Football Archives - 2002-2010 Teams, Photos, Stories

2010 Football

See New Photos of the Football Banquet

 

Congratulations to our  Classical Football All-Stars:

?  BUDDY FORD, Lynn Classical - Senior tackle ... 6-1, 230 ... captain ... three-year two-way starter ... had 63 tackles, 22 solo as a middle linebacker ... coach Tim Phelps said he was the quarterback for the Ram defense ... two-year NEC all-star

JOSH CHEEVER, Lynn Classical - Senior tackle ... 6-1, 230 ... had 51 tackles, 12 solo ... also had 4.5 sacks, three pass deflections ... two-time NEC all-star ... played tight end on offense ... one of the area's elite basketball players.

 

DANNY OMOREGIE, Lynn Classical - Senior end ... 6-4, 240 ... captain ... had 62 tackles, 17 solo, five sacks ... two-time NEC all-star ... also played guard on offense ... NEC defensive player of the year ... three-year starter.

 

The Thanksgiving Game Story and Photos

The Thanksgiving Pep Rally !!

Thanksgiving 2010: For Classical players, this will always be 'the game'

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item

If you've lost the designated "game of the year," what comes next?

That's easy, according to Lynn Classical football coach Tim Phelps. You win on Thanksgiving.

"Winning on Thanksgiving is great for everybody," Phelps says. "It's good for the younger kids to start their off-season on the right note. And for the seniors, this is the game. It's the biggest game of the year."

Whether there's anything riding on the game is irrelevant. This year - as in most years recently - the only thing on the line is pride. And that's enough.

"It counts," notes Phelps.

Despite its loss to Gloucester last Friday, Phelps counts this as a successful season. He saw some kids who he thought would make a difference come through in a big way. And he saw some players he knew he could count on meet his expectations and then some.

Two of those players are seniors Danny Omoregie and Buddy Ford -- truly the backbones of this year's Rams.

Omoregie, a defensive end and offensive lineman, "is a very good player ... one of the better linemen around," Phelps said. And Ford is Classical's all-everything.

"He's the quarterback of the defense," Phelps said. "He knows all our calls ... knows our defense. He knows where everyone needs to line up. He does everything right ... everything you want in a middle linebacker."

Both Ford and Omoregie anchored the offensive line, too, leading the way for the trio of backs, plus the quarterback, to runs for almost 2,500 yards.

Leading those backs is Eric Sisson, who went over 1,000.

"We don't have many runners who do that," Phelps said (possibly because the rams generally spread the ball around), "but he's done a great job."

Also back there are Tyler Alicudo and Keith Nance, who really made his mark on both sides of the ball.

"He's made some 'wow' plays, on both sides," Phelps said. "Last year, he was a shut-down corner, but this year's he's done it both on offense and defense."

Managing the Classical attack is quarterback Nick Grassa, who ran for almost 600 yards as well.

"He's been more than solid," Phelps said. "We asked him to do a lot in our offense, and he has to make a read basically on every play. He's been the right kid for us this year ... he's unselfish, and smart, and he knows what the defense is going to give him. He's been a clutch player for us this year."

The 8-2 Rams have been especially tough on defense - especially in their 14-7 loss to Gloucester.

"We were very physical with them," Phelps said. "We came to play, flew to the football, made nice tackles ... we made a real effort there."

Classical got off to a tough start with a last-minute loss at Catholic Memorial. The next week, the Rams rebounded by beating Wakefield. They may have defined their season a week later, coming back from a 14-0 second-quarter deficit to stun Marblehead, 28-14. It was a breakout game for linebacker Calvin Ebieshieva, who was in the Magicians' backfield all night.

"He came on at the end of last season," said Phelps, who sees Ebieshieva as a descendant of the old "monster" back. As an outside linebacker, he can pin his ears back and charge.

But, Phelps says, credit must be given to the stout defensive line (which also includes Josh Cheever), and Ford, for paving the way.

The wins kept coming after that. Classical beat, in order, Winthrop, Beverly, Malden, Salem, Revere and Peabody before falling to Gloucester.

So now, it's English ... and the Bulldogs concern Phelps very much.

"English is very dynamic on offense," he says. "(Quarterback) Tyllor McDonald is one of the hardest kids to game-plan against. You can be in the exact right defense, and suddenly he breaks one and he's down the sideline for 50 yards.

"He's also difficult to tackle," he said. "They can run whatever pass patterns they run ... and you can cover it ... and he steps back two inches, and starts scrambling down the sidelines."

Phelps said the Bulldogs are every bit as athletic as we are "on the edges.

"And defensively, we thought they were much improved over last year ... and they were pretty good last year. They have a bunch of athletes who get to the ball very fast. They present matchup problems for us."

 

 

Tech coach James Runner, St. Mary’s coach Matt Durgin, English coach Peter Holey and Classical coach Tim Phelps at the Captains Lunch at the Porthole Pub Tuesday in Lynn. Item Photo/ Reba M. Saldanha

Lynn coaches take trip down Thanksgiving memory lane

 

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item

LYNN - James Runner didn't have to think very hard to come up with his favorite Thanksgiving memories.

"Junior year, definitely," said Runner, who will complete his first year as Tech's head coach tonight when the Tigers play St. Mary's. "It was (former Classical coach) Dave Dempsey's last game and we won big. I really looked up to Coach Dempsey and it was great that we could win in what turned out to be his final game."

Runner, as well as Classical coach Tim Phelps, English's Peter Holey and St. Mary's Matt Durgin, all played in the Classical-English Thanksgiving game, which was begun 100 years ago, in 1911 (see Item photographer Reba M. Saldanha's photo essay on www.itemlive.com for a retrospective of the rivalry) - three of them for the Rams and the fourth (Holey) for English.

Runner recalls the circumstances leading up to the game.

"We'd lost the year before, 46-0, and the whole week of the game we wore patches on our helmets with the number '46' on them. And coach Dempsey said no way were they going to beat us again."

Not only did Classical win that game, the score was an even more lopsided 49-0.
"We wanted to score more than 46 on them," Runner said.

Dempsey hadn't intended it to be his last game, but that's how it turned out as he was told that winter that his job was being posted. Durgin, who graduated from Classical and later played at the University of Rhode Island, took over.

Durgin's biggest memory occurred in 1981, when he was a sophomore and an electrifying ninth-grader named Tim Frager scored five touchdowns as Classical pounded English.

"Timmy was unbelievable," Durgin said.

However, as a coach, Durgin is more focused on the business at hand come tonight, when the Spartans play Tech.

Current Classical coach Tim Phelps says what he remembers most about Thanksgiving is "winning."

"My brother (Michael) and I were a year apart," Phelps said. "And in each of our senior years, we shut out English. His senior year (1999) it was 20-0 and the year after, it was 26-0.

"Our younger brother, Will ... he didn't have the success we had on Thanksgiving, and boy, we gave it to him good,' Phelps said. "We told him that if they didn't' shut out English in his senior Thanksgiving game, we'd be all over him. But they did, and it was also 26-0. So he saved the family honor."

Holey, the lone Bulldog among the four coaches, went the farthest out of any of them ... and actually played alongside Classical's Tim Thurman, who tortured him for two straight Thanksgivings, at Boston College. Both went to the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day of 1985, and beat Houston with Doug Flutie as the quarterback. Thurman was an AP All-America.

"I remember my senior year (1980) most of all," Holey said. "It was a tough game. They were undefeated and we had two losses. It was a great game. Stu Primus was the quarterback for Classical, and he went in for a late touchdown to beat us (26-21).

"My best coaching memory was the year we were both 0-9 going into Thanksgiving (1886). It was my first year as an assistant at English, with Clark Crowley coaching, and Jim Smith kicked a field goal to win the game for us.

"That," said Lynn cable television broadcaster John Hoffman, "was the first game I ever broadcast for cable."
 

 

Buddy Ford system works out at Lynn Classical

By Dan Ventura /The Boston Herald
Photo
 
Photo by John Wilcox

Tim Phelps was an assistant coach at the time, but he sensed Buddy Ford had the tools to succeed back in the lineman’s freshman season.

Three years later, Ford has blossomed into the anchor of the Lynn Classical offensive line. Heading into the Thanksgiving Day showdown with Lynn English, the Rams are 8-2, with both losses coming by a touchdown.

Last week’s 14-7 setback to No. 3 Gloucester in Northeastern Conference play crushed any thoughts of a playoff berth. The loss also began the countdown toward the end of Ford’s high school football career, a fact not lost on the 6-foot, 225-pound senior.

“You’re thinking so much about Gloucester that you can’t think about anything else,” Ford said. “But as soon as the game ended, I started thinking that the next game against English will be the last time that I am wearing the green and gold uniform of the Rams.”

Not only has Ford excelled on the field, he has made his mark in another athletic endeavor - weightlifting. The 16-year-old owns an age group state record in the dead lift, putting up 500 pounds.

“I started going to the YMCA with my father when I was 7,” Ford said. “I just go in there and push as hard as I can.”

OK, a football star and a weightlifting champion already makes for a nice resume. But Ford has even more ambitions, namely a career in the military. He has applied to several of the military academies and is awaiting replies.

“My grandfathers all served in the military,” Ford said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to be a part of.”

 

Gloucester claims NEC North title with hard fought win over Classical

By Matthew Roy / For The Item

GLOUCESTER - It was every bit of the heavyweight bout it was expected to be at Newell Stadium on Friday. There weren't many seats to be had as the Classical and Gloucester faithful packed the venerable stadium on a chilly night along the Annisquam River.

 

Classical 7
Gloucester 14

In the end, it was the reigning champion Fishermen who had a little more in the tank on Friday as they took advantage of a botched punt snap early in the fourth quarter. Jordan Shairs' one-yard plunge would be the difference as Gloucester clinched its fourth straight NEC North title with a 14-7 win over the gritty and game Rams.


"Both teams just wanted it so bad. And in a way, I feel bad for those Classical kids," Gloucester coach Paul Ingram said. "They are great kids and a great football team and it's a shame it came down to a play like that. Our kids just found a way to win against a great team."

It was a throwback to the old days of football as both defenses took turns knocking the opposing offense in the mouth for 44 minutes. There were plenty of big hits on both sides that led to several turnovers and Classical's undoing in a way.

Four times in the first half, Gloucester (10-0) turned the ball over, but the Rams (8-2) failed to convert on a single one of those chances. Afterwards, Classical coach Tim Phelps knew his team had let a chance get away.

"The kids played well and both teams made mistakes. Gloucester was able to capitalize on ours and we didn't on theirs," Phelps said. "We asked our kids to play hard and they did. We didn't capitalize on their mistakes as much as we should have."

The Fishermen started about as well as they could have hoped for in a title game, taking the opening kick and driving 48 yards in nine plays, capped by a two-yard run from Shairs and Santo Parisi's PAT that made it 7-0 with 6:42 left in the first.

Classical's first possession ended quickly as Mike Tomaino picked off a Nick Grassa pass at the Classical 39. The Rams defense, however, forced a turnover on downs and the offense got a 36-yard run from Keith Nance to move the ball to the Fishermen 19.

On the next play, Grassa kept on the option and went around right end for a touchdown that tied the game at 7-7 after one quarter.

The Rams then recovered a squib kick at the Gloucester 33 but failed to turn it into points early in the second quarter. That would not be the last time Classical missed a chance to take the lead before the half.

Gloucester's Gilbert Brown fumbled on the next possession and Classical recovered but couldn't score. The Fishermen would turn the ball over two more times before half's end, but their defense stonewalled Classical each time to keep it 7-7 at the break.

"Classical was tough," Ingram said. "We had a really hard time blocking their defensive line and they really came out and stopped us."

Both teams got the ball once in the third quarter as Classical had a long drive to begin the half stopped by a fumble at the Gloucester 30 while the Fishermen turned it over on downs at the Rams 36 to end the third.

It was of that turnover on downs that the game's defining play came when with Jalen Brown back in punt formation, the snap sailed over his head and he fell on it at the Classical one. Two plays later, Shairs was in and Gloucester had the lead.

"It always seems that in a game like this it comes down to special teams," Ingram said.

Classical had a final chance with 6:16 left starting from its 29. Grassa raced 32 yards into Gloucester territory, but the Rams saw the drive die when a fumble at the Fishermen 30 was recovered by Brian Ingersoll.

     Keith Nance being brought down by Christopher Burke     Nick Grassa reacting to fumble call late in the game.      Carlos Ramirez at the end of the game.       Tyler Alicudo, pass incomplete.         

Click Here for More Photos

 

 

Classical, Gloucester get ready for big game Friday night

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item

When you put aside the traditional Thanksgiving rivalries, Classical-Gloucester football has been as intense as any on the North Shore over the last decade.

There's only one problem, though. When the games have come down to the nitty-gritty, Gloucester's always had the upper hand.

"It would definitely be a better rivalry if we got some more W's," said Classical coach Tim Phelps. "It's like they say about the Red Sox and Yankees ... it became a better rivalry once the Red Sox started winning again."

Phelps has his chance to add some luster to a rivalry that was as white-hot as any as recently as 2007, when the Fishermen came to Manning Field and stormed back from a three-touchdown deficit to win in the last minute -- a game that cemented a Northeastern Conference/Large championship and ultimately led to a Super Bowl win.

Only this time, the Rams will be at Newell Stadium Friday (7) -- which, come to think of it, might not be the worst thing in the world. The Fishermen have pulled out some of their more improbable victories against Classical when they've come to Lynn.

"Yes," says Gloucester coach Paul Ingram, "we've been very fortunate when we've come down there."

Once again, the NEC/North championship is on the line. If Gloucester wins, the race is over. If the Rams prevail, they still have to beat English or there will be a three-way tie for the league lead, with each team 1-1 against the other two, and each having defeated their one common opponent (Winthrop).

