Reimello Hyde ended his Merrimack football career with 184 rushing yards and a TD in the 'Hawks' 21-7 loss to Londonderry in the Division I quarterfinals Saturday. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

The Merrimack High School football team’s season may be over, but the Tomahawks, as is their custom, didn’t go quietly.

Merrimack trailed the defending champion, top-seeded Londonderry Lancers just 7-0 at the half, but in the end the No. 8 Tomahawks couldn’t get over the hump, falling 21-7 in the Division I quarterfinals on Saturday.

The Tomahawks dominated the game everywhere but on the scoreboard, outgaining Londonderry 280-129 in total offense.

“We were physical on offense and defense,” Merrimack coach Kip Jackson said. “The O-line was especially a force with our running backs. Unfortunately, we didn’t make plays on special teams which ended up being a big difference in the game.”

The Lancers (9-0, 9-1 overall) grabbed the early lead right away on the opening kickoff, as Andrew Kullman took Reese Lopez’s boot at the 10 and ran 90 yards to paydirt to help give the home team a 7-0 lead.

The No. 8 ‘Hawks (7-4, 7-5 overall) had the ball in the red zone twice in the first half but came up empty. And the Lancers eventually made them pay with two third quarter scores. Trevor Weinmann had a 4-yard TD run three minutes into the second half, and Londonderry put the game away as Drew Heenan tossed a 44-yard TD pass to Anthony Amaro with 22 seconds left in the quarter. That was, believe it or not, Heenan’s only completion on the day in six attempts.

Merrimack got on the board with 8:47 left on Reimello Hyde’s 16-yard TD run.

Hyde went out in style, rushing for 174 yards on 36 carries.

Merrimack QB Trent Jackson completed 14 of 28 passes for 111 yards. But he tossed two interceptions and the ‘Hawks also fumbled the ball away once. They were also hurt by eight penalties for 55 yards.

“We can sometimes be our own worst enemy, and playing in the playoffs vs. the No. 1 team, any mistake you make can swing momentum in a way which impacts the outcome of the game,” Jackson said.

But still, it was a valiant effort against a tough team. And a good season.

“I’m very proud of how the kids rose to the challenges from this season and grew in so many ways,” Jackson said. “A really good effort by all members of the program.

Londonderry will now host arch rival Pinkerton in the semifinals next Saturday, while Timberlane, which incredibly rallied past No. 3 Exeter, 29-28, on a late two-point conversion, will host No. 10 Bedford in the other Division I semifinal.

(Material supplied by the Lawrence Eagle Tribune was used in this report.)