The ConVal football team’s steady, season-long improvement paid off Friday night, as the Cougars got their first win since 2019 with a senior night rout of visiting Winnisquam.
Head coach Mike Jillson said his Cougars showed their highest level of focus and concentration in the 43-16 win over the Bears.
“They’re getting it,” Jillson said. “They’re beginning to understand some of the things that we’re doing – on defense especially. It’s a big learning curve. It was senior night, it clicked with them all of a sudden. They reached down and they found that extra little bit that they didn’t realize that they had.”
Senior fullback Wyatt Hutchinson balled out Friday night, scoring three touchdowns to lead the Cougar rushing attack. ConVal’s offensive line played their best game of the season, with Gareth Armstrong, Harrison Clark, Trace Borozinski, Zach Allard, Louis Lafleur, Francisco Jaimes, Everett Benham and tight end Logan Burnham doing work to spring their running backs.
Eric McGrath added another two touchdowns and 132 rushing yards, and Cody Siegel scored once more on the ground.
Damien Coleman set the Cougars up with some long kick returns.
“The kid’s fearless,” Jillson said.
Doing double duty, quarterback Jaxon Salamy kicked four successful extra points.
“We prepared the same,” Jillson said. “We tried to do what we always do – but they just came out and executed everything perfectly.”
Defensively, Caleb Cloutier and McGrath played well off the edges, Noah Lambert and Borozinski dominated the inside line, and Benham and Burnham got it done as well, Jillson said.
The win snapped ConVal’s 15-game losing streak which spanned from September 2019 through last year’s COVID-canceled season and up until Friday night.
Jillson said the win was a good way to send out the seniors in their final home game, but that a win in the season finale at Inter-Lakes-Moultonborough (1-7) Saturday would be even sweeter.
“It would really be nice to pick that one up too,” Jillson said. “Then I think we’re making a statement.”
The Lakers haven’t won a game since beating Winnisquam in the season opener.