That'll put in place a final tiebreaker that would seem to favor the Rams (provided they don't lose by a lopsided score) because it dictates that the team that has allowed the most points to the other two would be the first one eliminated. Gloucester scored 50 against English two weeks ago.

But to both coaches, those scenarios are a long, long way down the line. What matters is Friday. And they both have plenty of respect for the other's program. And in some ways, they're mirror images of each other.

"Classical executes its offense very well, and I think we do too," says Ingram. "You design it, and it's almost like it functions exactly like you drew it up on the board. They have playmakers, and we're lucky we do too. Not every team has them, but they have their share."

"I think the first thing most people think of when they compare the two of us is that we're both pretty physical," Phelps said. "We both like to run the ball. Their defense is very fast to get to the ball, and we focus on that too. I don't want to compare out defenses, but they put a lot of speed out there, and that's certainly one thing we like to do too."

Both respect the other's defenses very much.

"I think they're right up there with the best we've seen," Phelps said.

"They're tough on defense," said Ingram. "And that's been our strength all year."

You can go right down the line on all the other accolades.

"They're very smart," Phelps said, "and they're very knowledgeable about the teams they're playing. Very dangerous."

"They do a lot," Ingram said. "They present a lot of problems with all the different options they have, and we present problems too. But they are certainly one of the better Classical teams I've seen."

By now, the names should be familiar. Quarterback Nick Grassa leads the Rams, with a three-pronged running attack of Tyler Alicudo, Keith Nance and Eric Sisson. Buddy Ford and Dan Omoregie, along with Josh Cheever, anchor both lines and give the runners some standout blocking. On defense, Ford calls signals and his presence in the middle allows linebackers such as Calvin Ebieshieva to rush the passer.

Gloucester has its own weapons, most notably running backs Jordan Shairs and Gilbert Brown, both of whom are healthy. The Fishermen expect Chris Unis back this week too (Unis was held out of the Revere game for precautionary reasons). However, they go into the game without receiver Brandon Cusumano, who broke his collarbone in Revere.

Phelps is not fazed by playing the game in Gloucester.

"The reason they're tough to play up there is because they're a good football team," he said. "They're always at or near the top."

He very much appreciates the rivalry, however.

"We always seem to have epic games," he said. "That kind of adds to the rivalry."

 

Tuesday Morning Quarterbacking: big game await this weekend

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item

There's nothing like the big game ... the buildup ... .the drama ... the emotion ... the exhilaration of victory and the crushing agony of defeat.

And at this point in the football season, you're lucky if you get one game that's for all the marbles. It doesn't always work that way, and we're left to scoreboard-watching on Thanksgiving before we know for sure who's going to the "Chilly Dance" next month.

As luck would have it, though, we don't have one big game this weekend ... we have two. Friday, Gloucester and Classical will tee it up at Newell Stadium (7 p.m.), with the Northeastern Conference/Large championship at stake.

If Gloucester wins, Thanksgiving is academic for Classical and English. The Fishermen will have gone through the league portion of the season (they play NEC/South Danvers on Thanksgiving) with an unbeaten record. But if Classical wins, the Rams will then have to beat English to win the title outright. But even if they lose to the Bulldogs, there's hope.

If Classical beats Gloucester Friday and English defeats Peabody ... and the Bulldogs then beat Classical on Thanksgiving ... it would create a three-way tie among Classical, English and Gloucester, with each team being 1-1 against the other.

Under old rules, Classical would have gotten the nod in that situation based on the fact that the Rams have the longest postseason drought among the teams.

New rules, established last year, created a new tiebreaker system in which the best record against common opponents is supposed to come into play ... except in this case, the only opponent all three schools played is Winthrop ... and all three teams beat the Vikings.

That would leave it up to the next tiebreaker ... most points allowed against the other two teams. And this is where that whopping 50 points that English yielded to Gloucester could really come back and hurt the Bulldogs.

Now ... if Classical beats Gloucester and English loses to Peabody Friday, then the Rams are in, because no matter what they do against English, they'll have defeated Gloucester head-to-head while the Bulldogs would have two losses.

 

Photos from the Peabody Game

 

Classical Football Team shuts down Peabody

By Gordon Vincent / For The Item

PEABODY -- Avoiding the so-called "trap game," the Lynn Classical High football team held Peabody to just 18 yards of total offense and routed the Tanners, 28-0, Friday night, at Lee Field.

Classical 28
Peabody 0


The win sets up a showdown between the Rams (8-1) and Gloucester next week in Gloucester for command of the Northeastern Conference's North division.

Classical's Eric Sisson (121 yards-15 carries) scored on the Rams' last play of scrimmage in the first half, and Nick Grassa found Keith Nance for a 69-yard touchdown strike on their first play from scrimmage in the second half to put Classical in control.

Nance also scored on a 27-yard run in the first quarter while Tyler Alicudo added a 28-yard scoring run in the third quarter for the Rams.

"We were a little concerned (about looking ahead to Gloucester), but the kids had a good week of practice and focused on Peabody," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "That's a good football team over there. They're well-coached and they've improved over the last two years."

The Tanners (4-5; 2-2) just couldn't muster any sustained offense against the Rams. Peabody only crossed midfield once, in the second quarter when Brady Doyle's 33-yard punt return gave the Tanners the ball at Classical's 28-yard line, but they eventually had to settle for a 30-yard field goal attempt from Sean Wlasuk that was no good.

The Rams allowed Peabody just three first downs, all in the first half, and the Tanners were held to minus-17 yards of offense in the second half. Calvin Ebieshieva was particularly busy for Classical, making a pair of quarterback sacks and several other tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

"They're big, strong and fast," Peabody coach Scott Wlasuk said. "They have a lot of speed on the perimeter. That number 12 (Ebieshieva) is a heck of an athlete."

The Rams scored on their second possession of the game, an 8-play, 81-yard drive that was methodical until Nance took an option pitch around left end for his first score.

After Peabody's missed field goal with 3:18 left in the first half, Classical took the ball 80 yards in eight plays. Grassa connected with Nance for a 17-yard gain, and on the next play Grassa kept an option to the right for 37 yards to the Tanners' 13-yard line. Sisson rammed the ball into the end zone with 34 seconds left in the half.

Classical's first play of the second half was a long pass down the right sideline that despite the presence of another receiver in the area Nance hauled in at about the Peabody 40 and took the distance.

"We had worked on their wheel route all week, but we just got beat on that play," coach Wlasuk said. "I don't know if we're jinxed or what, but we've been giving up touchdowns late in the first half. Then they hit us with that big play to start the second half."

The Rams scored again on their next possession, a drive of 60 yards in five plays. Alicudo took a handoff, swept around right end and beat a couple of defenders into the end zone.

Classical killed almost the entire fourth quarter with one drive. Starting at their own 40, the Rams marched to the Peabody 5 before turning the ball over on downs, but there was only enough time for the Tanners to run three plays.

 

 

 

 


Nick Grassa (2) and Eric Sisson (43) both distinguished themselves for the Lynn Classical football team in a 43-27 win over Revere last week. The Rams travel to Peabody Friday to play the Tanners. (ITEM FILE PHOTO)

NEC North momentum could swing in many directions this weekend

 

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item

Friday night, the high school football spotlight will be on the Northeastern Conference/Large. All six teams are in action, and the results can go a long way toward either clarifying the championship picture or muddling it even further.

The pairoffs are as follows (all games starting at 7 p.m.): Classical at Peabody; Gloucester at Revere; and Salem at English.

It's still quite possible for there to be a multiple-way tie for the lead in the NEC/North at the conclusion of Thanksgiving. For four of the teams (Peabody, Gloucester, Salem and Peabody) this is the next-to-last game in the league schedule. The other two (Classical and English) face each other on Thanksgiving.

On paper (which is to say based on records), all three of these tilts could be reasonably considered to be "trap games." That is especially true with Classical, which travels to Lee Field to face a Tanner team that has shown signs -- quite a few times -- of being on an upswing after several years of being down

.At Lee Field (7), Classical (7-1, 2-0) is gaining more momentum with each week in what it hopes is a showdown game next Friday in Gloucester.

Last week, Classical was up 35-15 by the third quarter, and went on to defeat Revere, 43-27. The Rams have done most of their damage on the ground. Quarterback Nick Grassa only threw the ball once against Revere -- but it was a first-quarter touchdown pass to Christian Cromwell. However, Grassa ran for 140 yards and scored a touchdown himself. Also going over the century mark was Eric Sisson (106), who also found the end zone.

 
 

Junior Varsity :  Lynn Classical 22 Revere 0

by Ryan Hathaway

 
The JV team defeated Revere 22-0 on Saturday afternoon at Manning Field.  Steve Sam and Brandon Pinnock rushed for a  combined 200 yards and three touchdowns behind the blocking of Derek Edmonds and Astrel Fort.  Defensively, Ramonny Chea, Joe Rose and Rakeem Ifill led a stellar effort that held Revere to zero points and only three first downs.  Jalen Brown connected with his brother Jordan Brown for a 2 pt. conversion pass and Justin Wiggins added another 2 pt conversion rush. 

The win elevated Classical to 2-0 in conference play. 

 
 

Scroll to bottom for Game Schedule

Varsity 2010

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CLICK HERE FOR REVERE GAME PHOTOS

Nick Grassa

Offense and Defense are Strong against Revere

By Mario DiNitto / For the Item

REVERE -- As has been the case in recent weeks, Classical showed up to a football game and won in very convincing fashion.

Friday night ,the Rams traveled to Harry Della Russo Stadium in Revere and pummeled their hosts 43-27.

The Rams spread out the scoring, with six different players recording touchdowns. Quarterback Nick Grassa led the offensive attack for Classical (7-1, 3-0). Grassa completed his only pass for a 71-yard touchdown pass to Christian Cromwell on a third and 21 play.

 

Classical 43
Revere 27


Grassa also ran for 140 yards on four carries. Grassa also kicked five extra points.

Grassa's touchdown pass had put Classical up early 7-0 in the first quarter, when Revere (3-5, 0-3) struck back in the form of a Paul Norton to Trae Weathers screen pass for 57 yards and a touchdown.

On the second play of the ensuing Classical possession, Grassa made the first of three long runs in the game. A 47-yard dash down the center of the field put Classical up 14-7.

After an 11-play drive came up short for Revere, Classical coughed up the ball on the next play and the Patriots found themselves suddenly knocking on the door of the end zone. A one-yard touchdown plunge by Weathers put Revere behind 14-13. It was the closest the Patriots would stay with Classical for the remainder of the game.

Before the end of the half, an Eric Sisson 48-yard rush would set up a 14-yard touchdown run by Sam Rios. Sisson would also score three minutes later on his own, and finished the game with a total of 106 yards rushing. Classical entered the break leading, 29-13.

The second half opened with both teams trading haymakers. Keith Nance scored for Classical on a 13-yard touchdown. Revere countered with a 43 yard touchdown run by Weathers. Classical came back by pounding the ball for eight plays, culminating in a Rudy Collymore four-yard touchdown run to the outside. Collymore's score put the Rams up 43-19.

After Revere's 17-play drive came up short on the Classical four yard line, the Patriots again found themselves with one last chance to punch back at the Rams. A Classical fumble and a recovery by Robert Sasso gave Revere possession and led to Weathers' third touchdown of the game from four yards out. While the touchdown put Revere within two scores, the game was already well in hand for Classical.

"Offensively we looked good at times, but we also looked sloppy," said Classical coach Tim Phelps. "We had a couple of fumbles, a couple of turnovers. We didn't look great tonight."

Classical finished with a total of 342 yards rushing on just 32 plays, averaging over 10 yards a rush.

"We got the ball moving again on offense," said Revere coach Lou Cicatelli. "It is very encouraging to be moving the ball against a very good team. Defensively we let up some break-outs. They gassed us on some big plays. We have to fix that."

 

 

 

 

Classical romps over Salem              
By Steve Krause /The Daily Item

Lynn Classical's 30-7 win over Salem Friday night was one of those games that seemed to be headed for an exciting conclusion until a couple of things happened in the third quarter that tilted the scales in favor of the Rams.

Salem (4-3, 0-2) escaped the first half behind only 12-0, and the Witches had put up a good defensive stand to close the half, picking off a Nick Grassa pass in the end zone.
Salem 7
Classical 30


Then, in the third quarter, Salem withstood a lengthy Classical drive (the Rams stopped themselves, too, with three major 

   penalties), and had the ball back at midfield when disaster struck.       Above :Tyler and Calvin at work!


The Witches fumbled, with Classical's Craig Kanyangarara recovering. To add insult to injury, the Witches were whistled for a 15-yard dead ball foul. With Classical set up on the Salem 34, Keith Nance (who had two long touchdown runs and an long TD reception), took off on a 34-yard sprint to the end zone, making the score 18-0.

"It got away from us," Salem coach Scott Connolly admitted. "I thought we played well in the first half, and played a very emotional game.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

"But Classical is just a good football team," Connolly said, "and you can't make the mistakes we made against a team like that."

Classical started the game on a high note, as Malcolm Leng King recovered a fumble on Salem's third play of the game. Seven plays later, Nick Grassa blasted through for a 22-yard TD run.

Salem's defense was equal to the task for most of the half, but Classical made sure the Witches didn't get anything going offensively.


 
"I thought the defense played well," coach Tim Phelps said. "Salem is not a bad football team. They had size and speed - just like us - and they created match up problems for us in a couple of areas."

A lot of what Classical did in the first half came on long runs, as opposed to consistent drives, Phelps said.

"You like the big plays," he said, "but you want those long, sustained drives too. You want consistency."

