Lancers part the Tide defense, over and over

Londonderry 47, Concord 13

Lancers part the Tide defense, over and over
Running back tandem gains 438 yards in rain

By Sandy Smith
Monitor staff


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October 20. 2007 12:21AM


LONDONDERRY - In a football game that more resembled a swim meet, Alexander Theodhosi swam the medley relay for Londonderry.

The senior running back splashed his way through the sloppy field at Londonderry for an eye-popping 338 yards and four touchdowns last night as the Lancers rode their single-wing offense to a resounding 47-13 victory over Concord.

Londonderry, ranked third in Division I with a 5-2 record (6-2 overall), scored twice before the game was six minutes old and watched its 1-2 tandem of Theodhosi and Ryan Griffin swim their way to 438 yards through the muck in a driving rain.

After a modest start with Theodhosi rushing for a 1-yard score, his touchdown runs became progressively more impressive. Theodhosi scored from 12 yards out on a run off right tackle, he found the end zone from 43 yards away on a one-play drive, then capped a 97-yard scoring march with an 87-yard burst down the left sideline, breaking free in front of his own bench after a block by Griffin.

"He's a talented back. He runs hard, and he's as good a back as there is in the state," Concord Coach Bob Camirand said of Theodhosi. "And for what he does in this offense, you put seven big people up front and you give him the ball, he just runs with passion, he breaks tackles and he's just a load to bring down."


It was Griffin, however, who started everything for the Lancers. After Jason Gagne returned the opening kickoff 55 yards, Griffin (100 yards on 16 carries) finished the 29-yard series by running untouched around the left end from 5 yards out for a 7-0 lead. And when Concord fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, Griffin scored three plays later from 2 yards out to make it 13-0 with just 5:38 gone on the clock.
Tommy Mullen made a touchdown-saving tackle on the end of a 49-yard Theodhosi burst, but two plays later the Lancers were in the end zone again for a 20-0 lead on Theodhosi's first score early in the second quarter.

Then the Tide (1-5, 2-6 overall) showed some signs of life. Kyle Brown reeled in the kickoff at his own 14, watched a hole open in the middle of the field, burst through it then outran the final Lancer defender for an 86-yard touchdown. It was part of Brown's 328 all-purpose yards, with the senior also rushing for a season-high 203 yards on 15 carries.

"I thought he played hard. He did an outstanding job," Camirand said of his halfback. "Given the weather conditions, we were limited to what we wanted to do. But we did some nice things offensively."

But the Tide spark flickered out in the rain, with Londonderry scoring twice more before halftime - one by Theodhosi, the other a 12-yard pass from Craig Enos to Griffin - for a 34-7 advantage.

"I was disappointed with the first half, but I was really pleased with the second half," Camirand said. "We were lacking in the first half. His first group played the whole second half - it wasn't like they backed off - and we hung tough. Offensively, we did some nice things the entire game. Defensively, we just didn't match up."

Concord put together a much more competitive second half, coming up just a fumble 10 yards outside the end zone from playing the Lancers even over the final 24 minutes.

After a 61-yard run by Brown, James Ghiden scored from 2 yards out as the Tide scored on its first possession after the break. Londonderry answered right back on Theodhosi's 43-yard score. Even with the Lancers' starters playing the entire game despite the lopsided score, it looked like a possible scoreless fourth quarter until Theodhosi scored again with 3:18 to play.

"You know, big, strong, athletic, talented, all of the above," Camirand said, summing up the Lancers. "They were big and we're not. They're strong and we're not. They ran hard and we couldn't stop them."


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By SANDY SMITH

Monitor staff