Latest Trending
Last Updated, Nov 24, 2023, 8:20 AM
Classical 8, English 6 - Itemlive


LYNN — The year 1913: minimum wage in the United States took effect, the Giants signed Jim Thorpe, and Lynn Classical began playing Lynn English on Thanksgiving Day.

Age is just a number. The 110th showdown was spirited – especially in the second half – and Classical squeaked by its city rival, 8-6.

Back to that second half. Heck, it was a good one.

With the English faithful waiting, begging for a touchdown (Classical’s 8-0 lead felt like nothing), coach Anthony LaFratta and his Bulldogs obliged.

Shane Knowlton Simard bolted down the right sideline and took a Classical punt 49 yards to the house with 8:46 to go in the third quarter. It was never in doubt.

“Shane had that touchdown for us and it was a great all-around effort,” LaFratta said. “My players gave me everything they had. No one thought it’d be this close and everyone thought they’d probably rout us. Our guys came to battle.”

Minutes later, Mitchell Purter picked up his second sack of the half, and all momentum belonged to the Bulldogs.

“Our whole defense played amazing. Mitchell Purter played an unbelievable game at the defensive end spot,” LaFratta said.

The game – like Thanksgiving leftovers – got better as the day went on. English stopped Classical with 3:15 remaining in the fourth quarter to give itself one more chance.

But ultimately, with a minute remaining on fourth-and-7, English’s Limbert Thomas got 6.

“On offense, we just couldn’t get anything going,” LaFratta said. “We tried to run the football inside-outside and couldn’t do it. We thought we’d have more time in the last drive, but Classical did a great job of running out the clock (the possession prior).”

Classical quarterback – and Greater Boston League Player of the Year – Brian Vaughan Jr. did his thing Thursday. He rushed for the Rams’ lone touchdown on a 2-yard rush in the second quarter, and his 28-yard laser to Ryan Buth was the highlight of the second half.

“The past four years, he’s been developing as a quarterback,” said Classical coach Brian Vaughan Sr. “That’s a credit to him, doing the studying and watching the film.”

If you watched Classical this season, you know how dynamic its passing game was. That said, Thursday brought a run-first approach with Coach Vaughan admitting, “Passing protection wasn’t as great as we’d like.”

“I knew it was going to be the game that it was. I knew it was coming,” Vaughan Sr. said. “I told people throughout the week that we’re going to have to grind it out. We’re not going to walk on the field and have it be easy.”

Despite star receiver John Nasky catching four balls for 32 yards in the first half, the Ram-to-Ram connection was quiet – for its standard.

But good teams have players step up. Classical’s Javon Clayborn rushed for 90 yards (64 in the first half) and Geovanni Peña picked up a safety in the first quarter (2-0).

“I liked the way Javon Clayborn ran the ball today… and the offensive line did a really good job,” Vaughan Sr. said. “I thought our defense played lights out. Today, they just capitalized on how they played all season. It shows what those kids are about.”

As for English, Waleri Mora Cruz picked up a sack and Jaiden Rosario found Simard for a 22-yard gain in the second quarter.

Classical finished its season 6-5, while English fell to 3-8.

  • Joey Barrett

    Joey Barrett is the Daily Item’s sports editor, covering stories about local high schools, colleges, and more. Prior to his current position, he worked for UMass Athletics, the Cape Cod Baseball League, and Gannett Media among others. Barrett was also sports editor at Endicott College, and treasurer of Endicott’s Society of Professional Journalists branch.



Source link

24World Media does not take any responsibility of the information you see on this page. The content this page contains is from independent third-party content provider. If you have any concerns regarding the content, please free to write us here: contact@24worldmedia.com

Latest Post

Common Mistakes When Using Athletic Field Tarps

Last Updated,Jun 5, 2024

High-Performance Diesel Truck Upgrades You Should Consider

Last Updated,May 14, 2024

Warehouse Optimization Tips To Improve Performance

Last Updated,May 6, 2024

Fire Hazards in Daily Life: The Most Common Ignition Sources

Last Updated,Apr 30, 2024

Yellowstone’s Wolves: A Debate Over Their Role in the Park’s Ecosystem

Last Updated,Apr 23, 2024

Earth Day 2024: A Look at 3 Places Adapting Quickly to Fight Climate Change

Last Updated,Apr 22, 2024

Millions of Girls in Africa Will Miss HPV Shots After Merck Production Problem

Last Updated,Apr 18, 2024

This Lava Tube in Saudi Arabia Has Been a Human Refuge for 7,000 Years

Last Updated,Apr 17, 2024

Four Wild Ways to Save the Koala (That Just Might Work)

Last Updated,Apr 15, 2024

National Academy Asks Court to Strip Sackler Name From Endowment

Last Updated,Apr 12, 2024

Ways Industrial Copper Helps Energy Production

Last Updated,Apr 11, 2024

The Ins and Out of Industrial Conveyor Belts

Last Updated,Apr 10, 2024