Nance gave Classical its 12-0 lead on a 74-yard run down the left sideline with only 12 seconds gone in the second quarter, and that's how it stayed until late in the third quarter, when he scored again.

Grassa hit Nance with a 58-yard touchdown bomb - with Nance making a nifty move on a Salem defender down by the 20 to break free - to make it 24-0. And when Salem fumbled again (on a bad snap while in the shotgun formation), Calvin Ebieshieva got it, and ambled into the end zone to make it 30-0.

Salem finally got on the board when Daniel Dobrosielski stripped a Classical runner of the ball and marched into the end zone.
 

Classical High football fans cheer on their team Friday night in the Rams' win over Salem at Manning Field.. (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

 

Carlos Ramirez cheers for the defense from the sidelines.     Nick Grassa scoring the first touchdown of the game.      Eric Sisson, 43, helped by Danny Omoregie. 56      Tyler Alicudo     Nick Grassa hands off to Eric Sisson.      Nick Grassa handing off.      Craig Kanyangarara bringing down Chris Bozarjian.

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Nick Grassa (2) and Keith Nance have backboned Classical to a 5-1 start.

 

 

 
Classical's Josh Cheever chases down Malden's Kevin Valley during last night's game at Manning Field. PHOTO BY ROSE RAYMOND

Grassa, Sisson, Nance score two TDs each in Classical romp

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item

LYNN -- The miserable weather didn't do much to slow down the Classical offense in a 45-22 win over Malden Friday at Manning Field.

Malden went three-and-out on its first drive of the game and didn't see the ball again until waning minutes of the first quarter and by that time, the Rams had already put 12 points on the board with plenty more to come.

 

Malden 22
Classical 45


"It was a pretty good effort," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "Offensively we looked really good.... The defense looked good to."

 Eric Sisson (2 TDS, 8-144 yards rusing) got the Rams (5-1) going with a 20-yard pickup on the Rams first play of the game and although a couple of penalties inside Malden's 30-yard line slowed things down a bit, Keith Nance (2 TDs) broke free on a pitch from quarterback Nick Grassa from the 26 and raced down the left side for a touchdown and a 6-0 Classical lead (the pass failed.).

Classical went with on onside kick after the touchdown and it worked like you draw it up in practice when Tyler Alicudo recovered the ball to give the Rams possession on the Malden 44.

Six plays later, sparked by an 11-yard run by Sisson and an 18-yard scamper by Rudy Collymore, the Rams were knocking on the door again. Grassa (2 TDs) took this one the final seven yards on a keeper, giving Classical a 12-0 lead (the rush failed).

Malden looked to regroup on its next possession, but a three-and-out followed by the first of two botched punts and once again, the Rams were on the Malden (2-4) doorstep, this time at the 21. Sisson got the call on first-and-10 and went 21 yards up the middle for an 18-0 Classical lead. Grassa kicked the extra point.

It looked like Malden was in for a very long night at this point, but the Golden Tornadoes got their ground game going and 16 plays and eight-plus minutes later, Frankie Dunn scored from the one.

If the Tornadoes had any wind in their sails at this point, the Rams sucked it out on the next play. They got the ball on their own 26 and with one snap of the ball, Nance (2 TDs, 105 yard rushing) was off to the races, going 74 yards for a touchdown and a 25-6 lead (the rush failed.).

Things went from bad to worse for Malden when Classical blocked a punt on the next series to get the ball at the Tornadoes 13. Grassa made it hurt, scoring his second touchdown of the game, this time from one-yard out for a 31-6 halftime lead.

Sisson scored from 16 yards out on the opening drive of the second half (he had a 46-yard pickup on the second play of the series) and Sam Rios rushed for the conversion for a 39-6 Classical lead.

Malden cut the lead to 39-14, but Alicudo ran for a 76-yard touchdown and a 45-14 lead. Jake Martino scored for Malden late in the game (the pass was successful) for the 45-22 final.

Despite the rainy conditions, but teams did a good job protecting the ball.

"We took care of the ball and if you can hold hole to the ball, it makes the job a little easier," Phelps said. 

Football Team wallops Beverly, 40-20 Click here for Football story and photos

 

)

 

Classical player Calvin Ebieshuwa has been described as a sparkplug by his coach, Tim Phelps. The Rams will

travel to Hurd Stadium in Beverly on Saturday for a 3 p.m. game with the Panthers. (ITEM FILE PHOTO)

 

Rams wary of Beverly

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item


Classical coach Tim Phelps knows what he's in for. The 0-4 Panthers have played much better than their record, he says.

"They are going to be hungry for a win," Phelps said. "They are not a typical 0-4 team. They played tremendously last week up in Gloucester. You watch them, and see them play, and see how they execute, and that's not an 0-4 team."

The score at Gloucester was 38-6, but it was only 14-6 at the half. Things did get out of hand in the fourth quarter when Gloucester scored 16 points, but it was a game well into the third quarter.

Phelps is very wary of the Panthers.

"No matter when we play them, and regardless of what kind of year they're having," Phelps, "they always give us a tough time. They are always hard-fought, well-played games. I'm expecting the same Saturday. It ought to be a good game. They're very tough up there (Hurd Stadium).

Classical, after a season-opening heartbreaking loss at Catholic Memorial (21-14 after a late desperation pass by CM), has rolled. The Rams defeated Wakefield 24-13, and -- in perhaps a game that could define their season -- rallied from a 14-0 deficit to Marblehead (at which point they were badly outplayed) to win going away, 28-14.

Last week, Classical seized on that momentum, routing Winthrop, 31-12 at a rainy Manning Field.

The Rams rely on the savvy of quarterback Nick Grassa, the running of Eric Sisson (among others) and a tough interior line anchored by Buddy Ford. Other standout players thus far have been Josh Cheever, Keith Nance and Calvin Ebieshieva.

"Calvin is a sparkplug," said Phelps. "He's very energetic, and he's a hustle kid. He'll hit you, and you may roll off, but he'll get right back up and chase you down."

Thus far, Phelps is pleased at the way things have gone.

"We've been taking care of the football," he said. "We've been crisp on offense and the defense is making plays. The kids have bought into what we've been telling them."
Classical player Eric Sisson (43) charges forward against Winthrop with help from teammate Danny Omoregie (56) at a rainy Manning Field on Friday night. (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

 

Rain can't stop Classical from rolling past Winthrop

By Matthew Roy / For The Item

LYNN -- It was a less than perfect night out at Manning Field on Friday but the Lynn Classical football team dealt with the harsh elements in about as good a way as a team could.


Putting together a solid, four-quarter effort like coach Tim Phelps had preached all week, the Rams got three touchdowns from fullback Eric Sisson and a pair of TDs from Nick Grassa while the defense shut down Winthrop and its star, Nick McCarthy, en route to a 31-12 win.


"We stressed execution this week," Phelps said. "We knew we had to play good offense and solid Classical defense and we did that."

It was a near flawless performance by the Rams (3-1), as Sisson ran for 177 yards before being dinged up midway through the third quarter. Classical scored on three of its four first-half possessions and then added two more third-quarter scores to salt the game away.

"Classical is a very good football team," Winthrop coach Sean Driscoll said. "Against them, it's assignment football and we had some breakdowns that they took advantage of."

McCarthy returned the game's opening kick to the Viking 45 before things started to go downhill fast for Winthrop. A fumble on third and eight at the 47 led to a turnover and three Sisson runs later, Classical led 6-0.

The Ram defense forced a punt on the next possession and Classical got the ball back with 4:39 left in the quarter. Driving all the way to the Viking 46 as time expired, Classical doubled its lead on the first play of the second period when Grassa kept on a fourth-and-five and dashed 46 yards to make it 12-0.

"Nick has been playing good for us all year and that was a big play by him at the time," Phelps said.

The Vikings (0-4) drove into Classical territory on their next possession but the Rams rose up and stuffed McCarthy on fourth-and-four at the 41 to turn the ball over on downs. Classical took advantage of the stop and struck again as Sisson raced 25 yards up the gut to cap a seven-play drive and make it 18-0 at the half.

"Eric has been good for us all year and some of those holes he had were pretty big," Phelps said. "SO the offensive line did a great job blocking in front of him."

Classical got the ball to begin the second half and Sisson picked up where he left off. He did all the work on a 66-yard march that he capped with a 57-yard dash through the defense to make it 25-0 after Grassa's extra point.

The Vikings' first possession of the third quarter resulted in another three-and-out but a good punt put Classical inside its 30 with 6:55 left. It took nine plays and a little over five minutes for the Rams to capitalize as a 41-yard jaunt by Joe Scuzzarella got the ball to the one, from where Grassa snuck it in for a 31-0 lead.

The fourth quarter would give both teams a shot at emptying the bench as the Vikings got touchdowns from Joe Clougherty and Ruben Powell in the final four minutes to get on the board.

Jamil Muriel, 9,      Jalen Brown 10     Eric Sission, 43, Nick maCarthy, 21.      Loose ballo. Calvin Ebieshieva, 12     Keith Nance goes for a fumble      some of the classical cheerleaders.

                  Danny Omoregie is about to get his handi s on Philip Locigno.      Nick Grasso hands it off.

 Josh Cheever of Lynn Classical is  the Item/Agganis Foundation football Players of the Week. Cheever,  a senior, had seven tackles (three for losses) in Classical's 28-14 come-from-behind victory over Marblehead. 
 

 

Classical may have found its identity in Friday's win

Calvin Ebieshieva had a good game for Classical at linebacker in a win over Marblehead at Manning Field last Friday. (ITEM FILE PHOTO)
 

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item

Last Friday, after Classical defeated Marblehead, 28-14 - roaring back from a 14-0 first-half deficit - Rams coach Tim Phelps spent a bit of time bemoaning his team's slow start.

This is pretty common ... and perhaps indicative of the basic coaching philosophy of seeing the glass as half empty instead of half full.

After all, the time to point out mistakes and flaws - and to harp on them - is after a win, the theory goes, because it's a better time to bring your players down a peg or two. Doing it so quickly after a loss, especially a tough one, tends to demoralize them even more.

But at the same time, it's important to point out that teams derive their personalities, and their identities, in the way they respond to adversity as much as anything else. Rex Ryan and the New York Jets will get more satisfaction from their Week 2 win over the Patriots, for example, than perhaps a blowout win over a bad team, because they took a few hits and lived to tell about it.

Marblehead is a good football team. Phelps said Friday that the Magicians' numbers are far superior than most of the other teams in the Northeastern Conference. Many of those players went to a Super Bowl last December.

Years from now, that's going to be a 28-14 win and nothing else really matters. And two, perhaps three, weeks from now, if 2-1 Classical falls behind early again, the Rams' players will know they can regroup and come back, because they did it in Week 3 against Marblehead.
*
That has to count for something.

It also should be noted that the Rams came back and won Friday due to their reliance on what you could call the "Classical formula," which is speed first, strength second.

Classical unleashed its athletes on Marblehead, and the Magicians just couldn't stop them. Particularly effective was linebacker Calvin Ebieshieva, who was in the Marblehead backfield all night long. Keith Nance, who provided the game-clinching interception/pick six as Marblehead was threatening to tie the score, was also a one-man wrecking crew.

Phelps studied at the knee of Matt Durgin, who has always identified his athletes and put them in positions to affect games.

 
It's the key to high school football coaching, really ... but not necessarily in college and pros, where everybody is an athlete. Feature your athletes and get everyone else in the weight room. Durgin did it at Classical, and he's doing it now at St. Mary's. It would appear as if Phelps was paying attention all these years.

 

 
 
Nick Grassa

Classical gets wake-up call, beats Marblehead

By Matthew Roy / For The Item

LYNN -- It wasn't until Marblehead had taken a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter Friday that the Classical football team got the wake-up message it needed to play some hard-nosed football.
 

Putting their nose to the grindstone, the Rams did just that, storming back to score the game's final 28 points and take a 28-14 win over the Magicians at Manning Field.

"We didn't come out mentally ready to play at the start," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "And you can't do that against good teams like Marblehead. They are so well coached and have a lot of talent. I knew this wouldn't be an easy game."

Marblehead (1-2) was ready to go early, making things look nearly effortless in the opening half. Then began the self-inflicted and mental mistakes that would doom the Magicians in the final 22 minutes.

"We couldn't have asked for anything better than how we started," Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff said. "We did everything right in the first half. But we needed to have that killer instinct and I'm disappointed with how things went in the second half."

Marblehead came out and started quick, grabbing a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when Dan Colbert's two-yard sneak capped a 56-yard march. An interception by Phil Coughlin on Classical's next drive led to the Magicians taking a 14-0 lead on a three-yard Will Quigley run early in the second.

Classical got the ball back with 9:20 left in the half and put together a drive that completely swung the momentum of the game in its favor. Mixing up its option offense to perfection, the Rams systematically marched 77 yards in 14 plays that ate up almost eight minutes and ended with Keith Nance's two-yard run that cut the lead to 14-6 at halftime.

"We've had drives like that all year," Phelps said. "When we started to play, our offensive and defensive lines stepped up."

After the squads traded three-and-outs to start the second half, Classical got the ball at its 41 with 6:35 left in the third quarter and put together another sustained scoring drive. It took eight plays and nearly five minutes to go the 59 yards as Sam Rios' 24-yard dash on third and three shaved the lead to 14-12 after a missed conversion pass.

Marblehead would have its next drive killed by a false start penalty, giving Classical back the ball late in the third quarter.

"Every mistake we made in the second half was our fault," Rudloff said. "And Classical also came out and physically beat us up in the second half."

Quarterback Nick Grassa gave the Rams a big boost on the first play of the final period as he broke a 20-yard gain on a keeper to move the ball into Marblehead territory. Three plays later, he went off the left side again and raced 27 yards to pay dirt to finally push the Rams ahead at 20-14 after his conversion rush.

