John Stark junior running back AJ Bellen broke away for three touchdowns and made two extra point attempts to lead the young Generals to victory.
The Merrimack Valley secondary couldn’t bring him down whenever he got past the defensive line, and Bellen took two up the middle for a 45-yard and 49-yard touchdown in the first half.
“It feels amazing. We did great out there. Everyone was flying all over the field, our confidence was up, our energy was up, we played physical, we played aggressive,” he said after the win.
Bellen, however, made sure to highlight the line up front, creating gaps for him.
The Pride’s offensive line had a strong showing, opening gaps for senior backs Owen Dion and Cooper Twombly to power the offense with hard-nosed runs.
Junior lineman Parker Hamel said that the line has prioritized the running game and that they have all “come together as a family.”
“Our line is very young, but it doesn’t really mean anything. We just gotta stay together as a family, we gotta do our plays, do our jobs and help these guys get through,” Hamel said.
They did their jobs as game-planned. The linemen opened space to either side of the hashes for Bellen’s speed, up the middle for Dion and Twombly, and stopped the Pride’s offense in its tracks.
Between the two teams, there were only nine rostered seniors, and this first game was a big test for the future of both programs as they undergo rebuilds.
For Merrimack Valley, it was not the start they had hoped. Two fumbles in the first quarter and multiple turnovers on downs saw Stark go ahead early and demoralize the home-opener momentum.
Senior quarterback and safety Jack Parris, senior tight end and safety Chris Babonis, and junior running back and linebacker Nate Wallace were the bright spots for an MV team looking to find an identity.
“We’ve got something to work on for sure, and we’re on to week two,” MV head coach Matt Shaw said.
John Stark’s head coach, Ray Kershaw, could not have been prouder of his team on Friday night. Only three players were returners, and the inexperience showed throughout the preseason.
“I’m extremely proud with them tonight, like I said, 3 returners, and that’s it, that’s all we had, and they’re all on the line,” he said.
Stark’s next game is at home against Pelham on Saturday, Sep. 13, at 1 p.m. Merrimack Valley will hit the road next and play the Falcons under the Bow’s new lights on Friday at 7 p.m.
