Around the CAL/NEC4: Week Six

So we've finally reached the end of the non league schedule and time to move on to the games that REALLY count. North Reading had a bye, but everyone else was in action. First, let's take a look at the updated standings.


Overwhelming league favorite North Reading has the week off, perfect timing in preparation for their league opener at Georgetown Saturday. It's not tough enough for the injury ravaged Royals that they have to take on the powerhouse Hornets right off the bat. They also face North Reading with two weeks to rest up and prepare. Tough matchup there.

Hamilton-Wenham had a nice bounce back week after their loss to Amesbury last week by handing Bishop Fenwick their first loss of the season in overtime in a defensive battle.

With two of the most dynamic offensive players on the north shore in Fenwick's Rufus Rushins and the Generals' Trevor Lyons, it was surprising that the two teams battled through a scoreless first half.

H-W broke on top first on their first drive of the second half when Lyons scooted in from the three. Freshman sensation Cameron Macri had the big run on the drive, racing for a 51 yard gain to help set up the score. Lyons added the two point conversion to give the Generals an 8-0 lead.

The Crusaders answered with a long drive that took 13 plays pounding the General defense with Rushins (159 yards rushing) and quarterback Fran Hannon. According to Mario DiNitto of the Daily Item, BF ran 12 consecutive running plays then crossed up the Generals with a swing pass from Hannon to Nick Bona for a 14 yard touchdown. Rushins bulled in for the two to tie the game at 8-8.

The Generals ate up most of the fourth quarter with a 16 play drive that got them to the Fenwick 10 yard line with just over two minutes to play. The march stalled and the field goal attempt was no good leaving the scored tied.

H-W forced a three and out and Fenwick punted the ball back with a minute and a half left in regulation. The Generals roared down the field and made it to the one yard line. But the Crusaders came up with a huge goal line stand, stopping Lyons from the one yard line on a fourth and goal to force overtime.

Fenwick got the ball first in OT and Rushins carried three times to get it to the one yard line, but the Generals held the big running back inches short of the goal line on fourth down.

On the Generals' first play of the overtime, H-W crossed up the Crusaders by handing off to Macri who burst through the middle for the winning score.

The Generals open their CAL/NEC 4 schedule when they host Manchester Essex on Saturday.

Manchester Essex played their last non-league game against Northeast on Sunday, and fell to the Knights 32-14.

This one started well for the Hornets as they held on to a 7-0 lead at halftime thanks to a solid defensive effort that held the Knights to less that 75 yards in the first two quarters. Unfortunately, the Hornets are another team devastated by injuries and they wore down in the second half.

Already playing without Jake Fitzgerald and Doug Rodier, who were hurt earlier in the season, the Hornets lost RB/DB Chris Dumont and RB/DL Zach Fleming in the first half. Northeast responded by hammering the depleted Hornets in the second half, scoring on four of their five possessions to pull away.

Quarterback Cory Burnham got the scoring started for the Hornets in the second period on a 5 yard run with John Beardsley adding the extra point. Northeast took an 8-7 lead in the third period, but M/E answered when Burnham found Henry Gedney for a 14 yard TD pass to take a 14-7 lead.

It was all Northeast from there as the Knights rolled for 244 yards rushing in the second half. The Hornets will be looking to regroup against the Generals in their league opener Saturday.

Georgetown, which started the season so promisingly putting up boatloads of points, have been destroyed by injuries in their non league schedule. They had the misfortune to face a surging Amesbury team this week and the results were unfortunately predictable.

The Indians scored the first four times they touched the ball enroute to a 43-12 rout. They led 29-0 midway in the second period. Tom Zargaj scored the first Royal touchdown on a 17 yard run and added a second score when sophomore quarterback Zack Curtain hit Patrick Bjork on an 18 yard scoring strike.

Georgetown is going to have to get healthy in a hurry if they hope to slow down North Reading when they open their league season at home on Saturday.

Finally, Ipswich tuned up for their trip to Lynnfield for the league opener next week by battling Newburyport in a hard fought 13-7 loss last week.The Tigers were missing four starters on defense but it didn't look that way, especially in the second half when they held the Clippers to less than 40 yards of offense.

The Clippers scored on their first possession on a 29 yard run by Tyler Cusack. Late in the second quarter Newburyport stretched that to 13-0 when Sam Francis scored on a 13 yard run. But that would be it for the Clippers as the tenacious Tigers tightened up from there.

Unfortunately, the Ipswich offense couldn't generate much, gaining just over 100 yards in the game only 24 on the ground. Their only score came on a 78 yard kickoff return by John Elnagger following the Clippers' second score.

The Tigers will be bringing their Delaware Wing T and tenacious D to Pioneer Field Saturday at 1 pm for the league opener.

That's it for now. I'll be posting my next installment of the 1973 Pioneers on Wednesday and I'll have a full preview of the Ipswich game and a look at the CAL/NEC 4 race on Thursday.