Beaulieu’s last-second TD run lifts Memorial past Dover, 21-19

MANCHESTER, NH — Senior quarterback Collin Beaulieu scored on a two-yard touchdown run as time expired, lifting Memorial to a thrilling 21-19 win over Dover High, Friday night at Chabot-McDonough Field.

Beaulieu masterfully executed the game-winning scoring drive, which the Crusaders (1-1) began at their own 45-yard line, with just 58 seconds left in the game. Despite having no timeouts remaining, Memorial was able to run 10 plays, with ball carriers getting out of bounds and Beaulieu spiking the ball twice to stop the clock.

Sophomore slot receiver Jathyen Torres had a pair of receptions on the drive but the big play was a fourth-down run by junior Jacob Schuff, who dragged tacklers for 18 yards and moved Memorial into the “Red Zone.”

Facing fourth-and-3 from the 10-yard line and just 9.3 seconds left, Beaulieu scrambled to his right and tried to tip-toe down the sideline and into the end zone. But the field judge ruled he had stopped out of bounds at the 2 with 2.3 seconds remaining.

With time for just one more play, Memorial Head Coach Rob Sturgis left it up to his quarterback to seal the deal. After faking a handoff to Mo Olanweraju, Beaulieu lowered his head and slipped easily into the end zone, through a hole opened up by center Zach Courchesne and guard Januel Pena-Ramirez.

“These kids responded. I’m so … proud of them,” said Sturgis, whose club was coming off a 12-7 season-opening loss at Portsmouth, RI. “All the work they put in, to be finally getting over that hump of finishing a game. It’s a testament to them.”

“That was (the result of) a lot of hard work we’ve been doing all the summer, all the time.” said Beaulieu. “It felt really good to get that done.”

The dramatic finish capped a wild fourth quarter. Dover (0-2) snapped a 13-13 tie, when junior quarterback Cooper Gagne (10 of 14, 224 yards) threw his third touchdown pass of the night, this one from 24 yards to wide receiver Jackson Brock, who made a leaping grab in the end zone to give Dover a 19-13 lead. Brock finished with six receptions for 102 yards and two scores.

Gagne tried to throw for the 2-point conversion, but Memorial’s Ledume Adumene wrapped up receiver Joe Leonardi well short of the goal line.

Memorial tried to answer right back, marching smartly downfield on the legs of Torres and Schuff. A 20-yard scamper by Torres gave the Crusaders a first-and-goal from the 4. But Dover’s defense stiffened and when Schuff’s fourth-down option pass was knocked down in the end zone, the Green Wave took over at their own 10 with 2:45 left and a chance to run out the clock.

But running the ball was something Dover had been unable to do all game long, finishing with minus -18 yards on 15 rushing attempts. This possession was no exception. On three carries, the Green Wave lost nine yards, creating a fourth down at their own 1.

Rather than try and punt from the backline of the end zone, Dover coach Eric Cumba elected to have punter Nate Wood take a safety. This made it 19-15 but it allowed Dover a free kick from its own 20. In theory, it gave the Green Wave an added 20 yards of field position.

Schuff fielded the free kick and returned it to Memorial’s 45 with 58 seconds left, setting up the Crusaders’ winning drive.

Memorial dug itself an early 13-0 deficit, as it had difficulty handling Dover’s potent passing game. Less than a minute into the game, Gagne hooked up with Cam Grund on a 69-yard touchdown pass, giving the Green Wave a 6-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, Gagne lofted a perfect 17-yard fade to Brock, who hauled it in for the score. The PAT made it 13-0.

Memorial slowly began clawing its way back into the game on the strength of its balanced running attack. The Crusaders rolled up 257 yards on the ground with Torres (81 yards) and Schuff (70 yards) leading the way. Torres, Schuff and Beaulieu each had 13 of Memorial’s 50 rushing attempts.

“(These kids) just don’t know when to quit,” said Sturgis. “They just keeping  coming and coming and coming. That’s what we’re trying to instill. We’ve been preaching about toughness all off season.”

Beaulieu got the Crusaders on the board with a slick 10-yard touchdown run. He faked the handoff to Olanweraju, holding the ball in place for two strides before yanking it out and running a naked bootleg, untouched, into the end zone. Brady Harrison’s PAT made it 13-7.

Memorial had a chance to tie the game or take the lead before halftime. But its drive stalled out inside the Dover 10-yard line, when Beaulieu was sacked on third down and threw an incompletion on fourth.

But as the second half got underway, Memorial began to dominate the line of scrimmage. The result was a 48-yard scoring drive, capped off by an 11-yard touchdown run over right tackle by Olanweraju. Harrison’s point after attempt was blocked, leaving the score tied, 13-13.