Junior running back Colin Savard’s five-touchdown day propelled the Crimson Tide to a big homecoming victory over Alvirne, 41-17, on Saturday.
Savard ran for 249 yards and scored four of his touchdowns in the first half as Concord moved to 2-2. Usually sharing the backfield with senior captain running back Tim Fahnbulleh, Savard has had extra carries and opportunities during Fahnbulleh’s absence.
After Saturday’s game, he stood as the leading rusher in the state.
“It’s great. I’m glad to make the town and the school happy, and I just really wanted to come here, ball out with my team and with my family here too,” he said after the game.
Sophomore quarterback Rhys Craigue, senior back Travis Dunbar and sophomore back Ramon Reynolds stepped up on offense as well to keep the Tide rolling.
Craigue finished the day 8-for-10 with 85 passing yards and rushed for 54 yards. Reynolds rushed for 63 yards, while Dunbar only ran for 15 but got one touchdown to cap off the day.
At this crucial, near halfway point in the season, the Tide needed a win to stay within striking distance of the top teams in D-I.
The team was upset after the loss against Manchester Central, Savard said, but they practiced hard during the week to ensure they won on home turf.
Head coach Jim Corkum knew that this was a must-win for his team. They’re all must-wins in his eyes, but getting the win after a shaky game last week helped re-establish the squad’s focus. Corkum and the coaching staff leaned heavily on Savard and the run game from the start.
“He’s valuable, getting the ball and running the ball and always a threat to score,” Corkum said about Savard’s impact. “But even when he’s not getting the ball and carrying out his fakes, he helps us be effective.
On defense, the hunger to win was as big, if not larger than, the offense’s.
Sophomore lineman Jax Aaron Diachenko led Concord with three sacks on Alvrine’s senior quarterback, Ethan Dudley. He was followed closely by sophomore defensive back Thomas Saysaw, who recorded two and a half sacks.
“It felt really good, but it was also just a team effort,” Diachenko said. “I think we can carry this forward by just keeping the energy up.”
Concord’s defense recorded 11 sacks total, split between seven different players. All around, the defense was solid and stopped the Broncos on multiple occasions, led by sophomore defensive back Edison Harerimana with six tackles.
After the game, Corkum added that his team was trying some new schemes and positions defensively that resulted in some breakdowns, but was content with the extra pressure they generated and how they handled Alvirne’s dynamic passing game.
Concord will host undefeated Pinkerton (4-0) at Memorial Field next Friday night. Pinkerton has swept through opposing defenses and outscored opponents 124 to 29 this season.