HOLYOKE — The beginnings of a proficient passing attack were on display for the Athol High School football team at Holyoke High School on Monday night.
It began with a long, accurate pass down the seam from Riley Paine to Caleb Cox for a 40-yard touchdown against Belchertown.
The Red Raiders beat the Orioles, 18-12.
Athol’s secondary secured the win with a defensive stop from the 1-yard line.
The night ended with Paine finding Jacob Smith in the back of the end zone for a game-winning touchdown to beat West Springfield, 18-12, in overtime.
At Excel Sports Academy’s 7-on-7 passing league there is no contact, no linemen and no pass rush. The offense starts at the 40-yard line and can get one first down at the 20-yard line.
An interception is worth two points.
Armed with some plays from Bill LaRose’s playbook, the combination of Paine, Cox and Keegan Lutz ran the offense at quarterback.
“It’s more competition,” Paine said. “A lot more athleticism. More passing than in our league. It’s more intel on the game. It makes us smarter. More connection with the wide receivers going into the season, too. We are collaborating and it’s good to get this going before the season to get the chemistry going.”
The Red Raiders (6-2) have improved since their first week in Holyoke.
“We came here and we saw all these big schools playing,” Paine said. “We went 4-0 the first four games. We are doing a lot better than we were thinking.”
Paine finished with six completions, three throwing touchdowns, and added three catches on the night.
Smith showed good route running abilities and caught four touchdowns for Athol.
Vincent Gordon, Cox, and Isaac Bastine all caught long passes for the Red Raiders.
Two of Cox’s catches went for long scores. The second touchdown came from the arm of Lutz.
Cox threw two scores to Smith.
Athol’s secondary showed flashes, getting necessary stops to secure both wins.
The Red Raiders play again at Holyoke High School on Monday.