"Nick has been running the offense well for us all year," Phelps said.

Marblehead got a chance to steal away the win with 7:14 left when Grassa fumbled and the Magicians recovered at the Classical 37. As became the case throughout the second half though, Marblehead stopped its own momentum with a holding call and Nance's 87-yard interception return for a touchdown turned out the lights for good.

 

Varsity Roster

2 Grassa Nick SR 5'11" 190 QB/DB
3 Alicudo Tyler SR 5'11" 177 RB/DB
4 Kanyangarara Craig SR 6' 215 TE/DE
5 Rodriguez Omale SR 5'11" 195 RB/LB
6 Leng-King Malcolm JR 5'9" 170 RB/DB
8 Hem Tino SO 5'5" 150 RB/LB
9 Muriel Jamil SR 5'6" 180 RB/DB
10 Brown Jalen SO 6' 180 QB/DB
12 Ebieshieva Calvin JR 5'11" 180 RB/LB
14 Pinnock Brandon SO 5'5" 150 RB/DB
18 Wiggins Justin JR 5'5" 150 RB/DB
18 Finnigan John JR 5'11" 180 QB/LB
20 Soriano Jairo JR 5'9" 180 RB/DB
21 Rose Joe SO 5'9" 150 RB/DB
22 Morillo Miguel SR 5'6" 131 RB/DB
24 Rios  Sam SR 5'6" 144 RB/DB
25 Mazil Jaevon JR 5'11" 180 RB/LB
28 Nance Keith SR 6'2" 180 RB/DB
30 Cromwell Christian SR 5'9" 180 RB/DB
32 Scuzzarella Joe SR 5'6" 144 RB/DB
34 Collymore Rudy JR 5'3" 152 RB/DB
35 Paru Derek SR 5'6" 155 RB/DB
40 Sam Steve SO 5'11" 160 RB/LB
41 Felton Maurice SO 5'11" 175 RB/LB
42 Mitchell Jarred JR 5'6" 180 RB/LB
43 Sisson Eric SR 5'9" 180 RB/LB
45 Beck Jeff SO 5'6" 150 RB/LB
47 Cheever  Josh SR 6'3" 230 OL/DL
49 Reynoso Shayna SO 5'6" 130 RB/LB
50 Velasquez Fernando SR 5'9" 201 OL/LB
51 Flynn Cody JR 5'9" 188 OL/LB
52 Conlon Matthew JR 5'9" 185 OL/DL
53 Chea  Ramonny JR 5'9" 177 OL/LB
55 Dunham Josh SO 6'2" 225 OL/DL
56 Omoregie Danny SR 6' 221 OL/DL
57 Ford Buddy SR 6' 226 OL/LB
58 Gatchell Rafael JR 5'11" 191 OL/LB
60 Pirez  Sergio JR 5'11" 206 OL/DL
61 Andemicael Adam JR 5'9" 200 OL/DL
63 Mendez Ever JR 5'11" 185 OL/DL
65 Armand Stephan SR 6'3" 260 OL/DL
66 Feliz Ruben SR 5'11" 222 OL/DL
72 Dubuisson Corey SR 5'11" 200 OL/DL
73 Seng Jon SO 5'6" 165 OL/LB
74 Soto Mizael JR 5'11" 204 OL/DL
75 Atkinson Jon SO 5'9" 186 OL/DL
76 Dow Petey SO 5'9" 191 OL/DL
77 Francesco Silvestri SO 5'9" 226 OL/DL
79 Ramirez Carlos SR 6' 210 OL/DL
82 White  Andrew SR 6'2" 180 WR/LB
84 Edmonds Derek JR 6'3" 205 OL/DL
86 Pena Jordan JR 6'2" 170 WR/LB
88 Ifill Rakeem SO 6'2" 177 WR/LB
89 Alcindor Nehemie JR 5'11" 177 WR/DB
93 Fort Astrel SO 5'8" 215 OL/DL

Daily Item Update:

 

Big Test for Classical

By Matthew Roy / For The Item

Chicago Cubs great Ernie Banks became famous for his love of baseball, leading him to coin the phrase "Let's Play Two." Well, on Friday at Manning Field, it will be a rare chance for local fans to catch two games under the lights.

Four of the Northeastern Conference's top programs will be on display as Lynn English will host Beverly at 5 p.m. with Lynn Classical taking on reigning NEC South champ Marblehead in the nightcap tentatively set for 7:30.

"I think that it will be good football for people who want to see a couple of good games," Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff said. "Having four NEC teams back-to-back is good for the area and fans. I expect there will be a lot of people there."

The Magicians come into Friday at 1-1 after a 34-6 win over Ipswich while Classical is also 1-1 after a 24-14 win over Wakefield.

"Classical looks very good," Rudloff said. "I know coach (Tim) Phelps said that they lost a lot of starters and had to rebuild but it looks like they had a lot of horses in the stable to rebuild with."

One thing that concerns Rudloff is the Rams' speed in the backfield, led by quarterback Nick Grassa and running back Eric Sisson.

Grassa flashed his running ability in the win over the Warriors, taking off for a long touchdown late in the game to ensure victory while also tossing a touchdown pass to Keith Nance earlier on.

"Grassa is a really good quarterback and he's come along nicely from last year," Rudloff said.

Sisson was nearly unstoppable in the Wakefield game, going for 176 yards and two touchdowns against a tough defense.

Marblehead, though, will not be without its own weapons as running back Will Quigley has been a one-man wrecking crew through the first two games. After racking up four touchdowns against Pentucket, the senior added 176 yards and two more scores against Ipswich.

"Will has made good runs on the plays that were predetermined where he had to go," Rudloff said. "He also has done some good things on broken plays we've had."

Rudloff, though, is still concerned about the matchup his team faces Friday.

"Classical is so well coached and Tim does a great job with those kids," Rudloff said.

Marblehead's spread offense is something that Classical's Phelps knows he needs to slow down for his team to have success Friday.

"Last year, they wore us out defensively," Phelps said. "With their system, it puts their athletes against our athletes one-on-one and you have to be able to tackle."

 

Classical's Craig Kanyangarara sacks Winchester's Connor O'Brien Friday night at Manning Field. (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

Classical football stops Wakefield

By Gordon Vincent / For The Item

LYNN - The pain of Lynn Classical's last minute loss last week to Catholic Memorial was assauged by a 24-13 win over a good Wakefield team, in an entertaining non-conference game Friday night at Manning Field.

Eric Sisson ran for 176 yards on 22 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns to lead the Rams (1-1), who dominated the game statistically, but had a precarious 5-point lead with the Warriors (0-1) on Classical's 5-yard line with about six minutes left in the game.

A tackle for a 5-yard loss by Omale Rodriguez and a 15-yard penalty on Wakefield instead put the Warriors back on the Rams' 26, and a fourth down prayer was overthrown. A couple of first downs later, Classical's Nick Grassa went 44 yards on a keeper to put the game away with 1:08 left.

"A win is a win," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "They're (Warriors) a big team with athleticism. They ought to do well in the Middlesex League. It's a good win for us."

The Rams were able to gain decent yardage with some tough running between the tackles by Sisson, who scored on runs of 30 and eight yards. Grassa also tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Keith Nance in the second quarter.

"He (Nance) was one of the guys we keyed on, and we left him wide open on that play," Wakefield coach Mike Boyages said. "They're a good, strong team. I know they lost a tough game to CM last week, but they bounced right back."

Classical scored on its first possession, after Wakefield botched a fake punt attempt and the Rams took over at the Warriors' 42-yard line. Four plays later, Sisson went between the left guard and tackle for a 30-yard scoring run. The try for two points was no good and Classical led, 6-0, with 3:10 left in the first quarter.

Wakefield answered with a touchdown on its ensuing drive. Classical's onside kick attempt didn't travel 10 yards, giving the Warriors field position at the Rams' 49. Mixing outside runs early with power runs later in the drive, Wakefield eventually got a 1-yard TD blast from Vinny DeSciscio. The extra point kick was good and Wakefield led, 7-6, with 9:49 left in the first half.

Classical answered with another quick touchdown drive after a good kickoff return by Tyler Alicudo. Sisson and Alicudo picked up first downs on successive plays, and with Wakefield crowding the line of scrimmage, Grassa found a wide-open Nance at the right hash mark. The try for two again failed and the Rams led, 12-7.

Classical had another chance to score later in the second quarter, but Wakefield's Charnjit Singh recovered a fumble at the Warriors' 13-yard line.

The Rams scored again on a 79-yard, 12-play drive to open the second half, with the key play being a 35-yard completion from Grassa to Nance on third-and-20. Two plays later, Sisson blasted his way into the end zone and Classical led, 19-7, with 4:03 left in the third quarter.

Wakefield came back with its second score, a 5-yard run by DeSciscio, that capped off a 67-yard drive with 9:36 to play. The Warriors got possession just two plays later when Anthony Fabiano stripped the ball and returned it to the Rams' 23, but Classical's defense held.

Craig Kanyangarara catches a pass     Craig Kanyangarara, 4,, and Brendan DeLeire.      Stephan Armand, 65, Calvin Ebieshieva, 12,      Cheerleaders     Nick Grassa, 2, and Anthony Fabiano, 86

Getting shoe tied.      Quabah Bantu conducts the half time show.      Eric Sisson scores the first TD for Classical.      Nick Grassa is brought down by the pack.

Wakefield at Classical

At Manning Field on Friday (7), fresh off facing Catholic Conference power Catholic Memorial in its season opener, the Classical football team jumps right back into the fire at Manning Field on Friday when it hosts Wakefield.

The Rams upended Wakefield a year ago on the Warriors' home turf as a part of the Middlesex League power's 1-5 start that ended in a 6-5 season after a five game win streak.

Classical comes in after coming frustratingly close to knocking off the Knights. The Rams led at several points but saw CM quarterback A.J. Doyle throw a touchdown pass in the final moments for a 21-14 win.

The Warriors, ranked in the top 15 of many area polls entering the season, will begin their season on Friday and boast a load of talented players.

Brandon Johnson and Anthony Fabiano lead a strong front line on offense and defense while Josh Puccio and Ervin St. Jean lead the running game. Connor O'Brien will quarterback Wakefield after missing most of last year following knee surgery.

The two teams played a year ago at Landrigan Field in Wakefield with the Rams coming away victorious.

Classical football team falls to tough CM

By Rich Tenorio / The Daily Item

WEST ROXBURY -- In its first game of the season, the Lynn Classical football team came up just short of a win.

 



 
Cath. Mem. 21


 
Classical 14


 


Host Catholic Memorial pulled out a 21-14 decision thanks to Armani Reeves' 73-yard touchdown catch from quarterback A.J. Doyle -with 27 seconds left on the clock.

"The throw was great," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "The kid ran underneath. Reeves is a big-time player.

"We were looking to sit back a little bit and make the big play," Phelps said.

Actually, quite a few players delivered big-time performances on both ends of the ball in a back-and-forth, entertaining and multifaceted game.

It originally appeared that CM might march to victory before its home crowd much earlier, as the Knights scored on their opening possession.

Just as Hurricane Earl swirled past Massachusetts last week, Knights running back William Earl glided 19 yards for a touchdown to make it 6-0 at the 7:48 mark of the first quarter.

While the PAT attempt failed, the Knights got the ball back about five minutes later, when Donovan Henry made his first pick of the night on Rams quarterback Nick Grassa.

Like John Paul Jones, though, the Rams had not yet begun to fight. Grassa nearly got a pick of his own when he broke up a Doyle pass on third-and-8 to thwart a CM drive.

The Knights punted and the Rams tied the game on a drive marked by two fantastic catches from Keith Nance - the first a 26-yarder to the CM 49, the second a 47-yard touchdown catch 4:35 before halftime.

Grassa took it in for a two-point conversion and an 8-6 lead that stayed the score at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Knights revealed their versatility, taking an 11-8 lead on two rarities of high school football: a safety and a field goal.

The safety came after two penalties put the Rams in a precarious position: second and 12 on their 1-yard line. The Knights defense did the rest and it was 8-8 at 9:36 of the third period.

Reeves returned the free kick to the Classical 29, and while the defense forced a fourth-and-4 on the Rams' 14, Knights kicker Tom Byrne connected from 30-plus yards out for a three-point advantage at 6:31.

Classical wasn't done. Nance ran for a first down on a 10-yard scamper to the Knights' 49 ... and hauled in a Grassa pass for 24 yards to the CM 17.

Classical solved the defense as the fourth quarter opened when Grassa ran for a 2-yard score on fourth-and-goal to put the Rams up 14-11.

Yet mistakes hurt Classical. First, the two-point try failed as a penalty was called.

Second, an onside kick attempt nearly succeeded -- but another penalty nullified it.

Classical forced CM into a fourth-and-12 on the Rams' 17, but Byrne again connected on a 30-plus-yard field goal to tie the score at 14-all.

CM's Dimitri Claude picked off Grassa on the ensuing Rams drive ... and the Knights showed a finishing touch with Reeves' last-second score, Byrne's PAT and Henry's second interception of the night.

The teams played last year at Manning Field, with the Knights scoring a shutout over Classical.

 

Classical: Keith Nance caught three passes for 93 yards and a touchdown as the Rams fell at the buzzer to Catholic Memorial

 

   Classical, at Catholic Memorial Friday (tonight), hopes that the momentum of a 5-1 finish to the 2009 season carries into the new season. The Rams have a seasoned quarterback (Nick Grassa) and the look strong up front with a line led by senior captain Buddy Ford.

Both English and Classical, however, have the misfortune of playing in the same league (NEC/North) as Gloucester, a school generally considered to be one of the best in the state coming into the season.

"They're the team to beat," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "I think they may have one of their top senior classes ever."
 

