Monadnock football runs over Kearsarge to advance to D3 semifinals

SWANZEY CENTER - In another step toward continued perfection, the Monadnock High School football team utilized a ball-control offensive game plan and ran its way into the semifinals by defeating Kearsarge 42-3 in the Division III quarterfinals on Satuday.

Kearsarge, having snuck into the payoffs despite losing its season finale the week prior, did all it could to slow the Huskies early in the game. The Cougars’ defense looked especially up to the task on Monadnock’s opening offensive drive, when the Huskies were stopped on a fourth-down run near midfield.

However, in a contest of attrition, Gus Will and the rest of the Huskies’ outstanding offensive line outlasted their opponents as the game progressed. Monadnock's blocking front relentlessly moved defenders off the line of scrimmage and allowed the backfield duo of Tim Hart and Chandler Matson to churn out over 200 rushing yards in the first half.

Matson started the scoring barrage for Monadnock (9-0) with a 5-yard touchdown run at the end of the first quarter, which capped an impressive 10-play, 93-yard drive. Hart extended the score with a 24-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, following another time-consuming offensive drive.

After watching the Huskies’ offense chew up the clock, Kearsarge (4-5) put together an encouraging drive midway through the second quarter.

Starting at his own 29-yard line, quarterback Jak Jallah utilized his arm, legs, and receiving skills to get the Cougars deep into Monadnock territory. But after connecting with Kyle Hernon on a pass play to the Huskies’ 16-yard line, Monadnock’s secondary forced three straight Jallah incompletions.

Not wanting to squander a scoring opportunity, Kearsarge turned to kicker Noah Cooper for a 33-yard field goal, which put the Cougars on the scoreboard and gave the team some momentum.

But any hope of limiting the score to 14-3 heading into halftime evaporated for the Cougars when Monadnck’s offense returned to the field, scoring on back-to-back touchdown drives, the last of which came on a perfectly thrown ball by Tim Santaw into the end zone that Matson secured for a leaping catch over two defenders, making the score 26-3 with seconds left until halftime.

The Cougars offense needed a strong start to the second half in order to get back into the game, but on their opening drive Monadnock’s Will exploded into Kearsarge’s backfield as Jallah received a long snap from center. The quarterback was quickly dropped for a 10-yard sack by Will, forcing the Cougars to punt the ball away after just three plays.

If “rinse and repeat” was ever applicable to a situation, then it was the second half for the undefeated Huskies.

Monadnock’s offensive line continued its dominating effort in opening up running lanes for Hart and Matson. When the lanes were clogged, Monadnock’s backfield tandem used quick feet and powerful bursts to evade defenders en route to piling up another 130 combined rushing yards in the second half.

Forced into passing situations throughout the rest of the game, Jallah and the Kearsarge offense were confronted by an anticipatory Huskies defense. In the absence of a running game, and any offensive rhythm, the Cougars were unable to mount any semblance of a comeback against the favored home team.

Matson later added his third and fourth touchdowns of the game to balloon the score to 42-3, in the process cementing Monadnock’s spot in the Division III semifinals next weekend.  The Huskies will attempt to keep their title quest alive as they host Newport on Nov. 11.