NEWPORT – Hillsboro-Deering’s Division IV football title defense wasn’t to be on Saturday. There wasn’t much the Hillcats could do to stop Newport-Mount Royal in their D-IV semifinal.
The No. 1-seeded Tigers used a solid running game and a stingy defense that produced two scores off turnovers to defeat fourth-seeded Hillsboro-Deering, 42-7, at Maryn Field.
Newport’s Ayden Hodge, the Division IV player of the year, had three scores as the Tigers (8-0) put up all their points in the first half and pulled many of their starters for the last two quarters when the Hillcats (4-4), last year’s D-IV champs, produced their only score.
The Hillcats improved as the season progressed, but it was always going to be a difficult task to defend their championship. The team only returned three starters on offense and four on defense from last year’s team.
Half the team was made up of underclassmen — six sophomores and 10 freshmen — who got plenty of experience this year as the program experienced a surge in participation after the championship win.
This year, Newport and No. 2 Newfound (6-1) were the teams to beat. Even Newfound couldn’t break through Newport’s defense, though, as it lost 22-0, in a battle of unbeaten teams on Oct. 10.
Newport will meet up with Newfound again for the state championship on Saturday at Laconia High. The Bears beat third-seeded Mascoma Saturday’s other semifinal game, 44-28, in Bristol, N.H.
Newport received the opening kickoff and scored on its first possession, a 66-yard, 10-play drive. Hodge, Josh Seymour and Joe Gosselin shared the running duties before Hodge punched the football home from the 4-yard line at the 6:37 mark of the first quarter.
After a three-and-out by the Hillcats with a punt from their 17, Newport took over on the Hillsboro-Deering 38 and Gosselin ran for the touchdown four plays later. With its second two-point conversion of the game, Newport led 16-0 with 2:35 left in the quarter.
The Tigers picked up their third score with less than 30 seconds left in the quarter. On a fourth-and-4 from Newport 49, the Hillcats tried a sweep to the far side only to fumble the football, which Gosselin scooped up and carried to the end zone, making it 22-0 after a failed two-point conversion.
The Hillcats had little success on the ground or in the air all day and were unable to manage a sustained drive against the Tiger defense. Newport dominated most of the way.
Hillsboro-Deering got on the board on its first possession to start the third quarter after Haven Porter took the kickoff from his own 30 to the Newport 42-yard line. Three plays later, Quarterback Mason Poland hit Noah Welch for a long completion to the 3, and Porter ran it in from there.
Poland completed six of 13 passing attempts for 64 yards with two turnovers. Running backs Jayden Lopez-Guzman and Porter combined for 43 yards on 18 carries. Welch led the H-D receiving corps with three receptions for 49 yards.
On defense, the Hillcats propelled by Brody White (six tackles, three for loss, sack), Welch (four tackles, fumble recovery) and Keagan Lamos-Garon (eight tackles, one for loss).
Monitor staff writer Alexander Rapp contributed to this report.
