Sullivan and the offense took advantage and the result was an efficient 21-0 execution of the Falcons.
You can read all the details and see my game photos in the Villager on Wednesday, but let's discuss some additional tidbits and thoughts on the game.
"It was more than having the extra time to practice," answered head coach Neal Weidman when asked if the two weeks to prepare made the difference. "We had the extra time to kind of get our legs back underneath us. Unfortunately you can't play once every two weeks the whole season. It would be a lot easier if we could."
"We started a lot faster (Saturday)," the coach went on. "The defense set us up nicely."
While the offense was steady under Sullivan's direction and with the help of solid running by Kyle McGah (more on him later), the story of the game was clearly the defense, which stifled the Danvers offense at every turn.
Here are the results of the Falcons' possessions:
1) Punt
2) Punt
3) Interception
4) Interception
5) Punt
6) Interception
7) Turnover on downs (failed fake punt)
8) Punt
9) Fumble
10) Interception
11) Punt
That, my friends, is defensive dominance and just what the doctor ordered for a young quarterback making his first varsity start.
The interceptions by captains Alex Pascucci and Tyler Palumbo set the Pioneers up on the Danvers 14 and 21 yard lines and were quickly converted into scores. The third by sophomore Cam Rondeau at the goal line, prevented a touchdown. And McGah got the Pioneers out of the shadow of the goalposts quickly with an 87 yard run that set up the third score.
You couldn't script the day any better and the result was a well earned win.
Doing the Tighten Up
As the season approaches the halfway point and especially after Saturday's game, it is becoming apparent that the strength of this team may be on the defensive side of the ball. So how do they measure up to recent Pioneer teams over the first four games?
In the first four games with a 2-2 record, the Pioneers have allowed 48 points, a 12 ppg average.
Last season, the Pioneers were also 2-2 after four games, but they had allowed 22 points per game. That was skewed somewhat by the 40-18 blowout at St. Mary's, but even in the other three games they allowed an average of 16 ppg.
In 2010, the defense allowed 6.8 points per game, but you could safely argue that the quartet of opponents (Man-Essex/Georgetown/Bishop Fenwick/Cathedral) that year was a step or two down from this year's first four opponents.
In the championship year of 2009, the Pioneers had allowed a similar 12 ppt through their first four games.
With a game against a potent Pentucket team this week and then a tough league schedule, there is no way to know if the defensive performance will continue, but if it does, the Pioneers will be in the thick of the race.
Goose Egg
The shutout was the 87th in the 540 game history of the school and the first in 16 games. The last time the Pioneers hung a zero on an opponent was in November of 2010 when they blanked Ipswich 41-0.
It was quite a turnaround from last year's shootout in Danvers when the Pioneers couldn't stop the Falcons and fell 42-37. Overall, the Pioneers are now 3-1 against Danvers having outscored them 110-66.
Young Blood
Weidman was pleased with the performance of some of his youngsters starting with the play of Rondeau's.
"The one Cam made on the goal line was a great play," the coach said. "He's going to be good. He's getting a lot of good experience right now."
It was great to see the sophomore get the pick since opposing offenses always target the least experienced player and Rondeau has certainly had a bullseye on his back in the early going. As his play continues to improve, offensive coordinators may have to start looking elsewhere.
Speaking of young 'uns, Weidman was also impressed with the play of Sullivan and freshman Adam Buchanan who got snaps on offense at QB and on defense against Danvers.
"For a freshman, it's amazing how much he knows," Weidman said of the 6'2" 205 lb Buchanan. The coach said they had actually planned to use him more than they did, but stayed with Sullivan because of the way the game developed.
Weidman did use the freshman on the one yard line and Buchanan rewarded him with his first varsity touchdown. The coach also brought him in on fourth and one from the Lynnfield 30 yard line to pick up two yards and a first down on the first drive of the third quarter. I mentioned that even though he is a bit of a gambler it was a pretty gutsy move to bring in a freshman at that point.
"He's practiced it," Weidman told me. "He's the one we want in there. Danny weighs 145 lbs and Adam weighs 210 lbs so it's not really that difficult of a decision."
Running Start
Junior Kyle McGah is off to a tremendous start after four games. He has scored five touchdowns and has rushed for 453 yards, a 113 per game average. He has already equalled his TD mark from last year and roared past the 370 yards he gained last season.
He is on pace to score 12 touchdowns and rush for over 1100 yards. That would clearly put him in the elite category as far as Pioneer rushers of all time are concerned. In the 23 years I have been keeping Lynnfield stats, only one Pioneer has broken the 1000 yard mark and that was Dan Veinot in 2000 when he went for 1,363 yards and 12 TD's. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry.
Jamie Solomon ran for 918 in 2003 and only two other runners have cracked the 800 mark. Gino Cohee did it twice with 840 yards in 2009 and 811 in 2010. Harold Roy hit 800 exactly in 1998.
Numerology
If you were at the game on Saturday, you already know that the Pioneers put the game away by converting three straight interceptions into touchdowns. You also know that the picks were made in order by captains Alex Pascucci and Tyler Palumbo, and by sophomore Cam Rondeau.
In a tidy bit of math, their uniform numbers in order are 21 (Pascucci), 22 (Palumbo) and 23 (Rondeau). There is no 24 on the roster, so the final interception went all the way down to 83 (Giulio Pellegrini).
And speaking of Pellegrini, he was all over the field on special teams making several tackles.
Kickin'
Senior placekicker and linebacker Alex Roper has been on a PAT hot streak. It started in Amesbury on the PAT on the winning Pioneer TD that gave the Pioneers a crucial four point edge in the 31-27 win over the Indians. If not for that kick, Amesbury would have probably booted a field goal when they were at the five yard line sending that game into overtime. But down by four that was not an option so that PAT was key.
Including that kick, Roper has now drilled five in a row as he was 1 for 1 against Bishop Fenwick and he was 3 for 3 against Danvers.
Advanced Scouting
I caught up with Pentucket coach Steve Hayden under the scoreboard goal post in last Saturday's game as he was scouting for this week's Sachem/Pioneer game. He mentioned how big the Pioneer line was.
"They are big up front," he told me. "But not only big, but very athletic and they have good motors."
Hayden started in Pentucket in 1982, six years after I started covering the Cape Ann League. He is one of the best coaches around and a real class act. My guess is he has already begun planning for how he is going to cool down those Pioneer motors he was so impressed with.
That's it for now. Check back Monday night when I'll take a look around the rest of the CAL/NEC 4.
No comments:
Post a Comment