11-0 Raiders defeat Danvers, 24-7, to return to Gillette Dec. 5

Published in the November 27, 2015 edition

THE MELROSE Red Raider football team are heading back to the Superbowl for the second straight year after beating Danvers 24-7 last Friday night in the Div. 3 North finals at Manning Field in Lynn. Melrose will once again face Dartmouth on Superbowl Saturday on Dec. 5 at Gillette Stadium. For more on their win see our Sports section. (Donna Larsson photo)

THE MELROSE Red Raider football team are heading back to the Superbowl for the second straight year after beating Danvers 24-7 last Friday night in the Div. 3 North finals at Manning Field in Lynn. Melrose will once again face Dartmouth on Superbowl Saturday on Dec. 5 at Gillette Stadium. For more on their win see our Sports section. (Donna Larsson photo)

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE — Gas up the buses, Melrose is going back to the Super Bowl.

The Melrose Red Raider football team punched their ticket to the Div. 3 Super Bowl for the second straight year after a 24-7 victory over Danvers on Friday, Nov. 20 at Manning Field in Lynn. The Div. 3 North Champs will take on Dartmouth on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Gillette Stadium at 3:30 p.m. It will be a rematch for both teams as they faced each other last year in the 2014 Div. 3 final at Gillette Stadium, with Dartmouth edging Melrose, 14-7. Melrose remains only one of four teams in the state undefeated. At 11-0, they’re looking to clinch their first ever Super Bowl win.

BEAST MODE. Melrose quarterback Julian Nyland's two TDs helped Melrose beat Danvers 24-7 and return to their second straight Superbowl at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 5. 

BEAST MODE. Melrose quarterback Julian Nyland’s two TDs helped Melrose beat Danvers 24-7 and return to their second straight Superbowl at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 5.

“It feels pretty good,” said Melrose head coach Tim Morris after the game. “We’ve got a big job ahead of us but we’re enjoying this.”

Melrose relied on stellar play from senior Jay Tyler and senior quarterback Julian Nyland, who ran for over 100 yards with 2 touchdowns, including a 65-yard dash into the end zone. After the game, the speedy Nyland spoke of that play. “I was going to pitch it to Mike Pedrini, who is the best running back in the whole state but I said, ‘Hey I might as well keep it,’ and I just saw daylight.”

Danvers was effective in limiting Melrose standout Mike Pedrini but fortunately the Raiders had playmakers Nyland and Jay Tyler, who led the team in rushing yards with 120.

“Everybody keys in on Pedrini, because he’s such as great player,” said Nyland. “Jay and I had our opportunities, took advantage of them and it worked out.”

Danvers brought to the field a tough running back Danny Lynch, who led the Falcons in scoring with 165 first half yards. Melrose did an effective job containing the speedy senior after the half. “Their defense is good,” Morris said of Danvers. “They’ve given up very few points and their last couple games. They wanted to keep the ball away from Pedrini, run the clock, grind it out and play great defense. They give you all you can handle on defense.”

Melrose held a narrow 10-7 lead at halftime, before Nyland broke out in his first score of the game, a 65 rushing touchdown that gave Melrose a 16-7 lead. He scored again with four minutes to go in the game on a 10 yard TD run.

Melrose opened the game on an exciting note. In the opening drive Melrose’s Steven Abbott intercepted a Matthew Andreas pass, returning the ball 79-yards to the 5 yard line. Danvers well-respected defense held tight and Melrose’s Mike Cusolito put Melrose on board 3-0 with a 36-yard field goal. “I had hoped we could have gotten more out of that interception,” Morris said. “But at least we came away with three.”

Danver’s Lynch struck with 6:00 left in the first on one yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 7-3 edge. “They hurt us early on with Lynch,” said Morris. “But we caught up with the speed of their offense and were able to contain them in the second half.”

With Melrose receiving a punt deep in their own territory, senior Jay Tyler gave Melrose a decisive edge with a massive 79 yard touchdown that put Melrose up 10-7 with two minutes left in the half. Melrose defense stepped up in the second half with key sacks and tackles by senior captains Cam Hickey, Jaret Botelho and Brian Mercer, who clamped down on Lynch. Nyland took over from there, hitting pay dirt on a 65 yard touchdown that put Melrose up 17-7, then again with four minutes left in the game to give Melrose the winning 24-7 score.

“Our kids are patient and poised and when things don’t go our way they don’t get down, they continue to work,” said Morris. “That’s just how you want it. They’ve done that all year. We were down last week by 10 at the half, and nobody got crazy. We just settled in and came back.”

Returning to the Super Bowl was something the Raiders dreamed of last season when they returned on the bus to Melrose, dreams dashed in a loss to Dartmouth. This time, they seek revenge against the Indians.

“It’s feels awesome,” said Nyland. “After we lost last year, we were so pumped to come back again. We were saying that from January to July and were working out butts off. It feels unreal to go back. This time we’ve got to win it.”