AMHERST - Senior running back Walker Nambu came up with the idea for the 45-yard reception that set up the fourth touchdown for the Amherst Regional football team Friday night.

Nambu, who had been running all over Ludlow for much of the contest, had a hunch that he could find success as a wide receiver.

"He actually called that play," Amherst coach Glenn Jackson said. "He said he was going to be wide open and he was."

Said Nambu, who wears jersey No. 27, "I just saw that whoever was guarding me would say, #I got 27,' and then he would just blitz in. So I kept saying (to the Amherst coaches), #Give me a pass, give me a pass,' and finally, they listened to me."

Nambu was proved correct when quarterback Leo Wright connected with him on the 45-yarder that brought Amherst to the Ludlow 14-yard line. Two plays later, Nambu finished the job with a 7-yard dash to give the Hurricanes a 20-point lead with three minutes, 27 seconds to play in the game, en route to a 35-8 victory.

Both Ludlow (0-10, 0-8 Suburban League) and Amherst (2-8, 2-6) have struggled this season. But the Hurricanes' 10 seniors were happy to get their second win this season in the final home game of their high school careers.

"It feels great. It feels amazing," said Nambu, who had 102 yards on the ground in addition to his reception. "I'm just so proud of the way we performed, the way the line blocked, the way everyone came out for the seniors. I was really happy with the way we played."

It was the first win at home for Amherst since Sept. 15, 2006, when the Hurricanes defeated Greenfield 32-20.

Friday night's game was scoreless until senior Jack McCutcheon scored for the Hurricanes from 1-yard out with 45 seconds left before halftime. Keegan Josias kicked the first of his four extra points to give Amherst a 7-0 lead.

The Hurricanes added to their lead with 6:51 left in the third when Wright hit Wasim Thomas with a 13-yard touchdown completion.

Ludlow avoided the shutout with less than a minute left in the third quarter. After a drive that relied mostly on short bursts by Kyle Wright (46 yards on 10 carries in the game), quarterback Morgan Glanville finished the job with a 2-yard keeper. A two-point conversion run by Matthew Simon drew the Lions within 14-8.

But a three-touchdown fourth quarter by Amherst put the game out of the reach. Ariel Vallellanes (42 yards, five carries) started it with a 25-yard touchdown run five minutes into the quarter, and Nambu's heroics extended the lead.

The finishing touch came from another senior, Anthony Cruz, who intercepted a pass by Glanville and returned it 36 yards for the final touchdown with two minutes left.

"I'm really happy for our seniors. It's senior night and most of our seniors got on the board. That makes them feel great, and us feel great," Jackson said.

"Our season has really been like two or three seasons," he added. "The first couple of games, we fell short, but we played good ball. Then we had a lull when we had some problems on the team and were in a bit of a funk, but in the last couple of weeks, we've pulled out of it."

Amherst will end its season with the annual Thanksgiving Day game in Northampton at 10 a.m. Nov. 26.