Local football squads tune up for season

By Matthew Roy / For The Item

The next time that many local high school teams put on the pads and helmets, the games will count for real. Several local teams spent the Labor Day weekend working out the final bugs for their season openers next Friday and Saturday.

Two of those local teams happened to meet on Monday in Lynn as St. John's Prep and Classical knocked heads.

"I think it was good work for both teams," St. John's coach Jim O'Leary said. "We got to play a lot of guys. We are looking to get some kids playing time and some depth and I think we were able to do that."

Classical football starts season with a heavy heart 

Classical seniors, from left, Tyler Alicudo, Craig Kanyangarara, and Danny Omoregie participate in a drill at practice in the school gym on Tuesday. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item

The Classical High football team is gearing up for the season with double sessions and camp on the horizon over the next few days and weeks, but thoughts of their teammate, Salim Fort, who drowned earlier this summer, will never be away.

Classical High coach Tim Phelps said his players are excited about the season and anxious to get the pads on, but they're still dealing with the loss of a teammate and friend.

"The kids are trying to do their best. They're trying to adjust. They're doing as well as you can ask them to," Phelps said. "He's still in our thoughts and prayers."

Phelps said the team will wear a patch or a decal on the helmet this season in memory of Fort.

"The kids have used it as kind of a unification of the team," he said. "It's a little bigger than us."

Phelps had 75-80 players show up for tryouts, which is a little higher than usual. He said the numbers have generally been 65-70. He was also pleased with the freshman class and expects to bring close to 20 to camp this week. Seniors Buddy Ford and Danny Omoregie were elected captains by their teammates.

The Rams are coming off a 7-4 season that saw them come out strong, struggle a little and then put it back together to finish with a 5-1 run.

"We were 2-3 at one point and the season could have gone either way," Phelps said.

Classical opens its season with a non-league game against Catholic Memorial. It's on to Wakefield the following week.

EDT

Lynn Classical High School football player Buddy Ford clean lifts at the school's weight room on Monday afternoon. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Ford is a budding leader at Classical

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item

(Editor's Note: This is one of a series of articles on players to watch for the upcoming school year.)

For the record, Buddy Ford's first name is Richard ... like his father's. But no one ever calls him that. He's always been Buddy.

Through the years, Ford's real "buddy" has been his brother, Joe, after whom he's tried to pattern himself. They're both avowed football players, as opposed to their dad, who played in the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system. And they both had an overwhelming work ethic that seems to peak just when football camp starts.

"I see the similarities," says Tim Phelps, who was a Classical assistant when Joe Ford played for the Rams; and is now the head coach as Buddy enters his senior season. "You can definitely tell they're brothers, and that they are close. They have that work ethic. They're going to put a lot of time and effort into this. And they both get real excited around this time of the season. That's what we want. We want them building and building up, and getting ready, and being all set to go when camp starts."

Camp starts for everyone Monday, Aug. 23, and Buddy Ford will be good to go. He's been working out in the weight room every day, doing the things that team leaders do. He doesn't take any days off, and he feels that's the mark of a true team leader.

"You have to lead by example," says Ford. "That's No. 1. If I'm not there, I can't be telling other kids to pick it up. I can't just run around talking. I have to show them what to do."

He senses that his work in that area has paid off.

"If I'm speaking, people will listen," he said.

Phelps agrees.

"Even as a junior (last year), he was one of our leaders," Phelps said, "especially on defense. He's a middle linebacker, which is a perfect position for a leadership role. He's kind of like the quarterback on defense.

"He knows where everyone needs to line up," Phelps said, "and he leads by example. He's got the voice that picks the team up, tells them to line up straight, and to tell kids to wise up, if he has to."

Aside from having a good football season, Ford is interested in going to a military school. He's applied to Annapolis, West Point and Norwich, but he's also looking at Merrimack and Bentley too.

"My family has a history of the military," he said. "My father's uncles -- and his father -- all served in the military. There were six brothers, and they all went in.

"Also," he said, "I've talked to people about it, and they all feel it would be a great choice. It seems like something I'd excel in."

He knows he has his work cut out for him if he's going to attend a service academy. A self-described "A, B, C student," he feels he must have a very good first couple of quarters this year to increase his chances.

"I'm really going to have to pick it up this quarter," he says.

If there's one person he'll seek guidance from, it'll be his brother.

"He's been a big inspiration for me," Ford said. "Since his sophomore year (at Classical) I was a water boy. I always wanted to play for Classical."

Ford got his love of football early -- ironically by playing with his older brother (they're seven years apart) in their backyard.

"It was always the same," Ford recalls. "When we were little, that was the story of my life ... my brother destroying me in football. He'd lure me out into the backyard and I'd think it would be a fair fight ... and it was all downhill from there.

"Whenever he could, he got me involved," Ford said. "He was a good leader."

And so is Ford.

"He has that ability to get guys together," Phelps says. "Even if it's to run the beach, or to throw the ball around, do this, do that, whatever. It makes the transition into football season much easier.

"We haven't elected captains yet," said Phelps. "But I'd be awfully surprised if, when we do, he's not one of them."

                                                                                       

VARSITY  SCHEDULE                 HEAD COACH - TIM PHELPS

Friday, September 10th    LC @ CATHOLIC MEMORIAL    7PM   CATHOLIC MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL

Friday, September 17th    WAKEFIELD @ LC   7PM

Friday, September 24th    MARBLEHEAD @ LC  7:30PM

Friday, October 1st          WINTHROP @ LC  7PM

Saturday, October 9th      LC @ BEVERLY  1PM    HURD STADIUM

Friday,  October 15th        MALDEN @ LC    7PM

Friday, October 22nd        SALEM @ LC      7PM

Friday, October 29th         LC @ REVERE    7PM   DELLA RUSSO STADIUM

Friday,  November 5th       LC @ PEABODY  7PM   PEABODY HIGH SCHOOL

Friday, November 12th       LC @ GLOUCESTER  7PM  GLOUCESTER HIGH SCHOOL

Thursday, November 25th   LE @ LC  10AM

 

  Junior Varsity Football Schedule Fall 2010    HEAD COACH: RYAN HATHAWAY

Saturday, September 11th   Catholic Memorial @  LC   Barry Park 10am

Saturday, September 18th    LC @ Wakefield   10am   bus: 8:30am

Saturday, September 25th    LC @ Marblehead 10am   bus: 8:30am

Saturday, October 2nd          LC @ Winthrop 10am bus: 8:30am

Monday,  October 11th         Beverly @ LC  Site: TBA  3:45pm

Saturday, October 16th        LC @ Malden  10am  bus: 8:30am

Saturday, October 23rd        LC @ Salem  10am bus: 8:30am

Saturday, October 30th         Revere @ LC  Site: TBA   Time: TBA

Monday. November 8th        Peabody @ LC  Site: TBA  3:45pm

Saturday, November 13th     Gloucester @ LC  Site: TBA  10am

Saturday, November 20th     LC @ LE  Site: TBA  10am

 

 FRESHMEN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Thursday, September 16th  LC @ Wakefield  3:45pm   bus 2:45pm

Thursday, September 23rd  LC @ Marblehead  3:45pm bus 2:45pm

Thursday, September 30th  LC @ Winthrop 3:45pm  bus 2:45pm

Thursday, October 7th  Beverly @ LC  Manning Field  6:30pm

Thursday, October 14th  LC @ Malden  3:45pm  bus 2:45pm

Thursday, October 21st  LC @ Salem  3:45pm  bus 2:45pm

Thursday, October 28th  Revere @ LC  3:45pm Barry Park

Thursday, November 4th  Peabody @ LC Manning Field  3:45pm

Thursday, November 11th  Gloucester @ LC  Manning Field  10am

Thursday, November 18th  LC @ LE Manning Field  4pm

 

 

------------------------------------------

 

 RAMS FOOTBALL 2009


Classical varsity award-winners, kneeling from left, are Jarred Mitchell; Robbie Nelson; the team water boy; and Errol Bluefort; and, standing, from left, Jasper Grassa, Chevere Archer, Casey Johnson, Will Kusch, Josh Cheever, Buddy Ford, and Daniel Omoregie at the Classical football banquet at the Prince Restaurant Monday. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

Classical Celebrates 2009 Football Team at Banquet

SAUGUS -- The Classical football team celebrated its successful season -- which included a Thanksgiving Day win over English -- with a banquet Monday night at the Prince Restaurant.

The Rams were 7-4 in 2009, with a victory over eventual Division 3 Super Bowl participant Marblehead, as well as the Bulldogs. Two of their players -- Casey Johnson and Chevere Archer -- were Item Football All-Stars, and both received major awards Monday. Chevere has also been selected  to play in the prestigious Shriner’s Football Game on June 18th at Gillette Stadium.

Johnson received the award named after the legendary Harry Agganis, which is given to the team's best player; and Archer won the Boley Dancewicz All-American Award.

Agganis, who starred at Boston University and later played baseball for the Red Sox, was named at the close of the last century as Lynn's greatest athlete ever. Dancewicz played for Notre Dame, and in the National Football League for the old Boston Yanks.

Others receiving awards were: Jasper Grassa, who was given the Gerald LeBrasseur Ironman Award; Robbie Nelson, Abel Marquez Leadership Award; Buddy Ford, Harold Durgin Memorial Award; Will Kisch, George Moriarty Award for commitment and dedication; Errol Bluefort, Bill Joyce Sportsmanship Award; Kashawn Avery, Unsung Hero; Jarred Mitchell, Scout Team Player of the Year Award; and Daniel Omoregie, Lineman of the Year.

Coach Tim Phelps also gave one player from each class a scholar-athlete award: CaseyJohnson (senior), Josh Cheever (junior), Kyle Gauthier (sophomore) and Steve Sam (freshman).

Phelps also handed out sub-varsity awards as well. For the JVs, they went to Jamil Muriel (offensive player), Calvin Ebieshuwa (defensive player) and Carlos Ramirez (lineman); and for the freshmen, they were Brandon Pinnock (offensive), Salim Fort (defensive) and Josh Dunham (lineman).

-----------------------------------------------------

 

Story and Photos THANKSGIVING  DAY  FOOTBALL    

  Thanksgiving Pep Rally 2009 

Great Finish to an Excellent Season for JV Team

Lynn Classical Junior Varsity defeated Lynn English JV 36-14. Lynn Classical rushed out to a 36-8 halftime lead behind two John Finnigan touchdown passes, a Joe Scuzzarella rush, and a Rudy Colleymore kick return. Sam Rios also caught a TD and rushed for one. Kyle Gauthier also had several long receptions and caught two conversion passes. Classical piled up over 400 yards of total offense behind the blocking of Fernando Velasquez and Jarred Mitchell. The defense was led by Astrell Fort and Craig Kanynagarara.

In the second half the Classical reserves were led by the hard running and interception of Jairo Soriano, an interception by Malcolm Leng, as well as Brandon Pinnock and Cody Flynn.

Lynn Classical JV's finished their season 9-1.

 

Nick Grassa (2) of Classical pitches the ball to teammate Jamil Muriel against Gloucester at Manning Field on Friday. (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

Gloucester Survives Scare from Classical

By Gordon Vincent / For The Item, 11/13/09

LYNN -- Moral victories don't mean much in football, but Lynn Classical can take some solace and maybe some momentum into Thanksgiving after Friday night's 21-14 loss to undefeated Gloucester at Manning Field.

The Fishermen (10-0; 5-0 NEC North) clinched yet another division championship and a playoff berth, but the Rams (6-4; 3-1) made them earn it. Classical had the ball at Gloucester's 15-yard line in the final minute of the game, but the bid for a potential tying score was thwarted when Alessandro D'Angelo intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone with 28 seconds left.

"We got the job done," Gloucester coach Paul Ingram said. "Some good will come out of this. A game like this helps us immensely. We had to overcome some obstacles tonight and we're a little banged up, but give (Classical) credit. They made some plays."

Classical's defense stepped to the fore, holding Gloucester running back Conor Ressel, the presumptive conference MVP, to 51 yards on 17 carries. Had the Fishermen not turned an interception into a drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown run by Ressel at the end of the half and then scored on a 38-yard pass from Brett Cahill to Brandon Cusumano on a blown coverage on their opening drive of the second half, the Rams would have likely pulled off a monumental upset.

Gloucester's Jordan Shairs also scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Classical's touchdowns came on a 5-yard run by Kashawn Avery and a 1-yard run by Casey Johnson, both in the fourth quarter.

"It's tough to fall behind a team like that 21-0 and come back," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "We had a chance there at the end, and we played pretty well, but it's still a tough loss."

Gloucester's defense dominated the first half, allowing Classical just 10 total yards and one first down. Offensively, the Fishermen took their second possession of the game and marched 54 yards in eight plays and were helped by a pass interference penalty on Classical on third-and-11 from the Rams' 31. Ressel went 17 yards on the next play and Shairs bowled in from there. The PAT kick was good and Gloucester led, 7-0, with 7:32 left in the first half.

Shairs picked off a tipped pass from Classical quarterback Nick Grassa, and a personal foul penalty at the end of the play set up the Fisherman at the Rams' 43 with 2:23 left in the half. Shairs ran 22 yards on the next play, then picked up three yards on a fourth-and-1 play from the 12, and Ressel ran into the end zone two downs later. The point-after kick was blocked and Gloucester led, 13-0, with nine seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Gloucester's first drive of the second half started at the Rams' 45 and two plays later Cahill found Cusumano wide open down the left sideline for an easy score. Shairs ran for two points and Gloucester was ahead, 21-0, just 2:08 into the second half.

Classical finally got its offense going midway through the third quarter. Nick Grassa hit Jasper Grassa for a 25-yard gain and then a pass interference penalty on fourth down put the ball at Gloucester's 11-yard line. Two plays later, Avery ran around right end to put Classical on the scoreboard with 10:54 left in the game.

