ADAMS, Mass. -- Hoosac Valley senior quarterback Matt Koperniak wasted no time making a statement Friday evening under the lights at Renfrew Field in Adams that the Hurricanes are back as they led Chicopee Comp 22-18 with a minute and three seconds remaining in the game. 

 

Koperniak took it to the end zone for a 70-yard insurance run, putting them ahead 28-18.

 

"I wanted to stay in bounds first of all, I didn't want to stop the clock," he said. "I got daylight and then I just had to take it and get to the end zone."

 

Prior to his long TD run, he intercepted Chicopee Comp quarterback Trevor Johnson's pass that was thrown deep in hopes of getting the Colts the lead.

 

"We were definitely playing safe there and he threw it up and I just made a good play," Koperniak said about the interception. "We had to stay safe because we've been burnt before."

 

The Hurricanes made some huge breakups on Johnson's passes, one in particular that could have changed the game if completed was from Javon Reynolds after Hoosac fumbled the ball at third and eight from their 12-yard line down 18-14.

 

Chicopee was at fourth and eleven with 3 minutes remaining in the fourth. Johnson looked deep to Cam Kagan, but the 6-foot-5 Reynolds was able to get his hand in there to break up the pass, putting the Hurricanes back on offense.

 

"That was huge, that would have been a big play for them,but it was a big play for us," Hoosac coach Dayne Poirot said. "Making that play right there is critical and we worked with him doing that all week and I thought they we we covered them, we did a pretty good job, our kids held them in check; they were running all around the field."

 

Hoosac set up on the 21 yard line, Avery Hall carried it to the 10 for a first down, he then went 9 more yards with 1:23 to go.

 

Cue Koperniak; he took the ball and drove right into the end zone behind his offensive line to take over the lead, 20-18.

 

They then went for the 2-point conversion; Koperniak handed it off to Hall and they were able to complete it, putting the score at 22-18.

 

"A kid like that, he wants the ball," Poirot said. "He makes plays when he has it and we'll take that every time."

 

The Hurricanes got on board quickly in the first quarter, it came from a 41-yard touchdown run from Brendan Ellsworth, putting them up 6-0, but the Colts answered back quickly with a 29-yard throw from Johnson to Kagan to tie it at six.

 

The score remained tied at half-time.

 

The Colts came out aggressive in the third with a drive from Kagan to go ahead 12-6, but four minutes later Hall carried it 37 yards to tie it at twelve. The Hurricanes 2-point conversion was good and they took over, 14-12.

 

Chicopee Comp scored once more, before Koperniak took over the show. It came from a 10-yard run from Cory Heath that gave the Colts an 18-14 lead.

 

"It’s a great win,” Koperniak said, “It’s always nice to start out 1-0 but, we made a lot of mistakes today and we have to learn from it and keep moving forward."

 

Hoosac travels to Lee next week for a 7 p.m. start.