Alvirne’s Michael Landmesser is all smiles after his two TDs in the fourth quarter gave the Broncos a dramatic win over Salem Friday night. (Photo by Dom Nicastro)

HUDSON –  Alvirne’s Michael Landmesser scored touchdowns on each side of the ball in the second half, and the Broncos’ defense came up with a massive stop 21 yards away its end zone in the final minute of a 20-13 victory over Salem Friday night at Veteran’s Field.

The Broncos trailed, 13-7, after one half but shut out the Blue Devils in the second and improved to 2-0 for the first time in recent memory. Salem fell to 0-2.

The near-three-hour affair gave a packed house every kind of sub-plot and twist-and-turn you could imagine for just a couple of bucks on a late-summer Friday night.

You want redemption?

Landmesser, Alvirne’s running back and secondary man, fumbled the ball on the Blue Devils’ 1-yard line early in the fourth with a chance to take a lead down 13-7.

However, he later scored on a 36-yard dash to tie things at 13 with 6:46 to go. (Salem blocked Shawn Boudreau’s PAT kick to keep things tied at 13-13. He was 6-for-6 on the season before that failed PAT).

Then, only a couple of minutes later, Landmesser scooped up a Salem fumble and raced to the end zone from about 30 yards away to give Alvirne the lead for good.

You want drama?

Salem, after stopping Alvirne three-and-out, marched about 60 yards in only a couple of minutes desperately trying to tie the game. The Blue Devils, led by quarterback Christopher Goss, brought it to the 21 of Alvirne with less than a minute to play.

But on a third down, Ryan Rocheleau recovered a fumble by Goss who was pressured by Alvirne’s defense, and that sealed the deal.

You want emotion?

Alvirne Coach Matt Lee told his players on the field after the game he’s never been more proud than he was at that moment in 14 years of coaching. He cited his depleted offensive line due to injury.

“This is a big deal for us,” Lee said. “I have a ton of respect for (Salem).”

You want adversity?

The Broncos came into the game without two-way lineman Andrew Deely, who went down with a dislocated elbow in Manchester last week and has yet to return. Cam Steed and Liam Bowie, fellow linemen, went down with injuries against Salem. The Broncos were so depleted, Boudreau had to switch his No. 8 jersey for a No. 60 and get on the line.

Doing an admirable job stepping in on the offensive were Chase Noone, a sophomore, along with Boudreau.

At full strength, the Broncos’ line features Deely, Steed, Mackey, Liam Bowie and Devin Scott.

“To have two starting O lineman go down in the first half, and we already had one out, that was … wow,” Lee said of his team’s effort without its regulars. “I’m tired. That was a long game.”

You want a heart attack plot line if you’re an Alvirne fan?

Well, no one wants that but Salem offered it up nonetheless when running back Kevin Todisco Jr. raced 47 yards into the end zone with four minutes left in the game for what looked like a 19-13 Blue Devils’ lead. But a holding penalty brought it back, and Landmesser scooped up the fumble for a TD literally on the next play.

Talk about a reversal of fortune.

The Landmesser Redemption Story may be the one Hollywood picks up. The junior running back, fresh off his 159-yard performance up in Manchester, had to earn every yard against a stronger Salem defense that seemed to be targeting him. He had 15 carries for 86 yards.

Toss in the 30 or so he picked up on the defensive, game-winning touchdown, and you’ve got a comeback story in an individual sense like 28-3 down against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

“Football is a mental game,” said Landmesser, who also had a key interception in his own end zone in the third. “Ever since I was younger, and I’ve played for a long time, I’ve always learned that. Keep your head in the game, and you can keep yourself in the game.”

Lee gave the Game Ball to Shayne Mackey, a senior captain who was a menace to Salem’s offense all night.

“He was unbelievable,” Lee said. “He’s led in numbers in the weight room the last two years. We track attendance. That kid has gotten the absolute most out of himself.”

The Blue Devils took a 13-7 lead into halftime. Goss did fire a few back-breaking passes in an 86-yard second quarter that led to the visitors’ two touchdowns.

First, Salem tied it at 7-7 in the second after recovering a Landmesser fumble and taking over from the Broncos’ 48. The big play on the drive was a 30-yard pass from Goss to his only target of the first half — Calen Smith. It set up the visitors’ first red-zone opportunity and score of the night: Todisco Jr.’s 2-yard plunge with 6:21 left in the half. He had 15 carries for 86 yards in the game to lead the Blue Devils.

The Blue Devils went on top, 13-7, a little more than three minutes later on Goss’ 1-yard TD plunge.

Goss deserved those points. In the drive, he threw two strikes to Smith – for 25 and 31 yards. The latter went all the way to the hosts’ 2-yard line, a floating ball on a corner route that sailed artfully into the Hudson night — much like a high fly ball that drops into the right-field corner.

Alvirne took a 7-0 lead when senior quarterback Charlie Crawford (6-for-14, 70 yards), on fourth and inches from the Salem 49, took it to the house. He met a wall on the left side of the line but then found a seam and dashed about 45 yards untouched after breaking through.

Alvirne will look to keep things going when it hosts Timberlane (0-2) next Friday night.