Kicking off the season with back-to-back road games proved no problem for the Hanover football team.
The 15th-ranked Hawks scored a pair of defensive touchdowns, blocked two punts and finished off host Hingham on the strength of the Ben Scalzi-to-Mehki Bryan connection for a 37-15 Patriot League victory Friday night.
Hanover (2-0) owns a pair of Patriot League crossover wins over Keenan Division foes Duxbury and Hingham, the latter of which it was facing for the first time since 2012.
“We tried to keep focused on one week at a time and I think the kids did that for the most part,” Hanover coach Brian Kelliher said. “We made some big plays on special teams and created some turnovers, and that saved us for a little bit.”
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The Hawks led 16-7 at the half, scoring three plays after thefirst blocked punt, a 6-yard touchdown pass from Scalzi to Owen Cross. Brandon Errico then took back an interception 70 yards for a 13-0 spread before the first quarter was complete.
Hingham (0-2), which received the second half kickoff, lost a fumble on its first offensive snap, which Bryan returned 30 yards for a score.
Scalzi connected on two more touchdown passes, an 18-yard strike to John McDonald — who also booted a 32-yard field goal to end the first half — and a 14-yard connection Bryan, a 14-yard connection which followed up a 57-yard catch and run for Bryan earlier on the drive.
Luke Sheridan recorded two of Hanover’s five total sacks.
Rockland 33, Manchester Essex 16 — The host Bulldogs relied on their dynamic 1-2 punch of quarterback Jordan DePina and running back Joe Earner early and often at home against Manchester Essex.
On the game’s second offensive play, Earner broke loose for a 74-yard touchdown and the Bulldogs never looked back in a nonleague battle between Division 7 hopefuls.
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After a quick stop, Rockland (2-0) drove down the field once again. Earner (116 yards) capped the second drive with a 12-yard touchdown run as he pin-balled off a pair of Manchester Essex defenders.
DePina scored the final three Rockland touchdowns with runs of 72, 5, and 75 yards. He totaled 210 rushing yards on the night.
“[DePina’s] run first, pass second,” said Rockland coach Nick Liquori. “You can see that his vision in the field kind of helps him out. And he’s pretty quick, as well.”
The Hornets (1-1) made things interesting in the third quarter, cutting their deficit to 3 points, but ultimately fell short in the final 12 minutes.
Amesbury 32, Essex Tech 0 — Max Sanchez scampered for scores of 53 and 62 yards and Michael Sanchez broke free for touchdowns of 27 yards and 80 yards in a Cape Ann League triumph for the Red Hawks (2-0).
Barnstable 45, New Bedford 20 — Tajardo France led all scorers with four touchdowns, three on the ground and one receiving, while Aidan Kundel threw three total touchdowns, including one for 73 yards to Chevaunie Shakespeare. Hagen Dias was a perfect 6 for 6 on PATs and added a 31-yard field goal in the Red Hawks’ (2-0) nonleague victory.
Billerica 35, Westford 7 — Junior Judd Dorival had 18 carries for 201 yards and a touchdown to power the Billerica (2-0) offense. Senior Gus O’Gara had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 25-yard TD reception in the nonleague win.
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Bishop Fenwick 55, Arlington Catholic 0 — Anthony Nichols had a night to remember, registering 125 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, and a kick return TD. Luke Connolly added three scores of his own, including rushing TDs of 20 and 67 yards and a 70-yard TD catch, while Aidan Silva went 7 for 8 on extra point tries.
Blue Hills 50, Monty Tech 14 — The Warriors (1-1) pounded the rock to devastating effect, totaling seven rushing touchdowns. Running backs Caiden Montas (151 yards, 2 TDs), Aidan Landers (140 yards, 3 TDs), and Matt Began (113 yards, 2 TDs) ran the show in the nonleague matchup.
Braintree 30, North Quincy 7 — Junior James Curry scored on two short runs, and junior Garoid Stones added two passing touchdowns as the Wamps (2-0) scored 23 unanswered points in the nonleague road win.
Brighton 36, East Boston 24 — Quentyn Dulin threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns and ran in two scores for the Tigers (2-0) in a Boston City League win.
