by Tom Condardo
When you put the division's top two leading passers and top receiver on the field, chances are you're going to see a lot of footballs in the air. That promises to be the case on Saturday afternoon when the Pioneers and the Generals tangle in Hamilton.
The Generals' Cam Peach is the division's leading TD pass receiver with six. Peach has also thrown a couple of TD passes to Whelan. The Pioneers' TD receptions are spread out a bit more with captain Louis Ellis and Nick Kinnon having three apiece and Kyle Hawes with 2.
Needless to say, both teams like to get some air under the ball. You've heard of Deflategate? This will be more like Inflategate.
As is usual in big games, it will come down to which defense is able to shut down the other's offense and in this case it means getting pressure on the quarterback and covering some talented receivers. Whichever team is able to do that will clearly have the upper hand.
The game is huge for both teams. For the Pioneers, a win gives them their fifth straight league championship and a shot at a home playoff game. For the Generals, a victory keeps their title hopes alive. A loss and they could fall out of the playoffs entirely.
The Generals started slow with losses to Bishop Fenwick and North Reading, two powerhouses who have a combined 10-2 record. HW then reeled off three consecutive wins against Chelsea, Man-Essex, and Georgetown, three teams with a combined 6-11 record. They stumbled last week against Amesbury as the Indians picked up their first win of the year despite a late flurry by the Generals.
"They have a group of really good athletes with a real good passing game," head coach Neal Weidman told me when assessing the Generals. "They have four or five guys that can do things with the ball. They rely a lot on the pass."
The Generals showed some different looks this year under new coach Jim Pugh who returns to the sidelines after a year off. He coached Masco for 26 years amassing 178 wins, seven CAL championships and making two trips to the Super Bowl. Instead of the straight power I HW ran under former coach Andrew Morency, they feature more multiple-I sets.
"Jim and his staff have done a nice job of using their talent and finding ways to get them the ball," Weidman continued. "They are completely different on both sides of the ball."
The Generals made it to the Super Bowl in 2011 but have hovered around .500 since combining for a 20-23 mark over the past four seasons including a disappointing 3-8 last year. Pugh is trying to bring his winning ways from Masco and reenergize the program and it seems to be working.
With playoff and title hopes on the line, they should present a formidable foe for the Pioneers on Saturday.
Streaking
The Pioneers have won four straight over the Generals by a combined score of 143-22. Overall, the rivalry is about as even as it can get with Lynnfield holding a 22-10-1 edge since the teams began playing in 1973.
Lynnfield didn't fare quite as well against Pugh when he was a Masco. From 1989 to 2005, the Pioneers faced the Pugh-coached Chieftains 17 times with Masco holding a 13-4 advantage including the last nine times the schools met.
Hoarders
The Pioneers and Generals are the only two teams to hold the CAL Small title since 2009. Lynnfield won it in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. HW captured the championship in 2010 and 2011. One of them will make keep the stranglehold going for an eighth straight year.
That's it for now. Check back Sunday night for my Leftovers post.
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