CRAIG RUBINO (2) shakes a Pentucket defender while fellow senior Ryan McGuire (1) lead blocks. The Hornets cruised past Pentucket 48-0 last Friday night and host Ipswich this Friday night at 6 p.m. (Adele Vittozzi Photo)

 

By DAN ZIMMERMAN

NORTH READING – In a pattern that is starkly similar to last season’s early progression, the North Reading Hornets continued their winning ways last Friday night with a 48-0 rout of winless Cape Ann League foe, Pentucket Regional.

Not only did North Reading improve to 3-0 overall (1-0, CAL), the Hornets for the third consecutive game scored on the first play from scrimmage.

In the season opener, senior QB Alex Carucci connected with Craig Rubino for a 66-yard TD on the first snap enroute to a 35-20 defeat over Northeast. A week later, Carucci found Will Batten for a 48-yard score at the outset of a 44-17 win over Greater Lawrence. And most recently, it was Batten racing the opening kickoff back 75-yards to stun visiting Pentucket. In three straight games, the Hornets have set the tone in the first 12-13 seconds.

“We’ve been able to execute and make a number of big plays,” said North Reading coach Ed Blum. “We start every practice with the offense on the field, learning to execute at a high level. We’d rather not wait a series or two to get it going. Credit the kids – they’ve bought into it. Obviously, they’ve done great with it over these first three but we know we’ve got to get better and keep it going.”

On a chilly, windswept Arthur J. Kenney Field, junior tailback Will Batten fueled the boisterous North Reading faithful by taking the initial kickoff to the house. Perfect in ten previous PAT attempts, the swirling wind caught Matthew Guidebeck’s kick and sent it wide left. Minutes later, however, he split the uprights to make it 13-0 after Batten added a 49-yard rushing TD.

THE HORNET student section rooted for NR and USA simultaneously during North Reading’s 48-0 win over Pentucket on Friday night. (Courtesy Photo)

All six of North Reading’s first half possessions resulted in points. With 4:30 left in the first quarter, Rubino polished off a brief series with a 6-yard rush and on the first play of the second, Carucci rifled an 11-yarder to Brandon Eng to claim a commanding 27-0 lead.

Later, Teddy Suny recovered a Pentucket fumble, which was quickly converted with an 18-yard TD rush from freshman tailback Otto Indelicato. The Hornets, to this juncture, had scored three on the ground, once through the air, and another on special teams. The defense, which held the Sachems to a total 105-yards in offense, contributed insurance with Ryan McGuire’s 72-yard pick-6 at the end of the half.

Pentucket, meanwhile, was reeling after losing the services of starting QB Caleb Meisner to injury. He was joined on the sideline by leading tailback Luke Zavaski. Replacement QB Max Cloutier performed well off the bench, completing 10 of 14 for 94-yards, despite the wind. But each time the Sachems crossed midfield, their forward progress was halted by the smothering Hornet defense. Early in the third quarter, for instance, a promising series was snuffed out by sophomore James Fodera, who sacked Cloutier for a substantial loss, forcing an eventual punt.

Batten, who was one of five Division 5 players to earn recognition from the Boston Globe after he tallied four of his team’s five TDs in Week1, exited midway through the first frame to the care of the trainer. He had just completed rushes of 22, 6, 15, and 11-yards before gingerly making his way to the sideline. Thankfully, the junior tailback seemed no worse for wear and the hope is that the injury is minor in nature.

TEAM USA cheered the NRHS football team onto victory last Friday night. Pictured from left to to right are Hornets Nick Fabrizio, Michael Hemme, Rocco Tammaro and Vinnie Pastore. (Courtesy Photo)

Batten’s absence and the score disparity provided Blum and his staff with a chance to deploy reserves, including running back Indelicato. The freshman demonstrated his talents by scoring a pair, first rumbling for an 18-yarder prior to the break and later, adding a 32-yarder to round out the scoring. Indelicato agreed that at this early stage of his varsity football career, it’s not so much about the time you get on the field, but rather what you do with it when the opportunity arises.

“We didn’t like to see Batten go down but the position had to be filled,” said Indelicato. “But it gave me an opportunity. In the future, I want to be the best leader that I can and hold myself accountable.”

With minutes left as officials ran the fourth quarter clock, North Reading recovered a fumble inside the 10-yard-line. Instead of running the score over the half-century mark, Blum instead dispatched Carucci to take a knee.

“I respect Pentucket,” said the coach. “They always play hard and obviously, missing two of their top players impacted what they could do. For us, a game like this is a confidence-builder. We know at some point, we’ll face adversity and it’s all about how we respond. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

North Reading (3-0) will next host Ipswich (0-3) on Friday night at 6 p.m.