NORTH ADAMS — Getting stops defensively is a key to making a comeback.
Every time McCann Tech fell behind by 20 points against Smith Vocational, the Hornets scored. However, all four times the Hornets did that, they were unable to get off the field defensively, allowing touchdowns that brought the Vikings’ lead back to 20 points. On Friday night in a Tri-County League tilt, McCann’s defensive breakdowns proved to be costly in a 58-32 defeat to Smith.
“A couple of mental mistakes that kind of [halted our momentum], but our tempo and our heads stayed high,” McCann head coach Jon Rochelo said. “We were able to keep delivering punches back. We’ve been preaching it all week to these guys.
“Smith is always tough… It’s a huge improvement from last week to this week.”
The Vikings, No. 23 in the latest MIAA D-Ⅷ Power Rankings, have won five of the last six over McCann.
McCann (0-6) is still searching for its first win of the season, but did have its highest scoring output of the year. The Hornets had only scored over 10 points one time before Friday night. The Hornets, No. 41 in the latest MIAA D-Ⅷ Power Rankings, will look to build off their offensive success next Saturday when they host Belchertown.
Smith (3-4) scored a little under three minutes into the game on a run from 4-yards out by Lucas Laclair. The Vikings were dominant on the ground, utilizing running backs Deryk Nuttelman, Brayden Larose, Jameson Tobin and quarterback Spencer Warner.
The five Smith rushers combined for 320 of the team’s whopping 344 rushing yards. The Vikings utilized the counter-run game, catching McCann by surprise at times.
“Every single one [of our running backs] runs hard,” Smith head coach Alex Subocz said. “What’s awesome about our backfield is we have four different guys who carry the ball consistently. They all bring different things to the table.”
Later in the quarter, Tobin scored on a 45-yard touchdown run to give the Vikings a 14-0 lead. McCann responded with a 12-play drive that extended into the second quarter, but a costly fumble on a hand-off exchange gave the ball back to Smith. The Hornets had three turnovers in the contest.
Two plays after the fumble, Jett Sabourin galloped 79 yards for a touchdown to extend the Vikings’ lead to 20-0. Later in the quarter, McCann got on the board on a 26-yard touchdown run from Aidan Ford. The Hornets converted the 2-point conversion on a pass from quarterback Landyn Phillips to Ford, cutting the Smith lead to 20-8.
McCann got the ball to start the third but only picked up one first down before being forced to punt. Tobin took the punt 55 yards to the house to give Smith a 28-8 lead. The Hornets responded with a quick five-play drive that ended in a 6-yard touchdown run by Brayden Villnave. The Hornets converted the 2-point conversion on a pass from Anthony Trzcinski to Jaydon Dimitropolis.
Rochelo has been impressed with Villnave, who joined the team before their third game. Villnave finished with 92 total yards of offense and was making plays defensively.
“[Villnave] is a great kid, quick learner and he’s athletic,” Rochelo said. “Just a great eye for the ball in space and everything else. It’s hard to teach that.”
After cutting the lead to 28-16, McCann was unable to get a stop as Smith scored a little over four minutes later on a 22-yard run from Tobin.
“This week, we got to work a little bit more on defense,” Rochelo said. “They were throwing a lot of counters in there. They’re really good at disguising it. We haven’t really played a team that did that much counter in the backfield, so we were a little late to the hole.”
Phillips was slinging it in the fourth, throwing for two touchdown passes. The first was an 11-yard throw to Trzcinski, and the second was a 57-yard throw to Marquese Moody on a beautiful slant route. Phillips finished with 140 passing yards and two touchdowns, along with an interception.
“[Phillips’] growth this whole season is incredible,” Rochelo said. “He’s just comfortable. He trusts himself… He’s a great kid, good leader and he needed this game.”
Trzcinski led McCann with 81 rushing yards, and Ford added 69. The Hornets finished with 384 total yards of offense, 10 more than the Vikings, but their defense was unable to consistently get stops. The Vikings scored three touchdowns in the final frame.
“I know [McCann’s] a young team, so seeing that [offensive] success… It’s great for the league,” Subocz said. “Happy to see another tech school on the rise… It’s great to have a competitive game with them.”