After trading haymakers all night, Abington, a Division 6 program, delivered the final blow to Div. 4 Longmeadow 43-21 in the first game of the season at home on Frolio Memorial Field on Thursday, Sept. 10.
For most of the game the Green Wave outlasted a relentless Lancer team with its bruising and dynamic run game and an opportunistic special teams unit. But it was a defensive stand that sealed Abington’s victory.
With 9:20 to play, trailing 35-21, Longmeadow had a fourth-and-goal from Abington’s 1-yard line. The Lancers handed it off to 6-foot, 207-pound running back Maury Garrett lll, but he was stonewalled and driven back nearly eight yards for a turnover on downs.
The play kept Longmeadow from bringing it back to a one-score game. Abington’s offense capitalized and finished a 91-yard touchdown drive with a 15-yard run by sophomore Jake Lehman for the game's final score with 5:29 remaining.Abington’s offense totaled 260 rushing yards on the evening. Five of the six touchdowns came via the ground game. Lehman had the highest rush total on the night, accounting for 84 of those yards and a pair of touchdowns. He scored Abington’s first points of the season in the first quarter on a 24-yard scamper after Longmeadow scored on its first possession to go up 7-0.
Junior led the team in total offensive yards with 103 (68 rushing, 35 receiving) and two touchdowns. Senior Nazir Paulding tallied 57 rushing yards and had a 55-yard punt return touchdown for a total of 112 all-purpose yards and two total touchdowns.
Abington’s offense didn’t punt until the final drive of the game.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise:
