WELLS — Wells Coach Tim Roche became upset at back-to-back holding calls late in the fourth quarter that wiped out good gains with his team holding a not-too-comfortable nine-point lead Friday night.

Solution?

Let quarterback Paul McDonough do his thing. On the next play, McDonough rolled left, got a small crease and ran down the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown with 6:35 left.

That sealed it as Wells beat Mountain Valley 28-12 in a game between Western Class B football unbeatens.

Wells (6-0) ended the defending Class B state champ’s winning streak at 17 and took a big step toward the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.

Roche got on the officials for the holding calls but said later it was only the intensity of the game that got him upset.

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“The referee said to me, ‘relax, you usually score on the next play when a call goes against you.’ That’s an excellent officiating crew that worked the game,” said Roche.

Along with his scoring run, McDonough passed for two touchdowns and had an interception.

“Last year was a big game in the regional final against Mountain Valley,” said McDonough. “This is the biggest win I’ve had in my three years. We haven’t beaten them since I’ve been here. Mountain Valley is a great team. It’s always a hard-hitting game.”

Asked what was the key, McDonough said: “The line did a great job. They play hard every play.”

The Warriors led 14-0 early in the second quarter and scored with 20 seconds left in the half to make it 21-6. McDonough passed to Josh Ingalls, who kept both feet in on the 5-yard play.

The Falcons (5-1) took the second-half kickoff and drove from their 40 to the Wells 4. On third down, running back Kyle Duguay lost a yard. On fourth-and-goal from the 2, the Falcons gave the ball to Matt Hosie. Doug McLean and Mike DiSalvo tackled him for a loss.

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A 26-yard run by McDonough got the Warriors out of the hole.

“That was the biggest play of the game,” said McDonough of the defensive stand.

It turned out even bigger moments later when Wells was driving for another touchdown. McDonough was caught behind the line by Izaak Mills, who forced a fumble that was scooped up by Taylor Carey. He ran 72 yards the other way for a touchdown. The Falcons failed on the 2-point conversion rush and it was 21-12.

Complementing the running and passing of McDonough were running backs Louie DiTomasso, Jacob Moody and McLean. DiTomasso scored on a 15-yard run on Wells’ opening series and ripped off large chunks of yardage all night.

DiTomasso finished with 144 yards on 23 carries.

“Wells took the ball and we couldn’t stop them,” said Mountain Valley Coach Jim Alyward. “I was really proud of our effort. We wanted to keep it close and get ourselves in position.”

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There’s a good chance the teams will meet again for the regional title, but this time Wells would be at home.

“This game was a big deal because it gives us confidence we can play with the big dogs,” said Roche. “We still have a long way to go but it’s sweet. This ranks as one of our biggest wins since I’ve been here. Paul and Louie are awesome. This is what they’ve done for three seasons.”

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at: tchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomChardPPH

 


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