Bascon saves day for Big Blue
Scores TD, blocks FG in final seconds
BEVERLY — Without starting quarterback Cam O’Brien, Swampscott turned to star running back Xaviah Bascon to carry the load. The senior delivered.
Bascon rushed for 149 yards and a touchdown while also coming through with a deflection on Beverly’s game-winning field goal attempt with two seconds remaining to lead Swampscott to a nail-biting 13-12 win over the host Panthers on Saturday afternoon at Hurd Stadium.
Neither side managed to score in the second half with Swampscott (7-0) dominating time of possession. Outside of its final drive the Panthers (3-4) ran just five plays from scrimmage in the second half.
“We were missing Cam this week but everyone did their job like we preached all week,” said offensive coordinator Robert Serino Jr. “(Bascon) is a great running back for us. We have a lot of great players but the game plan for us this week was control the ball and tire Beverly out.”
Down 13-12 with just over seven minutes remaining, the Panthers defense stopped Bascon a yard short on fourth-and-2 from the Beverly 16-yard line. With an opportunity to win the game, quarterback Pierce Heim led the Panthers on a 16-play drive highlighted by a 29-yard run by Jordy Irvine off the Statue of Liberty play to get them inside the Big Blue 5 with two seconds left. Bascon, however, squashed any hopes of a photo finish for the home team as he came flying off the edge and blocked the 22-yard field goal attempt to send the visiting sideline into a frenzy.
“We had the same mentality as always even without Cam,” Bascon said. “On the field-goal block, I looked to time it. I was looking out of the corner of my eye for the ball and then it’s just going after it from there.”
Beverly grabbed a twoscore lead early in the second quarter. After a play action fake from Heim to Andre Sullivan went for 47 yards, Irvine went untouched off a direct snap for a six yard score to put the Panthers up 6-0. Moments later, Sullivan hauled in an interception to give the Panthers the ball back and then ran in a five yard score to up the lead to 12-0. Swampscott surged in front before the intermission as a wide receiver screen from Zack Ryan to Elijah Burns resulted in a 33-yard touchdown and with five seconds left in the second quarter, Bascon rushed it in from 5 yards out to give Big Blue a 13-12 lead.