Around the CAL Small: Week Nine

With only two league games left, things are starting to come into focus. Another team falls by the wayside and the big showdown in Hamilton between the Pioneers and Generals looms large.

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



Hamilton-Wenham took another step toward the title, kept their fate in their own hands and effectively knocked Amesbury out of the title chase with a dominating 20-6 win over the Indians in Landry Stadium last Friday.

I was at the game to see the Generals up close for the second time and it was a completely different team than the one that struggled to outlast Georgetown 12-10.

The Generals were able to move the ball at will and the disciplined Generals completely diffused the Indian wing T offense. Amesbury never got into H-W territory in the first half.

Despite their dominance, H-W could manage only a second quarter score, putting together a patented grind it out General drive of 10 plays in 94 yards eating up 4:31 minutes of clock. Quarterback Dylan Keith completed four passes on the drive and running back Elliot Burr was the workhorse on the ground and lugged it the final six for the score.

The Indians had a golden opportunity to even the score early in the third period. After a few misdirections and a double handoff, Indian speedster Stephon Deas found himself with the ball and nothing but open field in front of him. Indian fans were already mentally changing the scoreboard as Deas raced down the sideline. Shockingly, General sophomore Trevor Lyons rocketed on an angle and ran Deas down at the 17 preventing the TD.

It was a huge stop as the Indians could not punch it in and turned the ball over on downs.

"Here is a kid who all year long as a sophomore has made plays that go way beyond his years," General head coach Andrew Morency said of Lyons. "We talk about those special plays.Running a guy down, backside pursuit. He was able to do that. It saved us in a tough situation."

The Generals took over and marched the 83 yards on 12 plays with Keith prancing in from the three for the score to make it 14-0. The way the H-W defense was playing, it might as well have been 140-0.

On the Indians’ next possession Burr picked off a Tyler Lay pass at the Amesbury 30 and returned it for the score to make it 20-0.

The Indians scored in the fourth when Lay hit Nick Croce with a 34 yard TD pass, but H-W was never in danger in this one winning a lot easier than the 20-6 final score would indicate.

"Our defense really stood tough and we really fought hard," Morency told me. "They came through for us again today and I'm very thankful."

"This is great for us beating Amesbury," Morency summed up. "I have all the respect in the world for this program and Coach (Thom) Connors and beating a team like that is special and big for us.

The Indians will tune up for their big Thanksgiving Day game against Newburyport when they travel to North Reading this Friday.

In a game between two future contenders, North Reading picked up their first victory with a 14-7 comeback win at Georgetown.

The field was a quagmire making the going rough for both teams. The Royals struck first early in the second period when QB Tyler Wade hooked up with Derek Depasquale for a 70 yard touchdown pass.

The Royals attempted to build on the lead but a Wade field goal attempt failed early in the fourth quarter. Then the Hornets started buzzing.

Quarterback Nick Rosano (175 yards rushing, 68 yards passing) got NR on the board with an 80 yard run. The try for two failed but the Hornets were within one at 7-6.

With time running out, the Hornets mounted the game winning drive. They got to the Royal 10 on a 50 yard pass from Rosano to Eric Popp. Rosano swept in for the score. He then hit Carl Lipani for the two point conversion to nail down the win.

The Hornets will try to stretch their winning streak to two on Friday when they host Amesbury in their final game before the Thanksgiving rivalry game with the Pioneers.

Georgetown, meanwhile, will be carrying the hopes of Pioneer Nation when they travel to World War Memorial Stadium to take on Newburyport. A Royal upset, coupled with Lynnfield wins over H-W and North Reading would put the Pioneers back into the postseason.

Meanwhile, former Pioneer assistant coach Pat Sheehan must have broken several hundred mirrors this summer or perhaps he had a herd of black cats roaming his practice field in Byfield.

How else to explain the run of incredibly bad luck that has keep his team in every game but unfortunately out of the win column? The Vikings fell to 0-9 on the season with another  heartbreaking loss, this one to the Clippers in Newburyport last Friday.

The Vikes led 7-0 at half time but the  Clippers pulled to within one at 7-6 on a 65 yard run by Brett Fontaine on the opening drive of the second half.

