BETHEL — Trenton Hutchinson did everything humanly possible to ensure the Dirigo Cougars came out on top, including intercepting three Telstar passes and scoring four touchdowns.
It was all in a days work for the soft-spoken senior who let his quick moves and tenacity on defense do all the talking for him as the Cougars fended off resilient Telstar with a 51-20 victory in an 8-Man Small School South football game on Saturday.
“We had a very good week of practice,” Hutchinson said. “We really haven’t had a really good week of practice the the entire year. Coach has been on our butts about having a good week. We played hard and played well.
“We have been working on our run game a lot. Our blockers have been putting in the work. Defense has been doing a lot better since the beginning of the year. We have been just working hard at practice.”
Dirigo (5-1) kept Telstar (3-2) at bay in a furious first half and scored 29 points to build a 29-6 lead at halftime.
Senior quarterback Charlie Houghton threw several completions and rushed on two plays to bring Dirigo to the 8-yard line in the first quarter. From there, Houghton connected with Hutchinson for a touchdown. The kick failed, but the Cougars were on the scoreboard.
Hutchinson snatched his first interception on the Rebels’ first set of downs, at the 36-yard line. The Cougars took it from there and fought their way to the 10, where Houghton hooked up with Trent Holman for a TD pass. Bode Gray came across on the conversion. The Cougars were in command with a 14-0 lead heading into the second quarter.
Telstar stuck with its rushing game and marched to 12-yard line, where quarterback Will Doyle sent a TD pass to Anthony Conant in the second quarter to cut the Cougars’ lead to 14-6.
Dirigo immediately responded with a 60-yard kickoff return by Hutchinson, and Houghton ran in the conversion.
The Cougars followed up with another touchdown after Nathaniel Wainwright intercepted the ball at the 40. Houghton’s 28-yard keeper moved Dirigo to the 4, and then he scored on another keeper. Hutchinson booted the extra point and Cougars led 29-6 going into halftime.
“We started off well, and, once again, we got to where we just don’t play well seven or eight minutes,” Dirigo coach Craig Collins said, “ But that has been our M.O. all year.
“We have to be more mentally sharp. (Telstar) coach Tim O’Connor does a great job. His kids play hard. I knew it would be a battle up here.”
Collins said Dirigo’s seniors, such as Hutchinson, Bode Gray, Houghton and Trent Holman, made the difference in the game.
“They came up big when they needed to come up big — and that is what seniors do,” Collins said.
The Rebels made the necessary adjustments at halftime and kept the Dirigo on its toes.
Telstar pushed and shoved its way from the 34 to the 25, from which Doyle hit Conant with a TD pass. The conversion failed, but the Rebels’ tenacity got Dirigo’s attention in the third quarter.
“I was proud when they came out in the first possession and scored (in the third quarter). It was good,” O’Connor said.
Dirigo scored again on another Houghton keeper and conversion rush to make it 37-12.
Not to be outdone, Telstar used another long drive, starting at its own 20 and moving to the Cougars’ 22-yard line. Gavinn Martin rushed into the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Doyle added the conversion.
“If we played as well in the first half as we did in the second half, it might have been a different game,” O’Connor said. “We did not quit. I think defensively we gave up a couple of big plays, but, generally, I think our defense played well. Obviously, in the first half, our offense was terrible. We did not play well at all.”
The Cougars turned Hutchinson loose again later in the fourth quarter. He scored on 25- and 45-yard rushing plays.
Houghton never flinched in the pocket, completing 13 of his 25 passes for 208 yards, including his two touchdown passes.
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