The Fishermen went three-and-out on their next series and Classical mounted another scoring drive, a 61-yard, 13-play march that was kept alive by another Gloucester penalty and another big pass from Grassa to Grassa, this one for 33 yards to the 15-yard line. Another pass to Jasper Grassa picked up 11 yards and three plays later Johnson dived into the end zone. Nick Grassa's kick was good and Classical trailed, 21-14, with 1:51 left in the game.

Gloucester recovered an onside kick, but Classical's defense held and the Rams got the ball back at their own 46-yard line. Nick Grassa ran for 23 yards and then hooked up with Johnson for 15 yards on a fourth-and-11 play, but after two incomplete passes around an intentional grounding penalty, Classical was forced to throw a Hail Mary into the end zone that was batted but then fell into the arms of D'Angelo.

That set the stage for the final two plays of the game, kneel-downs by Gloucester, the last of which ended with a fight on the field.

"It got out of hand," Ingram said. "Their coaching staff didn't start it. Our coaching staff didn't start it. But I don't want to get into that. It was just a great football game. It was disappointing the kids didn't get to shake hands, but they (officials) didn't want them to."

       Jasper Grassa 11    Tyler Alicudo blocks the extra point.     Tyler Alicudo on the punt return.     Desmond Avery, 10 and Casey Johnson, 25    Calvin Ebieshieva brings down 32.    Nick Grass hands off to Jamil Muriel.

Classical vs. Gloucester.     Classical vs. Gloucester.     Classical Vs. Gloucester.    Jaquan Huston blocks.     Chevere Archer and Buddy Ford have a talk with Cusumano after the tackle.     Water boy hustles off the field.     Chavere Archer makes the tackle    Intercepton.

------------------------------------------

Offense and Defense Come Together for Classical in Shutout Win

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, November 7, 2009 

LYNN -- It's not often that a team recovers two onside kicks in the same quarter, let alone a game; holds a team to 68 yards of total offense; and runs twice as many plays. But for Classical on Friday at Manning Field against Peabody, all those things proved to be true.

The Rams put themselves in position to play for the Northeastern Conference's North Division title next week thanks to a complete effort in all phases of a 22-0 win over the Tanners on a frigid night in Lynn.

"We're playing well at the right time," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "Our defense played well and we didn't make many mistakes."

Classical basically dominated the game in every statistical category you can ... but the most telling mark was in time of possession, where the Rams held a decided advantage (27:33-16:27).

Despite the lopsided nature of the total yardage (360-68) and the time of possession, the Tanners found themselves very much in the game with a chance to cut into a 15-0 lead in the fourth quarter, but Jamal Abu-Hijleh saw a sure touchdown pass slip through his fingers.

"There were probably three critical plays that cost us a chance to win the game," Peabody coach Scott Wlasuk said. "That was a great call by coach (Ed) Melanson there and we just missed it."

Things started ominously for Peabody as Mark D'Addario fumbled on the second play of the night and Classical's Jasper Grassa recovered at the Tanner 48. But the Peabody defense rose up and stopped Grassa on a fourth-and-two at the 13 to seize back the momentum.

After a series of punts, Peabody forced another turnover at the start of the second quarter as Nathaniel Gaye recovered a Nick Grassa fumble at the Peabody 44. But the Tanners went three-and-out on the next series and wouldn't take another snap on offense until there was 8:14 left in the third quarter.

Classical got the ball at its 30 after the punt and used a 28-yard pass from Grassa to Casey Johnson to get its offense going. Four plays later, Kashaun Avery powered in from the four to make it 8-0 after Jasper Grassa's conversion rush.

Phelps then called for an onside kick and Classical recovered at the Peabody 49. Afterwards, Phelps said that came by design.

"We had practiced onside kicks all week," Phelps said. "It's something we like to do and one of the good things about it is now teams have to prepare for it."

Classical immediately made the gamble pay off as Nick Grassa hit Chevere Archer for a 37-yard gain to the Tanner 12. Two snaps later, Jasper Grassa scored from two yards out to make it 15-0 with 4:16 left in the half.

It had worked once, so Phelps decided to gamble a second time with an onside kick and it worked again as Tyler Alicudo fell on a loose ball after Peabody had fumbled an attempted recovery. The Rams then methodically marched inside the Tanner five as time ran down, but Jasper Grassa was stopped three feet short of the goal line on the last play of the half, keeping it 15-0 at the break.

"A team should never recover back-to-back onside kicks," Wlasuk said. "But we got a stop and we felt confident coming out in the second half."

Peabody came up with a stop to begin the third quarter and then put together its most sustained drive of the night. Taking almost six minutes off the clock, D'Addario and Brady Doyle got the ball inside the Classical 20 before the Rams finally stiffened to force a fourth-and-seven at the 13.

On that play, quarterback Mike O'Brien threw for Abu-Hijleh in the back of the end zone, but the ball went through the hands of the wide-open man.

That would prove to be Peabody's last chance as the Rams put together a 15-play, 87-yard march after the missed pass to put the game away. Fittingly, it was the Grassa boys who delivered the knockout punch with Nick finding Jasper for a 17-yard touchdown with 4:24 left.

 

ANOTHER CLASSICAL BIG WIN, BEATS REVERE

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, October 31, 2009 

LYNN -- This one wasn't quite as easy as the score might indicate.

The Classical High football team defeated Revere, 36-13, Friday at Manning Field, but for three quarters, this one was a game.

The Rams held a tenuous 14-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but once the floodgates opened, it was lights-out. Classical scored three touchdowns in the final quarter to improve to 5-3 overall, 2-0 in the Northeastern Conference Large.

"In the first half, we didn't think the defense played as hard as we've done in the past. They didn't really come out to play. The second half, they definitely did. They (Revere) had that one drive, but we definitely controlled the ball and the clock," Classical coach Tim Phelps said.

Classical started off with a bang, marching 63 yards on 10 plays on the opening drive of the game for a TD and a 7-0 lead. Jasper Grassa took it the final 15 yards, but Rudy Collymore got the ball to the 15 with a big 18-yard run. Nick Grassa kicked the extra point.

Trea Weathers (26 carries, 129 rushing yards) shouldered the load on the ground for Revere. The Patriots put their first points of the game on the board on their second possession. Although they were forced to punt on 4th-and-11 from their own 41, a Classical player batted it down and Revere snapped it up, making first down in the process.

The fluke play led to a Weathers 4-yard touchdown run and a 7-7 tie (Brian Robichaud kicked the extra point).

That was as close as the Patriots would get. Classical's Casey Johnson scored his first of two touchdowns with a little over two minutes remaining in the first half to give Classical the lead for good. Johnson had three runs for 46 yards in that drive before finally pushing it in from the 4-yard line (Nick Grassa kicked the extra point) to put the Rams up, 14-7.

Neither team could do much in the third quarter. Revere launched a 10-play drive in the third quarter that fizzled at fourth-and-two on the Classical 27 early in the fourth quarter.

It was all Classical after that, with Johnson scoring his second of the night from seven yards out put the Rams up 22-7. Johnson (9 carries, 127 yards) dragged half the Revere defense along with him on a 45-yard run to get the ball to the seven. The conversion also had some entertainment value when Jasper Grassa bobbled the snap, but recovered the ball and found Johnson in the end zone for the two points.

"I think he did some basketball moves out there," Phelps said. "He dribbled the ball and threw the alley-oop to Casey. It was a good, heads-up play by Jasper."

Classical scored its next touchdown off a fumble recovery deep in Revere territory. The Rams got the ball on the 11 after a holding call set them back five yards, but two plays later, Ricky Bigwood broke through from the one and Nick Grassa kicked the extra point for the 29-7 lead.

The Rams gave Patriots good field position (the Classical 44) to start their next drive thanks to a 15-yard face-mask penalty. Revere took advantage of the gift with Weathers scoring on a 15-yard run to cut the Classical lead to 29-13.

Collymore, who had 60 yards on four carries, delivered the final blow when he scored on a 42-yard run and Nick Grassa kicked the extra point, to make the final 36-13. Chevere Archer had two sacks in a row at one point in the first half. He also had a part of a couple of others.

 

 

Classical shuts down, shuts out Salem, 21-0

By Gordon Vincent / For The Item, October 23, 2009

SALEM - In one of the most dominant defensive performances in school history, the Lynn Classical High football team shut down and shut out Salem, 21-0, Friday night at Bertram Field.

The statistics for the Rams' defense are sublime. Salem (1-6) picked up only one first down and was limited to just seven yards of total offense, including minus-20 yards of rushing. Classical (4-3) also intercepted three passes.

"Defense is our strength," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "They did their job tonight."

Offensively, Classical got a pair of touchdown runs from Jaquan Huston and a 16-yard scoring pass from quarterback Nick Grassa to Keith Nance. The Rams piled up 245 yards of rushing offense, but saw some other scoring opportunities erased by penalties and some decent defense by Salem, particularly linebacker Antonio Reyes, who continues to play outstanding football.

Jasper Grassa led the Rams with 114 yards on 13 carries, while Huston rushed 11 times for 62 yards.

"At times we looked great offensively, and there were times we lost focus," Phelps said. "But they (Witches) played us tough on the defensive side of the ball. I've always said this is a tough matchup for us because they're a big, physical football team just like we are. It doesn't matter what the records are, every time we play them, they give us a battle."

Classical scored on its opening drive of the game that went 78 yards in 14 plays. The Rams had first-and-goal from the Witches' 8-yard line, but three plays went backwards eight yards and Classical needed to put the ball in the end zone. Nick Grassa lofted a high pass to Nance in the front right corner, and the Rams led, 6-0, when Nick Grassa missed the point-after kick with 2:52 left in the first quarter.

"That fourth-down pass when we looked like we had them contained really hurt us," Salem coach Scott Connolly said. "I'm proud of the way our defense played tonight. I know we had trouble moving the ball, but the players never gave up, and I'm proud of the way they kept battling."

Salem's Chris Bozarjian returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to Classical's 29-yard line, but a fake punt on 4th-and-18 was stuffed by Chevere Archer at the Rams' 40. Classical then marched 60 yards in 13 plays and was helped out by a personal foul in the secondary on third-and-13 early in the drive. Huston handled the last three carries, including a 1-yard plunge off left tackle for a touchdown. Jasper Grassa's 2-point rushing conversion made the score 14-0 with 5:42 left in the second quarter.

Neither team threatened to score again until late in the third quarter. A high snap on a punt forced Salem's Reyes to throw a desperate pass that was broken up by Classical's Buddy Ford, and the Rams took over at the Witches' 28-yard line. Four plays later, Huston bounced a run up the middle to the right and ran 22 yards for his second score of the game. Nick Grassa's extra-point kick was good and the Rams led, 21-0, with eight seconds left in the third quarter.

The Witches had good starting field position when Reyes intercepted a pass at the Rams' 29-yard line with 7:44 left in the game, but three plays picked up only three yards and Brad Skeffington's hurried pass attempt on fourth down was knocked down just beyond the line of scrimmage.

Salem's last two drives of the game ended with interceptions by Archer and Nance.

"They play great defense," Salem's Connolly said. "They're big and strong, and they fly to the ball. That was definitely an outstanding defensive effort by them."

Tim Phelps

 

Varsity Football Team set to open Conference Play at Salem

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, October 22, 2009

For the Lynn Classical football team, the road to a playoff berth begins on Friday night (7) when the Rams travel to Bertram Field to open the Northeastern Conference/North portion of their schedule against Salem.

Classical (3-3) comes in off a 19-14 win at Malden last week that saw the Rams trail 14-7 entering the fourth quarter. But Casey Johnson caught a touchdown pass from Nick Grassa and fullback Ricky Bigwood added a late 2-yard plunge.

The Classical defense was outstanding again in the win, forcing five turnovers, three of them interceptions. The Rams allowed 151 yards of total offense.

Keith Nance gave the Rams offense a boost, carrying eight times for 102 yards while also catching a 28-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter from Grassa.

Classical will face a Salem squad that, to say the least, has had its troubles on offense this year.

The Witches (1-5, 0-1 NEC North) have scored over 12 points just twice in six games and come in off a 35-13 thumping at the hands of Marblehead last week. Quarterback Brad Skeffington threw for 132 yards and both Salem touchdowns, but he also was intercepted four times by the Magician defense.
 

The Battle of the Undefeated JV Football Teams - - - Classical Wins Again !

by Ryan Hathaway 9/20/09

Yesterday afternoon, the Lynn Classical JV football team beat the previously undefeated Malden Golden Tornados 36-8. Classical improves to 6-0 on the season.   Lynn Classical racked up over 350 yards of total offense while holding Malden to negative yardage. John Finnigan threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for another in one half of work.  Jamil Muriel scored three touchdowns and Kyle Gauthier also caught one.  Christian Cromwell and Calvin Ebieshieva had intereptions while Sergio Pires and Craig Kanyangarara led the offensive and defensive lines. 

 
In the second half, Jalin Brown stepped in at quarterback and had 40 yards passing in addition to 40 yards rushing.  Malcolm Lang ran well and Miguel Morillo played well in the defensive backfield.
 
 

 

Big fourth quarter lifts Rams

By Evan MacDonald / For The Item, October 19, 2009

MALDEN - A week after a fourth-quarter loss to Beverly, Lynn Classical ended up on the winning side of a heartbreaker.

It wasn't pretty - no game that features a combined nine fumbles and five interceptions ever is - but Classical scored 12 points in the final quarter to eke out a 19-14 victory over Malden at MacDonald Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Rams (3-3) fumbled the ball six times in the second half, losing possession on four occasions. But two late touchdowns, and a crucial recovery of an onside kick, proved to be the difference in an otherwise sloppy slugfest.

