FNL: Dartmouth @ New Bedford Recap

It was a game that lived up to the hype that the classic high school rivalry usually gets, as the Dartmouth Indians edged out the New Bedford Whalers 34-20 Friday night. The game, which was part of our Friday Night Lights coverage, saw both teams have the lead late though the Indians were able to pull away in the fourth quarter to snag the 14 point win.

The Dartmouth offense was led by senior running back Chris Martin, who rushed fro 198 yards and three scores on the night.

While the Indian defense surrendered the most points they've allowed to an opponent all year long, they found a way to limit New Bedford's passing attack and make big plays, causing four turnovers on the night. The team had three interceptions on the night, including two that were returned for touchdowns.

Senior captain Matt Craig snagged two of the team's picks, including the first of the two pick sixes. Along with his strong defensive effort, senior Jack Sullivan played a tremendous game on defense as he had the team's second pick six, which helped put the game on ice, and made multiple big tackles all night long.

For New Bedford, it was a tough loss, though they managed to stay in the game until late in the fourth. The team came out of the gate strong with a long touchdown drive on their first offensive series though they struggled to get anything else going until just before half time. They were able to take a one point lead in the third, though they couldn't find a way to hold on against the experienced Dartmouth defense.

All in all, it was a great night as a lot of local seniors signed up for a chance to win the annual Jack Peterson Scholarship. Look for at ORR next week.