Cape Cod Tech 14, Monomoy 12 — Senior Rovens Jean-Baptiste rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries and scored a 34-yard fourth-quarter touchdown to help propel the Crusaders (1-0) to a season-opening victory over the Sharks (1-1) in first-year coach Calvin Castillias’s head coaching debut. “Words can’t describe it,” said Castillias, a 2008 graduate of Cape Tech. “This team put in the work from day one, from August 18 to now. The message was to play every play like it’s your last and they did that tonight.” Junior Peyton Morris (11 carries, 60 yards, TD) rushed for a 6-yard TD, and senior quarterback Aidan Choukri rushed 17 times for 94 yards and a 2-point conversion. Choukri recovered a fumble with 2:29 remaining and Tech was able to run out the remaining time to seal the win.
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Cardinal Newman (Fla.) 35, Catholic Memorial 2 — A botched snap into the end zone by host Cardinal Newman was all the top-ranked Knights (1-1) could muster in a trip to West Palm Beach, Fla, halting a state-best 30-game win streak. The Crusaders forced two CM turnovers which led to touchdowns.
Carver 49, Tri-County 0 — Tyler Lennox threw three touchdown passes and Patrick Attaya, Nolan Kenneally, and Jameson Helms each ran for a score to lead the Crusaders (2-0) to a dominant nonleague victory.
Dennis-Yarmouth 34, Dighton-Rehoboth 32 — Jayden Barber fired two touchdown passes (37 and 8 yards) to Peyton Kellett, and ran in a 3-yarder for the Dolphins (2-0) in a nonleague win. Oliver Doto ran in a pair of scores, a 6-yard scamper and a 30-yarder that put the game out of reach.
Everett 59, Somerville 0 — Carlos Rodrigues tallied five touchdowns and Christian Zamor registered seven tackles and a fumble recovery to lead the Crimson Tide (1-1) in a Greater Boston League tilt.
Gloucester 17, Weston 8 — Jayden Severino (7 carries for 24 yards) and Cam Widtfeldt (6 rushes for 31 yards) each ran in scores in a nonleague win for the Fishermen (2-0). Widtfeldt went 4-for-12 passing, connected 21-yard field goal, and hit a pair of extra points. Kayden Souza added 25 carries for 117 yards.
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Hull 40, Holbrook/Avon 11 — Senior Nick Tiani rushed nine times for 259 yards and three touchdowns, and added a 30-yard TD catch for the Pirates (1-1). Senior Sean Reilly added 10 tackles on defense in the nonleague game.
KIPP Academy 38, Latin Academy 0 — Senior captain Jovan Machado stepped in at quarterback and finished with six carries for 110 yards and three touchdowns, propelling the Panthers (1-1) to a nonleague win. “It’s easier said than done, but he did it seamlessly,” KIPP Academy coach Jim Rabbitt said of Machado’s ability to step in under center. “We saw it sophomore year, the seeds of his leadership. He just gets it. Very few kids get what it takes to succeed at high school football. He’s a great student, too. He’s one of those guys that you can build a culture of the program around.” Morenel Castro added three carries for 105 yards and a score and reeled in five receptions for 58 yards.
Lee 20, Lowell Catholic 15 — Senior Tyler Bartini had three touchdowns, including a 50-yard punt return for the Wildcats (1-1). Senior Andrew Kanakor scored on a 65-yard kick return for the visiting Crusaders (0-2).
Lynn Tech 26, Chelsea 0 — Cesar Reyes (twice), Jadiel Ortega, and Ethan Prum entered the end zone for the Tigers (2-0), who pitched a shutout in a nonconference victory.
Lynnfield 34, Newburyport 12 — Tyler Adamo dazzled with two rushing TDs and passing scores of 40 and 55 yards to Joe Cucciniello for the Pioneers (2-0) in the Cape Ann League win.
Melrose 42, Malden 6 — Connor Brophy ran for three touchdowns, including a 40-yard rumble in the third quarter, and converted all six extra point attempts to lead the Red Hawks (2-0) in the nonleague clash.
Milford 24, Wellesley 0 — Nick Araujo raced for an 82-yard touchdown, putting an exclamation point on a suffocating defensive effort as the fifth-ranked Scarlet Hawks (2-0) cruised to a nonleague win. He also booted a 41-yard field goal and three extra points.
Mt. Pleasant (R.I.) 42, Watertown 14 — Senior Adonai Lopez had two passing touchdowns and a rushing score for visiting Mt. Pleasant (R.I.). Senior Owen Newlon had two 9-yard rushing scores for the Raiders (1-1).
