Lynn Classical

LYNN -- The Classical High Powder Puff football team hasn't enjoyed much success in the annual pre-Thanksgiving showdown against English in the past five or six years, but the drought ended Sunday with an 18-0 win at Manning Field.

The Rams were tough, with Jaime Behen running the show at quarterback, Frances Mathieu tearing up the turf from the running back spot and Sochitta Men providing Behen with a nice target in the end zone. The Ram defense was equally tough, stopping the Bulldogs in the red zone twice in the first half.

"They've been practicing hard four days a week," Classical coach Jay Alicudo said. "We have 55 girls showing up at 8 o'clock on a Saturday morning."

Alicudo said he expected English to be tough, given the Bulldogs' past success in the game.

"They have athletes. It was a great game, but these girls (the Rams) just executed," he said.

Classical didn't waste any time putting points up on the board. English took the opening kickoff, but couldn't get past its own 30. When English opted to go for it on fourth-and-13 and failed, the Rams found themselves in great field position (the English 27) on their first possession.

Mathieu, whose shirt reads "Franny-Moss" on the back, picked up four yards and Jillian Adams ran it to the 15 on two carries, setting the stage for Behen, who delivered a beauty of a pass to Men in the end zone for a 6-0 Classical lead.

English controlled the ball for the remainder for the first quarter, but couldn't make much headway against the Ram defense. The Bulldogs had a chance to tie the game when lightning-quick Jenna Henry broke free for a 55-yard run into the end zone, but the touchdown was called back on a clipping call. English had to restart its drive at the Classical 33.

The Bulldogs started to move the ball again, with Danielle Burke delivering English to the 21 on a 13-yard run, but the drive stalled when the Bulldogs picked up a penalty and quarterback Ashleigh Keighley was sacked for a 15-yard loss.

Classical launched its second drive of the game from its 23, but the Rams only needed one play to widen their lead. Behen handed the ball off to Mathieu, who turned on the burners and raced 77 yards for a touchdown and a 12-0 lead. The conversion pass failed.

English started its next drive from the 50 and went four-and-out, but the Bulldogs got the ball right back when Classical fumbled the punt. Although English got the ball to the Classical 13, the drive fizzled on fourth-and-nine.

Neither team could do much with the ball in the second half until late in the game, when Behen threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Mathieu, who had to weave her way through a crowd on the way to the end zone.

Mathieu, who will turn her attention to basketball next week, said she never really played much football, but she picked up a few tips watching her brother play and, of course, the Patriots.

"She did a great job getting herself open," Behen said, adding it was great to bring an end to English's winning streak.

"We broke it, the Classical class of '09," Mathieu said.

The English team was coached by a group of boys from the English football team, led by quarterback Jesse Fowler and receiver Justin Young.

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It was time for the Rams to beat the Bulldogs !

Warm-up drills were definitely needed for the 29 degree temperatures before game time.

Classical's offense started off strong and stayed that way throughout the game.