Max Gagnon (22 points) scores in front of the Newburyport student section
Cam Keliher (25 points)
(Newburyport MA) Newburyport has become a team that is hard to defend.
Who knows who will have the hot hand on any given night?
Tonight, it was Max Gagnon. The speedy Newburyport senior had twenty-two points including eighteen in the first half.
Max held the Clippers (10-4) together tonight in the first half against the red-hot Amesbury Indians.
When Amesbury cooled off in the second half, the Clippers were able to catch up and pull away to a, 74-62, win on Tuesday night.
Both teams had plenty of active support in the stands and there was a tournament feel to the game from beginning to end.
Finn Brennan (16 points)
“I loved the energy in the game,” said freshman Finn Brennan afterwards. Finn had sixteen points and fifteen rebounds for the Clippers.
Both teams played at a fast pace.
Amesbury (8-5) turned NHS misses into long-pass layups in the first quarter. The Indians had their biggest lead of the game (20-7) in the last minute after a Matt Welch (16 points) layup assisted by Cam Keliher.
Matt Welch (16 points)
The Clippers refused to go away, however, thanks to Max Gagnon. Max made three’s, got to the basket, and made free throws.
“They were falling, so I kept on shooting,” recalled Max.
Newburyport trailed by just two points (37-35) at the half as James Scali (11 points) hit a three very late in the second quarter.
You wondered how long the Indians would be able to hang onto the lead in the second half.
It was actually five minutes of playing time. Consecutive baskets by Nick Marden gave Amesbury its last lead, 46-45.
Ronan Brown (10 points)
A three (Ronan Brown), a rebound basket (Finn Brennan), and another three (Will Thoreson) followed and suddenly the home team had a six-point lead, 53-47. The Clippers would hold the lead the rest of the way.
“We started the game strong,” said Cam Keliher (25 points) post-game, “but in the third quarter it got away from us when they started making three’s.”
“We got out of sorts in the 4th quarter and started forcing shots,” recalled AHS coach Tom Comeau, “and then the shots didn’t go in.”
Nick Marden and Adam Bovee
Once Newburyport had the lead, they changed their style of play. “We executed our plays more in the second half and got some easy baskets,” said Max.
Amesbury took chances defensively trying to get the ball back and Newburyport reacted by passing and cutting to create high-percentage shots that helped them pull away in the final quarter.
“We don’t have time to hang our heads over this one,” said Coach Comeau. “We have several games before we play in the Boston Garden on Saturday night.”
Max Gagnon
James Scali: “It was the best offensive performance I’ve ever seen him (Max Gagnon) have. He did a lot of work in the off-season.”
I asked Max Gagnon afterwards if maybe his pre-game lunch had something to do with his career-game. “I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch,” he said with a smile.
Newburyport 12 23 20 19 = 74
Amesbury 20 17 14 11 = 62
(The pictures will enlarge.)
Cam Keliher from the corner
Matt Welch rebounds
Finn Sullivan
Matt Welch drives
Cam Keliher saw plenty of different Newburyport defenders
James Scali (16 points) had four 3’s in the first quarter
Jack Fehlner (16 points)
(Newburyport MA) Things were falling in Newburyport.
And it wasn’t the snow.
That’s scheduled to arrive later.
What was falling was long shot after long shot by the Newburyport Clippers boys’ basketball team.
I don’t have access to the Clippers’ stat records but I’m guessing that tonight’s avalanche of three’s (seventeen!) was a school record or close to it.
Dylan Wilkinson (20 points)
Triton was on the wrong end of Newburyport’s hot shooting and fell, 72-48, on Friday night in Cape Ann League action.
The Clippers collected twelve 3’s in the first half and exploded to a 46-24 advantage.
Senior James Scali (16 points) had four 3’s in the first quarter and gave the Clippers the lead for good (5-4) with the first one he made.
Will Thoreson (12 points)
“It was a fun first quarter,” said James afterwards. “It set the tone for the rest of the game.”
Junior Will Thoreson (12 points) came off the Newburyport bench to drill three 3’s in the second quarter. He loved the corners getting two of his 3’s from the right and the other from the left.
“It felt good coming off my hands every single time,” said Will post-game.
Coach Dave Clay was pleased with Will’s success tonight. “Will has been working so hard in practice. The shots haven’t always been falling for him, but they were tonight. I’m glad for him.”
Newburyport student section
Triton’s Dylan Wilkinson (20 points) led all scorers. His ability to weave and spin his way through defenders to the basket makes him difficult to contain.
“We started out okay,” said Dylan afterwards, “but then that (James) Scali kid got hot. They’re a good team. Every kid on that team can play.”
Quintin McHale (12 points)
The Clippers took a twenty-point lead for the first time with two minutes left before halftime. The Vikings (5-7) moved their deficit inside of twenty twice in the fourth quarter. The first (57-38) was after a Dylan Wilkinson rebound put-back. The second one (60-41) followed Luke O’Leary’s crowd-pleasing three from the right corner.
“Newburyport made a ton of three’s,” said Triton coach Ted Schruender post-game. “Credit them for hitting all the shots they did, but we have to get off to better starts. On this night they scored against whatever we tried to do defensively.”
Triton student section
The Newburyport fans turned out and had plenty to cheer about.
Coach Clay did the player introductions for the second time this season. “I’m trying to make myself more valuable,” he said laughing.
Senior Jack Fehlner also had sixteen points for Newburyport. There were four 3’s in his scoring package. He also turned a steal into a layup (Pick Two) in the fourth quarter.