"A win's a win, but we've got some things to fix," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "We still turned the ball over a couple times, and we still fumbled ... but we got the win, so I'm excited."

Trailing, 14-7, entering the final period, Classical started things off poorly when a fumble by quarterback Nick Grassa on fourth-and-goal from the Golden Tornados' two-yard line ended what could have been a tying drive.

The Rams' defense stepped up, though, when Desmond Avery picked off a pass by Malden quarterback Shakarus Semexant to give Classical possession at the Tornados' 21.

Classical capitalized on fourth-and-goal on the drive. Grassa found Casey Johnson in the back of the end zone from 13 yards out, bringing the Rams within one. Classical opted for two, but Johnson was denied on his carry.

Phelps said the decision to go for two was a combination of his team's inconsistent kicking and the offensive struggles in the second half.

"We hit [an extra point] today, but that was the first one we hit in a couple weeks," he said. "I felt better going for [two]. And to be honest, I didn't know if we were going to score again, so I wanted to go for the win."

With just over five minutes remaining, the Rams recovered the ensuing onside kick, regaining possession at the Malden 49. Aided by a facemask penalty on the Tornados, the Rams marched downfield. Eight plays later, Ricky Bigwood found pay dirt from two yards out, giving the Rams a 19-14 edge with a minute and a half to play.

Malden (2-4) made things interesting by advancing to the Classical 40, but the game ended on Semexant's fumble with no time remaining, sealing the Rams' victory.

In the first half, both teams struggled to do much offensively. An early Malden turnover allowed Classical to score the half's only points, when Grassa hooked up with Keith Nance from 28 yards out to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.

Malden, meanwhile, struggled throughout the half. The Tornados threw two interceptions and fumbled away another possession, and netted just 54 yards in the two periods.

"We feel like we were too sloppy to win a football game," Malden coach Joseph Pappagallo said. "We talked about eliminating mistakes, but obviously we weren't able to do that, and it cost us the game."

The Tornados, however, came out with a sense of urgency in the third. They tied the game on Nick Hoyt's three-yard rush late in the period, and took the lead on a 30-yard pass from Semexant to David Console just two minutes later.

Both touchdowns were preceded by Classical fumbles; the Rams lost the ball three times in the third.

But when it came down to crunch time, the Rams converted the two necessary scoring drives to steal the victory.

"Our defense had a chance to win the game by just stopping them," Pappagallo said. "But we struggled doing it."

 

JV Team Stays Undefeated !!

by Ryan Hathaway

The Lynn Classical Junior Varsity football team improved to 5-0 on the season this Saturday by defeating Beverly, 20-8 at Beverly High School.  Joe Scuzzarella and Jamil Muriel led the Ram attack with over 200 yards rushing and 3 TD's.  Calvin Ebieshieva, Astrell Fort and Christian Cromwell led the defensive effort while Rafeal Garcia and Josh Dunham were solid on the offensive line. 
 

Football Team Loses a Thriller             


Danny Omoreggie of Classical (56) gets tackled by Dylan Terry of Beverly at Manning Field on Friday. (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

 

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, Saturday, October 10, 2009

LYNN -- It's probably a good thing the city decided to stop letting people into football games at Manning Field for free after the first half.

Although the move was made for safety reasons, anyone who tried to save a few bucks by coming to Friday night's Classical-Beverly showdown late would have missed one of the more memorable second quarters in years, and anyone who failed to stick around until the end would be kicking themselves for missing an exciting, albeit controversial, finish that ended up with Classical on the short end of a 34-28 decision.

 

 

 

 


Tyler Alicudo running for a touchdown to make it 20 to 21  Nick Grassa tries for the extra point with the help of Jasper Grassa.   Chevere Archer celebrating after bringing down a Beverly player.     A Beverly pass was tipped by Casey Johnson and caught by Justin Marrs who ran for a touchdown.   Stephan Armand after a touchdown drive    



The Rams were knocking on the door at the Beverly 13 when time ran out. Classical quarterback Nick Grassa tied to spike the ball with seconds left to stop the clock, but he bobbled the snap and officials ruled that his knee was down.

"There was some miscommunication between officials and the coaching staff. It was a tough way to lose," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "It was disappointing, but we saw some good things today. Overall we played well."

The Rams certainly put up some winning numbers, rushing for 234 yards on 54 carries with Casey Johnson doing yeoman's work with 130 yards on 21 carries. He also caught five passes for 70 yards and scored three touchdowns, two on runs (4 yards and 39 yards) and one on a 25-yard pass from Nick Grassa.

Beverly did most of its damage in the air, with Mark Hannable going 10-13 for 157 yards (Beverly threw for 161 overall). Steve Dubois had five catches for 65 yards, including a 40-yard pass from Hannable.

The first quarter was fairly quiet on both sides, with Classical breaking the ice in the final second on Johnson's four-yard touchdown run (the kick failed). The floodgates opened for both teams in the second quarter -- a quarter that was more like a track meet than a football game. The two teams scored seven touchdowns (four by Beverly, three by Classical) before the halftime whistle sounded.

Dylan Terry put Beverly on the board to start the second half. The drive started at the Beverly 46 and ended three plays later with a 17-yard touchdown run by Dylan Terry (Ryan Flannery kick). Hannable, who had been sidelined with mononucleosis, had a 23-yard keeper on third-and-four from the Classical 40 to keep the drive alive.

When Classical fumbled the kickoff, Terry was there to scoop the ball up at the six and run it six yards for the touchdown and a 13-6 Beverly lead (the kick failed).

The Rams answered the call on the next drive of the game. Eleven plays and 62 yards later, Jasper Grassa ran the ball in from the three and Johnson's rush was good, giving Classical a 14-13 lead.

Tipped balls were the order of the day for a while. Beverly's Justin Marrs got things going with a 50-yard kick return to the Classical 30. Hannable went to Marrs on the next pass and Marrs caught the 30-yard touchdown pass, after it was tipped by Johnson.

The Rams bounced right back on their next possesses. When the ball was fumbled on the first play of the drive, Dan Omoreggie scooped it up for the Rams and ran 30 yards to put his team at the Beverly 47. Three plays later, Johnson broke for a 39-yard touchdown run (Grassa rush) and the Rams regained the lead, 22-21.

Beverly got that one back on the ensuing possession when Hannable threw a 40-yard pass to Dubois and Flannery kicked the extra point for a 28-22 lead. It wasn't over yet, however. Classical tied the game on its next possession when Nick Grassa found Johnson with a 25-yard touchdown pass (rush failed). After 56 total points, 50 of them coming in the second quarter, the two teams hit the locker room tied 28-28.

Beverly took the lead for good with about 3:28 remaining in the game on a Hannable 17-yard pass to Curtis Manual (kick failed).

It looked like the Rams were finished, but they didn't roll over. Nick Grassa marched his team from its own 28 down to the Beverly 13. On third and 11 from the 13, Grassa attempted to spike the ball to stop the clock, but his knee touched the ground and time ran out.

"I thought the offense played well," Phelps said. "I thought we controlled the line of scrimmage."

Phelps wasn't happy with the fumbles, but he was encouraged to see his team bounce back from some of its mistakes. Classical is 2-3.

Casey Johnson congrads. Stephan Armand  Chevere Archer brings down a Beverly player.   Chevers Archer punting.   Kashawn Avery pushes a Beverly player away.   Jasper Grassa after scoring a touchdown.

 

Classical vs Beverly, Both Looking for Bounce-Back Win

By Matthew Roy / For The Item

A pair of teams looking to rebound from tough losses will meet on Friday night (7) at Manning Field when Lynn Classical plays host to Beverly in the final nonleague game for both teams before each begins play in the NEC North and South next week.

Classical comes in at 2-2 while the Panthers are at 2-1 in their nonleague slate. Each team will try to get back on the winning track after losing to Winthrop and Gloucester, respectively.

For both teams, last week was not a banner day for the offense. The Rams were limited to 98 total yards and six points in a 16-6 loss at Winthrop. Beverly had an even tougher time with the Fishermen.

Gloucester's swarming defense allowed only three first downs and held the Panthers to minus-20 yards rushing and eight yards total in a 41-0 win at Hurd Stadium.

Even with those struggles by the Panthers, Classical coach Tim Phelps knows that his team will be in for a test on Friday.

"Beverly is a good football team and they always play us tough," Phelps said. "All the games that I can remember against them have been close, hard-fought battles."

For Classical, finding consistency on offense is job number one. After the Rams rushed for 324 yards against Marblehead two weeks ago, the Vikings held Classical to a total of 89 yards on the ground last week.

"The first couple of possessions, we looked great, and the last couple were great," Phelps said. "But in the middle, we weren't so great. We've got to learn to play for four quarters."

The Classical defense held the Vikings to 211 total yards, but Winthrop took advantage of a couple of critical turnovers, turning them into Nick McCarthy touchdowns. And the job doesn't get easier this week against a Panther team that boasts plenty of talent.

"They run the spread offense, but like to run out of it," Phelps said. "They get you spread across the field and like to run up the middle or on the edge. You have to get to the ball and have kids make open-field tackles."


 
The Panthers will also look to get their explosive offense going in the right direction. Quarterback Joe Wioncek was picked off three times and completed just 6-of-20 passes against a relentless Gloucester blitz.

But Phelps knows that if you get too aggressive with a pass rush, the Panthers can sting you quickly.

"They run screens really well," Phelps said. "If you can get a pass rush on them, you have to expect that screen next."
 

 

 
 

Classical Grounded by Winthrop

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, October 3, 2009

WINTHROP -- After racking up 324 yards rushing a week earlier, the Classical ground game was missing in action Friday in a 16-6 loss to Winthrop at Miller Field.

The Rams compounded the power outage with a couple of fumbles and missed opportunities that opened a door that Winthrop gladly walked through.

"They played and we didn't," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "We made mistakes. Fumbles, dropped passes, you can't make those mistakes, especially when you're away."

Classical (2-2) moved the ball well on its first possession. After getting the ball on the 50, quarterback Nick Grassa opened with a 19-yard keeper that put the Rams on the Winthrop 31. Six plays later, Casey Johnson barreled up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown. The kick failed.

The Vikings (2-2) came into the game hobbled by a few injuries, one of them a wrist problem with quarterback William Milano. Milano took over on Winthrop's third possession and it was as if someone turned on the light switch.

Milano got the ball on the 28 and 14 plays later ran it in from one-yard out (Robert Deeb's kick was good) to give the Vikings a lead that help up until the final whistle. The key plays of the drive included a 28-yard pass to Nick McCarthy, a 15-yard run by McCarthy and a Milano 21-yard pass to Chris Strangie that landed the Vikings on the Classical five.

Winthrop took a 7-6 lead into the locker room and after shutting the Rams down on their opening possession of the second half, McCarthy struck again - this time on a 64-yard touchdown run - to give the Vikings a 13-6 lead.

Winthrop threatened again on its next possession, but the Ram defense came up big, stopping the Vikings three times from the one-yard line. On third and a foot, the Rams threw McCarthy for an eight-yard loss which turned into 13 yards thanks to a penalty.

The defensive stand didn't provide Classical with the shot in the arm it needed. Early in the fourth quarter, after starting a drive on its own five, Classical fumbled and Winthrop's James Barker, who had started a quarterback, recovered the ball. Although the Vikings had to settle for a field goal, it wwas enough to end any Classical hopes of a comeback. The Rams got to the Winthrop 27 with 2:29 left, but fumbled the ball and Winthrop recovered.

"After a tough couple of weeks, it was nice to be home," Winthrop coach Sean Driscoll said. "They a very good football team."

Driscoll said he was very happy with the say his defense played. He also had praise for McCarthy (23-123 yards rushing). Classical only had 89 yards rushing and nine yard passing. Winthrop had 123 yards rushing and 91 yards passing.

 

Football: Phelps, Classical prep for road trip to Winthrop

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, 10/1/09

Tim Phelps has been associated with the Classical football program for a few years now, and he's always felt the Rams are at a disadvantage when they go to Miller Field in Winthrop.

"It's a tough place to play," Phelps said. "The whole thing works well for Winthrop, and they always play well there ... they have one of the best home-field advantages in the Northeastern Conference."

Classical gets to go over there Friday night (7) to face a Vikings team hungry for a win. The Vikings, after winning their season opener over Salem, have lost two straight -- to English two weeks ago and to Gloucester last Friday. It should be noted that both of those losses game away from Miller Field.

"They played English tough at Manning," said Phelps. "They have quite a schedule -- Salem, English, Gloucester and us ... I'd imagine that's tough to deal with all in a row."

However, Phelps won't dwell on any woes Winthrop might have. He's busy dealing with his team, which is riding a two-game winning streak with victories over Wakefield and Marblehead (both on the road).

"We've been inconsistent at times," Phelps said. "We scored on our first two drives last week. We drove right down and scored ... and then, on our fourth drive, we couldn't do anything.

"Same thing on defense," Phelps said. "We hold them to two three-and-outs to open the game, and then they have a six-play drive and score on us. We have to learn how to play all the time."

While Phelps is generally happy with the way his team has played, he singled out two early-season surprises. One is Tech transfer Josh Cheever, who, he says, "has picked up our offense and defense really well."

Cheever is a starting defensive tackle and a backup offensive tackle.

The other surprise, Phelps said, is sophomore Rudy Collymore, a running back, who "will give the rest of the backs more competition, which we like," he said.
 

