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| The LHS Football Wayback Machine |
From the Lynnfield football program's inception in 1958, the Pioneers traditionally opened the season against Wayland, a fellow member of the Dual County League in the early years. When Lynnfield left the DCL to join the Cape Ann League in 1973, the Pioneers continued to play the Warriors in their non-league opener. In 25 previous meetings, the Pioneers held a slim 13-12 edge. However, the Pioneers dominated in the first half of the 1980's. They came into the 1986 game riding a 5-0 streak against the Warriors, outscoring them 95-14 and shutting them out three times. They were coming off a 28-6 win in 1985.
It would not be so easy in the 1986 opener.
According to the account by Villager reporter Rob Irion, the Pioneers literally and figuratively played in a fog for most of the night. On a wet field in Wayland, playing in a persistent mist, the Pioneers could never really get untracked.
The Warriors stunned Lynnfield on their opening possession marching 43 yards for a score on a 9 yard pass play. The PAT failed, but the home team jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead.
It looked like the Pioneers would answer when Bill Aldenberg recovered a Wayland fumble at the Warrior 36 yard line as the first quarter ended. Runs by co-captain Todd Coviello and Jason Mochi got it to the 16 yard line but Coviello was stopped on a fourth and one and the Pioneers couldn't score the equalizer.
The defense came to the rescue later in the second period when junior tackle John Dean sacked the Wayland quarterback twice to pin the Warriors on their own 11 yard line. The ensuing punt gave the Pioneers the ball in great field position on the Wayland 42.
Mochi carried to the 25 for a first down. Then quarterback Jay Kelleher pitched to Coviello who rocketed down the right sideline to knot the score at 6-6. A bad snap botched the extra point try but the teams went in at the half tied 6-6.
Compounding the Pioneers' struggles was the loss of Coviello, who spent the second half on the sideline icing his knee. He told Irion "I made a cut on a run and strained my knee. I won't risk it tonight, but I'll be back next week."
Keller was 0-4 in the first half, so Adams decided to change things up in the second half and inserted Dave Frontero at quarterback.
"We just wanted to mix things up," Adams told Irion. "Frontero's a much shiftier kid. It wasn't to slight Jay. He might be back next week. He threw the ball well in the first half."
With Coviello sidelined, the running burden fell to Mochi who responded. He picked up 67 yards on the night, most of those in the second half.
The defense struck again when Scott Yerardi recovered a fumble on the first play of the second half. A holding penalty backed the Pioneers to mdfield, but that didn't phase Mochi who took a pitchout and raced 50 yards for an apparent go ahead touchdown. The score was nullified on a clipping call which did not please Adams.
"That was called when Jason was 25-30 yards downfield," Adams said.
The Pioneers broke through late in the third quarter when Frontero found Mark Sutera with a 16 yard scoring pass. Frontero looked to pass for the two point conversion, but instead ran through a gaping hole on the right side to make it 14-6.
But Wayland made one last valiant attempt.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Warriors marched to the Lynnfield 4 yard line. They had four chances to punch in the potential tying score, but the defense was having none of it.
On first down, Sutera dropped the Wayland quarterback for a one yard loss. After an incomplete pass on second down, co-captain Daryl Carty swatted down a pass on third down. Then on fourth down, Frontero made a diving breakup of a pass in the endzone to preserve the win.
"I'm really happy to get out of here with a win," Adams told Irion after the game. "We knew they were a tough team but I didn't think it would be this tough. The way they played, theoretically, we should have lost."
Escaping with a non-league win was one thing, but a more serious problem loomed for the Pioneers: the condition of running back Todd Coviello. Adams didn't agree with Coviello's rosy proclamation that he would be ready for the league opener the following week. Adams had a terse, one word answer when asked if Coviello would be available for the important league opener against Newburyport.
"Doubtful," Adams said succintly.
Next: Under the Friday Night Lights for the league opener in Newburyport.
If you played on or were involved with the 1986 team and would like to share a memory, please pass it on to me at tcondardo@gmail.com
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