TAUNTON — The Diman football team came into Friday’s Mayflower contest with Bristol-Plymouth feeling angry.
The Bengals were still smarting after taking it on the chin against Old Colony last week. Not to mention, the players could not attend their Homecoming Dance on the same night.
So instead, Diman took its frustration out on the Craftsmen.
“Obviously, we come in with the mindset every week to do what we just did to (B-P) tonight,” said Bengals senior quarterback Sam Perry after a dominating 42-6 road victory at Taunton High School. “Some weeks don’t go your way and this week, it seem like everything, defense, special teams and offense were firing against them. They could not stop it.”
Perry had a night to remember under center for Diman (6-1). After misfiring on his first four passes, the Bengals QB completed 11 of his next 12 throws for 238 yards. He finished with three touchdown passes and a rushing TD. Six of Perry’s passes went for 20 yards or more.
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Perry’s teammate, running back Ethan Picard, also enjoyed a big game, rushing for a game-high 115 on yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.
“It just feels great,” Picard said. “I couldn’t have down it without my offensive line.”
Then there was the defense of Diman, which pretty much held B-P scoreless. Thaniel LaBrie had the Craftsmen’ lone score from 56 yards out as time was running down in the fourth quarter.
“I think the kids were motivated all week at practice and they unleased that tonight,” Bengals head coach Luke Bahry said.
As for the Craftsmen, it wasn’t the outcome they expected on Senior Night.
“Diman’s a pretty good football team and I knew they were going to hungry after last week,” B-P first year head coach Roger Saraiva said. “For us, we have to play better football. Bottom line, it starts with me as a coach. I have to coach better and we have play better come Friday night. This is a little gut check time for our team and the season is not over.”
How it happened
The Bengals got on the board first, thanks to a 4-yard touchdown run by Perry. Logan Uon added the point after. After both teams failed to move the football, Diman’s Logan McKenzie stepped in front of a Alex Taccini pass and took it back for a 46-yards on a pick-six to give the Bengals a 14-0 cushion.
In the second quarter, Perry tossed his first touchdown pass to Peytonn Massey — a 26-yard play — that gave Diman a 21-0 lead. Perry then beat the clock just before halftime by completing a 10-yard scoring strike to Uon that gave the visitors a commanding 28-0 lead. Uon’s 54-yard pass helped set up the score.
Perry’s third touchdown pass to James McKenzie enabled the Bengals to go up 35-0. Picard put the icing on a big night with a 28-yard touchdown run with 7:32 left in the game.
“Ethan is like the perfect teammate,” Bahry said. “We would like to get him (more) in the end zone but he does not care. I was really pumped to see him score that long touchdown right there. He deserves it. All he cares about is the team. It was great to bounce back and see a lot of kids play tonight.
Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @Chezsports.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Diman football defeats Mayflower opponent Bristol-Plymouth
