Concord 2, Hanover 1, OT
Key players: Concord – Salvator Baruani (goal), Christian Arocena (goal), Nicholas Reynolds (assist), Benjamin Masur (assist), Nate Wachter (10 saves)
Highlights: Baruani tied the game late after Concord withstood significant pressure from Hanover’s attack and Wachter recorded several difficult saves to help force extra time. Arocena pounced on a ball knocked down by Masur to win the game six minutes into overtime as the Tide defeated last year’s Division I runner-up.
Coach’s quote: “We continue to show our character and resolve by fighting to the end of games. Second game in a row we had to battle back late in regulation and then win it in overtime. This team has shown a tremendous amount of belief in each other when things become challenging for us. Our toughness has been the trademark so far this season. We earned a result against a preseason favorite, where we were defending for long stretches of time and converted the chances presented to us. Extremely proud of the determination of this team.” – Concord’s Scott Dunlop
Records: Concord 4-0; Hanover 3-2
Gilford-Belmont 36, Sanborn 0
Key players: Gilford-Belmont – Isaiah Reese (4-for-7, 121 pass yards, 2 TD passes, 2 punt return TD, 27 rush yards, TD run), Logan Grant (2 TD catches)
Highlights: Reese had a hand in all five touchdowns the Eagles scored, including punt returns of 62 and 54 yards for touchdowns, to give Gilford-Belmont a 36-0 lead at halftime. Out of nine touchdowns the Eagles have scored so far this season, Reese has scored seven of them and thrown passes for the other two. Gilford-Belmont hosts Bow in a battle of the top two teams in the D-II East on Saturday.
Records: Gilford-Belmont 2-0; Sanborn 0-2
Raymond 49, Franklin 32
Key players: Franklin – Elijah Daniel (2 rush TD), Zeke McCoy (rush TD), Dustin Johnston (receiving TD)
Highlights: Franklin scored on its first possession of the season and went back-and-forth with the Rams all game, but Raymond’s passing game special teams made the difference. The Rams led 21-8 at halftime and scored the final two touchdowns of the game to pull ahead in the fourth quarter. The Tornadoes only scored eight points last year and already quadrupled that total in a single game.
Coach’s quote: “This was the best game they have played during my tenure, and was definitely a game we could have won.” – Franklin’s Tim Snow
Records: Raymond 1-0; Franklin 0-1
Kennett 56, Pembroke 21
Highlights: The Eagles led 49-0 at halftime in a decisive victory over the Spartans.
Records: Kennett 1-1; Pembroke 0-2