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JV Football Team Stays Undefeated

by Ryan Hathaway

Lynn Classical's Junior Varsity football team defeated Marblehead, 20 - 0.  Lynn Classical's J.V. team improved to 3-0.  John Finnigan and Jalin Brown both threw TD passes with Joe Scuzzarella and Jordan Pena receiving.  Sam Rios, Craig Kanyagarara and Miguel Morillo led the defense to a shutout. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Varsity Team Runs Wild, Defeats Marblehead

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, September 26, 2009

MARBLEHEAD -- Lynn Classical rushed for 321 yards against Marblehead on Friday night ... And it almost wasn't enough to hold off the Magicians at Piper Field.

Marblehead quarterback Hayes Richardson's passing clinic made sure of that.

Richardson put up 41 passes, completing 21 of them for 241 yards and two touchdowns. The game, though, came down to one play as Classical's Casey Johnson dashed 49 yards for a touchdown, his third of the night, on fourth and a foot with 29 seconds left to finally ensure a 28-15 Rams win.

"I had been preaching to the team all week that this was going to be a tough game," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "Marblehead was coming in off two great games and we were able to step up at times and make some big plays."

Johnson's touchdown run in the final moments was the final big play in a fourth quarter that saw the Classical (2-1) defense come up with two huge defensive stops, including an endzone interception from Keith Nance, in the first three minutes of the fourth. And Johnson rip off a 78 yard touchdown run that gave the Rams a two touchdown lead only to see Richardson bring Marblehead (2-1) back with a touchdown pass of his own at the 1:00 mark.

But the Rams recovered Mike Bernato's onside kick and saw Johnson put the game on ice moments later.

"The first half kind of killed us because we didn't come out firing," Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff said. "We started off on our heels and were kind of fortunate to only be down two scores."

Classical was firing on all cylinders early as it forced Marblehead to punt on the game's opening drive and then marched 34 yards on eight plays to a 7-0 lead on the first of Johnson's three scores.

Following another Marblehead three-and-out, Classical upped the lead to 15-0 when Kashaun Avery won a footrace to the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown and 2-point pass from Jasper Grassa to Johnson.

Early in the second quarter, the Rams were in position to go in for the kill after Avery snared the first of Richardson's three interceptions and returned it to the Marblehead 20. But the Magician defense stood tall and held, forcing a Nick Grassa incompletion on fourth-and-five.

Richardson, who had thrown for two yards to this point, then got the Magicians in position to strike when he hit Evan Comeau (eight catches, 123 yards) for a 31-yard gain to the Rams 37. But the Classical pass rush, which harried Richardson throughout the first half, rushed a throw and Avery got his second interception of the half to send the Rams to the dressing room up by 15.

"At the half we got together and talked about what we needed to do and the kids stepped up," Rudloff said.

Marblehead forced a three and out by the Rams to start the third quarter. With a virtually nonexistent running attack, Richardson used screens and short swing passes to his slot receivers to act as a run game.

Comeau gained 10 yards on a slip screen and then 11 more on the next play to get the ball to the Ram 30. Two plays later, Richardson threw a strike to Matt Perlow on a skinny post for a 26 yard touchdown that cut the lead to seven after a sneak for a 2-point conversion by the senior quarterback.

Classical moved right back down field, reaching the Marblehead 16 late in the third before fumbling on fourth-and-seven. The Magicians then got a 37-yard strike from Richardson to Alex Haigis on the penultimate play of the third quarter to put them in position for the tying points. But Classical forced two incompletions at the beginning of the fourth quarter to thwart that march.

"Defensively, we were winded at times there," Phelps said. "And we can't put pressure on our 'D' like that as an offense."

-----------------------------------

 

Senior Jaquan Huston, left, junior Nick Grassa and their Classical teammates are gearing up for Marblehead. (ITEM FILE PHOTO)

Classical, Marblehead prepare for challenging matchup Friday

By Matthew Roy / For The Item

First-year Marblehead head coach Jim Rudloff said it best after watching the Lynn Classical football team on film in preparation for his team's meeting with the Rams on Friday night (7) at Piper Field.

"We knew right away from watching the films of their two games that we felt like we were watching a team in fast motion," Rudloff said. "Their speed is amazing and it really made us take notice."

The Rams' (1-1) speed was on full display against Wakefield in their last outing. Classical rushed for 214 yards and rattled off 27 unanswered points en route to a 34-14 win over the Warriors. But coach Tim Phelps knows full well that his team has to be on the ball against the Magicians.

"They've pretty much dominated both teams they've played so far," Phelps said. "So we have to go in ready to play. They look like a scary football team."

After riding the arm of quarterback Hayes Richardson to a win in the opener, Marblehead rode the back of its ground game and special teams to a 30-0 win over Ipswich last week.

Will Quigley rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown, one of three different Marblehead backs to find pay dirt against the Tigers. The Magicians also blocked a punt for the second straight week, turning it into the game's first seven points.

Rudloff has been pleased with the way that his backfield has jelled together so quickly.

"Hayes is a very cool customer back there and is a very intelligent player," Rudloff said. "Quigley is only a sophomore and Evan Comeau was a short-yardage specialist last year. So to be able to get what we're getting from them is great."

The explosive ability of the Marblehead offense is something that has the attention of the Rams.

"It's going to be a test for our defense," Phelps said. "Their offense has the ability to score points and (Richardson) has a rocket for an arm. And they've got a couple of players that they like to give the ball to."

The Rams also possess a plethora of talented players at the skill positions. Rudy Cullymore, Casey Johnson, Kashaun Avery and Jaquan Huston all recorded touchdowns against the Warriors. And that grouping of speed demons will give the Marblehead defense plenty to worry about.

"They seem to have the ability to execute many of the plays they want to because of their speed," Rudloff said. "We've executed well on defense and have done a nice job. But this will be the biggest test we've had so far."

The two teams did not play last season or the year before that. And the improvement in the Magicians was something that Phelps noticed right away when he watched them on tape.

"They are so much more improved then when we played them before," Phelps said. "They look like they have some players who have worked hard in the offseason, and it's showing."

---------------------------------

 
 

Balanced Effort Gives Classical Big Win Over Wakefield 

( Click here for Game photos )

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, September 18, 2009

WAKEFIELD -- It was a complete performance in all phases for the Lynn Classical football team on Thursday night at Landrigan Field.

Classical forced six turnovers, returned an interception for a touchdown, blocked a punt for a safety and held Wakefield in negative rushing yards until the game was well in hand en route to a 34-14 win over the Warriors.

"That is the kind of defensive team that we're hoping to have all year," Classical coach Tim Phelps said. "We talked about it all this week. They made mistakes and we were able to capitalize."

The Rams (1-1) held the Middlesex League power to only eight first downs, and after giving up a touchdown to fall behind 7-6 in the first quarter, forced five turnovers and a punt on Wakefield's next six possessions.

"I've been here a long time and I don't think I've ever seen that," Wakefield coach Mike Boyages said about the turnovers. "This was a tough one for us."

Wakefield got the ball to start the game and the turnover flaw showed up immediately when Chevere Archer blasted tailback Ervin St. Jean in the backfield to force a fumble that Buddy Ford recovered for the Rams at the Wakefield 40.

"Chevere is a great athlete and he's worked super hard in the offseason," Phelps said.

The Rams cashed in on the chance four plays later when Rudy Cullymore swept off tackle and went 39 yards on third-and-20 for a touchdown and a 6-0 Classical lead (Nick Grassa's extra point was blocked).

"That play was blocked perfectly," Phelps said. "And that's what we tried to clean up this week."

The lead for the Rams lasted all of 21 seconds as St. Jean ripped off a 26-yard gain on the next Wakefield snap. A personal foul on the Rams tacked on 15 more yards to the Classical 16, from where Zach Duffy hit Shane Taylor on a slant for a touchdown and a 7-6 lead after Connor O'Brien's extra point.

From there on, though, it was all Rams.

Early in the second quarter, Classical saw a lengthy drive stall inside the Wakefield 20. One play later, Jasper Grassa stole back all the momentum for the Rams.

Duffy rolled left and threw across his body for Matt Lincoff over the middle. Grassa stepped in front of the receiver and returned the ball 30 yards for a score and a 12-6 lead.

After the teams exchanged punts, Classical forced another turnover when Duffy was sacked and fumbled. Ricky Bigwood recovered for the Rams at the Warriors 20.

A holding penalty momentarily stopped Classical's momentum and forced the Rams into a third-and-24 at the Warrior 34. Nick Grassa and Casey Johnson, though, got Classical out of the predicament as Johnson outjumped a defender to make a stellar catch along the right sideline for a touchdown and an 18-6 lead at halftime.

"It's nice to not have just that one go-to guy that everyone can key on," Phelps said.

Classical got the ball to start the second half and didn't waste much time in sending many Warrior fans to the exits. Jaquan Huston ripped off a 30-yard run on the second play of the third quarter and Kashaun Avery followed with a 33-yard touchdown run that upped the gap to 25-7 just 1:01 into the third.

Two possessions later, Avery recovered Wakefield's seventh fumble of the night at the Warrior 19. Five plays later, Huston went in from seven yards out to give Classical a 32-7 lead.

All that was left was for the special teams to get into the act and they did on the next possession as Connor O'Brien's punt was blocked through the back of the end zone for a safety and a 34-7 lead.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Phelps, Rams get ready for Wakefield

By Matthew Roy / For The Item, September 16, 2009

The Lynn Classical football team outgained Catholic Conference power Catholic Memorial by a nearly 2-to-1 margin in its season opener last week. But a penalty here and a big play there by the Knights were enough to offset the discrepancy in yardage and give CM a 17-0 win at Manning Field.

The Rams and coach Tim Phelps will hope to carry that stellar play into Thursday night, when they hit the road and travel to Landrigan Field in Wakefield to take on the Warriors in a non-conference meeting (6).

Classical (0-1) had the advantage in nearly every statistical category against the Knights, but seven penalties and a costly interception proved to be a combination that the Rams couldn't overcome.

"I thought that we moved the ball relatively well," Phelps said. "And I thought the defense played real well. We just made little mistakes, and when we did, they capitalized on them."

The Ram defense was brilliant as it faced one of the top backs in Eastern Mass. in CM senior Antonio Warren. Warren gained just 43 yards on 11 carries, but he scored twice from two yards out to help the Knights transform their big plays into points.

Senior Jaquan Huston helped lead a Classical offense that racked up 296 yards in total offense. Huston rushed for 103 of Classical's 156 rushing yards in the game.

Quarterback Nick Grassa also had a solid game in his first career start, completing 6-of-17 passes for 140 yards, but he had a critical interception that thwarted a scoring chance.

"We had it in the red zone a bunch of times and then made little mistakes that killed us," Phelps said. "We need to tighten everything up ... We definitely had a shot to win that game without the mistakes."

The Rams will be facing a Wakefield team that will be playing its season opener. The Warriors come out of the Middlesex League and finished second to Reading in that league last year with a 7-1 league mark, 8-1 overall.

Wakefield, though, will have to replace several critical players off that team, including running back Martin Hyppolite, who is the owner of almost every single season and career rushing mark for a Warrior running back and now hangs his hat at Connecticut.

But Phelps knows that the Warriors will still give his team a huge challenge.

"Wakefield is a good program. They have been for years," Phelps said. "We can't come out and lay an egg. We have to be ready to play football."

  


 

2009 Team Roster

2 Grassa Nick JR 5'9" 180 QB/DB
3 Lopes Brian SR 5'9" 170 WR/DB
4 Kanyangarara Craig JR 5'11" 195 OL/LB
5 Avery Kashawn SR 5'9" 160 RB/DB
6 Huston Jaquan SR 5'9" 193 RB/LB
9 Muriel Jamil JR 5'6" 180 RB/DB
10 Avery Desmond SR 6'2" 180 RB/DB
11 Grassa Jasper SR 5'11" 180 WR/DB
12 Ebieshieva Calvin SO 5'11" 180 RB/LB
18 Finnigan John SO 5'9" 180 QB/LB
20 Soriano Jairo SO 5'9" 180 RB/DB
21 Alicudo Tyler SR 5'9" 177 RB/DB
22 Morillo Miguel JR 5'6" 131 RB/DB
23 White  Danny SO 5'9" 136 RB/DB
24 Rios  Sam JR 5'6" 144 RB/DB
25 Johnson Casey SR 6'2" 183 RB/LB
27 Wonde Tony SR 6'1" 186 RB/LB
28 Nance Keith JR 6'2" 180 RB/DB
30 Cromwell Christian JR 5'9" 180 RB/DB
32 Scuzzarella Joe JR 5'6" 144 RB/DB
34 Collymore Rudy SO 5'3" 152 RB/DB
42 Mitchell Jarred SO 5'6" 180 RB/LB
43 Sisson Eric JR 5'9" 180 RB/LB
45 Pirez  Sergio SO 5'11" 206 OL/DL
  Garcia Rafael SO 5'11" 191 OL/LB
47 Wilhemson Mike SR 5'9" 273 OL/DL
49 Chea  Ramonny SO 5'9" 177 OL/LB
50 Velasquez Fernando JR 5'9" 201 OL/LB
51 Sloden  Ryan SR 5'11" 200 OL/LB
52 Hart Justin SR 5'9" 185 OL/LB
53 Cheever  Josh JR 6'3" 230 OL/DL
55 Nelson Robbie SR 5'9" 196 OL/LB
56 Omoregie Danny JR 6' 221 OL/DL
57 Ford Buddy JR 6' 226 OL/LB
58 Albright Billy SR 5'11" 202 OL/DL
60 Maldonado Victor SR 5'9" 190 OL/DL
61 Andemicael Adam SO 5'9" 200 OL/DL
62 Soto Edwin SR 5'10" 200 OL/DL
63 Lopez Carlos SR 5'11" 222 OL/DL
65 Armand Stephan JR 6'3" 260 OL/DL
70 Kusch  Will  SR 6'3" 300 OL/DL
72