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# Winnacunnet football changed momentum with one big play
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/winnacunnet-football-changed-momentum-one-big-play/
- Published: 2017-09-26T21:27:20.000Z
- Updated: 2017-09-26T21:27:20.000Z
- Description: The Winnacunnet High School football team looked like it might really be in trouble. After dominating the first half of last Saturday's game against Exeter, the Warriors went into the second half with a 10-point lead, and were receiving the kickoff to open the third quarter. But on the first play of
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Exeter, football, Winnacunnet, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

The Winnacunnet High School football team looked like it might really be in trouble.

After dominating the first half of last Saturday's game against Exeter, the Warriors went into the second half with a 10-point lead, and were receiving the kickoff to open the third quarter.

But on the first play of the drive, Winnacunnet lined up with almost all of it's offensive line off to the left, with just the center in the middle of the field to snap the ball to quarterback Patrick MacDougall.

When the snap was bobbled, the Blue Hawks rushed MacDougall, who was fortunate to get a pass away in the area of running back Jordan Fuller before getting sacked. Two plays later, Exeter's Cody Morissette picked off a deep pass by MacDougall, and momentum started to swing.

The Blue Hawks went on a 16-play, 80-yard drive that was kept alive by two big third-down completions and two Winnacunnet penalties, and ended on Morissette's 1-yard plunge that made it 10-7 late in the third quarter.

"We were losing some momentum and the penalties were drive killers that hurt," Winnacunnet coach Ron Auffant said. "We had a series of them, so that was frustrating. We were losing a little bit of composure."

Things didn't get better for the Warriors at the start of their next drive. After picking up an initial first down, Winnacunnet was called for a hold, negating a big run by Billy Powers.

Powers picked up two yards on the next play, setting up second-and-16, but this time, the Warriors were called for a block in the back, bringing the ball back to replay second down. Fuller gained two yards to bring up third-and-16, and that's when the game changed.

MacDougall dropped back to pass and eventually found Evan Welch for a 53-yard touchdown to give Winnacunnet a 17-7 lead.

"That was huge," MacDougall said. "We had backed up with penalties and we needed to make a huge play. It completely changed the game. If we don’t score, we’re probably going to have to punt and they get the ball."

Welch had faith that his quarterback would be able to get him the ball, even when it seemed Exeter had triple teamed him down field.

"I was running my route all the way through, trusting Pat, trusting the o-line, and the ball from Pat was just right where it needed to be," Welch said. "It was right into my arms and I didn’t have to do much."

On Exeter's next drive, it was Welch and Joe MacDougall teaming up to make a big play to help the Warriors put the game away.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Blue Hawks crossed midfield, but faced a fourth-and-5 from the Winnacunnet 47-yard line. Joe MacDougall flushed Morissette out of the pocket, and his desperation throw went right to Welch, who came up with the interception.

"Evan is a senior and he’s been starting for us on defense for three years now," Auffant said. "Defensive end Joe MacDougall was right in the quarterback’s face. He had to throw it up and Evan was right there. He did his assignment and that was where he should have been and he made the catch."

Five plays later, Patrick MacDougall ran it in from 3 yards out to make it 23-7 and Winnacunnet was on its way to 4-0.

"If you want to look at the difference in the game, that (touchdown pass) there probably changed things," Auffant said. "I was surprised. I didn’t think it was going to go in that down and distance."