RallyNorth.net

Londonderry suffers another tough opening loss

Friday, August, 31 By Jeff Hamricki

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – When looking for season-opening opponents in the future, Londonderry might want to avoid the Division 3 ranks.

For the third straight year, the Division 1 Lancers squandered a lead before falling to 0-1 on the season. This time, it was defending Division 3 champion Portsmouth, which twice rallied from deficits before shutting down Londonderry in the second half en route to a 22-10 victory.

“There was some good and some bad,” Londonderry coach Jon Rich said. “Overall, we just made way too many mistakes. (The Clippers) are a good football team and they’ll do well this year in Division 3. They would compete in Division 1. But against a good team, you can’t make the kind of mistakes that we made today because they’re going to come back and bite you.”

The Lancers, coming off a 2-8 campaign, twice took leads in the second quarter. The first came via a 27-yard Thomas Beedham field goal for the game’s initial points with 5:45 left before intermission.

Then 88 seconds later and following a Portsmouth touchdown, Michael Ryan took a handoff from Dennis Bishop on a kickoff and scampered 85 yards for a score and a 10-7 advantage.

But Portsmouth, 8-4 a year ago, tied the score with 32 seconds left in the quarter on a 30-yard field goal by Chris Main.

Londonderry hurt itself in the third quarter with a pair of interceptions. The first of which was returned by Jack Mackey 34 yards for a touchdown and a 16-10 Portsmouth lead with 3:18 left.

Then after the Clippers were called for a pair of personal fouls on the ensuing kickoff, the Lancers were set up at the Portsmouth 22. But an end zone interception three plays later, quashed the Lancers final good opportunity.

With 18 penalties – 12 in the second half – for 135 yards, Portsmouth helped the Lancers cause. But Londonderry never was able to control Clipper quarterback Donovan Phanor, who finished with 17 completions on 29 attempts for 273 yards and a score. With Phanor making some key completions, the Clippers converted on eight of their 14 third-down situations.

Londonderry’s offense, meanwhile, had moments when they were successful, but were unable to find the consistency needed to sustain drives.

“It comes in spurts and then it goes away,” Rich said. “And that can’t happen. We have to be more consistent offensively trying to move the football.”