MONSTER VICTORY FOR BILLERICA IN BOSTON
Indians play strong second half, defeat rival Chelmsford
BOSTON >> Shortly after the final whistle sounded on the Billerica High football team’s Merrimack Valley Conference championship-clinching 27-13 win over Chelmsford in a Thanksgiving battle on Wednesday night at Fenway Park, coach Duane Sigsbury made sure he found Lion senior Kyle Wilder, who missed the majority of the season with a major injury.
With thousands of fans piled into the famous ballpark to see another chapter of a heated rivalry, Sigsbury made sure he had a lengthy postgame conversation with Wilder before celebrating with his Indians.
“He had a horrific accident during a game and had many surgeries,” Sigsbury said. “There are things that are more important than football and definitely his health was on all of our minds throughout his ordeal. I was praying for him every night and I just wanted to let him know that this might be a heated game, but anybody from Billerica is there for him if he ever needs it. He was quite a player.”
“Everyone knows,” said CHS coach George Peterson, “that we’re a different team (with Wilder).”
On Wednesday, the Indians had an exciting come-from-behind victory that saw Billerica trailing 13-7 at halftime before scoring three second-half touchdowns.
“In the second half, we had the ball twice,” said Peterson. “There wasn’t much we could get going. It was a tough situation.”
Billerica (9-2) took the opening drive of the second half 68 yards in six plays to take the lead for good.
Junior Dhaethmy “Judd’ Dorival busted loose for a 46-yard touchdown run on a fourthand-two play. Freshman Daniel Venezia’s extra point broke a 13-13 tie.
The Lions (3-8) lost three yards on three plays before punting away their first drive of the third quarter.
Game officials ruled that the kick hit a Billerica player while it bounced (the jumbotron replay seemed to show something different) and CHS had the ball back at Billerica’s 46-yard line,
but punted again three plays later.
The next Chelmsford snap on offense came with just over a minute to go in the game.
After the second Lion punt of the third quarter rolled to the Indian 1, BMHS embarked on a 99yard scoring drive that took 20 plays to unfold and finished with 5:53 remaining the fourth quarter.
“Our offensive line is immense,” Sigsbury said. “We’re lucky to have the line that we do.”
Eighteen of the 20 plays on the way to the end zone were runs, but the biggest play of the drive, and maybe the game, was a fourthand-19 heave from junior quarterback Steven Gentile to sophomore Noah Canada for 23 yards to the 4.
Gentile scored on a 1-yard run three plays later.
Gentile and Dorival anchored the drive, Dorival with nine carries for 48 yards and Gentile with six for 23 yards. Senior Gus O’gara also picked up 25 yards on a reverse.
After the touchdown, Billerica junior Nick Cabral jumped on an onside kick that rocketed off the leg of a Chelmsford player.
The Indians then moved 53 yards in 11 plays, scoring on another fourthdown play when Gentile scrambled before seeing a wide open Canada for a 31-yard touchdown pass. It was fourth-and-22 when Gentile fired the touchdown pass.
The drive was once again mostly running plays until BMHS scored with just 1:16 remaining.
“It feels great,” said Sigsbury. “We have a special senior class. Somebody always stepped up for us this year. This was just an unbelievable group of young men. I’m so happy they were able to play on this field.”
Chelmsford’s final possession ended with an interception by O’gara with six seconds left.
The Lions took a 7-0 lead with 6:22 left in the first quarter on a 9-yard run by senior Kai Everett. The six-play, 45-yard drive was mostly Everett’s handiwork as he rushed five times for 38 yards.
The Indians tied it with 8:30 left in the half when Dorival scored on a 7-yard run.
A 58-yard pass from Gentile
to O’gara set up the touchdown.
The Lions regained the lead just before halftime with a 13-play drive that covered 73 yards and ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Ryan Hart.
CHS converted three times on third down during the possession and scored on fourth-and-goal from the one. The extra missed, but Chelmsford had a 13-7 lead at halftime.
“I’m proud of our kids and we have a huge group of underclassmen coming back,” Peterson said. “This was an awesome venue. It’s pretty cool isn’t it?”
“This is the best experience I’ve probably ever had, it’s amazing,” said O’gara. “This team doesn’t quit. I’m really proud of these kids. I don’t think there’s a better way to go out for us seniors.”