Wildcats Roll to 4-0
HOLYOKE, Mass. – The Lee High football team opened Friday’s game at Holyoke with a 70-yard touchdown run by Bryce Hoff.
It ended the game with a 60-yard scoring scamper from Kodie Mendoza in the final seconds.
In between, David Kirchner hit Hoff for a 71-yard touchdown throw down the left side.
After cruising to a 50-6 win over the Knights, Hoff was not quite ready to describe Lee’s attack as a “big play offense.”
“I don’t think of us as a big play offense,” Hoff said. “That just comes. It’s not lucky, but once we do everything right, that’s what’s going to happen.
“We definitely have the speed. Once we get past that second level, there’s a big chance of us scoring. We’re a fast team.”
And on Friday night, they got off to a fast start, scoring twice in the first six minutes on the way to an eventual 44-0 lead that sent the game to running time late in the third quarter.
Hoff ended up with 104 yards and two TDs rushing and 104 yards receiving. Mendoza ran for 113 yards, and Seamus Cooney ran for 82.
Kirchner threw for 146 yards and three TDs as Lee improved to 4-0 overall and started play in the Suburban North Division with a dominant victory.
Hoff was quick to give credit where it was due for helping him and the other Lee backs get to the next level.
“Our line blocked really well today, made really good holes and helped us get to the second level,” he said.
Hoff carried the bulk of the load offensively in place of Jaydee Reber, who was unavailable due to illness but is expected back with the team soon.
It is hard to imagine that Lee could have had any more success if it was at full strength.
After stalling Holyoke’s opening drive at the plus-32, Lee got the ball back on a punt at its 20. Cooney ran for 10 yards on first down, and Hoff took it the rest of the way with a run off left tackle that went all the way to the end zone. He then ran in the two-point conversion to put the ‘Cats on top, 8-0.
A fumble on the Knights’ first play of the ensuing possession gave Lee the ball at Holyoke’s 35, and Kirchner hit Hoff for a 32-yard gain that set up Hoff’s second rushing touchdown of the night and a 14-0 lead with 6 minutes, 23 seconds left in the first quarter.
Lee was forced to punt on its third possession after taking 15 yards in penalties, but its fourth possession went 45 yards and spanned the first and second quarters, ending in Kirchner’s 6-yard TD toss to Mason Lucy.
Holyoke then had its best possession of that first half, going from its 30 to the Lee 29 before the Wildcats stopped a fourth-and-4 try.
It then took just one play for Lee to score when Kirchner found Hoff down the left sideline, and the sophomore back raced to the end zone.Cooney’s conversion run made it 30-0 at half-time.
Lee then started the second half with a 65-yard, six-play drive that featured runs of 23 yards and 20 yards by Cooney and ended with Kirchner hitting Thomas Lucy for a 17-yard score. Mendoza took the ball into the end zone for the two points, and it was 38-0.
The Wildcats got the ball back midway through the third quarter and needed five plays to go 62 yards, the last 20 on Kirchner’s completion to Gabe Ranzoni to make it 44-0.
Only a Holyoke drive aided by a roughing the passer penalty in the fourth stood between Lee and its second shutout of the season.
Wildcats coach Tom Salinetti saw some things he will want to work on defensively but also saw some bright spots.
“I thought these guys developed very well throughout the game,” Salinetti said. “I thought Bryce [Hoff] had a really nice pickup right down here right before the half where they ran a seam right at him, and got his hands on the kid, got his eyes back and almost came away with the pick. He wasn’t doing that a week ago.
“That’s just a huge testament to him taking [the coaching] and listening.”
Lee continues league play next Friday night when Hoosac Valley makes the trip to South County.