SOUTH HADLEY – If you’re a fan of defensive football, South Hadley and Northampton was the game for you.
Tiger running back Kyle Johnson powered home a touchdown with 5:18 to play in the first half and it proved to be the lone score of the game as South Hadley came away with a 7-0 victory.
It was the first game of the season for both teams.
“It was a big motivator,” Johnson said of his score. “It felt good and got us going and then all our stops on defense and us having each other’s backs helped us pull it off.”
The Blue Devils were unable to generate any momentum on offense, gaining just three first downs in the first half and were held to only two first downs in the second half.
South Hadley coach Scott Taylor credits the physicality of his defense for the shutout.
“Northampton historically is a very physical, tough team but I would take our kids over everybody,” Taylor said. “That’s what it looks like when you haven’t played football for over 400 days. They persevere and that’s what we’ll take away from this game.”
Northampton was down a few offensive linemen for the game and thus were unable to generate yards on the ground.
In the second half, South Hadley held the Blue Devils to four rushing yards.
“We had five players on the line who have never started a game before and three or four linemen unavailable,” Northampton coach Joe Kocot. “We coached the guys up who were there. We’re small and quick but they’re big and strong. That combination was a perfect storm.”
Both teams traded possessions in the first quarter before South Hadley went on a seven-play, 81-yard scoring drive capped off by Johnson’s one-yard score.
James Couture had a big role in the drive, starting it off with a 21-yard run and snagging a 28-yard pass from Shawn Mitchell.
Both teams made stops before the half to keep it a 7-0 game.
A fumbled punt by Northampton set the Tigers up at the Blue Devil 24 with nine minutes to go in the half, but Trevor Maslowski picked off Mitchell’s pass at the two-yard line to keep South Hadley from making it a two-score game.
“Momentum plays such a role in football,” Taylor said. “Anytime you get some, you want to capitalize on it.”
Northampton had two possessions to try to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but on the first they were stopped for a loss on back-to-back runs before an incomplete pass on third down forcing a punt.
The Blue Devils forced a punt on the next possession, getting the ball back with 6:53 to play at the 50. An 11-yard run by Braeden Tudryn set things up in Tiger territory.
South Hadley then came up with a stop when it needed it most, stopping Ben Sledzieski on a quarterback keeper on fourth down to get the ball back with 3:32 to go.
Brock Fitzell sealed the win for South Hadley, getting just over nine yards on a third and nine to ice the game with 1:36 to play, with the Blue Devils out of timeouts.
“When I was the defensive coordinator, our coach said if they don’t score, we can’t lose,” Taylor said. “The proof is in the pudding.”
Mitchell finished with 73 yards through the air while Couture had 48 yards on the ground in the win.