A whole lot of tough defense and two big plays. That’s what Cheverus High’s football team produced and it was enough to beat Wells, 16-7, at sunny Boulos Stadium in Saturday’s Class C showdown.

Wells ground out a 14-play, 82-yard drive to score on the game’s first possession. But after that the Stags defense, giving up considerable size across the line, allowed only 129 total yards – just 62 in the second half.

Cheverus improved to 4-1. Wells is 3-2.

“We really plugged in on defense. We were more focused, more physical,” said Cheverus senior defensive tackle Sawyer Merrill, who helped seal the game with the Stags’ third quarterback sack. “After that first drive we knew what we had to do to win the game.”

The defense also produced Cheverus’ first touchdown when Rilan Smith ran to an underthrown pass by Brooks Fox, intercepted it and raced 46 yards into the end zone. Smith then scored the two-point conversion, running over a would-be Wells tackler at the goal line.

“I knew (the pass play) was waggle so I knew someone would be coming across the field so I just stood there,” Smith said. “I saw the ball coming to me and I just jumped it.”

The other score for Cheverus came on a play when it looked like Wells was about to intercept a pass. On Cheverus’ first possession of the second half, quarterback Gio St. Onge uncorked a third-and-seven pass downfield. Wells’ Dom Buxton went up and got his hands on it, tipping it a few yards further down field where Elijah Timlin hauled it in and then raced the rest of the way for a 65-yard score. Smith again added the two-point conversion on a toss sweep.

“Isn’t that football? I mean the way the ball bounces, a game of inches,” said Wells Coach Tim Roche. “The pick-six, we had the tight end wide open down the seam and didn’t see him and that’s part of growing. And then the other one, we thought we were going to pick it and it bounces into their hands and they score.”

Wells had a golden opportunity to get back into the game when Smith, after bouncing off a hard hit at the line by Isaiah Martinez, fumbled while trying to gain a bit of yardage. Wells’ cornerback Griffin Brickett – a standout for Wells, gaining 57 yards on nine carries and catching three passes in the first half for another 59 yards – jumped on the ball for the recovery at the Cheverus 21.

Cheverus got the ball right back two plays later when Wells fumbled after a sloppy exchange.

The Stags then held onto the ball for nearly seven minutes, converting twice on third down. Matthew Fogg (13 carries, 67 yards) had a tough, tackle-breaking 14-yard run to get the drive started. St. Onge picked up 22 on a nice cutback run on third-and-five. Smith (15 carries, 45 yards) picked up some tough yardage. Wells eventually got a fourth-down stop at its own 22 but the lost time was pivotal.

Then on first d0wn, Merrill stormed through on a slant rush and swallowed up Fox for a 7-yard loss. Wells was unable to pick up a first down. Cheverus took over on downs and closed its win with a couple of kneel downs by St. Onge.

“Our kids played really hard today and we made a couple of big plays and stayed within ourselves,” said Cheverus Coach Mike Vance. “It was our best performance so far this season on defense. The kids just played real hard.”

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