They reign in the rain

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September 11, 2008

Staff Report

DERRY — In a torrential downpour and the remains of hurricane winds produced by Hurricane Hanna, the Derry Wolverines junior varsity football team opened up their first game by beating a sound Salem Rams team, 36-16.

Luke Testa started under center taking control of the offense by completing two of three passes, one for a touchdown, and handing the running load to full back Matt Madden.

One of the critical elements of the game was controlling the front line which Derry did in a commanding way. The offensive linemen (Chris McDade, Kyle, Swirlbliss, Garret Foskit, Mark Hagen) together with a solid backfield and receivers controlled the clock and the tempo of the game.

Defensively, the Wolverines were just as outstanding with a punt return for a touchdown by Matt Madden and a fumble recovery scoop-up and run back for another TD by Dan Avila. The Derry JV squad defensive plays were lead by Nick Mazzola and Peter Cyr as they blocked a punt attempt and making tackles all over the field.

Varsity romps, 44-0

The varsity team started the season with a bang, whipping Salem, 44-0.

Quarterback Sean Conroy handed the ball off to Manny Latimore, Andrew Ong, and Billy Penta, who rushed for over 250 yards behind a strong offensive line of James Ruffing, Camden Crowell, Patrick Myers, Mick Thomson, and David Hanson.

Both teams played with every ounce of strength as they battled each other and the elements of Hurricane Hannah.

The defense also did its part by holding Salem to just 83 total offensive yards. The great defensive play of Jake Bernaiche at middle linebacker and Joey DiCarlo intercepting a pass for a TD showed that defensive football can score points, too.

In the sheets of rain falling and the winds that pulled umbrellas out of spectators' hands, neither the junior varsity nor the varsity football teams had a turnover. Both teams played aggressively with sweeping running plays, tough yards up the middle and even passing plays where the receivers struggled to see the ball through the rain.

Derry Demons roundup

PeeWees remain undefeated

The Derry Demons PeeWee team improved to 2-0 on the season with an impressive victory over the Goffstown Screaming Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 7, at Don Ball Field in Derry.

Evan Sweeney had two rushing touchdowns for the Demons. Jake Burton, David Dupont and Jake Lisauskas also found the end zone for Derry.

Jr. Midgets drop shootout to Nashua

The Demons Jr. Midget team lost 40-16 to the Nashua Elks Crusaders. Nate Rossi opened the scoring for Derry with a 1-yard touchdown run, and teammate Josh Vatcher busted a 49-yard touchdown scamper to put the Demons up 16-14 in the first half. The Crusaders passing attack proved to be too much for the Demons in the 2nd half, however.

Jr. Pee Wees split

The Demons Jr. Pee Wee 2 team ran their record to 2-0 with a 32-0 shutout over Goffstown behind a strong running game which featured five rushing touchdowns. Brett Dattilo scored twice while Tommy Rommick, Nicky Coombs and Todd Billeter also had TDs. Coombs and Cam Peredna recovered key fumbles for Derry.

Derry's Jr. PeeWee 1 team fell to Salem 32-0. Despite the loss, Joey Lydick played very well defensively with multiple tackles. Riley Cahill was impressive in the backfield with several good runs.

Mitey Mite recap

The Demons Mitey Mite 1 team fell to the Salem Rams in a tough battle 7-0. The Demons defensive effort was highlighted by a terrific interception from Ryan Sigman, and a fumble recovery by Nathan Barnhart. Jackson Sullivan notched many tackles for the Derry defense.

Derry's Mitey Mite 2 team tied Goffstown, 0-0, in a game that featured two stingy defenses. Mike Faragi and Nico Buccieri were not able to find the endzone, but they both racked up a lot of yardage on the ground. Jeffrey Bukunt was outstanding defensively.