WEEKEND WRAP UP
Kevin Fessette remembers the first time he coached Ipswich against Lynnfield six years ago.
It was a night to forget, but one which eventually served him well.
Lynnfield rolled to a 31-0 victory that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. The Tigers were outgained by a 408-3 margin and didn’t get their initial and only first down until the six-minute mark against backups.
“We got embarrassed, they smoked us,” Fessette said. “After that game, I decided that Lynnfield was the type of program I wanted us to become.”
If Friday night was any indicator, the Ipswich football team has arrived.
Ipswich jumped out to a 19-0 lead and never looked back in handing Lynnfield its first loss, 33-7. The defense allowed a high-powered Pioneer offense a mere 154 yards and kept them off the board until the final minutes.
“The game plan was to try and shorten the game,” Fessette said. “We felt it we could do that and get ahead, it would force them to become one dimensional and we were able to do.”
The defense is getting better as the season wears on. They came into the Lynnfield contest on the heels of an impressive 33-6 win over a solid Newburyport squad. Fessette says it starts up front with Nikhil Walker.
“Nikhil is a freakish athlete who is now all-in with football,” Fessette said. “When you have a 6-5, 240-pound kid like that, we can rush with three guys and drop an extra person back into coverage.”
Things have gone well for Ipswich, something Fessette felt was certainly possible. He was more concerned with his kids getting an opportunity figuring the rest would work itself out.
“We wanted to keep the kids, especially the seniors, focused early on when we didn’t know if there was going to be a season,” Fessette said. “We gave them drills to work on, things which wouldn’t always require weight training. They went out and did all the hard work.”
DIVISION 1
□ Weymouth cracked the win column for the first time as James Cassidy rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-0 win over Brookline.
□ Devonte Medley ran for 123 yards and three touchdowns, while throwing for 93 yards as Brockton captured the Southeast Conference title with a 28-19 win over Bridgewater-Raynham.
□ Pressed into action at quarterback because of injuries, Owen McGowan threw for 161 yards and one score, while rushing for another as Catholic Memorial handled BC
High, 35-7.
□ Joe Kelcourse ran for 164 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries as Xaverian defeated St. John’s Prep, 35-14, to remain undefeated.
□ Ayden Pereira completed 17-of-24 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 60 yards as Central Catholic improved to 5-0 with a 17-0 win over Andover.
DIVISION 2
□ Eugene Jordan ran for 106 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries as Barnstable celebrated its long-awaited season debut with a 42-0 win over Nauset.
□ Cincere Gill ran for 122 yards and three touchdowns as Mansfield remained unbeaten with a 26-0 win over Attleboro.
□ Jason Hall cracked the 1,000-yard mark, rushing for 273 yards and five touchdowns as Durfee defeated New Bedford, 48-7.
□ Crawford Cantave rushed for 84 yards and three scores as King Philip coasted to a 36-7 win over Canton.
□ Bo MacCormack ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a TD reception as Westford Academy coasted to a 38-13 win over Waltham.
DIVISION 3
□ Sam Cunningham made head coach Mike Driscoll’s final game a successful one as he rushed for 143 yards on 22 carries as Whitman-Hanson defeated Hingham, 17-7. □ Tyler DeMattio ran for 126 yards and two touchdowns, including the gamewinner with 2:39 left, as North Attleboro clinched the Hockomock Davenport title with a 14-10 win over Foxboro.
□ Max Martin caught seven passes for 121 yards and a touchdown as Milford held off Stoughton, 28-21.
DIVISION 4
□ Josh Robertson completed 16-of-19 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for two more as Marblehead improved to 5-0 with a 40-0 win over Danvers.
□ Brodie Jacques caught six passes for 136 yards and a touchdown as DightonRehoboth defeated Somerset Berkley, 14-6. □ Wayland’s Jaison Tucker rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-6 win over Chelmsford.
□ Cole Salyards did a little bit of everything for Hopkinton in a 48-29 win over Westwood. He ran for two touchdowns, caught a TD pass and threw for another, while picking off a pass.
DIVISION 5
□ Finn Sullivan threw for 127 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 169 yards and a fourth score as Newburyport defeated Pentucket, 35-6.
□ Cam O’Brien threw for 184 yards and four touchdowns, while adding a rushing score as Swampscott rolled to a 41-6 win over Saugus.
□ Tim Bengston was a two-way force for Sandwich in a 30-9 win over Nantucket. He rushed for a touchdown, tossed a TD pass and added a pick-6 for good measure.
□ Christian Schneeloch rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown, while returning a fumble 62 yards for a score in Holliston’s 35-7 win over Medfield.
DIVISION 6
□ Apponequet ran its record to 3-0 as Kevin Hughes ran for 161 yards and a touchdown in a 21-0 win over Old Rochester.
□ Carter Coffey completed 12-of-15 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns as Hamilton-Wenham defeated ManchesterEssex, 28-0.
□ Diondre Turner rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns, while securing the victory with an interception as Shawsheen edged Essex Tech, 21-20.
□ Cole Terry ran for 154 yards and a touchdown, while throwing for a second score as Ipswich handed Lynnfield its first loss, 33-7. □ Luke Herter completed 10-of-14 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown, while adding a scoring run as Ashland gave Norwood its first loss, 21-14.
□ Ty Mathew ran for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Martha’s Vineyard handled Monomoy, 35-7.
□ Tim Crowley threw four touchdown passes and added a TD run as Middleboro moved up a few divisions to defeat Billerica, 42-22.
DIVISION 7-8
□ Bobby Cielake had 12 tackles and three sacks as Lowell Catholic handed Latin Academy its first loss, 21-0.
□ Bellingham remained undefeated as Gavin Elder completed 11-of-16 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-14 win over Millis.
□ Dyreice Smith ran for 175 yards and two touchdowns as Tech Boston handed East Boston its first loss, 32-20.
□ Terrell Gethers ran for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries as Boston English/New Mission beat Brighton, 22-14. □ Juan Setalsingh had three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and 220 yards of total offense as Kipp Academy defeated Whittier, 29-14.
□ Daveon Scott touched the ball four times, but three of those carries resulted in touchdowns as Holbrook/Avon handled Atlantis Charter, 28-8.
□ Joel Delhome ran for 160 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, while making five tackles as Blue Hills defeated Sharon, 38-33.