Essex Junction — The Essex Hornets scored 27 unanswered second half point on Friday night, blowing past the Brattleboro Colonels 34-6 on the Essex Field.

Leading 7-6 at the break, Essex took advantage of a Brattleboro fumble on the first drive of the second half. After the Colonels had driven inside the Essex five, the visitors fumbled the ball into the end zone and the Hornets recovered for the touchback. Essex then drove 80 yards, with quarterback Eli DiGrande hitting wideout Otis Crock on a 25 yard touchdown pass and a 14-6 lead after three quarters.

Essex then salted the game away with three fourth quarter touchdowns, DiGrande scoring on a four yard run, Elliot Boutin on a three yard rush, and Jordan Hines on a nine yard scamper.

Essex scored on their first possession of the night, Liam Coulter finishing off a 52 yard drive with a two yard run less than five minutes into the game for a 7-0 lead. It stayed that way until the closing two minutes of the half when an Essex fumble on a Brattleboro punt gave the Colonels a first down at mid-field. The Colonels took it in from there, with quarterback Tony Martinez connecting with wideout Taylor King on a 21 yard TD pass with 21 seconds left in the half. But the Bratt extra point kick was blocked, keeping the score 7-6 Essex, and that would be as close as the visitors would get.

The win moves the Hornets to 2-5, while the loss drops Brattleboro to 3-4.