Entering Tough Three-Game Stretch, Big Red Football Defeats Cushing

EXETER - Phillips Exeter Academy football defeated Cushing Academy 20-6 at home last weekend. Although Cushing had a decent showing in the first half, Big Red prevailed, outscoring the Cushing Purple Penguins 13-0 in the second half. With Saturday’s win, Exeter is now 6-0 this season.The Penguins struck first on Saturday, in Exeter’s third home game of the season, managing to break through Exeter’s defense and reach the end zone for a touchdown. After gaining the six points, Cushing decided to go for another touchdown, but Big Red’s defense had already given up all the points they would for that day and turned up the heat. The Cushing Penguins did not convert on two-point conversion and would not score again.Big Red’s offense had a slow start. Exeter scored only one touchdown in the first half: a two-yard run by postgraduate running back Austin Roberts. Upper Tucker Lemos, who is out for the season with a hip injury, was faithfully watching from the sidelines and marking down the plays. Lemos noticed that the slow start was mostly due to “mistakes and mental errors.” But despite their missteps, Exeter conjured up a touchdown in the first half, giving Big Red 7-6 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.In the second half, Big Red took over the game, outscoring Cushing 13-0. The athletes made adjustments that helped them take down the Penguins. “In the second half we made an emphasis on playing through the whistle,” postgraduate lineman Stone Hart said. “Early on, we were stopping early instead of swarming to the ball and finishing blocks.” Hart recorded one and a half sacks and three tackles for losses in the game.“We focused on getting execution on the offensive side of the ball,” upper and defensive back Shayne Holland, a three-year varsity veteran, said.Big Red did indeed execute, giving postgraduates Vince Sansone and Chewy Ucheomumu lanes to run for touchdowns. With two of the toughest games of the year coming up, the Exeter boys know that they cannot afford a slow first half in the future. “We need to just work on our offensive execution, putting the ball in the end zone and when we have our chances to capitalize on them,” Holland said.Big Red’s defensive players also proved themselves to be some of the toughest in the league and left Cushing scoreless in the second half. “The defensive line’s pass rush helped,” Hart said. “We tipped some balls and had some pressure.” With the defensive line constantly attacking Cushing, the secondary was able to capitalize.Exeter finished the third quarter ahead 14-6. On the first play of Cushing’s opening drive of the fourth quarter, Holland grabbed his first interception of the season. “The receiver did a post corner route, but I had good position on him and didn’t let him come back outside me.” Holland said. With interceptions by both Holland and Roberts, Cushing had little hope of coming back in the game.Exeter is now 6-0, but the team still has their two toughest games of the season ahead of them. Fortunately, the team will be getting post graduate lineman Ryan Conte back from a suspension for the most difficult part of the schedule. Big Red plays Avon Old Farms School, who are 5-1 this season, in an away match on Saturday and un≠≠≠defeated Andover next week. Both look like challenging matches, but Lemos knows they need to “just go game by game.”After all, according to Holland, “Avon will for sure be our toughest game yet.” Nevertheless, as Hart said, “if we play hard fast and smart, from start to finish, we will remain undefeated.”