Andrew Guindon
NEFJ Staff

SPRINGFIELD – West Springfield left no doubt on Friday night, defeating Wahconah Regional 46-14 in blowout fashion.

The Terriers moved to 6-0 while the Warriors dropped to 3-3.

West Springfield running back/receiver Johnny Gingeruha opened the Terriers’ scoring barrage early into the first quarter on an inside touchdown run and it was a rout from there.

Quarterback Nate Stone connected with wide receiver Aidan Cornelius for about 35 yards to set up Gingeruha inside the 5-yard line. The two-point attempt was successful, branching West Springfield out into an early 8-0 lead.

“[That drive] was important,” said West Springfield head coach Chad Labonte. “When [Wahconah] deferred and we were getting the ball, I knew that what they do well is run the clock and grind the ball… Anytime we had an opportunity to score, I knew the importance. That was good because we stayed on schedule with what we wanted to do.”

Wahconah Regional attempted to respond but couldn’t get through West Springfield’s stout defensive front.

With 5:30 left in the first quarter following a turnover on downs, Stone found receiver Jaedan Beaumont wide open on a streak to extend the lead 14-0 on a 55-yard touchdown grab. The Terriers could not convert on the two-point attempt.

To begin the second quarter, Wahconah Regional quarterback Landon Corcoran and running back West Dews led the Warrior offense deep into the red zone. However, Corcoran lost the ball on a quarterback run, and West Springfield defensive back Alexander Morales recovered the fumble at the 5-yard line.

That turnover proved to be costly as the Terriers would add another eight points to their lead on a Stone keeper run; Tokarev converted the two-point try (22-0). Wide receiver Abel Varzeas was a pivotal part of the offensive drive. Stone and Varzeas connected on just short of 75 yards throughout the drive.

With 1:49 left in the first half, Dews broke loose on an inside zone run and went 45 yards to the end zone to put the Warriors on the board 22-6, attempting to light a spark in Wahconah’s offense.

However, one minute later, West Springfield answered back with a 35 yard connection between Stone and Gingeruha, who made three defenders miss as he broke into the end zone to close out the first half. 30-6 Terriers.

The Terriers continued to add to the lead early in the third quarter as Gingeruha broke three tackles on a 15-yard run to score his third touchdown of the game. The two-point give to Tokarev was successful in increasing the Terrier lead 38-6.

The West Springfield pass defense played a significant part in keeping Wahconah’s offense off the field to hold onto their lead.

“They did a good job adjusting,” said coach Labonte. “We had them doing some non-traditional things that made it a little harder on our safeties… they got better at it. Playing Wahconah, you have to play the run as well as the pass in the secondary. I thought they did a good job.”

Halfway through the third quarter, Wahconah was able to reignite their run offense with Dews at the helm. After breaking into West Springfield territory, a defensive pass interference call against West Springfield set up Wahconah at the 15-yard line. Dews capitalized on the opportunity, shedding a tackle and breaking into the end zone. Corcoran and receiver Shawn Peltier connected on the two-point attempt (38-14).

West Springfield iced the game with 8:35 left in the fourth quarter—Stone, getting hit as he threw the ball, threw an 18-yard moonball to Gingeruha, who ran a perfect corner route to total a personal four touchdowns on the night.

Stone finished the game with three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown, using his legs to score and extend plays often.

“Really, every day just come to practice and try to trust our offensive line,” said Stone. “We might not have the biggest kids out there, but we have one of the smartest lines out there… I’m able to go right through the hole and score.”