LYNNFIELD FOOTBALL ran into the the 2021 season on Friday night at Pioneer Stadium and left with a 28-0 victory over Saugus. (Kristine Marengi Photo)
By JAMES CRANNEY
LYNNFIELD — First games can be a crapshoot.
With new faces and only a limited amount of time on the practice field, you never quite know what to expect when it’s the real deal. As a result, teams will sometimes come out of the gate stumbling. Last Friday night for the Lynnfield Pioneers, this would not be the case as they opened their season with a convincing 28-0 win.
For the first time since the 2014 North Quarterfinals, the Pioneers squared off with the Sachems of Saugus. With a run heavy option offense, Saugus coach Steve Cummings hoped to come into Pioneer Stadium and attack Lynnfield on the ground. This would also not be the case.
In the first half alone, the Pioneer defense did not allow Saugus a gain of more than five yards on a single play. Running an option offense, the Sachems tried to confuse Lynnfield’s defense when handing the ball off. With every attempted run though, Saugus running backs continued to meet a swarm of navy blue jerseys.
Following the Sachems first three-and-out of the game, Lynnfield’s new look offense took the field and hit the ground running.
If there were any questions about the man under center for the Pioneers, they were answered early. Junior quarterback and first year starter Nick Razzaboni (11-16, 131 yards, 1 touchdown pass) got into a groove from the start hitting four different receivers on the Pioneers’ second drive.
“He’s a junior stepping into the quarterback role so he has to learn quickly and he’s definitely showing some leadership,” commented Lynnfield head coach Pat Lamusta. “We give him a lot of leeway to make calls at the line. I’m really pleased with Nick’s leadership and how he’s taken on the role and learned so fast.”
After moving the chains four times, Lynnfield found themselves inside the 5-yard line with a chance to draw first blood. That is when junior running back James Sharkey (3 carries, 9 yards, 1 touchdown) took a pitch right then powered his way into the end zone. A Kevin Connolly (4/4 extra points) extra point gave the Pioneers an early 7-0 lead.
THE PIONEER defense shut out Saugus on Friday night. Pictured are Charles Capachietti (3) and captain Spencer Riley (24). Both players had good days on offense too, each scoring a rushing touchdown. (Kristine Marengi Photo)
The ferocious Lynnfield defense continued to stifle the Sachems and once again forced another Saugus punt. Lynnfield would find themselves in great field position after the Sachems center snapped the ball over the punter’s head giving Lynnfield the ball at the Saugus 2-yard line. The Pioneers only needed one play to capitalize as senior captain Spencer Riley (7 carries, 30 yards, 1 touchdown) punched the ball in to extend Lynnfield’s lead 14-0.
The struggling Sachems would not abandon their original gameplan and continued to run the ball. Unfortunately for Saugus, the results would not vary. Another three-and-out gave the ball right back to the Pioneers with a little over 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
“Really pleased with the execution on defense,” stated coach Lamusta after the game. “There’s some little things we need to clean up moving forward but they played with intensity and that’s what we want.”
Complimenting the play of their defense, the Lynnfield offense continued to shine. Following a 13-yard run from Riley and a Saugus penalty, the Pioneers advanced the ball over midfield and looked to blow the game wide open.
Razzaboni found sophomore receiver Joey Cucciniello (3 catches, 2 yards) on three straight plays including a 7-yard completion on 3rd and 3. On 2nd and 10 from the Sachems 43-yard line, Razzaboni rolled to his right after making a defensive lineman miss and fired the ball down field. At the 30-yard line, junior receiver Robert Marley III (1 catch, 43 yards, 1 touchdown) was there to haul it in before dashing his way across the goal line for a 43-yard touchdown.
Lynnfield took their 21-0 lead into the second half and if there were any thoughts of a Saugus comeback, the Pioneers quickly shut that down.
After forcing another Sachems three-and-out, Lynnfield got the ball back at their own 38-yard line. On the very first snap of the series, junior running back Charles Capachietti (1 rush, 62 yards, 1 touchdown) came in motion and received the handoff from Razzaboni. Capachietti darted up the middle past the linebackers and found himself one-on-one with the safety. The junior running back made the last man miss then galloped towards the left pilon for a game sealing 62-yard touchdown.
As the second half went on, both teams began emptying their benches and gave younger players some valuable varsity experience. Despite the substitutions, the Pioneer defense would not dwindle. On 14 plays, the Saugus offense either lost yardage or just barely made it back to the line of scrimmage. The Sachems were unable to complete a pass until deep into the 3rd quarter and ended the night with only 63 total yards compared to Lynnfield’s 254 total yards.
In the end, the Pioneers were able to solidify the shutout with a 28-0 season opening win. Lynnfield will have next week off before their showdown with defending Cape Ann League champion Ipswich on September 24.
Coach Lamusta could not have asked for a better start to the season for his team but still knows it is only one game. Given all the work the players and coaches have put in this offseason, coach Lamusta knows the season is still young. The fourth-year head coach is still happy with the result though claiming, “It was important for the players to see that their hard work was going to pay off with a victory.”