North Andover 21, Beverly 6 — Drew Fitzgerald connected with Cam Bethel on touchdown strikes of 20 and 47 yards, lifting the Scarlet Knights (1-1) to a nonleague win. Zach Wolinski iced the contest with a 2-yard score in the fourth quarter.
Old Colony 19, Nashoba Valley Tech 12 — Max Finney garnered 12 yards a carry, finishing with 144 yards and a touchdown on 12 rushes to lead the Cougars (2-0) to a nonleague win. Shawn Markham churned out 101 yards on 11 carries and added an interception defensively.
Old Rochester 14, Bishop Stang 8 — Mateo Pina powered in for second quarter rushing touchdowns of 28 and 3 yards and the defense took over in the second half, leading to a nonleague win for the Bulldogs (1-1).
Salem 15, Danvers 7 — Shane Field rushed for 91 yards and a pair of touchdowns on seven carries in a Northeastern Conference win for the Witches (2-0). Field showcased his speed with a 69-yard scoring scamper before punching in a 1-yard touchdown with 3:22 to play for the winner. The Witches defeated the Falcons (0-2) for the first time in 15 years.
Saugus 28, Northeast 22 — Tommy DeSimone punched in a trio of touchdowns (from 2, 2, and 5 yards) to lift the Sachems (2-0) to a close victory. Cam Preston found Isaiah Rodriguez for a 47-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Scituate 47, Whitman-Hanson 7 — Jackson Belsan went 10-of-13 passing for 280 yards, compiling four touchdowns through the air and another on the ground for the Sailors (1-1). Charlie Hartwell made three receptions, amassing 115 yards and scoring twice.
Shawsheen 21, Belmont 6 — Zach Rogers (91 total yards on five touches) scampered for a 39-yard rushing touchdown before tacking on a 29-yard receiving score to lead the Rams (2-0) to a nonleague win. Sid Tildsley completed 6 of 11 passes for 62 yards, adding 34 yards on the ground, and Caleb Caceres (nine totes for 47 yards) added a 3-yard score.
Somerset Berkley 35, Stoughton 14 — Sam Grew (49 and 25 yards) and Ethan Santos (44 and 2 yards) each rushed for a pair of touchdowns in a nonleague road win for the Raiders (1-1).
South Shore Voc-Tech 14, Bourne 3 — Tyler Kline (68 yards rushing) punched in a 7-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and Jackson Ahr delivered the knockout punch with a blocked punt return for a score in the fourth to lead the Vikings (2-0) in the nonleague clash.
Southeastern 20, Joseph Case 0 — Trevor Lodge took a blocked punt 35 yards to the house, setting up a nonleague win for the Hawks (1-1). Mekhi Gibson rushed in a 9-yard score and Greg Tiso carried another for 2 yards.
Taunton 33, Durfee 0 — Sophomore Dylan Keenan tossed three passing touchdowns, rushed for a score, and caught a 33-yard TD pass from senior Jose Touron for the Tigers (2-0) in the nonleague rout.
Triton 28, Ipswich 7 — Jayden Torres rushed for touchdowns of 5 and 63 yards, adding a 12-yard TD reception for the Vikings (1-1) in a Cape Ann League victory. Beckham Zizza tossed the score and ran in a 2-yard score.
Wilmington 28, Wahconah 8 — Michael Lawler threw for a pair of scores, one to Christian Febbo and another to Pat DeLucia, propelling the Wildcats (2-0) to a nonleague win.
Woburn 16, Burlington 14 — Bryan Ferreira rumbled for 132 yards and a touchdown, a pair of two-point conversions, and picked off a pass in a Middlesex League win for the Tanners (2-0), who blocked a potential game-winning 18-yard field goal attempt with 24 seconds remaining. The Red Devils made the first field goal attempt, but several Tanners jumped offsides. Due to the neutral zone infraction, the down needed to be replayed. On the second attempt, Tanners junior quarterback/linebacker Caeden Davis exploded through the A gap to block the kick and seal the victory. “I told my guys, try to beat them to the jump, just get off,” said Woburn coach Jack Belcher. “If they make this field goal, the game’s essentially over.” Following the game-saving block, the Tanners celebrated. “It’s a pretty ecstatic feeling,” said Belcher. “Caeden, he’s just a core athlete.”
Tyler Amaral reported from Rockland and Brady Joyal reported from Harwich. Cam Kerry, Tyler Foy, AJ Traub, Mike Puzzanghera, Khalin Kapoor, Jackson Tolliver, and Joe Eachus contributed.