Triton came roaring back driving to the Newburyport 20  yard line. On fourth and ten, quarterback Blaise Whitman found Caleb Hovey for the score. The two point conversion failed but the Vikings still let 13-6.

Clipper fullback Dean Cataldo (remember him) broke loose for a 61 yard gain deep into Triton territory then Tyler Martin ran it in from the four to make it 13-12.  The Vikings blocked the kick to preserve their slim lead.

After forcing a three and out,  the Clippers went to work marching 70 yards in 16 plays eating up almost nine minutes of clock. They stalled at the 15, but Jon Wright drilled one from 22 yards out to win the game for the Clippers.

Triton had two more possessions but both ended in interceptions.

The Clippers host Georgetown this Friday and are unlikely to take the young Royals for granted.

Meanwhile things don’t get any easier for Sheehan and his Vikings. Triton travels to Wilmington to face a Wildcat team still smarting froma 17-7  loss to North Andover that knocked them out of the title chase.

Postseason Puzzle

With the season down to the final two games, the postseason permutations have been simplified a bit. However, there is still a lot to be decided.

For this analysis, I will be assuming that the eventual champion will have only one league loss. Believe it or not there is another scenario, not entirely out of the realm of possibility considering the competitiveness of Ipswich, Amesbury and North Reading, where Lynnfield, Newburyport, Hamilton-Wenham and Amesbury could all finish with two losses. I won’t go into that one at this point however.

For now, let’s consider the likelier “one loss” possibilities.

Perhaps the simplest way to do this is to look at the three main contenders and outline the ways in which they could capture the title and go on to the post season. At this point, the Generals are the only team that controls their own fate. Everyone else needs help. However, depending on this weekend’s game, that could change.

Hamilton-Wenham

1)      Beat Lynnfield and they are in.

At 5-0 they would be a game ahead of Lynnfield and Newburyport and would own the tiebreaker against each. Game. Set. Match.

2)      Lose to Lynnfield (while allowing less than 14 points); Beat Ipswich; Newburyport beats Georgetown and Amesbury; Lynnfield beats North Reading

This would set up a three way tie with the Pioneers, Clippers and Generals and would fall to the “points allowed” tiebreaker. By allowing less than 14 points to Lynnfield, H-W would have allowed 20 points or less to Newburyport and Lynnfield. Newburyport has allowed 21 to H-W and Lynnfield thus giving the title to the Generals.

3)      Lose to Lynnfield; Beat Ipswich; Lynnfield loses to North Reading

Worst case this would result in a tie with Newburyport with one loss each and the Generals own the head to head tiebreaker.

Lynnfield

1)      Beat Hamilton-Wenham; Beat North Reading; Newburyport loses to Georgetown

2)      Beat Hamilton-Wenham; Beat North Reading; Newburyport loses to Amesbury

In either one of these scenarios, the worst that would result for the Pioneers is a tie with H-W with one loss each and they would own the head to head tiebreaker

Newburyport

1)      Beat Georgetown; Beat Amesbury; Hamilton-Wenham loses to Lynnfield (and allows more than 14 points), Lynnfield beats North Reading

This would set up a three way tie with Newburyport, H-W and Lynnfield. Newburyport would need the Pioneers to beat NR because their loss to H-W on opening day puts the Clippers on the wrong end of any head to head tiebreaker with the Generals. This scenario would go to the “points allowed” level and if Lynnfield scored more than 14 points against H-W, it would give the Generals more than the 21 points that the Clippers allowed to H-W and Lynnfield.

2)       Beat Georgetown; Beat Amesbury; Lynnfield beats H-W; Ipswich beats H-W.

Worst case, this would put the Clippers in a tie with Lynnfield with one loss each and they own the head to head tiebreaker by virtue of their 24-7 win over the Pioneers.

So whether or not the race continues hinges on the Pioneers beating Hamilton-Wenham on Saturday. If they don't, everyone is playing for pride and bragging rights on Thanksgiving Day.

That's it for now. Check back on Thursday for my preview of the Big Showdown.