Top Games from 2024: No. 1

By rbrown
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Updated: January 21, 2025

TOP 10 NHIAA GAMES FROM 2024
No. 1: Londonderry 31, Exeter 28

Each fan base had plenty to cheer about in this matchup, which was the only game in the Top 10 that ended with a play on special teams.

Blake Thompson made a 32-yard kick as time expired to hand third-seeded Londonderry a 31-28 victory over second-seeded Exeter in the Division I semifinals.

After Exeter pulled even on quarterback Michael Caron’s 10-yard pass to Sam Dulac and John Adams’ PAT with 1:23 to play, Londonderry took possession on its own 35-yard line with 1:14 on the clock. After a holding penalty negated an apparent touchdown, the Lancers threw an incomplete pass before sending Thompson on the field.

It appeared Mason Paquette would be tackled after catching a short pass on Londonderry’s final drive, but he rolled off the defender and turned the reception into a 30-yard gain that put the ball on Exeter’s 6-yard line.

Halfback Daniel Batstone had three touchdown runs for Exeter (2, 3 and 1 yard). The Blue Hawks trailed 21-0 after one quarter and 21-7 at halftime before Batstone scored twice in the third quarter to help tie the game, 21-21.

Ogden, Londonderry’s starting quarterback, had two TD runs and tossed a 49-yard TD pass to Ethan Wheeler. The Lancers also scored on Jordan Ball’s 1-yard run.

Ogden’s 3-yard TD run plus Thompson’s PAT handed the Lancers a 28-21 lead with 6:56 to play, but Caron’s TD pass to Dulac capped a 13-play, 62-yard drive. Ogden also scored on a 2-yard run. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 58 yards on Londonderry’s final drive. One of the incompletions came on a spike. The other was when he threw the ball out of the end zone on first down to give Thompson time to attempt the game-winning field goal.

Exeter trailed 21-0, but began to mount a comeback when it stopped Londonderry on a fourth-and-one play from the Exeter 48-yard line. The Blue Hawks then drove 52-yard in seven plays and got on the scoreboard when Batstone found the end zone from 2-yards away.

Batstone ran for 112 yards on 22 carries.

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