Sandwich cruises to 49-7 Homecoming victory over Harvard

SANDWICH – Sandwich kicked off its homecoming weekend with a dominant 49-7 victory over Harvard on Friday night.

The Indians set the tone early as senior defensive back Cole Leeper intercepted a pass on the first possession of the game, creating a short field for their offense.

On the ensuing possession, senior running back Simeion Harris broke off a 55-yard touchdown run, putting his team on the scoreboard early.

The momentum continued to build for Sandwich, who eventually led 42-0 by halftime.

Sandwich had four different players contribute to a total of 429 yards from scrimmage, with junior running back Nick Michalek, senior fullback Diego Gomez, junior running back Jeffrey Ashley and Harris all doing their part.

Sandwich coach Kris Cassie praised his team’s ability to execute their game plan and run the ball effectively, emphasizing the depth of their backfield.

“We didn’t even have to rely on [quarterback] Brady [Behringer] to run the ball tonight because we were able to distribute the workload,” Cassie said. “When we’re rolling like this, it makes us unpredictable.”

Harris also noted the importance of splitting touches with his teammates.

“Having an easy rotation with our backs gives us a chance to stay fresh and contribute,” he said. “We spread the ball out evenly and it makes it hard for defenses to stop us.”

Harris and Michalek were big-play threats all night, with Harris rushing six times for 141 yards and two touchdowns, while Michalek carried four times for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

Harris emphasized how important this performance felt for him and his team.

“It feels amazing,” Harris said. “Coming off the first few games and not being able to run my best, this was an opportunity to show what I can do with my team.”

The Hornets struggled to find a rhythm all night on offense, gaining only 142 yards from scrimmage and heavily relying on senior QB Adam Cooke to move the ball.

Although Sandwich recorded just one sack, they consistently pressured Cooke throughout the game with well-timed blitzes.

Cassie explained his defense’s aggressive strategy was all part of the plan, knowing what Cooke could bring with both his arm and legs.

“We brought a lot of pressure because he is a good quarterback,” Cassie said. “We worked heavily on our pass coverage this week. Some things we saw on film against Johnsburg, we needed to clean up, and Coach Procopus came up with a heck of a game plan because that pressure also helped shut down their run game.”

Cooke finished the night 4-for-11 for 31 yards and an interception, along with 16 carries for 81 yards rushing, accounting for the majority of Harvard’s offensive yards.

The Indians’ intensity was evident until the final whistle, as they executed their game plan while staying focused despite the Homecoming festivities.

“Throughout the week, our mantra was that I haven’t seen us play a full game from start to finish and they did that tonight,” Cassie said. “With Homecoming, we talked about how distractions are only distractions if you let them be. They didn’t allow that to happen and when you have talented players and strong leadership established, it helps keep the team focused moving forward.”

Looking ahead, Harvard will drop to 2-3 and host Woodstock North next Friday.

Sandwich, with the victory, improves to 3-2 and will hit the road to play Richmond-Burton next week.