Madison Clinic Football Storms Over Hanover

By Steve McKenna/ Sean O’hearen

The forecast for Saturday Oct 6^th predicted a strong cold front forming an unyielding line sweeping across our area, which described the Clinic Dodger defense led by Patrick Quinn, Matthew Monaco, Peter Kearney and Matthew Gero. After a quick four-and-out series by Hanover, Madison drove decisively down the field behind Timmy Hollands’ gains of 10 and 34 yards, setting up a lightening end around sneak by Quarterback Jack O’hearen for the first strike. His point after conversion quickly set the pace as Madison was up 7-0.

Monaco recovered a Hanover fumble, and Patrick Penders and Holland advanced the ball to the Hanover 2 behind gale force blocking by John Geier, Sean Purce, Nick Esposito, Jeremy McKenna and Quinn. From there Ryan Marquardt flew over the top for the TD, and the point after made it 14-0. Again, the Madison defense was unrelenting, and the Dodgers regained possession in the second quarter. Hanovers’ defense managed to break up a pass and throw the Dodgers for back to back losses, forcing Coach Peter Mazzocchi to go into his bag of tricks and call a reverse, and Penders bolted 35 yards for the score and a 20-0 lead. Carter Vali kept Hanover scoreless in the half with a huge interception as time ran down, and Madison had the momentum going into the third.

Penders started the assault on the second play of the next half, going 58 yards for a nice TD, and Gero got airborne for the extra point. The Hanover offense could not escape the impenetrable  defense that blanketed them like the early morning dew at the Madison Recreation Complex. They could not get things started, and a fumble recovery by Kearney gave the Dodgers the ball back at the 35. O’hearens backfield of Gero and Vali got the ball down to the five, finally being stopped a foot shy of the first down. Hanover took over and had an impressive drive down the field where Hugo Spencer scored their first and only points if the day. On their last series, Hanover was dropped for a dramatic game ending loss by Jack Wilt, who recently returned to the lineup this week, and Madison goes on to the victory 27-7. Next up, Somerset Hills.