NEEDHAM — When coach Jeff Moore came to Tabor Academy this offseason, people expected success, but maybe down the road.
Maybe the Seawolves are a bit ahead of schedule.
Behind a strong running game and big plays in the passing game in the second half, Tabor beat St. Sebastian’s Saturday, 38-28, to improve to 4-0.
St. Sebastian’s drops to 2-2 with the defeat.
“Feels great,” Moore said. “The biggest thing is the players. They work really, really hard. They’re very unselfish. They really love each other. It’s an important piece to what we do. I’ve been fortunate. I have a great group of kids. The record last year doesn’t tell justice of the leadership that we have, the camaraderie that we have. All the kids that were already here. They’ve done a phenomenal job of being leaders, as well. So, we’re really fortunate for where we’re at.”
Junior running back Hugo Djeumeni rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries for Tabor. Senior quarterback Timothy Bengston threw for 166 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts. Freshman wide receiver Kaiden Drinkwater caught five passes for 104 yards and also made an interception on defense.
“A lot different than last year,” Bengston said of last season’s 3-5 team. “Feels good to be 4-0, way better than 3-0. We’re just getting started.”
Tabor trailed, 21-14, at the half, but turned it around in the second half. Bengston hit Dameer Phifer for a 44-yard touchdown right up the seam on the Seawolves’ first drive of the third quarter.
After a St. Sebastian’s turnover on downs, Tabor embarked on a 10-play, 61-yard drive that ended in a Djeumeni 10-yard blast right up the middle, as Tabor took a 28-21 lead with 2:53 left in the quarter.
Drinkwater and Rafael Montero had interceptions for Tabor sandwiched around Garrett Salit’s 25-yard field goal that gave the Seawolves a 31-21 advantage.
St. Seb’s battled back, as Tedy Frisoli made a nice catch on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Ty Ciongoli (247 yards passing) to slice the lead to 31-28.
But Tabor answered with a nine-play, 70-yard drive that Djeumeni finished off from 3 yards out with just 43 seconds to play to account for the final margin. The big play there was a 57-yard completion to Drinkwater down the left sideline, as the receiver made a spectacular, fingertip catch on third and 17.
“We’ve got a good team,” Bengston said. “We’ve got a great coaching staff. We just keep going every week.”
It was a back and forth first half. Arrows running back Justin Bourque (127 yards rushing on 16 carries) hit the end zone first from 3 yards out in the first quarter.
Tabor took a 7-6 lead on a Djeumeni 3-yard jaunt, but St. Seb’s grabbed it back when Isaiah Simmons hauled in a 13-yard touchdown pass from Ciongoli.
Bengston ran in a 17-yarder in the second quarter, but Kaelan Chudzinski grabbed an 8-yard touchdown reception from Ciongoli. George Kelly’s two-point rush had his team ahead, 21-14, at the break.
