RallyNorth.net

Exeter grinds up Owls

Friday, October, 05 By Dave Dyer
Staff writer

PLAISTOW, N.H. | Watching Exeter football is rarely exciting, but the Blue Hawks' fans could care less.

Exeter's grind-it-out attack, largely carried out with a full-house backfield similar to Salem, pounded Timberlane in a convincing 28-0 Division 2 victory last night.

The Blue Hawks (5-1) rushed 52 times for 301 yards and kept Timberlane's high-scoring offense off the field. When the Owls did get the ball, they couldn't penetrate Exeter's aggressive defense.

Exeter only completed one of four passes, but that completion went for 23 yards from QB Andrew Kukesh to Andrew Monroe and the first score of the game after 3:42.

Beyond that, Exeter alternated giving the ball to Gabe Bourgeois (21 carries, 187 yards) and Brett McAllister (16-66) and they consistently drove up field, scoring a TD in each of the next three quarters, and using up the clock. The Blue Hawks ran 64 plays to just 40 for Timberlane.

Despite the wide discrepancy in plays, the Owls (3-3) had a chance to enter halftime tied 7-7 rather than behind 14-0.

Trailing just 7-0, a 47-yard run by Derek Furey (10-68) late in the second quarter gave the Owls the ball on the Exeter 12-yard line. But a fumble on the next play, at the 5-yard-line, gave Exeter the ball back and it quickly marched 95 yards, scoring with just six seconds left in the half, making it 14-0.

The second half was all Exeter, which limited Timberlane to just 17 plays and 13 yards of offense after the intermission.

"That was our first turnover in four games and it killed us," said Timberlane coach Mike Pariseau referring to the fumble. "I thought our defense played well in the first half after that first drive, but then they were on the field too much. Exeter controlled the clock and we couldn't keep our defense off the field."