WALTHAM, MA— Newton South fell to 3-4 on the season Saturday with a 32-14 loss to the Waltham Hawks at Leary Field.
Headed by an unstoppable running back tandem in Junior Chery and Jacob Duffrene, the DCL opponent proved to be a tough match for the Lions. The pair totaled 318 yards and five touchdowns on the day, battering South’s defense with a combination of speed and power.
Despite forcing three turnovers and surging late in the second half, South lost its second straight in-conference game.
Waltham was in control from the beginning, capping off a six-play, 70-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown by the powerful Duffrene on the game’s first possession. Despite recovering two fumbles, including one by Pat Fabrizio deep in Lion territory, South failed to capitalize, opening the door for the Hawks to expand their lead.
Waltham’s advantage grew as the first half progressed. A promising South possession was stymied by a Chery interception, and Duffrene punched in his second touchdown of the game from 7 yards out to make the score 12-0. After a three-and-out by the Lions, the lighting-fast Chery broke a 54-yard touchdown run, giving the Hawks a 19-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
However, South did manage to put points on the board before the half as quarterback Eric Manditch hit the sure-handed Matt Roberts in the front corner of the end zone for a picture-perfect 22-yard touchdown strike. The score was set up by the recovery of a muffed punt at the Waltham 26-yard line, making it 19-7 at the half.
The Hawks extended their lead in the third quarter. A spectacular diving catch by Chery set Waltham up inside the Lions 10-yard line on the team’s first possession of the half. Duffrene finished off that drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, and scored for the fourth time from 8 yards out on the next possession to put the Hawks up by 25, thanks to Chery’s 65-yard march inside the Lions 20. Duffrene accounted for 147 yards on the ground, as Chery piled on an additional 171.
South’s offense started to pick up in the fourth, finding great success in the passing game. Manditch was able to find his rhythm, leading the Lions on a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive. He found Roberts and tight end Sam Houston-Read numerous times, getting down to the Waltham 10-yard line where running back Ethan Myer punched it in, cutting the margin to 32-14. Manditch finished 10-for-18 for 126 yards and a pick, connecting with Roberts five times for a total of 80 yards.
The Lions face the formidable Wayland next week, looking to improve to .500 on the season.
Notes: South was held to 26 rushing yards on 25 carries, tackled for losses on 10 rushes. The Lions won the turnover battle, 3-1.
