THE CAPTAINS are ready to lead the Pioneers into the Div. 6 state tournament starting on Friday night, 6 p.m. at home against Dennis-Yarmouth. Pictured from left to right is Jesse Dorman, Walter Radulski, Tyler Adamo, Iain McCarthy and Jared Bernabei. (File Photo)
By JAMES CRANNEY
LYNNFIELD – To say the 2024 Lynnfield Pioneer football team is on a hot streak would be an understatement.
Entering last week, Lynnfield had rattled off six straight wins since their season opening loss to North Attleboro, and the contests were not close. During those six games, the Pioneers outscored their opponents 214-55, gained 905 more total yards and forced eight turnovers on defense.
Last Friday night, with only one game remaining before the 2024 playoffs, 6-1 Lynnfield welcomed 1-6 Hamilton-Wenham to a windy Pioneer Stadium. Given the disparity in records and postseason looming, some wondered if this regular season finale could be a trap game for the Pioneers.
Any naysayers were quickly silenced as Lynnfield jumped out to an early lead, and never looked back. In the end, the Pioneers made it seven victories in a row, routing the Generals, 59-6.
Hamilton-Wenham received the opening kickoff and hoped to capture some early momentum. On 3rd and 6, the Generals tried keeping the drive alive but senior defensive back George Lambros blew up the option run. The Pioneer offense was ready to take the field presumably in their own territory. However, the field would be a little shorter thanks to senior Madux Iovinelli.
Iovinelli came flying off the right edge then leaped into the air as he thwarted the Hamilton-Wenham punt.
“Madux has this great reach,” said Pioneers head coach Pat Lamusta on the blocked punt. “He’s been able to not seem like he’s as close to the punter, and then he blocks it…he’s got this extension so he’s been great to use on special teams and done a great job.”
Starting at the Generals’ 27-yard line, it took only five plays for Lynnfield to find the end zone.
Senior captain quarterback Tyler Adamo (5-7, 77 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown) pulled the defense in with a play action pass before finding junior receiver Dan Lemieux (1 catch, 15 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown) for a 15-yard score. Senior kicker Massimo LoGrasso (8/8 PAT’s, 1/1 field goals) made it 7-0 booting the first of his eight (a new Lynnfield individual game record) extra points on the night.
The Generals were in the hole early, and dug themselves even deeper when Dan Lemieux deflected a Caden McCollom pass right into the arms of senior captain Jared Bernabei. After securing the interception, Bernabei ran it back the other way for a 52-yard pick six.
Blood was in the water, and the Pioneers went for the kill.
Lynnfield’s defense suffocated Hamilton-Wenham all night as the Generals could only muster a touchdown on one of their nine drives. Following the Bernabei interception return, the Pioneer defense forced two more turnovers with fumble recoveries from Bernabei and underclassman Marko Tare.
On the offensive side of the ball, Lynnfield continued to shine.
Once up 14-0, the Pioneers scored a touchdown on their next six consecutive drives. After increasing the lead 35-0, still in the 2nd quarter, Lynnfield began emptying their bench giving younger players some valuable varsity reps.
One of those players included junior quarterback Matt Tracy (4-5, 57 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown) who threw his first career touchdown pass to senior Spencer D’Augusta (1 catch, 31 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown).
The last points on the night came from Massimo LoGrasso’s leg, as the senior drilled a 34-yard field goal attempt in the final minutes. The 59-6 route over Hamilton-Wenham was not only the fifth highest scoring game in school history, but the widest margin of victory a Lynnfield team has had since 1985 beating Masco 55-0.
At 7-1, the Pioneers regular season has now come to an end. On Sunday, it was announced that No. 6 Lynnfield will play their Div. 6 first round playoff game this Friday night, 6 p.m. at home against No. 11 Dennis-Yarmouth (6-2). Hopes are high that this could be the year Lamusta and the Pioneers bring home their first-ever football state title.
“This group has been so impressive since they were freshmen, so for them to finally get an opportunity like this is great,” commented coach Lamusta. “We have a lot of skill, we just have to put it all together.”
