Hartford Indian Football 2011

Varsity Indians Move to 4-0 in Thrilling 17-14 Bangor Victory

By Web Staff
September 16, 2011

Hartford	0	3	14	0	17
Bangor	0	0	0	14	14

STAT LEADERS:

Rushing: Birkhead, Bangor, 106 Yards

Passing: Abbott, Bangor, 65 Yards

Tackles: Kucharski, Hartford, 12 Tackles

   It's a rivalry of two schools, separated by the distance of six miles north and south. It's a rivalry lasting back to the days of the Red Arrow Conference.
   One team was 3-0, the other 0-3. Either Hartford would start 4-0 or Bangor would keep its playoff hopes alive. One team had to lose.
   It was Bangor.
   Hartford jumped out to a 17-0 lead after three quarters, then survived injuries to key players to hold off a surging Bangor Viking team by a 17-14 score last Friday night in Bangor.
   The defenses held steady in the first quarter, as neither team scored a touchdown. The Vikings had two drives in the quarter, one stopped on a three-and-out, the other was a turnover on downs. Hartford fumbled their first drive and was driving down the field when the quarter ended.
   Hartford scored the lone points of the second quarter, winning the point battle by a 3-0 margin.
   On the first play of the second quarter, the Indians lined up for a field goal, which senior kicker Juan Perez nailed from forty yards out, just clearing the bottom post on the goal post. The score was 3-0 Indians.
   The rest of the quarter was defense dominated, as the Indians stopped Bangor. Then, Bangor put up a nice stop at their own 24 yard line, forcing an Indian field goal. Unfortunately, after a lengthy drive, the Indians missed a 41 yard field goal. The Indians stopped the Vikings on a late drive and the game was 3-0 at half.
   The third quarter was the difference for the Indians in the game, as they put together 14 points, seven on defense, to bust the game open, for a little bit, at least.
   Hartford began the half with the ball, but on the first play of the quarter, the Indians fumbled it to Bangor deep in Indians territory. However, two plays later, Jared Meachum nailed the Viking quarterback, jarring the ball loose, where Noey Lopez could pick it up and run 58 yards for the Indian touchdown. A shocking turn of events to say the least. Juan Perez made the extra point and it was then 10-0 Indians.
   After a couple of great plays by the solid Indian defense, Hartford put together a lengthy drive on its next possession, taking several minutes off the clock. Then, on a third down play inside the Bangor five, running back David Mireles took the carry those same five yards for the touchdown. Juan Perez added his second extra point kick of the night to make it 17-0 Indians after three quarters.
   Bangor put up a ferocious rally in the fourth quarter, but fell short, even though they outscored Hartford 14-0 in the final frame.
   After a disputable fourth down play, Bangor took advantage of the blunder by going eight yards for their first touchdown using the feet of running back Zach Birkhead. The disputable call was a hit on the quarterback on a fourth down play by the Indians. Bangor kicker Mario Diaz kicked the extra point and it was then 17-7 Indians early in the fourth quarter.
   After the Indians punted, Bangor began to drive down the field, getting into Indian territory before John Scherer intercepted a key pass near the four minute mark in the final period. It was a key defensive play, as Bangor was driving for the second time in the quarter.
   Bangor then stopped the Indians in under one minute, then took just as much time driving down the field, using a combination of solid rushes and passes before Zach Birkhead ran the final yard for the touchdown. Mario Diaz added the extra point kick and it was now 17-14 Indians late in the game.
   However, a late onside kick gave the ball to the Indians, who wasted the final minute and a half of the game, via a couple small rushes and a quarterback run-around in the backfield, putting the game away. The final score was 17-14.
   The Indians were out gained 202-146 in total yards. The Indians were led by Gareth MacMillan, who rushed for 73 yards on nineteen carries. David Mireles added 66 yards on nineteen carries and a touchdown. Luke Traver was two-for-two passing for 32 yards, with all those passing yards going to Jimmy Mullins.
   On defense, the Indians were led by Tony Kucharski, who made twelve tackles. John Scherer added eleven tackles and Jared Meachum added seven tackles. Scherer also added an interception, while Noey Lopez had five tackles, along with his 58 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
   The Vikings were led by Zach Birkhead, who rushed for 106 yards on nineteen carries in the loss, while Zeke Calvillo added 44 yards on ten carries. Nik Abbott was seven-of-eighteen passing for 65 yards and a interception, while Nick Watkins led receivers with 27 yards on three receptions.
   The Indians, now 4-0 on the season, are back in action this Friday, September 23rd against Lawton at home. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM. The Blue Devils come in 3-1, defeating Fennville 39-12 last week.
   The Vikings, now 0-4 on the season, are back in action this Friday, September 23rd against Fennville at home. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM. The Blackhawks come in 1-3, losing 39-12 to Lawton last week.