SOUTH HADLEY — Defense and a punishing ground game led the South Hadley football team to a 16-6 victory over Agawam, Friday.
The Tigers (2-0), who have allowed six points on the season, visit Chicopee Comp next week.
“That’s a tough (Agawam) team to play right there,” South Hadley coach Brian Couture said. “My boys stepped it up today.”
Jasiel Ramos led the effort up front. Agawam senior running back Cole Ingham had 152 yards rushing in the first half, but the Tigers turned it around in the second half. Ingham (20 carries, 181 yards) was held to 31 second-half yards on five carries.
“All I could think about is hitting,” Ramos said. “I love hitting. Nothing is better than hitting in this world.”
In addition to stopping Ingham, the line also made it tough on quarterback Domenick Pisano. Pressing to score, Ramos sacked the Agawam junior on fourth down near midfield with 7 minutes remaining in the game. It was one of five sacks for the Tigers.
“Ramos started off slow, then all of a sudden it just clicked for him,” Couture said. “He finally saw that offense and saw what they were doing.”
The final sack preceded a victory-sealing drive that took the final 7 minutes off the clock. Noah Hambley rushed 10 times on the 12-play drive that ended with a knee. The Tigers converted once on third down and twice on fourth down.
“We wasted the clock very well,” Hambley said. “We had the ball most of the fourth quarter, which we wanted. We were up 10. We didn’t want them to have a chance with the ball.”
Hambley finished with 82 yards rushing on 21 carries.
While his legs were key to victory, so were his hands. The junior running back instinctually jumped over a player as he made a run to the sideline. While the play drew some ‘oohhs’ from the stands, it’s illegal in high school football to jump over players. The flag pushed South Hadley back to second-and-26.
“I knew I messed up,” Hambley said. “I got to learn from my mistakes and that’s what I did there.”
Hambley made up for the 15-yard personal foul penalty on the next play. He cut behind the line and took a dump pass from quarterback Griffin Soderbaum, racing 39 yards down the sideline for a touchdown and 16-6 lead late in the third.
“I saw green grass,” Hambley said. “A guy came across and I knew they were playing man, and my quarterback gave me a perfect ball.”
Ingham gave the Brownies the lead on the first series of the game, but the Tigers answered right back. South Hadley evened the score on a three-play drive that Lincoln Belsky capped with a 35-yard dart up the middle for a touchdown. Belsky had 102 yards rushing on 12 touches, as well as 1.5 sacks. He left the game midway through the third quarter with an injury.
Cooper Wall kicked the extra point, then kicked a 20-yard field goal early in the third quarter for South Hadley.
“Today was an adversity,” Couture said. “That’s a big school against a little tiny school. We were on the uprise, and I said you are reaching the top of that adversity, and I need you to come over the top of that hill. And they did it.”