Silvia two good
Scores on offense and defense to lead Wamps to easy win BRAINTREE 47 BARNSTABLE 27
BRAINTREE — From the opening kickoff, Billy Silvia was the star of the show.
Silvia ran for 248 yards and three touchdowns, while adding another score on an interception return, to lead Braintree to a 47-27 win over Barnstable yesterday morning at Braintree High School.
Silvia rushed for touchdowns of 58, 69 and 73 yards. His picksix went for 37 yards.
“I don’t know how you game plan for Billy (Silvia),” said Braintree coach Brian Chamberlain. “He is a special kid. He blocks well, he catches the ball, and you can’t coach the way he runs.”
Silvia made his presence felt on the Wamps first play from scrimmage. He took the handoff, cut inside and raced untouched for a 58-yard TD as Braintree grabbed a quick 7-0 lead.
Later in the half, with Braintree on top 14-7, Silvia used his instincts as a defensive back to help the Wamps extend their lead. On third-and-5, Silva jumped the route on a Matt Petercuskie pass and took it the other way for a 37-yard interception return for a score, pushing the advantage to 20-7 “Our coach had us prepared for that play all week,” said Silvia. “Just to sit back on the deep pass, and then come up when he throws it. We thought we would have that pick-six that whole entire time.”
Michael Tellier’s second touchdown pass of the game to Calvin Lane (three receptions, 64 yards, two TDs) gave Braintree a 27-7 lead at halftime.
Barnstable made an early second half surge with a Thomas Our interception return that set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Nick Freig to pull the Red Raiders within 27-14.
Silvia, however, quickly put any thoughts of a Barnstable comeback bid to rest. On the first play of the fourth quarter he received the handoff courtesy of a double reverse and found a burst of speed for a 69-yard touchdown run to push the Wamps lead to 34-14.
The Wamps’ two-way sensation saved his most electric play of the day for his final carry of the game. With just over eight minutes left, Silvia took a toss to the left, barreled toward the sideline before reversing course and cutting back right through the Raiders secondary for a 73-yard touchdown to put the Wamps comfortably on top, 40-14.
‘I don’t know how you game plan for Billy (Silvia). He is a special kid. He blocks well, he catches the ball, and you can’t coach the way he runs.’
— BRIAN CHAMBERLAIN, Braintree coach, on Wamps star