Hornets Remain Undefeated With Victory Over Palmer
 McCann commanded their home field on Saturday. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The McCann Tech Hornets pushed their record to 5-0 as they rolled over the visiting Palmer Panthers 48-0 on Saturday afternoon.
It was all Hornets from the start as they scored three straight touchdowns on their first three possessions of the game to lead 23-0 with three minutes still remaining in the first quarter.
After senior captain Dylan Darling got the Hornets on the board with a five-yard touchdown to lead 7-0, McCann exploded for 16 points with less than two minutes coming off the clock. McCann forced Palmer to punt on their second possession of the game and then Hornet junior Levi Lawson took a reverse on the second play of the drive 38 yards to make the score 14-0.
The Hornet defense got them on the board next with a safety which was their third straight game causing one this season. Then on McCann's first play after the safety, junior fullback Brett Pecor got in on the action with a 44-yard run for a touchdown.
"Overall a nice job today by the guys," said head coach Bob LeClair. "Ran the ball well, blocked well. You know, we were much bigger than Palmer's front line and that was the difference. So we were able to control the line of scrimmage and your going to win when you do that."
The Hornets dominated all afternoon as they amassed 337 yards of total offense to Palmer's 39. McCann's defense was stifling as they forced the Panthers into four turnover on downs and five punts out of their 11 possesions. One of the biggest highlights for the defense besides their safety in the first quarter was an interception by junior defensive lineman Sterling Hewitt. On the Panthers' second possession after halftime, sophomore defensive end Adam Dufur was able to tip the Palmer quarterback's pass attempt at the line of scrimmage and after it bounced around a couple times, Hewitt came down with it a rumbled for extra yards hoping to break free and score. Three plays later Dufur punched it in from the one to put McCann up 42-0.
"That was exciting for Sterling," added LeClair. "It's great, you know those guys they get no credit and finally he will get his name in the list for interceptions on the season. It's nice when a defensive lineman gets one, so good for him. He works really hard."
Adam Dufur, who tipped the ball to give Hewitt a chance at the interception was a player you couldn't help but notice out on the field during the game. He was all over the place making tackles and blowing up offensive lineman. On one play he shot into the back field and missed the ball carry by a fingernail and next thing you know he was back on his feet and ended up making the tackle and forcing a fumble.
"He plays at 100 miles an hour all the time. He just goes and goes," LeClair said about Dufur. "He gets upset if he gives up a yard or doesn't make a play. He just plays really really well. His intensity is great."
Fullbacks Brett Pecor and sophomore Eathan Heller paced the Hornets on the ground with 96 and 62 yards, respectively. "Eathan and Brett are a great two-headed monster we have out there," said LeClair. "Brett is nice a smooth and glides and not that he doesn't have power but Eathan is more fast, hard put your head down and he's not going to juke you in the whole."
Both fullbacks found the endzone in the game. As well as senior captain Billy Lincoln getting a carry for a score. Dufur, Lawson, and Darling also found pay dirt on the day for McCann. Darling finished with 49 yards and Lawson with 47. Darling was the lone Hornet to get two scores as he hauled in a 24-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nick Lincoln with a littler over a minute to play in the half.
Next weekend, the Hornets will travel to play Franklin Tech on Saturday afternoon.
"We know we are going to go over their and they are going to be ready for us," LeClair said about Franklin Tech. "They know us well and they will be coming out to get us. We just need to polish up the little things. We are clicking pretty good. I like what we are going offensively and defensively. But I'm going to keep barking at them at practice and not let them relax for second."