Raiders score twice in final three minutes to bounce Lynnfield from playoffs

Published in the November 15, 2017 edition

CAPTAIN Cooper Marengi (11) and E. J. Umlah (79) stop Watertown’s Matthew Muldrew after a one yard gain at the Pioneer two-yard line. The Raiders would score on the next play. (Tom Condardo Photo)

By TOM CONDARDO

LYNNFIELD — Bitter cold. Bitter end.

Things looked good for the Pioneers when Tyler Murphy cruised 29 yards into the end zone to give Lynnfield what looked like a comfortable 34-24 lead with 2:55 left in the Division 5 North Championship Friday night. But Watertown did what they have done in every playoff game this year, crawling out of the grave with an improbable comeback. The Raiders exploded for two touchdowns, the last with 11 seconds left, to upend a shocked Pioneer squad 38-34.

“We could have won that one,” said a clearly disappointed Pioneer head coach Neal Weidman. “We played fairly well the whole game but unfortunately we couldn’t get the ball back to run the clock out at the end.”

After their final score gave them a ten-point lead, the Pioneers (8-2) never touched the ball again as the Raiders (6-4) used the final three minutes to mount their comeback. They marched 56 yards in eight plays in a minute and a half to cut the lead to 34-31 when Nick McDermott (14 for 23, 200 yards, 3 TD’s) hit 6’ 5” John Korte with a five-yard TD pass.

“We just couldn’t make them use enough time on that first drive after the score,” said Weidman.

With only 1:15 left, Watertown executed a perfect onside kick with Korte recovering at the Pioneer 49.

“They got a perfect hop and it hopped up to a six foot five-inch kid,” said Weidman.

With no time outs left, Watertown put together a frenzied drive for the winning score. The big play was a 37-yard completion that Conor Kennelly made at the Lynnfield 13 with Peter Look draped all over him. Two plays later McDermott swept around the right side from the six yard line into the end zone for the win. The Raiders now move on to the D5 state semi-finals against Dennis-Yarmouth.

Brutal conditions

Despite the frigid conditions with game time temperatures at 27 degrees and a wind chill in the single digits, the two teams ended up in a shootout combining for 706 yards of offense and 72 points. It was a see-saw battle with the lead changing hands five times.

Watertown drew first blood on an opening drive that ate up nearly eight minutes. After stalling at the Lynnfield 20, Conor Kennelly drilled a 37-yard field goal into the wind to give the Raiders a 3-0 lead. Kennelly would also nail five extra points, boot two touchbacks on kickoffs, and perfectly execute the onside kick.

“Obviously their kicking game is a huge advantage for them,” said Weidman. “That paid off for them tonight.”

The Pioneers roared back on their first possession, quickly driving 64 yards on four plays. Captain Anthony Murphy (10 carries, 83 yards, TD) started it with a 16-yard burst. Tyler Murphy (14 carries, 85 yards, 2 TD’s) picked up 25 yards on two carries. Matt Mortellite (7 for 9, 168 yards, 2 TD’s) finished it, throwing a perfect strike to a wide open John Lee for a 38-yard TD pass. Captain Nick Kinnon drilled the first of four PAT’s and the Pioneers led 7-3.

Watertown retook the lead by scoring on their next two possessions to make it 17-7 late in the first half. But then things turned quickly. The Raiders were moving in for a score that could have made it a 24-7 game when Look recovered a fumble at the Lynnfield 21 with 1:22 left in the half.

As they did last week, the Pioneers quickly cashed in, covering 79 yards into the wind on four plays. The big blows were a 27-yard Mortellite to Kinnon hookup, and a Mortellite to Look connection for 35 yards to the Raider eight-yard line. Tyler Murphy swept in from there to cut the Watertown lead to 17-14 at the break.

Pioneers pull away

The Pioneers pulled away in the second half scoring on their first two possessions. Mortellite found Jason Ndansi (3 catches, 63 yards, TD) for a 44-yard TD pass to take back the lead 21-17 and Anthony Murphy bulldozed in from the six to stretch that to 28-17.

Watertown cut it to 28-24 late in the third, but Tyler Murphy’s touchdown late in the fourth made it 34-24 and appeared to seal the deal. Unfortunately for the frozen Pioneer faithful, that wasn’t to be the case.

The game was the last one at Pioneer Stadium for the 20 seniors on the team who will close out their careers on Thanksgiving morning in North Reading.