THE PIONEERS take the field before their impressive 30-0 win over Hamilton-Wenham on Friday night. Lynnfield scored 23 points in the 4th quarter to run away with it. The team hosts Pentucket (0-5) this Friday night at 6:30 p.m. (Kristine Marengi Photo)
By JAMES CRANNEY
LYNNFIELD — Having to put a tough overtime loss in the rearview mirror, the 2-2 Pioneers were back on home turf again last Friday night for another CAL matchup. Now in the teeth of conference play, Lynnfield welcomed 2-2 Hamilton-Wenham to Pioneer Stadium on an overcast night and gave the home fans a thrilling 30-0 victory after a 23-point fourth quarter.
In the loss to Newburyport, the Pioneer defense shut down the opposition but offensively, failed to put points on the board. Early in the contest with Hamilton Wenham, it looked like the same story.
Following an opening three-and-out from the Lynnfield offense, the Generals took over at the Pioneers’ 36-yard line. After picking up a first down and moving the ball to the cusp of Lynnfield’s red zone, Hamilton Wenham faced 4th and 6.
Strong pressure up front forced Generals quarterback John Ertel to release the ball quicker than expected. The senior quarterback forced a shot to the end zone where senior defensive back Jack Calichman was there to pick it off.
A 54-yard run from senior captain Robert Marley (6 carries, 73 yards) on the first play following the interception generated some momentum for the Lynnfield offense. Similar to last week though, the Pioneers would be unable to culminate the drive with points.
The remainder of the first half was a defensive battle with neither side giving an edge. However, late in the 2nd quarter, the home team would finally find the endzone.
Following a 3rd down sack from senior Sam Gazit, the Generals were forced to punt the ball from the shadow of their own end zone. A 15-yard punt return from junior Kyle Schmitz gave Lynnfield terrific starting field position from Hamilton Wenham’s 23-yard line.
With rain now intensifying from the night sky, Lynnfield turned to their ground game. Senior captain James Sharkey (4 carries, 32 yards, 1 touchdown) moved the chains with a 14-yard run on 3rd and 7, and finished the drive off two plays later for a 5-yard touchdown. A Kevin Connolly (2/2 PATs) extra point gave the Pioneers a 7-0 lead they would carry into the second half.
The 3rd quarter played out very similarly to the game’s first two quarters. Both defenses dug their heels in and refused to let the offense drive. It wasn’t until the 10 minute mark in the 4th quarter when the Generals finally advanced the ball over midfield. Hamilton-Wenham didn’t get much farther as senior defensive back Kevin Connolly intercepted an Ertel throw at the 44-yard line.
While Lynnfield’s offense went three-and-out, a perfectly executed punt from senior captain Chase Goldberg pinned the Generals at their own 7-yard line. On 2nd and 10, a four-man rush from the Pioneer defense forced Ertel to once again quickly get rid of it. The quarterback’s pass down field was once again picked off by Jack Calichman for the senior’s second interception of the game.
“It was great to see the takeaway mentality of the defense come to fruition with two interceptions by [Jack] Calichman and one by Kevin Connolly,” stated Lynnfield head coach Pat Lamusta on his defense’s performance. “Our defensive front, especially linemen like Chase Goldberg, kept the pressure on the quarterback all night.”
With a 7-0 lead and only 9 minutes remaining in the game, it was time for the Pioneers to get some insurance. Following Calichman’s second interception of the game, Lynnfield’s offense turned to the interceptor himself. On 2nd and 10, sophomore quarterback Tyler Adamo (10-18, 64 yards, 1 touchdown) hit Calichman over the middle with a short pass. The senior shot up the left sideline and 31-yards later crossed the goal line untouched. Senior captain Charlie Capachietti made it a 15-0 game running the ball in on the two point try.
On 10 plays, the Pioneer defense forced Hamilton-Wenham’s offense to either lose yardage or just barely return to the line of scrimmage. Lynnfield’s defense continued to stifle the road team for the entirety of the game.
When it was all said and done, the Generals were only able to accumulate 9 total yards of offense in four quarters.
“The defensive success can be attributed to all the players committing to their assignments on any given play,” stated coach Lamusta on the defensive performance. “They play awesome team defense, and if there is a breakdown, we are fortunate to have speed at each level that helps us close any holes.”
The Pioneer offense was not done either. Following the Calichman score, sophomore Jared Bernabei and junior Niccolo Antidormi piled on touchdowns of their own to give Lynnfield a resounding 30-0 shutout win at home.
“After the tough loss, there was a renewed focus at practice, and it translated to better execution during the game,” commented coach Lamusta.
The head coach also still knows the road ahead will not get any easier. A hungry, winless Pentucket team will come to Lynnfield next Friday night followed by the 1st place undefeated Amesbury Indians. Knowing what lies ahead, coach Lamusta believes the team’s tight-knit chemistry will be critical for them to stay in the win column.
“With over 20 seniors, our team is undoubtedly a family with a great bond that has been built over the past few seasons. We will need this closeness with the difficult contests coming up in October and November.”
