Football: Bow soar to 42-14 victory in home opener under new lights

A second-half shutout and three late Chase Flagg touchdowns helped Bow pull away Friday night in a 42-14 win over Merrimack Valley.

The game was not only Bow’s home opener, but it was the first time the Falcons played at night at home after the installation of new lights around the field.

This new chapter in the rivalry was also particularly notable as Bow’s head coach, Rob Clauss, took over for 24-year coach Paul Cohen and started with a big win.

“That’s a good football team, and you’ve got to come out and earn it. And I told them, physically, we thought we had an advantage, and it was time to prove that talk is cheap,” Clauss said. “They took it to heart, and they embraced the challenge.”

A fumble on the opening drive by MV instantly gave Bow the upper hand. With a short field, the Falcons quickly scored with a 31-yard touchdown pass by senior quarterback Jack Wheeler to senior Garrett Ryan.

The fans got a taste of the new lights as they faded in and out, music played and the student section near the endzone banged on kettle bells, waved flags and celebrated the points.

Senior running back Miles Miller, who broke away on three runs for 92 yards, said that the win meant a lot to him and the team. The rivalry of MV goes a long way back, and being able to win on the big stage at home will carry them forward.

“I can’t even explain it, especially the first game with these lights, that’s so massive,” Miller explained. “Not just for the team but for the community.”

After forcing MV to punt, Bow got the ball back and drove down the field again. Wheeler threw his second touchdown of the game to Elliot Rheaume on a fade route.

The Pride, coming off a big loss to Stark, hammered down their running scheme and managed to drive down the field and answer each of Bow’s first two touchdowns in the first half.

MV junior back Nate Wallace operated as the main back and rushed 26 times for 95 yards and a touchdown to lead the Pride’s second-quarter comeback.

Quarterback Jack Parris threw the second touchdown to tight end Chris Babonis across the middle of the endzone and evened the score. Babonis ended the night with five catches for 52 yards and was the only receiver to put up points for MV.

Coming out of the half, Bow’s offense found its rhythm while the defense sold out to stop the run.

Down by two touchdowns in the second half, MV’s slower style of play and grind-it-out pace forced it to go for it on fourth down on subsequent drives. After not converting, Bow decided to put the game away once and for all.

Post-game, head coach Matt Shaw said his team built drives well with chunks of plays that worked well. Plays on the outsides of the hashes, like Bow’s jet sweep, were particularly difficult to stop, he added.

Shaw said he accepted a lot of responsibility for the team’s performance offensively in the second half, and said he may have strayed too far from what was working, which cost them some drives.

“Big steps forward for us tonight. We got points on the board. I think we played a fairly competitive game against a good football team, and I don’t think we have anything to hang our heads about,” Shaw said.

Another big, 27-yard catch by Rheaume set up a first down around the 50-yard line, and a quick hand off to Chase Flagg on a jet sweep led to him taking the ball all the way to the endzone to put the Falcons ahead by 21 points.

“I think on offense we stayed calm, and I think on defense we brought the intensity,” quarterback Jack Wheeler said.

The last touchdown came from the longest play of the game. Shane Rabalais took the ball 72 yards across the field and gave his fans one more chance to celebrate. His touchdown also capped off a perfect night by kicker Joseph York, who scored six extra point attempts.

Bow will look to build on this big win and travel to Kingswood on Friday, Sept. 19.

Merrimack Valley, still on the hunt for its first win, will return home to host St. Thomas on Saturday, Sept. 20.