SPRINGFIELD — Using the same formula for success that it has used all season, the Northampton football team beat Putnam 28-6 Friday at Berte Field.
The running game produced a massive amount of yards, the passing game made big plays in key spots and the defense was stout once again.
But the Blue Devils added an extra ingredient for opposing teams to worry about for the remainder of the season — the wildcat offense, with running back Elijah Davis taking snaps out of the shotgun.
“It’s definitely a different feeling,” Davis said. “I am in total control. I control the motion and where the ball goes. We started it this week.”
Running out of the wildcat and the conventional offense, Davis went for 14 carries and 190 yards, including a 54-yard run in the fourth quarter that put the game away and kept Northampton (5-0, 2-0 Suburban North) perfect. Davis is closing in on a second straight 1,000-yard season.
“It was a great offseason of work,” Davis said of his production.
The passing game returned for the Blue Devils after being dormant since the loss of receiver Andrew Grygorcewicz. Quarterback Ryan Bredin hit Beau Garbarini in the first quarter with a fourth-down 13-yard touchdown. On the previous play Bredin missed Davis open in the end zone.
“Great play call on both plays,” Bredin said. “It was my fault on the first play. It was lazy and I didn’t get my shoulders squared. Beau made a great catch.”
Part of the unveiling of the wildcat this week is an effort to keep Bredin healthy, as he is the only quarterback on Hamp’s roster.
“We needed something else,” Davis said. “It adds another dimension to our offense.”
The addition of the wildcat and the eventual return of Nik Smith from a shoulder injury could be beneficial for Northampton with games coming up against Westfield and West Springfield.
“We can’t be one dimensional,” Northampton coach Pat Sledzieski said. “We are too small to be a grind-it-out type of team. We are hoping to get Nik back next week. But if not then the Commerce game in two weeks.”
One issue for the Blue Devils was penalties. Hamp had six personal fouls, including three facemasks.
“This year we have some seniors that help us overcome stuff like that,” Sledzieski said. “We also have players that can turn average plays into big plays.”
Will O’Connor also caught a touchdown from Bredin, a 22-yarder in the fourth quarter.
“We called an out pass designed for Elijah (Davis),” O’Connor said. “But they came up and left me in the end zone. Ryan made a great throw.”
It was O’Connor’s third career reception and first receiving touchdown.
The yardage from the backfield was spread out to Garbarini (eight carries, 49 yards) and Syrus Carey (seven carries, 73 yards), with Carey making a key 45-yard run right before the half. The run set up a short touchdown from Bredin.
Outside of a few long completions and a 24-yard score by Putnam’s Calvin James, the Hamp defense was once again stingy.
Bryan DeJesus, Timothy Berniche and Davis each had a sack. Bredin had three pass defenses while Xavier Chartier knocked down a pass by Putnam’s Edrick Santiago.
