the lead. Starting at their own 16, Fuller gashed the Lancers defense for six yards setting up and manageable second-and-4.

But Londonderry’s defense had other plans. With 6:19 to go in the third, and his team down by four, LaRosa went for the handoff but was blown up in the backfield by Lancers linebacker Will Reyes, forcing a fumble. Lancers defensive back Matt Pemberton recovered the ball and took it 22 yards for the score, putting Londonderry up 31-20 and all but sealing the victory for the Lancers.