Hoosac Valley Reaches State Semi-Finals

CHESHIRE, Mass. – The Hoosac Valley football team is going back to the Final Four because it made the most of its first two opportunities on Saturday afternoon.

 

Sixth-seeded Old Colony fumbled the first two times it touched the ball on offense, and the Hurricanes cashed in to take a 16-0 lead en route to a 24-14 win over the Cougars in the Division 8 Quarter-Finals.

 

Kadan Tatro ran for 80 yards and a touchdown, and Adan Wicks caught a touchdown pass and pulled down a pair of interceptions as the Hurricanes improved to 10-0 and moved one step away from a return to Gillette Stadium, where Hoosac Valley last played in the 2017 State Championship Game.

 

“It was a tough football game, and we took advantage of our opportunities,” Hoosac Valley coach Mike Bostwick said. “We were feeling each other out a little bit after that, but we executed early, and it was enough.”

 

Old Colony won the toss, and, after a 15-yard kickoff return, set up at its 31.

 

But it lost the handle on its first play, and the Hurricanes recovered on the 30.

 

After three running plays yielded just one yard, Hoosac Valley quarterback Will Hakes rolled right and found Wicks in the flat. Wicks did the rest, powering his way into the end zone to score the game’s first points with just 2 minutes, 28 seconds off the clock. Griffin Mucci ran in the conversion to give the ‘Canes an 8-0 lead.

 

Hakes was pressed into service under center this week after Hoosac Valley QB Kamarion Kastner was injured in last week’s first round game against Athol.

 

“It’s tough,” Hakes said of the week of practice leading to Saturday’s game. “A lot of work, a lot of getting snaps and stuff – just kind of jumping into it. But my teammates were a big help. The coaches were a big help. They were just sort of dialed in this week to get ready for it.”

 

After another deep Hoosac Valley kickoff and a short return, Old Colony’s offense took the field at its 21. But another fumble on first down gave the Hurricanes the ball at the plus-22.

 

This time, Hoosac Valley’s running game was able to get untracked. Tatro went for 19 yards on third-and-7 to get to the 10 yard line, and he ran it in from there on first down to make it 14-0. Again, Mucci handled the two-point play to put the Cougars in a 16-0 hole before they gained a yard of offense.

 

Once it finally held onto the ball, Old Colony moved it well on its third possession, picking up three first downs and driving to the Hoosac Valley 23 at the end of the first quarter.

 

But a pair of procedural penalties put the Cougars in fourth-and-18, and Wicks broke up a pass attempt to get Hoosac Valley the ball back.

 

The teams then traded empty possessions until half-time. Old Colony’s last first-half possession ended in Wicks’ first interception, at the goal line, with 11 seconds on the clock to preserve the 16-0 lead.

 

The second half started a little too much like the first from a Hurricane perspective.

 

Hoosac Valley fumbled the ball away on its third play of the third quarter, and Old Colony took advantage, going 45 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a 1-yard, fourth-down run by Jacob Delk to get on the board. A successful conversion cut Hoosac Valley’s lead in half, 16-8, with 3:03 left in the third.

 

The Hurricanes immediately answered, going 55 yards on the ground to score their third touchdown on a 3-yard Mucci run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Tatro ran in the 2-point conversion to make it 24-8.

 

Old Colony went on its second long drive of the second half, taking the ball from its 33 to the Hoosac Valley 2 in 10 plays before Delk scored his second TD to make it 24-14 with 7:39 left to play.

 

The Hurricanes then made one of the biggest stops of the game, stuffing the Cougars’ run attempt on the conversion to keep it a two-score game.

 

Hoosac Valley’s offense could not make a first down on either of its last two possessions. But its defense stood up both times, ending each of Old Colony’s last two possession with an interception, first by Hakes and then by Wicks, to close out the win

 

“We were consistent defensively,” Bostwick said. “We didn’t give up the big play. We forced some mistakes by them, and everything worked out to our benefit.

 

“That’s what a good football team is. And that’s just like what we’re going to be walking into with [No. 2] Carver next week. There’s not one threat. There’s multiple threats, and that’s what a good solid team is.”

 

Hoosac Valley next weekend will make its second trip to the state semi-finals in three years.

 

Photos from this game here.