NORTHAMPTON — Thanks to dominant defensive pressure, the Northampton football team beat Agawam, 34-6, in non-playoff action, Friday.

The Blue Devils (5-4) started the game strong on both sides of the ball. On its first possession, Northampton brought the ball down the field and took a 6-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown run from Devontay Edmunds.

Agawam’s only touchdown came on a kickoff return immediately following Edmunds’ first touchdown. Jared Durocher fielded the kick at his own 20-yard line and carried the ball 80 yards to tie the game 6-6.

Edmunds’ second rushing touchdown came on an 80-yard run to the right side of the field. Edmunds broke through the line of scrimmage with the help of his blockers, broke another tackle and exploded up the side of the field.

Edmunds led the Blue Devils with 120 yards rushing, two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.

“You always try to get as many (points), but we haven’t been doing that this year,” Northampton coach Joe Kocot said. “It was nice to see that many points and plus what we did clock-wise.”

Northampton’s 34 points against Agawam (1-8) are the second most it has scored this season, second only to the 42 points Northampton put up against Smith Vocational earlier this year.

“We got to kill some clock here,” Kocot said. “You have all of these spread offenses and you throw three passes and you just killed seven seconds off the clock and you’re giving the ball back to the other team. What you saw on the first drive there is what we wanted to do all year.”

Northampton’s offense controlled the pace of the game. The first drive took more than seven minutes off the clock, but the time spent on the field was helped by the defense, which forced four turnovers.

“The defense is playing real well,” Kocot said. “Caleb Graves and Kyle Gido are really playing out of their minds right now, and it’s hard to run an offense when you have those two guys in your face all of the time.”

Northampton’s defense forced two interceptions and recovered two fumbles, thanks to the pressure it put on quarterback Vincent Castro. Both interceptions came when Castro was forced out of the pocket.

Northampton 34, Agawam 6

Agawam

6

0

0

0

—6

Northampton

6

22

0

6

—34

First Quarter

N—Devontay Edmonds 6-yard run (Pass failed)

A— Jared Durocher 80 kick return (Kicked failed)

Second Quarter

N—Tom Jacque 5 pass to Edmonds. (Kick failed)

NH—Edmonds 80 run (Tudryn run)

NH—Jacque 2 run (Edmonds run)

Fourth Quarter

N—Brett Holden 18 run (kick failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING —Northampton: Edmunds 15-120-2, Tudryn 14-58, Holden 5-45, Jacque 6-12-1, Powers 2-9, Graves 4-9; Agawam: Castro 6-52, Caraccilo 8-16, Durocher 6-10, Torres 2-4

RECEIVING — Northampton: Edmunds 1-5-1, Brittain 1-10; Durocher 1-5, Walker 1-13

PASSING — Northampton: Jacque 2-6-15-1; Agawam: Castro 2-10-18