Football: Belchertown falls to Hoosac, 43-8

By DYLAN THOMPSON

For the Gazette

Published: 10-04-2024 11:42 PM

ADAMS –  On Friday night at Renfrew Park in its Intercounty South opener, the Hoosac Valley football team  put the pieces together and took out some early season  frustration on Belchertown. 

Hoosac scored on six of its seven possessions with three total scores coming from junior Adan Wicks and another three in the air from quarterback Kamarion Kastner. The Hurricanes controlled all three phases, cruising to a 43-8 victory over the Orioles. 

“We’re healthy,” Hoosac coach Marshall Maxwell said. “That’s the biggest difference. The illness that we’ve had for like two weeks is finally making its way out of our system. We had a better week of practice.” 

Hoosac got the ball to start the game, executing an excellent 14-play touchdown drive that took almost nine minutes. The Hurricanes utilized a heavy dose of senior Will Hakes and junior Qwanell Bradley (combined for 92 rushing yards and two touchdowns), who stepped up in place of injured senior Griffin Mucci. The drive was capped off by a run from four yards out by Hakes. The Hoosac defense fed off the momentum, leading to Wicks picking off Belchertown senior quarterback Jack Beals. 

Six plays later, Bradley got on the board with a run from eight yards out, sparking a four-touchdown quarter for the Hurricanes. The Hoosac defense was stellar, holding Belchertown to 14 yards of offense in the first half. Junior Jayquan Vazquez had the play of the half with a ferocious sack on Beals. 

Offensively, the Hurricanes opened up the passing game, letting Kastner cook. After missing two open receivers on consecutive plays, Kastner refocused, throwing a 27-yard touchdown to Wicks three plays later. On the next drive, Kastner showed off his legs, scrambling before launching an 11-yard dart to Hakes in the corner of the endzone. Hakes made a tremendous toe-tap catch, giving Hoosac a 29-0 lead. Wicks capped off the half with a 45-yard rushing touchdown.

In the third quarter, Kastner added one more passing touchdown for good measure, finding Wicks again on a 35-yard connection. Kastner completed seven passes for 132 yards and Wicks finished with 62 receiving yards. Holding a 43-point lead, Hoosac put in the bench, giving younger players an opportunity. Belchertown did add a touchdown in the fourth quarter on a run from 12 yards out by senior Nicholas LaRock, preventing the Hurricanes from securing the shutout.

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