NORTHAMPTON – Senior Angel Moody and the Easthampton football did not go down without a fight against Lee, Saturday night.

It’s a message Moody hopes translates over the Eagles’ final games.

Easthampton trailed by two scores at halftime yet rallied in the second half despite losing two key starters. While its defense kept the Wildcats off the board, the unit couldn’t get one final stop in a 16-14 loss at Smith Vocational.

“We’re coming,” Moody said. “I’m playing angry, I know that. And I know some of our players are playing angry.”

A slow start set the Eagles (3-3, 2-1 Intercounty South) behind. The Wildcats (4-2, 3-0 Intercounty South) scored both touchdowns in the second quarter – a 2-yard run by Devyn Schwab and a 19-yard run by Tyler Bartini. Schwab punched in both conversions.

Easthampton’s offense, which only had one first down during the first half, lost quarterback Shea Healy following a hit off a keeper with about five minutes to go before halftime.

“I think our team did not have the energy in the first half,” Moody said. “Because we were losing I think that’s what motivated us. It was a big game.”

Backup quarterback Colin Hogan, a freshman, led Easthampton on a five-play, 55-yard opening drive to start the third. Hogan completed a pass across the middle to Topher Reardon, who shook a defender at the 20 then raced in for the 40-yard touchdown.

“I think we played with more intensity [in the second half],” Easthampton coach Matt Bean said. “In the first half they came out more intense than we did, and they punched us in the mouth.”

The defense stopped Lee on the next series as Ed Przybyla intercepted Sam Joyce on fourth-and-5 from the Eagles’ 26. Easthampton moved the ball to midfield following a 31-yard completion from Hogan to Bb Tauscher, but a bad snap set the Eagles back and stalled the drive.

Easthampton’s defense came through on the next series, despite losing Will Hogan to injury. Facing fourth-and-6 from Easthampton’s 32, Nate DeLuca recovered a fumbled snap with 7:30 left in the game.

Moody and the Eagles powered to the end zone behind an eight-play, 65-yard drive in nearly 2:30 minutes. The Eagles picked up five first downs on the drive.

“I think the whole second half (Lee) was drained, but we were out of time,” Moody said.

Moody (10 carries, 51 yards) had powerful runs of 12, 8 and 10 yards during the series. Colin Hogan scampered for 18 yards, while Luke Johndrow had a 10-yard carry. Tauscher capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Moody found Tommy O’Connor on the conversion to pull Easthampton within 16-14 with five minutes left.

“That was the difference in the game. We had trouble running the ball,” Bean said. “Toward the end we were getting Moody off tackle and he had some really nice gains. But they had a good line, both sides of the ball.”

The Eagles pinned the Wildcats back as Tauscher’s punt stopped inside the 5, forcing a late return. Lee faced first-and-10 at the 12, but a 28-yard run by William Thomson gave the Wildcats some breathing room.

Lee ran the clock out from there. It appears the Eagles caught a break when Reardon hit Schwab near the sideline and forced a fumble. The ball, however, went out of bounds to stay in Lee’s possession.

“It was a tough loss, but we’ll rally them back,” Bean said.