H.S. Football: Easthampton cruises past Taconic, 30-0

EASTHAMPTON — Two fumble recoveries led to two touchdowns. A sack led to another score.

It is safe to say the Easthampton football team has found its identity.

The Eagles used a suffocating defense and two touchdowns apiece from Colin Hogan and Patrick Larsen to shut out Taconic, 30-0, Thursday night at Mountain View School.

“It’s a mindset,” Easthampton coach Kyle Dragon said. “We rep a certain mindset in practice every day: tackling, turnovers and just pursuit, 11 guys to the football.”

Easthampton (3-1, 1-0 Suburban North) won its third straight. The Eagles have allowed 7.3 points per game during their winning streak. All three losses for the Thunder (1-3, 0-1) have come on the road.

“Three in a row feels good,” Dragon said.

Senior linebacker Kinnon McColgan had one of those fumble recoveries. He also had the sack and two solo tackles for a loss.

“We’re a family here,” McColgan said. “We got a lot of guys playing both ways. We get it done.”

Taconic’s first fumble came late in the first quarter on third-and-13 from its own 29.

The Eagles took over just outside the 30. On the first play Larson took the sweep right, stiff-armed Ben Sykes and spun around Evan Roccabruna to set up Easthampton inside the 5. Hogan punched it in for the first score.

Taconic looked poised to answer midway through the second. A 53-yard pass to Roccabruna gave the Thunder first-and-goal at the 8. A bad snap got past quarterback Lilyana Ferris and Larson outraced everyone to recover the fumble.

“It starts in practice,” Hogan said. “We get pretty hyped against our scout offense and we go hard. Something about our defense, during the game it never gives up. Defense is always so locked in and ready for the next play.”

McColgan’s sack came on third-and-9 at Taconic’s 28 and forced a punt with less than three minutes to go before halftime. The snap to punter Edward Ferris was high and the Eagles swarmed the kicker as he attempted to run. Hogan added his second touchdown and Luis Salgado had the conversion run for a 14-0 lead.

The Thunder threatened at the start of the third.

Sykes (two interceptions) picked off Hogan at midfield and returned the ball to the 13. Following a short run, Larson made a tackle for no gain, then Eagles junior lineman Travis Carpenter forced Jovanni Vazquez to change directions, only to be met by a group of defenders.

On fourth-and-5 from the 8, a bad snap got past Lilyana Ferris as McColgan dove on the fumble.

“It was great to have Kinnon back,” Dragon said of McColgan, who left the game against Smith Vocational last week with an injury. “He’s really taken to the middle linebacker position this year.”

On the next series, Larson cut inside, juked the linebackers and raced past the secondary for a 56-yard touchdown run. The sophomore back made the conversion reception for a 22-0 lead midway through the third quarter.

Another three and out for Taconic led to Easthampton’s final touchdown. Hogan found Larson open down the middle for a 50-yard score. Jake Kostek had the final conversion run.

“It felt good to get in the end zone again,” said Larson, who had a touchdown called back in this game and last week due to a penalty. “I wanted it bad.”