Around the League: Week Nine

Nine weeks into the season and the Pioneers are the only undefeated team in CAL Small play and they are also the only team in the league with a winning record. Lots of excitement in the league this week as all of the other CAL Small teams were involved in close contests that went down to the wire.

But first, let's take a look at the standings.


Amesbury helped out the Pioneers this weekend and made things a tad easier by upending Hamilton Wenham 15-14. The Generals could actually have come in here this weekend with hopes of a title if they had held off the Indians, but it was not to be as they suffered their second league loss to drop two games behind Lynnfield.

The Indians jumped out to an 8-0 lead but the Generals cut it to 8-6 at the half when quarterback Andy Duval hit Dylan Keith with a 20 yard TD pass. The Generals jumped ahead 14-8 when Duval ran one in from the five yard line in the third quarters.

Amesbury retook the lead midway in the fourth when Tyler Lay hit Matt Enaire for the second touchdown of the game for the duo, this one coming from 21 yards out to tie the game at 14-14. Things then got interesting as Indian place kicker Nicholas Croce, who had booted one from 42 yard to win last week's game for Amesbury was apparently not available. That left Lay to attempt his first PAT ever. His line drive barely made it over the crossbar but it was good enough to give the Indians a 15-14 lead.

The Generals had enough time to come back, but Duval re injured one of the ankles that has been plaguing him all year and had to leave the game. He did not play in that drive but according to Phil Perry of the Newburyport News, Duval "returned to the field limping" with under two minutes to play. He got the Generals to the 20 yard line with 11 seconds to play, but Tucker White's winning field goal attempt sailed wide right and the Indians escaped with another win. The loss dropped H-W 2-2 in the league and 2-6 overall.

We'll have more about them in Thursday's preview.

The Indians moved to 3-1 in league play and 3-5 overall. They host North Reading this weekend.

Speaking of the Hornets, North Reading finally ended their seven game losing streak with a comeback 14-13 win over Georgetown. The Hornets took a 7-0 lead on a 73 yard burst by Bobby Rosano, who rolled for 186 yards on the day. Georgetown made it 7-7 at the half on a Chris Esposito to Tyran Harrigan 33 yard pass.

Harrigan gave the Royals the lead when he returned the second half kickoff 78 yards for a score, but Georgetown missed the extra point and that would prove to be fatal.

North Reading answered on the very next drive, needing only six plays to score. Rosano took it the final nine for the TD. Eric Valenti booted through what turned out to be the game winning PAT.

The Hornets had to withstand two final Georgetown threats. The first was a field goal attempt midway in the first quarter which failed on a bad snap. The final charge ended when Dylan Desrosiers intercepted a Royal pass in Hornet territory in the final minute of play.

North Reading improves to 2-7 with the win and the struggling Royals fall to 1-7.

The Hornets travel to Amesbury in their final contest before Thanksgiving Day while Georgetown hosts Newburyport.

Meanwhile Newburyport couldn't hold on against Triton, dropping a 14-7 decision for their fifth loss in their last six games. After starting the year 3-0, the Clippers now sit at 4-5.

They started off on the right cleat in this one, taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a Ryan O'Connor to Kyle Leblanc 1 yard pass. The lead held until the fourth quarter when Triton, playing without super running back Brendan O'Neil who left the game with a concussion, cut it to 7-6 on a 1 yard run by quarterback Blaise Whitman. They won it with less than two minutes to play on a one yard run by Derek Paquette. Whitman ran in the two to give the Vikes a 14-7 lead.

The Clippers came back and had the ball on the Triton 5 yard line with 29 seconds to go but two straight sacks by Triton's Luke Miller killed the clock and any chance Newburyport had to pull this one out.

Newburyport travels to Georgetown this week.

Ipswich, in a desperate search to end their 30 game losing streak, travels to Medford Friday night to take on the Mustangs.

Check back on Thursday and we'll take a look at Saturday's Pioneer-General matchup.

Material from the Newburyport Daily News, Lawrence Eagle Tribute, Salem Evening News, Boston Herald and Rally North.net was used in compiling this report.