AMHERST — The Commerce High School football team used time of possession and a stout defensive effort to defeat Amherst Regional 18-8 in a nonplayoff game Friday night at Community Field.
The Hurricanes (4-5) threatened inside the Red Raiders’ red zone twice in the second half but could not score, including on a first-and-goal at 5-yard line.
A 55-yard run by senior running back Alexsander Fernandes gave Amherst great field position on the Commerce 5-yard line early in the third quarter, but the Hurricanes were not able to convert.
“You get on the goal line, you have got to score,” said Amherst Regional coach Chris Ehorn Jr. “I mean there was mental mistakes, we are missing blocking assignments. There’s no excuse for it when you’re on the goal line.”
Commerce’s balanced offense, led by junior quarterback Semaj Hunter, surprised the Hurricanes. Hunter was consistent through the air, completing 6 of 11 passes for 104 yards, while rushing for 30 yards
“We prepared against the run,” said Ehorn. “So that first half the position of our (defensive backs) was against the run not against the pass and that’s my fault. I should have prepared better.”
The Red Raiders stuck first after a scoreless first quarter.
A forced fumble by the defense gave them the ball on the Amherst 29-yard line. Hunter put the Red Raiders 6-0 on a quarterback sneak up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown.
Later in the second quarter, after recovering another Amherst fumble, Commerce scored again with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Hunter to senior wide receiver Selassei Walker.
The Hurricanes struck right back on a 73-yard touchdown by Amherst junior quarterback Miles Foerster.
“Well we were going to run an outside run to the left but they had no people up the center so I ran it and I beat the safety and then touchdown,” said Foerster.
The Red Raiders all but sealed the game when they went on a nine-minute touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. The drive was capped by a 1-yard run up the middle from senior Justin Jean-Charles.
“We did a good job of stopping them when we had to in the second half. We stopped them multiple times and then we couldn’t execute on offense,” said Ehorn. “It’s a frustrating thing. Commerce was a better team. They were good, they were fast, they were athletic and I think maybe we underestimated them a little bit.”
Amherst tried to use the remaining 1:26 in regulation to get back on the board, but Foerster was intercepted on a desperation throw and Commerce knelt twice to run out the clock.
“We just got to get it next week. We got to forget about it, wipe our mind from this game,” said Foerster. “You can’t think about it as a game, you gotta just think about the next game, try to focus on the next one.”