SOUTH HAMILTON — In a rare Thursday night game, host Pingree fell to the New Hampton Huskies, 27-21, in a second half thriller at The Farm.
It was a contest dominated by both teams’ running backs, who showcased their elite level athleticism and IQ. Pingree’s running back trifecta had an evening as Kyle Daniels ran for 146 yards and two scores on 18 carries. In the third quarter alone, he had 10 carries for 104 yards and a score.
“(Daniels) was just awesome tonight. He has been great for us all season,” Pingree head coach Pat Downey said. “I call him the ‘Swiss Army Knife’; I mean, he can do it all.”
The Highlanders offensive line had a strong game as well, opening up holes and creating space for the boys in the backfield. Whether it was Daniels, freshman Baron DiMeco, or captain Cole Piaseczynski, the hosts were guaranteed a chunk of yards whenever it went to someone coming out of the backfield.
Pingree responded to an early New Hampton 62-yard touchdown reception from Mark Belcher by responding with seven points of their own. A 13-play drive consisting of 11 runs gained five first downs and used all three running backs, with quarterback Jack Spear sneaking in for the touchdown.
It remained that way until the second half, with both plays playing well defensively.
“They really have that grit that I’m looking for, that character and that substance, and I love that,” Downey said of his defense.
Twelve straight rushes for a total of 75 yards gave the Highlanders a 14-7 lead, and then made it 21-14 after a 1-yard score from Spear. Daniels had chunk plays of 23 and 27 on the drive.
The fourth quarter featured a much more aggressive New Hampton squad, though, and lead running back Ethan Middleton got to work. He finished with 133 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. One of his scores was the game-winner with 29.7 seconds remaining.
Middleton came with a burst of speed that was just too much for the Pingree defense to handle, and essentially he played a huge part in his team’s win. Will Bennett added a scoring run for the visitors on a 7-yard scamper.
Downey will now give his players the next three days off before they travel to unbeaten St. Paul’s School next Saturday.
“We only have 37 kids in our program, so we’re going to take advantage of this long weekend,” he said. “I’m really proud of this team. I thought we played our butts off and that’s all I can ask for.”