Hagar leads Maverick over the Ows in 2A playoffs

Defending 2A state football champion Eastern Tech had to make some adjustments on the fly, Friday, in its 2A regional semifinal playoff game with Dundalk, at CCBC-Essex.  The visiting Owls had early success taking away the Mavericks’ inside running game, but Coach Mark Mesaros squad countered with a lethal passing attack as it rolled to a 42-0 win.

Tech quarterback Brad Hager had a big night, throwing four touchdown passes while leading his team to next Friday’s 2A Region championship game.

Hager was 7-for-9 for 141 yards and his favorite target was tight end Chris Pomory, who was on the receiving end of three Hager TD tosses.

Pomory haueld in a 26-yard scoring strike from Hager early in the first quarter that gave the Mavs a 6-0 lead, and after he found Nick McElfish on a 15-yard scoring toss in the second quarter.  Latter, Hager hit Pomory from 20 yards out, and again form 14 yards away as the tandem proved to be too much for the Owl defense.

The passing eventually opened up the running game and when the Mavericks got that part of the game in gear, the piled up 234 yards on the ground.  Sayvon Norman had 55 yards rushing on six carries, and Josh Cannella picked up 54 yards on 10 carries.

Cannella had a five-yard touchdown run for the Mavs, and Kyle Bosserman scored from one yard out.  Bosserman was 6-for-6 on extra-points for Tech, who will play next Friday against the winner of Saturday’s City-Douglass game.

“Dundalk came out with a great game plan,” said Hager. “They tried taking away the inside, and we had to adjust. Our line gave me time to throw the ball and we executed well.”

Pomory said that Dundalk was trying to take away the run, so the Mavs went to the air.  “”It was a great team effort,” said Pomory.  

After fumbling the opening kickoff, which gave the Owls great field position at the Maverick 23 yard line, the Tech defense stopped the Owls cold.  Following a Dundalk punt, Hager drove his team 70 yards down the field in seven plays, culminating the drive with his first TD pass to Pomory.  The second time the Mavs got the ball Hager led an 85-yard, 10-play drive to the end zone, finding McElfish for six points.

Later in the second quarter, the No. 6 Mavs marched 91 yards in eight plays for their third TD, and they held a 21-0 lead at the half.  

“They took away some things that we like to run,” said Mesaros, “but today we showed that we are multi-faceted and we have other weapons that we can use.

“Our defense played exceptionally well; when we play team defense, we’re tough.”