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Salem Blue Devils Football '18

Sat, Nov 03, 2018 03:00 PM @ Winnacunnet
Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Salem 13 14 0 6 33
Winnacunnet 0 7 7 0 14

Michaud sends Salem into semifinal showdown with Pinkerton

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Saturday, November, 03 By Jeff Hamrick

HAMPTON - The defending New Hampshire Division 1 champions had more than its fill of Will Michaud down the stretch.

Three weeks after the Salem running back went to Winnacunnet and ran for a season-high 118 yards in a Blue Devil regular-season win, the senior almost doubled that total in a game that mattered even more.

Saturday, Michaud returned to the same field and scored three times en route to a career-high 221 yards, and added a back-breaking interception as Salem advanced to the semifinals with a very convincing 33-14 victory over the Warriors.

"We played this team a few weeks ago and the way we play football, we knew we could defeat them again if we stayed focused," said Michaud, who averaged 11.7 yards on his 19 carries. "But honestly, with our line, I think anybody that gets the ball has a good shot of breaking one. They played awesome today, and because of that I had a good game, so it's all on the line today."

After both teams fumbled on their opening possessions, Salem cranked up its offense when Michaud ended a two-play drive with a 47-yard burst up the middle behind center Joshua Ozoria and guards Jared White and Owen Gormley. That quick touchdown would be a sign of things to come as only one of Salem's four first-half scoring drives needed more than four plays or lasted longer than 96 seconds.

Kyle Poulin made the score 13-0 with a 2-yard run late in the first period. Michaud followed a Winnacunnet score with a 1-yard run for a 21-7 lead with 2:04 left before intermission.

Salem capped off the first half with a well-executed five-play drive that began with 35 seconds left and went 66 yards. Riley Mulvey and Michaud both found the sideline after a pair of 19-yard runs. Another 19-yarder came on a pass from Poulin to Sebastian Mosher before a 9-yard Poulin toss to Michael Ference ended it with four seconds remaining for a 27-7 advantage.

"We had a strong first half, but we knew the game wasn't over," said Michaud, who entered the game with 270 yards rushing on the season. "Winnacunnet's a tough team, and they played a whole game, so we knew we had to, too if we wanted to keep that lead."

A 36-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Joshua Chase provided Winnacunnet (6-4) some hope late in the third.

But Michaud smashed any further optimism on a 13-yard touchdown with 9:28 remaining, then picked off Winnacunnet's Joe LaRosa which led to a possession that lasted almost the entire final eight minutes of the game.

Salem (8-2) held the Warriors to 114 yards rushing - 135 yards fewer than their season average.

But the Blue Devils did have some lapses they will need to correct when they play host to Pinkerton next week. Salem had one punt partially blocked that set up Winnacunnet at the Blue Devil 14 for its first score, and a bad snap on another punt that was for a Warrior touchdown. Salem also lost a fumble at the Winnacunnet 1 early in the third.

"There are always things to work on, and our kids do a good job at that," said Salem coach Rob Pike, whose squad won at Pinkerton 15-14 on Sept. 28. "They always concentrate, work hard and try to get better. They have a huge challenge (against Pinkerton) coming up. You know what you're going to get against (the Astros) and they're tough."

 

Salem 33, Winnacunnet 14

Salem (8-2):     13 14 0 6 - 33

Winnacunnet (6-4):      0  7 7 0 - 14

First Quarter

S - Will Michaud 47 run (Zachary Gibbons kick), 7:05

S - Kyle Poulin 2 run (kick blocked), 2:31

Second Quarter

W - Joe LaRosa 3 run (Hunter Madore kick), 5:46

S - Will Michaud 1 run (Brandon Wall pass from Kyle Poulin), 2:04

S - Michael Ference 9 pass from Kyle Poulin (kick blocked), :04

Third Quarter

W - Joshua Chase 36 fumble return (Hunter Madore kick), 2:53

Fourth Quarter

S - Will Michaud 13 run (pass failed), 9:28

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING: SALEM (53-294): Will Michaud 19-221, Riley Mulvey 15-53, Brandon Wall 13-24, Kyle Poulin 5-11, Team 1-(-15); WINNACUNNET (30-114): Louis Granger 12-50, Jordan Fuller 10-36, Joe LaRosa 4-18, Brendan Kacmarcik 4-10

PASSING: S - Kyle Poulin 7-10-0, 77; W - Joe LaRosa 3-6-1, 16

RECEIVING: S - Sebastian Mosher 3-47, Riley Mulvey 1-14, Michael Ference 1-0, Brandon Wall 1-4, Will Michaud 1-3; W - Joe MacDougal 2-13, Jordan Fuller 1-3

 

Game Statistics:

First Quarter

S — Will Michaud 47 run (Zachary Gibbons kick), 7:05

S — Kyle Poulin 2 run (kick blocked), 2:31

Second Quarter

W — Joe LaRosa 3 run (Hunter Madore kick), 5:46

S — Will Michaud 1 run (Brandon Wall pass from Kyle Poulin), 2:04

S — Michael Ference 9 pass from Kyle Poulin (kick blocked), :04

Third Quarter

W — Joshua Chase 36 fumble return (Hunter Madore kick), 2:53 

Fourth Quarter

S — Will Michaud 13 run (pass failed), 9:28


INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING: SALEM (53-294): Will Michaud 19-221, Riley Mulvey 15-53, Brandon Wall 13-24, Kyle Poulin 5-11, Team 1-(-15); WINNACUNNET (30-114): Louis Granger 12-50, Jordan Fuller 10-36, Joe LaRosa 4-18, Brendan Kacmarcik 4-10

PASSING: S — Kyle Poulin 7-10-0, 77; W — Joe LaRosa 3-6-1, 16

RECEIVING: S — Sebastian Mosher 3-47, Riley Mulvey 1-14, Michael Ference 1-0, Brandon Wall 1-4, Will Michaud 1-3; W — Joe MacDougal 2-13, Jordan Fuller 1-3

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