NORTHAMPTON – By the time Friday night’s game between Smith Vocational and Monument Mountain was over, most of the field was a muddy mess and the Spartans’ jerseys were no longer white, covered in mud after battling in rainy conditions all night long. 

It came down to the smallest of details between the two teams – both the Vikings and Spartans scored two touchdowns, but the visitors converted on both of their two-point conversion attempts and stonewalled Smith Voc both times it went for the extra pair of points.

That ended up being the difference-maker for the Spartans, which spoiled Smith Voc’s senior night with a 16-12 victory to move back above .500 with a 4-3 record (3-1 in Tri-County League play).

It’s also the first time this season that the Spartans have strung together back-to-back wins. Smith Voc fell to 5-2 on the season, 2-2 in the TCL.

“We had a good idea about what was going to happen down there in that area and they stayed true to their tendencies and we were able to make some adjustments there, especially toward the second half to help stop that,” Monument Mountain head coach Chris Tucci said on his team’s ability to stop Smith Voc’s two-point conversions. 

It was Smith Voc that struck first, relying heavily on senior quarterback Alex Martinez toward the end of its second drive of the game. Martinez got the ball four times in a row, finally hurtling over the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown with one minute left in the first quarter. On the Vikings’ two-point conversion attempt, Rob Schur tackled the ball carrier, holding the home team to just six points. 

As the skies opened up to start the second half, Monument Mountain didn’t need long to even up the score. Kam Boino nearly scored from 30 yards out before getting grabbed at the 1-yard line; Shaun Frank carried the ball across the goal line two plays later to secure the touchdown and make it 6-6. Quarterback Dominic Calautti handed the ball off to Oliver Berkowitz for the two-point conversion, and he ran wide left and reached the ball out to pick up the extra pair of points. 

Frank scored the Spartans’ second touchdown of the night as well, running six yards with just over six minutes left in the third quarter. Boino came up big on the second-point conversion, rushing into the end zone to give the the visitors a 16-6 lead. 

The less than ideal conditions only seemed to heighten the competitiveness of Frank, who was Monument Mountain’s go-to ball-carrier all game long.

“I love the rain. I just love it, it cools me down. A lot of people think it's uncomfortable, but I just find comfort in it,” Frank said. “It makes it harder to hold the ball, but I think it definitely brings a drive.” 

Unnecessary penalties and an inability to convert on a couple of fourth down plays plagued Smith Voc’s offense. Martinez appeared to pick up a 58-yard gainer that ended on or near the end zone but was called back for a blindside hit in the first half; the next play he threw an interception to Frank. There were moments when the Vikings put together lengthy runs, relying heavily on their running game from players like Martinez and Jared Baer, among others, but they couldn’t keep that play going consistently. 

“The first half we committed way too many penalties. We took two touchdowns off the board. It's hard to overcome,” Smith Voc head coach Alex Subocz said. “We transitioned into a six-two (defense to try and stop Frank), it just felt like a little bit too late. It was after their second score, so we kept them off the board… I feel like we should score more than two touchdowns in a game. I think the defense played well. Offensively we’ve got to finish.”

Smith Voc came up just short on a crucial fourth down attempt to start the fourth quarter, but managed to force Monument Mountain to a three-and-out on the next drive attempt. After getting the ball back, the Vikings’ offensive players did a terrific job blocking to allow Baer to get into the end zone on a 6-yard run. Once again, they came up short when they tried the two-point conversion. 

The Vikings got the ball back with 55 seconds left on the clock, and though Martinez hurled up a couple Hail Mary passes, they weren’t enough, and the Spartans ran out the clock after the Vikings turned the ball over on downs. 

Smith Voc will try to get back into the win column next week, traveling to Pathfinder for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Monument Mountain will host Springfield International Charter School at 6 p.m. in an effort to extend their winning streak.