Harvard dumps Burlington C.

Lightning delayed the start of Friday's Big Northern-East football game between visiting Harvard and Burlington Central by 75 minutes.

Once play began, Harvard followed with the thunder.

The Hornets rushed for 426 yards and 6 touchdowns on a muddy track to keep their playoff hopes alive with a 42-16 victory. Senior Phillip Towne led the way with 18 carries for 189 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Harvard (5-4, 3-2) should end up with 34 playoff points, and will have to sweat out tonight's playoff pairings announcement.

"Without this win we had no chance," Harvard coach Tim Haak said. "We can only do what we can control."

What the Hornets controlled was the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. On their first offensive play junior running back Vince Gabrys broke through the Central line and raced 76 yards for a touchdown.

Central (2-7, 2-3) threatened to tie the game in the second quarter, but Harvard forced a fumble and returned it to the Rockets' 35-yard line. Towne scored up the middle untouched on the next play to make it 14-0 Harvard with 9:44 left in the second quarter.

"That killed our momentum," Central coach Aaron Wichman said of the fumble return. "

Though the second half of the sophomore game was canceled due to the weather, the middle of the field still became a muddy quagmire early in the varsity game. Harvard used the elements to its advantage by running inside traps and misdirection plays up the middle that kept Central's linebackers sliding when they tried to change direction. The Hornets scored on their next 2 possessions, thanks to an 18-yard jaunt by Towne and his 1-yard run 33 seconds before halftime, which he set up with a 55-yard burst.

Harvard led 28-0 at the break and added to its lead when Dusty Binz scored on a 13-yard run with 8:27 left in the third quarter. Towne's 1-yard run with 8:27 left in the game initiated a running clock.

Central, overmatched physically, never stopped playing hard. The Rockets finally broke through for touchdowns on their final 2 possessions of the season, when senior Nick Smith scored on a 37-yard pitch and a 3-yard run.

"I've played with these guys for three years," said Smith, who rushed for 94 yards on 6 carries. "The fact I won't be playing with them anymore doesn't feel like it's real.

With only four seniors who played football for four years and offensive and defensive lines manned mainly by juniors and sophomores, the Rockets lacked the experience to finish with a winning record in 2008.

"In high school football that's going to catch up with you," Wichman said of the experience factor. "I thought we played hard and I have to give Nick Smith a lot of credit... A lot of sophomores gained experience this year. We definitely have a lot to build on."