NEEDHAM — In Thursday night time’s D1 quarterfinal towards Methuen, Needham didn’t throw a single cross within the second half.
The Rockets didn’t must.
Behind a dominant operating recreation that wore Methuen out, Needham rolled to a 42-24 win that despatched the third-seeded Rockets to the Final Four.
Needham improves to 9-1. The No. 3 Rangers fall to 7-3.
Standout senior operating again Tate Hoffmeister completed with 131 yards and three second-half touchdowns on 26 carries. Teammate Aidan Williams added 58 yard on six carries, and Brandt Bickford had an 80-yard landing on a jet sweep within the third quarter, his solely carry of the night time.
Quarterback Griffin Carr accomplished 3 of 5 passes for 78 yards and a landing, all within the first half, because the Rockets did a little bit little bit of the whole lot proper.
But perhaps the largest stars of the night time for Needham have been the members of the Rockets’ offensive line: Teddy Fox, Sean Murphy, Travis O’Brien, David Curtis and Charlie Simeone.
“These guys are tough,” Needham coach Doug Kopcso of the road. “They fight together for all four quarters. They’re athletic. They have great character. I think they showed that tonight.”
He will get no argument from Methuen.
Needham led at halftime, 14-9, however pulled away from there. Bickford, on the primary play from scrimmage within the second half, took a jet sweep close to the Needham sideline, broke a number of tackles, and was gone for the 80-yard rating.
Methuen answered when quarterback Drew Eason (265 yards passing and three touchdowns) hit Adrian Blake for a 3-yard rating.
But Needham went again to the bottom with an 11-play drive that culminated in a 15-yard landing run by Hoffmeister as Needham pushed its result in 28-16.
The Rockets compelled a 3 and out, and went again to the bottom. Four rushes later, Hoffmeister scored on a 2-yarder on the second play of the fourth quarter, and Needham was up, 35-16.
Joshua Kwakye had a pleasant, tackle-breaking 41-yard landing reception as Methuen obtained to inside 35-24.
But the Rangers by no means obtained the stops they wanted. On the following Needham drive, the Rockets went eight performs, and punched it in on 1-yarder from Hoffmeister to assist end the scoring.
“When they wouldn’t stop chirping, we knew that they were on their heels and getting (ticked) off at us for just driving on their heads,” Hoffmeister stated. “That’s when I knew (they couldn’t stop us) myself. I told the boys in the huddle, ‘Let’s just pound it down their throats, give it to them right now, score one more time and put the game away.’ ”
Methuen took an early lead when Omar Aboutoui kicked a 28-yard area purpose within the opening quarter.
Needham took the lead for good although when Joe Kajunski blocked a Methuen punt, scooped it up and ran 20 yards for the landing.
The Rockets elevated their result in 14-3 when Carr hit Will McDonald for a 23-yard play-action cross.
Methuen lower into that lead simply earlier than the half when Eason hit Nolan Smith for a 15-yard landing over the center.
Source: www.bostonherald.com