by Tom Condardo
For the first time in 13 months, the Pioneers will be playing a game with nothing but pride on the line.
So it's been 16 straight games that have had consequences. Now with the CAL Baker championship firmly in tow, and after last week's playoff exit at the hands of Bedford, the Pioneers travel to Watertown Friday night and will have to find other motivation to bounce back from their second loss in their last 18 games.
As Pioneer head coach Neal Weidman said after the game Saturday, both teams are in the same situation, trying to regroup after a tough playoff loss. Based on last weekend's results, higher seeds have had a difficult job maintaining their focus the week following their playoff exit. In the 27 games last weekend involving teams that were bounced from the first round of the playoffs, the higher seed won only 59% of them (16 of 27). In the Pioneers' Division Four North, both lower seeds won their first post playoff exit game. Stoneham (#7) cruised past hobbled Newburyport (#5) 48-27 while Hamilton Wenham (#8) shocked Triton (#4) 21-7.
Might that be a cautionary tale for the second seeded Pioneers as they take on #5 Watertown in only their third road game of the season?
Each team has incentive to play well. Raider coach John Cacace told Gatehouse Media that having a winning season was one of his team's primary goals. Watertown is 5-4 and can secure their fifth straight winning year with a victory over Lynnfield.
The Pioneers at 8-1 can become only the second team in school history to win ten games if they can beat Watertown and North Reading. Only the 2009 champs at 10-2 have been able to accomplish that feat. If the Pioneers can finish 10-1, their .909 winning percentage rank second just behind the undefeated 1960 team in LHS football history.
Pulling that off won't be easy beginning with a difficult matchup against a tough Watertown team. Like Stoneham, the Raiders play in the predominantly Division 3 Middlesex Freedom league. They posted a 2-3 league mark with wins over Stoneham (16-14) and Wakefield (17-14). Together with non-league wins over Medway (34-14) and Shawsheen (19-7) that was enought to earn them a wild card spot in the Division Four North playoffs. They went up to Byfield in the first round and knocked off Triton 31-22 to make it to the semi-finals where they were beaten by top-seeded Pentucket 23-13.
The Raiders will be a handful for the Pioneers as they feature a split personality offense. It's like playing Hamilton-Wenham and Lynnfield at the same time. Sometimes the Raiders line up in the Power I like the Generals, with quarterback Nick Giordano handing off to tailback Mike Petrillo (8 touchdowns).
Sometimes in mid series Watertown will switch to the Spread similar to the Pioneer offense and Giordano will show off his throwing skills. He has two dangerous targets in T. J. Hairston (9 TD's) and Austin Farry (3 TD's). Giordano has thrown 13 TD passes, tied for fourth best in the division. Their offense can put up points as they've topped 30 points four times and have never scored less than two TD's in a game. They average almost 24 points per game.
Defensively, they can be tough at times but have shown cracks allowing over 20 points per game.
Sheehan's Take
Triton head coach and former Pioneer captain and assistant coach Pat Sheehan faced the Raiders in the playoffs and knows the Pioneers well so I asked him for his take on the game.
"This is another tough team," Sheehan told me. "Mostly an I offense and they have a trips change up. They are a very scary offense. T. J. Hairston is the best receiver we faced all year. He can stretch the field and has great hands. He is a particular problem when you need to be tough against the run.
"Lynnfield's offense should get back on track this week since they have a very strong run game and Watertown's run defense is not nearly as good as their pass coverage," Sheehan continued. "Should be some points scored in this one. One thing Lynnfield may have an advantage on is if they can go up early. Watertown seems to be impatient if they are down and they can start pressing the issue and sometimes that can lead to mistakes."
This will be the first meeting ever between Lynnfield and Watertown and the Raiders become the 42nd team the Pioneers have ever played. Lynnfield is 24-16-1 in other games playing a team for the first time.
Game time at Victory Field in Watertown is 7 pm on Friday.
That's it for now. Check back after the game for more.
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