Div. IV Semifinals: Laconia, Plymouth advance

LACONIA – Bruising runner Brian Bozek added legal thievery to his Laconia resume yesterday.

His team about to lose a lead to Hanover in the third quarter, Bozek stole the football from the hands of a Hanover back at the 10-yard line and rumbled 90 yards for a touchdown -- and a clean getaway.

"That was the huge drive killer for them, and the game-changing play," Bozek said.

The game-changer propelled the host Sachems (7-2) to a 35-14 win in a Division IV football semifinal yesterday.

"I told Brian big players make big plays in big games, and he did exactly that," said Laconia head coach Craig Kozens. "He's been that type of player for four years, and he wanted to play one more week."

Bozek, who rushed 29 times for 192 yards, and his senior teammates advance to the championship game for the fourth time.

They hope for revenge next week at top-ranked Plymouth, which upended the Sachems in the title game last year.

Bozek's defensive touchdown was emblematic of the entire game. Each time the Marauders (5-4) gained momentum, the Sachems snatched it back.

Following a 14-yard touchdown pass from Hanover quarterback Sam Carney to Parker Sutherland with 39 seconds left in the half, senior Aaron Marchione returned the kickoff 55 yards to set up a 22-yard field goal that put Laconia ahead 17-14.

The Sachems faced a first-and-long, a third-and-long, and two fourth downs on a drive in the third, but Hanover couldn't make a stop on the 13-play drive, which ended with a 13-yard touchdown run by Ronald Steele, his third of the game, to put Laconia up 29-14.

"Momentum is huge, and they have big strike capability," Kozens said, "and we bore you to death and try to wear you down, and that's what we did. We put them to sleep and kept Carney off the field as much as we could."

Carney completed 14 of 19 passes for 211 yards before the break. After Bozek's touchdown in the third, Laconia's defense sacked Carney four times and forced 10 incompletions.

"They brought more pressure," said Hanover coach Mike Ivanoski. "When they took the lead, they took more chances and we knew that was going to happen. And their running game just grounded us."

Laconia rushed 57 times for 352 yards.

Plymouth tops Kennett

New Hampshire Sunday News

PLYMOUTH -- Kyle McAuliffe was lucky enough to have time to atone.

Plymouth's star running back overcame a dreadful start to power the top ranked Bobcats past Kennett of Conway, 28-14, yesterday in a Division IV semifinal game.

McAuliffe will choose to remember his final line of 28 rushes for 185 yards.

He'll try hard to forget fumbling away the opening kickoff.

The mistake wasn't costly. Plymouth's defense got the ball back on downs, and the Bobcat coaching staff gave McAuliffe another opportunity.

He took full advantage, completing the resulting 85-yard drive with an eight yard touchdown run.

Kennett battled right back to take a 7-6 edge when Logan Spoor ran in from 16 yards, but McAuliffe, and his backfield mate Colin Hay (15 carries / 119 yards) were just warming up.

McAuliffe gave Plymouth the lead for good with a one-yard bull run early in the second. Hay's 16-yard touchdown burst later in the frame handed the hosts a 21-7 halftime edge.

The fourth ranked Eagles (5-4) gave themselves little chance to come back. Kennett had three second half fumbles, two on kickoffs.

"To turn it over that much ... you aren't going to beat anybody," Eagles coach Ken Sciaca said. "And you certainly aren't going to beat a team like Plymouth."

The win was the Bobcats ninth straight this season, and 53rd overall. Plymouth goes for its second successive Division IV crown Saturday when it hosts Laconia at 1 p.m. The Bobcats nipped the Sachems, 14-7, in last year's title tilt.

"It will be a tough one," veteran Plymouth coach Chuck Lenahan said. "(Laconia) will be ready."

Lenahan will spend much of this week's practice time reminding his squad of their three turnovers yesterday.

"We didn't plan to have three turnovers," Lenahan said. "Well, we never plan to have any, but it doesn't always work out that way."