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Tigers Push Hartford To Limit In 26-9 Semi Loss

Coach Smith with his 2016 Tigers after Semifinal Game at Hartford.
photo by Mike Cameron
Coach Smith with his 2016 Tigers after Semifinal Game at Hartford.

Tuesday November 8, 2016

By Mike Cameron

The Tigers improved all year and now they were in the final 4.  There were some who said no way... too many mistakes, too many turnovers.  This team came up with big plays late in the season and cut down on the miscues.  Now they were off to Hartford to play the number one Division 1 team in the state.  Except for a loss to a large down state school early in the season and a funky first half at Rutland when they trailed by 20, the Hurricanes are the real deal and they are very difficult to beat at home.  Hartford came in at 8-1.  They were the number one seed.   The Tigers took care of business in the play-offs, defeating Essex to advance to the final four.  The Tigers were the 5th seed in the 2016 tournament.  The D-1  semi schedule was set.  CVU would be on to play St. Johnsbury at the Academy and Middlebury was on to take on Hartford and a showdown on 'Hurricane Hill'.    Meanwhile, Rice, Rutland, Essex and Colchester, all good well coached teams, were on to basketball and hockey.   Hartford and Middlebury had a very competitive history coming in.  They had faced each other numerous times in the post season with the Tigers winning 6 out of 8 post season match-ups since 1995.  The Hurricanes however have been almost unstoppable at home during that time span.  The spin on this one was simple.  Hartford needed to do what they do best.  They play power, ball control football and their trademark is a swarming defensive line and a secondary with excellent tackling skills.     The Tigers needed to put pressure on at the point of the hand off, and play turn-over free football for four quarters like they did at Essex.  Get behind Hartford early and they can pile on more points very quickly.  Stay with them into the 4th quarter and the Tigers had a chance to prove the 'nay-sayers' wrong.  Even with a couple of key Tiger turnovers and the loss of one of their best skill players for most of the second half, that's exactly what Middlebury did. The Tigers were in it to win it and scored first after stopping the Canes initial drive.  A blocked punt by Doug Delorenzo gave the Tigers excellent field position early in the first quarter.      Andrew Gleason was smooth at the controls and Spencer Carpenter blasted away from the point of attack behind good blocking against the bigger Hartford defensive front four.   At 3:45 in the first quarter Trey Kaufmann who played one of the best games of his varsity career, slashed in from the 6 yard line and Doug D. kicked the point for a 7-0 Tiger lead.  The drive had eaten up most of the opening stanza.  Hartford would respond in kind.
   The Hurricanes got some momentum back on the next posession with their patented toss-power-trap, play featuring Brett MacLaren on the lug, sharing duties with rugged fullback Hunter Perkins.  Kody Rhodes also was hitting big gainers on the drive and scoring on the first play of the second quarter making it 7-6 Tigers.  Middlebury was able to use their superior quickness and deflect the point-after just enough to see it spin wide of the upright.  Middlebury was still up by 1.  At this point Hartford's aggressiveness got the better of them and continued for the rest of the  game.  They ended up being flagged 14 times for 105 yards in penalties.  Scouts in attendance from Saint J., and CVU would take note of this.  A hard hit early in the second half sent the Tigers Doug Delorenzo to the sidelines for the rest of the game under the mandated concussion protocol now being used here in Vermont school boy football.
   With the Tigers doing an excellent job slowing the Hartford running game, senior quarter back Gavin Farnsworth decided to air it out after conferring with Coach Matt Trombley.  He hit Tyler Hamilton in the red zone to keep a drive alive.  This was followed by another big Tiger hit on Rhodes at the line of scrimmage by Maverick Payne.  Faced with a 3rd and 8, Farnsworth rolled to his right, then issued to Rhodes who finished off the play action with a 5 yard touchdown run.  The point after hit the right up right and the Hurricanes were up 12 to 7 with 3:05 left in the half.  At this point it was an even ball game even as the Tigers would allow a 10 or 15 yard play, they would stiffen in the red zone time and time again,  or Middlebury make a big defensive play when one was needed in the secondary.  Simon Fischer,  Gleason, and Kaufmann, made several one on one touchdown saving tackles in this one.
   Hartford's next touchdown was a heart breaker for Middlebury.  Leading 12-7 and the clock winding down to 1:12 left in the first half, Hartford methodically moved up field after a Tiger punt gave them a start spot on there own 29 yard line.  Farnsworth out of the shot-gun proved to be effective by throwing under the Tiger coverage.  
Middlebury went to an all out pass rush.  Farnsworth slipped a blitz defender and threw a strike to Rhodes at the pylon for a TD to make it 18-7 with 52 seconds left before intermission.  The Canes went for 2 and got them on a pass from Farnsworth to tight end Jack Wozniak with only 44 seconds left in the half and a 20-7 lead.  The Tigers started on their 20 after a booming Hurricane kick off sailed into the end zone.  The Tigers simply ran out of time as the first half ended 20-7.  The verdict still very much in doubt.
   Early in the third quarter after the Tigers were forced to punt on their first possession of the second half. A high Hartford snap from center, on a first and ten from their 19, forced Farnsworth to make a split decision as the ball sailed over his head and bounced in back of him with the Tiger defense in hot pursuit.  Farnsworth then kicked the ball soccer style through the end zone preventing a touchdown and choosing the lesser of two evils, a safety and 2 points for the Tigers.  Middlebury would also get the ball back via a free kick by Hartford from their 20 yard line.  
  The score was now 20 to 9 Hartford with almost an entire half to play.  It would also be the end of the scoring on this night for Middlebury.  The Cane defense forced the Tigers into numerous third and out situations.  Hartford would also add one more touchdown for a 26 to 9 Semi-Final win against a Tiger team that game them one heck of a ball game.  
   Our best wishes go out to the Tiger seniors in what ever is next for each of them at MUHS and beyond.  The game marked the 8th straight semi final appearance for the Middlebury Union High School Tigers.  Congratulations are also in order to the Hurricanes of Hartford High who will now move on to the finals at Rutland's Alumni Field this Saturday evening for the Vermont State Division 1 Title Game.             


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