CHESHIRE, Mass. -- One week after playing its home opener, the Hoosac Valley football team Saturday celebrated Senior Day -- on the absurdly early date of Sept. 30.
Do not worry too much, Hurricanes fans. The way your team is playing, it just may have another home game after all -- in November.
Hoosac Valley rolled up 32 second-half points to beat South Hadley, 48-13, and complete a 4-0 opening month of the season.
Matthew Hall and David Critelli each ran for about 100 yards and two touchdowns, and Vance Eugene scored twice as the Hurricanes avenged a 35-0 2016 loss to the Tigers.
South Hadley (1-3) was able to hang around in the first half thanks to a couple of defensive stops and a 61-yard interception return by Hunter Carey with nine seconds left in the second quarter.
But Hoosac Valley scored two quick touchdowns to open a 32-6 lead at the start of the second half and never looked back.
“It wasn’t a good first half,” Hoosac Valley coach Dayne Poirot said. “This is what we talk about. If we want to be a good team or a great team, the teams that do well come out early and put teams away. They don’t let them hang around.
“They talked, and then the coaches talked [at half-time]. We didn’t really have much to change. We just had to be hungry. We have to be hungry every game, every play. We have to be consistent.”
Hoosac went 60 yards -- all on the ground -- to score the game’s first touchdown on a drive that consumed 4 minutes, 57 seconds and ended on the first play of the second quarter, an 11-yard run by Eugene.
After a Critelli sack ended South Hadley’s next possession, Hoosac’s offense took over on the plus-34 and scored eight plays later on a 10-yard run by Hall (101 yards rushing).
Hall started the second half with a 50-yard kickoff return to let the Canes start on the Tigers’ 35. Six runs later, Eugene was in the end zone again. Hall ran in one of Hoosac Valley’s six successful two-point tries to make it 24-6.
Back-to-back sacks by the Hoosac defense -- a group effort followed by a Donald Monsees solo shot on fourth down -- ended South Hadley’s next possession at midfield, and the Hurricanes quickly capitalized. Eugene ran for 20 yards and then hit Sam Larabee with a 16-yard pass before Critelli (97 yards) scored from the 4.
Liam Dawson (127 yards rushing) scored on a 21-yard run to cut the lead to 19.
But Hoosac Valley tacked on two more scores for good measure: a 12-yard run by Critelli and a 68-yarder by Hall.
Saturday’s game, scheduled for an 11 a.m. start, followed a Friday night pep rally bonfire and included Senior Day festivities for the school’s graduating football players and cheerleaders. Poirot said he was concerned that all the pomp surrounding the game could affect his team.
“Always,” he said. “It’s Senior Day, and you’ve got all that stuff going on. It’s just getting them to stay focused, keep their focus. That’s what we have to do all the time.
“I was a little concerned, but these guys deal well with stuff like that. We’ve had a lot of different things with our schedule that they’ve adapted to.”
Next Friday, Hoosac Valley’s schedule takes it to Wahconah Park to take on Taconic.
