Published in the November 17, 2016 edition
SOPHOMORE ALEX D’AMBROSIO’S interception in the first half helped keep the Hornets in the game against a very tough Marblehead squad. (Bob Turosz Photo)
By ANDREW MOUNTER
MARBLEHEAD — The wild ride of the 2016 North Reading Football Hornets ended last Friday night in Marblehead, when they were defeated by the Magicians 28–7 in the Division 2A North Championship as turnovers were key to the victory. Were the Hornets overcome by the moment? Their head coach Jeff Wall does not think so.
“That was a good team right there,” said Wall after game, played on a frigid night with blustery winds. “I think early on in the game we didn’t capitalize when we needed to and I think they just built up so much momentum that it got to be too much for us.”
The Green and Gold won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half, giving the ball first to the Magicians. This strategy worked all year for North Reading, but not this night. Like skilled Magicians, Marblehead took the advantage of the start and magically proceeded to go 15 plays, eating up most of the clock for the first quarter and concluding with a touchdown from 4 yards out from running back Jason Lopez. The extra point went wide so it was 6–0, Marblehead.
The Hornets looked poised to tie the game as they got an interception from defensive back Alex D’Ambrosio at their own 39 yard line and were moving the ball, methodically making their way down to the Magician 4 yard line. But a rare fumble by senior captain running back Matt McCarthy gave the ball back to Marblehead and it took them just eight plays to go down the field and increase their lead to 14–0 on a 21 yard pass from quarterback Drew Gally to Manning Sears. Marblehead then went for the rushing conversion with Gally scampering into the end zone for two points to make up for the previously missed extra point. The score stayed 14–0 until both teams went to the locker rooms at halftime.
The second half would belong to Marblehead’s back–up running back Sam Frontero, who stepped in for injured starter Jason Lopez and seemed to be unstoppable. Frontero piled up 60 yards on 13 carries and two straight touchdowns and repeatedly made first down runs to keep the clock running for the Magicians. His two touchdowns gave Marblehead a 28–0 lead at the end of the third quarter.
North Reading would turn the ball over five times during the game which is very unusual for a team that rarely had a turnover during the season but credit is due to Marblehead because they were not just settling for tackles but their defenders were going for the ball in the same motion when making the hit.
North Reading refused to be shut out in this marquee playoff game and kept fighting well into the fourth quarter. With 6:12 left to play, McCarthy battled his way into the end zone from 6 yards out and senior captain Bobby O’Donnell’s extra point was right on target for the last score of the ballgame, making it 28–7. McCarthy finished the night with 125 yards on 25 carries against a very tough Marblehead defense.
North Reading is now 8–2 on the season and their players should be very proud of their accomplishments this season as they went where no Hornet team has gone before, making it all the way to the final round before the MIAA Division 2A Super Bowl in this playoff format that began only a few years ago. And let’s not forget this team also won North Reading’s the first Cape Ann League title for the program since 1980.
The Hornets have a chance for revenge in more ways than one on Thanksgiving Day as they will take on their archrivals, the Lynnfield Pioneers, who have taken the last two meetings on Turkey Day. The preview of this holiday extravaganza will be in next week’s edition of the Transcript.
