Souhegan football breaks out in win over Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton

AMHERST - Mike Lochman thought his Souhegan High School football team needed to know what if felt like to win convincingly against a tough opponent.

In a season full of injuries and other setbacks, the Sabers got that feeling back Saturday morning in a 48-16 win over Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton in a game that was moved to Amherst after Friday night's storm.

Dante Savo led Souhegan (3-5) with 199 yards and a touchdown rushing and also had three interceptions on defense, while Tucker Aiello also scored three touchdowns to go with 75 yards on the ground. As a team, the Sabers ran for 400 yards and five scores, and were able to overcome three turnovers by forcing six - including five interceptions - on defense.

"The kids deserved to have a win like this," Lochman said. "It's been a tough, up-and-down, emotional year for us. We've got banged up at times. It was a good, consistent, physical battle where they did all the things we asked them to do. I was very, very proud of them."

And now Souhegan has a chance to play spoiler, as it will host Hollis Brookline (6-2) in the regular-season finale on Friday. The Cavaliers need a win to keep their hopes of making the playoffs alive.

"It's a chance to go and play against a very good team that's playing well right now," Lochman said. "Their sights are set on the playoffs. We're not in that situation unfortunately, but we do have a chance to play a spoiler role against a rival that we respect."

Henry Yianakopolos led HDH (2-6) with six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, and also had 38 yards rushing and another score, while Caleb Yianakopolos was 12 of 24 passing for 120 yards and a touchdown, but also threw five interceptions. Four of those came in the first half, some on tipped balls, and two came after the Redhawks had forced a turnover.

"We showed up and every time we'd do something, we'd get the adverse reaction," HDH coach Jay Woods said. "We'd have one good play, then all of a sudden, it was a pick. Then defensively, we'd stuff them two in a row, and then there is a 50-yard rip off. It was a crazy."

Souhegan got on the board first, as David Labonte intercepted a pass from Caleb Yianakopolos on the third play of the game, and three plays later, Savo scored from 23 yards out to make it 7-0.

A 4-yard touchdown run by Aiello gave the Sabers a 14-0 lead in the final minute of the first quarter, and the Redhawks answered by moving the ball down to the Souhegan 28-yard line. But on fourth down, Caleb Yianakopolos was picked off by Savo.

Two plays later, Savo broke free for a 68-yard run, but as he was about to go into the end zone, a Redhawks player knocked the ball loose and it rolled out of the end zone for a touchback.

"We were frustrated," Lochman said. "We work a lot on ball security, so any time we're putting the ball on the ground like that and giving it up, it's frustrating. It was sloppy. We didn't play as well in that aspect of the game."

HDH couldn't take advantage of the turnover, and after the teams traded two more, Andersen Geffrard connected with Labonte for a 6-yard touchdown pass to put the Sabers up 21-0, and that's where it stood at halftime.

Souhegan scored on its first three possessions of the second half to go up 41-0, getting touchdown runs from Aiello and Kyle Archambault (56 yards rushing, two touchdowns).

The Redhawks got on the board on the on their final two drives, as Henry Yianakopolos scored from 5-yards out, and HDH ran a successful hook-and-ladder play, with Caleb Yianakopolos completing a pass to Carter Quiet, who then pitched the ball to Henry Yianakopolos, who raced to the end zone untouched.