CUMBERLAND — Unbeaten Hermon High had gaudy defensive statistics and a lopsided scoring margin going into a Class C showdown against Greely.

By the end of Friday’s game, it was Greely’s defense that proved superior, shutting out the Hawks in the second half.

Meanwhile, Greely senior quarterback Luke Piper made enough big plays to offset three poor-decision interceptions. It added up to a decisive 28-14 win for Greely on Senior Night, leaving both two teams with 6-1 records.

In its first six games, Hermon allowed 5.3 points per game and had an overall scoring advantage of 258-32.

“We know we’re a better team than them. We’re better conditioned than them. Things hadn’t been going our way and we just had to prove it to them,” said Greely defensive tackle/right guard Luke Cline.

Defensive linemen Cline, Jackson Justice (two sacks) and James Tyll (one sack) applied heavy pressure on Hermon quarterback Ethan Curtis after clogging the running lanes for standout back Sam Hopkins.

Curtis went into the game completing 63.9% of his passes. He was held to 6 of 18 passing for 62 yards. Hopkins, who now has 995 rushing yards on the season, gained 72 yards on 18 carries after averaging 14.9 yards per carry through the first six games.

Cline, a junior, may have made the play of the game in the third quarter. On the first two plays of the second half, Piper ran off left tackle for 34 yards and off right tackle for a 23-yard touchdown to put Greely ahead 21-14 after the third of Jack Carthy’s four point-after kicks.

Hermon had responded and moved 55 yards to the Greely 10, where it faced fourth-and-1.

Cline got free and was right in the hole, where he stuffed Hopkins for a 1-yard loss.

“To be honest, they just didn’t block me,” Cline said. “I was expecting a block to come and I was there, and I could see the guy coming right at me and it was like, thank you very much, you know?”

Hermon coach Kyle Gallant said that missed assignment was indicative of what hurt his team in the second half and where the Hawks will have to improve, especially next week against league-leader Leavitt (7-0).

“Second half, we had some missed rules, some missed assignments,” Gallant said. “When you’re playing a Greely, playing a Leavitt, playing … Wells, the predominant southern teams that have been powerhouses for years, you can’t do that stuff. That’s the learning curve we’re in right now.”

Greely made the defensive stand even better by going 89 yards in 12 plays. Justice capped it with a 1-yard run for a two-score lead. A Piper-to-Justice jump pass off a rollout to the right went for 37 yards on third-and-9.

Piper’s throwing set up every score except for his 23-yard touchdown run — three TDs for Greely and both of Hermon’s scores.

In the first half, Rocky Axelsen turned a wide receiver screen into a 46-yard gain, setting up a Noah Allen 1-yard run. Later, an 18-yard slant pass to Tyll as time was running down in the first half got the ball to the 1, and Piper ran it in from there.

Hermon’s Hopkins and Dunton each had second-quarter interceptions — thrown basically right to them — and turned into long returns. Hopkins went 48 yards to the 2 and scored two plays later. Dunton’s interception return was 49 yards to the Rangers 16. Curtis connected with Tyler Corson from the 10 for a 14-7 lead.

Several of Greely’s 13 seniors are playing football for the first time. Two made big plays. Ethan Kittredge had an interception, the first Curtis has thrown this season.

Axelsen’s catch-and-run to set up Greely’s first score was impressive. So, too, was the job he did at cornerback, blanketing Hermon’s top target, Dunton, and holding him to one catch for 11 yards.

• Hermon: Sam Hopkins (18 carries, 72 yards, 1 TD; one interception), Ethan Curtis (6 of 18 passing, 62 yards, 1 TD, 1 interception)

• Greely: Luke Piper (18 carries, 145 yards, 2 TDs; 6 of 12 passing, 136 yards, 3 interceptions), Jackson Justice (2 sacks; 3 catches, 69 yards; 8 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD), Noah Allen (11 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD)