The 2016 season came to an end for Cumberland High School’s varsity football team Friday with a 62-14 loss to visiting Central Lunenburg High School.

The Chargers were an opponent Dukes Head Coach Edgar Knapp described as likely the best on his team’s schedule this year, and they lived up to the hype.

“They were a really good football team, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they made a pretty deep run into the playoffs,” he said.

Knapp noted the Dukes did not play especially well, though senior Brandon Leabough was a bright spot in his final game.

Leabough led Cumberland with nine total tackles, including two for a loss, and on offense, he had eight carries for 78 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown run. He also went 3-for-11 passing for 26 yards.

Senior De’Suan Jennings had 10 carries for 134 yards, which included a 52-yard scoring run.

The Dukes finished the season with a 1-9 record.

“There’s a difference between a tough season and a bad season,” Knapp said. “This was a tough season. We had a lot of things happen to us both physically and internally that created some issues for us through the year.”

Cumberland will be even younger next year, with only four returning seniors, but injuries led to young players gaining experience this year.

“We’ll get in the weight room this offseason, and we’ll try to get bigger and stronger and faster and see what happens next year,” Knapp said.