Wells football didn’t lose a single game last season on its way to a second straight Class D state title.
But the Warriors are now playing up in Class C, and the Hermon Hawks spoiled any repeat chance at perfection this season by hanging on to beat Wells 22-16 Friday night.
“We’ve said it for the last couple of years. We need to take steps forward in our program,” Hermon coach Kyle Gallant said after the win. “We want to play for state championships. In order to do that, we’ve got to play good football teams. We’ve got to play the best of the best.”
Hermon took an early lead in unconventional fashion in front of its home fans, going up 2-0 on a safety. The Hawks later added a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ethan Curtis to slotback Sam Hopkins.
That would prove to be the key connection throughout the night, with Curtis and Hopkins connecting for three touchdowns in the game.
The second of those scores came with just 2.3 seconds left in the first half, giving the Hawks a 15-0 lead at halftime. Hopkins had also made a leaping interception to get the Hawks the ball to start that late drive.
Hermon overcame a delay of game penalty just before Hopkins’ big grab. Gallant put the blame squarely on his own shoulders for that penalty, which could have proved costly if not for his players stepping up in a critical moment.
“That mental mistake wasn’t on my boys. It was on me, I’ll take the blame for that. That’s my fault,” Gallant said. “They were there to pick me up and get us a touchdown.”
The third Curtis-to-Hopkins TD may have been the most pivotal, with the Hawks converting on a fourth-and-goal in the second half to stretch the lead to 22-8 after a successful extra point.
That helped counter a second half push by Wells, which came up just short.
The Warriors scored on their opening drive of the second half, with quarterback Noah McDonough running it in to start the third quarter.
Even after Hopkins’ fourth down TD, the Warriors kept the pressure on. McDonough threw a 37-yard TD to Darion Lemont. Dominic Carbonneau added a two-point conversion and suddenly it was a six point game.
Wells got the ball back after a Hermon punt, and after a 20-yard run to start the drive by Brady Godin, it looked like the Warriors could be in business. But a huge sack by Hermon, and then an interception by Hawks linebacker Dylan Yeo sealed the win for the home team.
Asked after the game what he learned about his team in the week two matchup, Gallant’s pride was evident.
“I learned tonight that we’re physical, we’re tough, we’re resilient,” Gallant said. “We have each other’s backs when some stuff gets tough. And we just keep clawing and fighting.”
The Hermon fans backed Pottle Field for the Hawks’ home opener, and they erupted into applause when Yeo closed the door on the close game.
“This place was nuts today,” Gallant said. “I say it all the time: It takes a village. And the Hermon village is special.”