Luke O’Leary
The Clippers are now 9-4 and have won four straight. They are also 5-0 at home.
Newburyport defeated Triton, 61-52, in December. James Scali had four three’s in that game as well.
Newburyport 27 19 11 15 = 72
Triton 16 8 10 14 = 48
(The pictures will enlarge.)
Griffin Dupuis drives against Finn Sullivan
Joe Abt
Brian Story
Ball on the floor
Battle under the basket
Ball leaving the court
Ronan Brown
James Scali
Max Gagnon
James Scali had four 3’s in Newburyport’s first game vs Triton
Olivia McDonald (9 points) provided a spark for the Clippers
Emma Foley (14 points) led Clippers
(Boxford MA) “You have to come to their level and compete,” said Masconomet coach Shannon Kirwan Monday night, “or you lose by eighteen.”
The Lady Chieftains did lose by eighteen (58-40) to Newburyport but for a quarter plus they more than held their own.
But the undefeated Clippers (10-0) were game-long persistent on defense. They forced twenty-six turnovers that led to twenty-seven points.
Sarah Green finishes
“I thought we played them tough,” said NHS coach Karen Grutchfield post-game. “I’m proud of them.”
The Lady Chieftains did a nice job defensively on Newburyport high-scorer Emma Foley in the early going. Emma faced two defenders as she positioned herself in close. For a time, her teammates forced passes inside (some led to turnovers) and struggled to score without Emma getting involved.
Kylie Dumont, Taylor Bovardi, and Kaleigh Monagle keyed Masco’s 15-12 first quarter advantage.
Things turned Newburyport’s way in the second quarter sparked by the appearance of reserve sophomore Olivia McDonald.
Makenna Ward (12 points)
“Coach (Grutchfield) encouraged me to take the shot if I have it,” said Olivia afterwards.
Olivia started the second quarter with a layup and then hit a three to tie the score at 17-17.
With Masco keen on protecting the inside, Olivia found yet another long-range opening and nailed it to put the Clippers in front to stay, 22-19, with 4 ½ minutes left.
Newburyport was able to add eight more points before half-time. The Lady Chieftains, meanwhile, were held scoreless for nearly four minutes. Krystal Zepaj ended the scoring drought with a 3-pointer in the last minute.
Masco coach Shannon Kirwan
Another three by Krystal, in the third quarter, had the home team within nine points (36-27) but the rest of the quarter saw Newburyport put a 12-3 run together.
Makenna Ward had eight of her twelve points in the third quarter while teammate Sydney Turner had six of her eight points in that same quarter. The Clippers led by eighteen (48-30) after three periods and would finish the game with the same margin.
“We kept our composure,” added Coach Grutchfield. “They came at us pretty hard.”
Kylie Dumont looks to pass
When Masco was forced to play man-to-man, Emma Foley (14 points) had clearer opportunities in close and took advantage.
“Masco is definitely a good team,” explained Deirdre McElhinney (10 points) afterwards. “They forced us to set up our offense a little more than we have had to in the past.”
The closest game the Clippers have had this season was a ten-point win over Pentucket.
“We keep pushing,” added Deirdre talking about the winning streak. “We’re trying to keep the momentum going.”
Coach Kirwan: “Newburyport is a very good team. Every part of their game they do well. They play basketball the way it is supposed to be played; tough, hard-nosed, and aggressive.”
Sydney Turner guards Kaleigh Monagle
Coach Grutchfield: “Olivia (McDonald) was a really good spark off the bench. She also did a nice job defending their best player.”
Masco made six 3’s including three by Krystal Zepaj.
The Clippers are now on a stretch of seven straight away games. They’ve won the first two including tonight’s game.
Thanks to Andy Tapparo for several of the stats I used. Andy produces stats for every Masco game and runs a terrific online site featuring the Lady Chieftains. It’s the best I’ve seen.
Finn Sullivan (10) led the Clippers in their strong finish
Finn Brennan (21 points)
(Newburyport MA) The Clippers dominated the final three minutes and that was enough to earn them a, 72-64, win over North Reading on Friday night.
“They crushed us on the glass over the last 4-5 minutes,” said NR coach Joe Casey afterwards. “That’s what won them the game.”
Newburyport coach Dave Clay saw things a bit differently: “We won this game with defensive stops. Those stops led to transition points.”
This game had plenty for both squads to cheer about. The Clippers (6-4) led by six (23-17) after a quarter, but the Hornets (4-4) owned the middle quarters. The visitors were ahead by nine (50-41) with 1 ½ minutes left in the third quarter.
Andrew Boulas (20) paced the Hornets with sixteen points
Newburyport took the game over the rest of the way outscoring the Hornets, 31-14, to gain the victory.
“This group is resilient,” said Coach Clay. “I’m proud of them keeping the fight in them.”
The tempo of this game was fun to watch because both teams had the same approach. The defense was full-court, man-to-man and the attack was full-speed after misses. Rebounds were heavily contested.
Neither team was shy about taking the ball to the basket. The best of the passes were dropdowns by penetrators.
Craig Rubino guards Ronan Brown (12 points)
High scorer Finn Brennan (21 points) was on the receiving end of quite a few in-close passes. “My teammates were getting to the rim and giving me easy dump-downs every time,” said Finn afterwards.
The Hornets were led by Andrew Boulas (16 points) and Cody Cannalonga (14 points). Both players took the ball to the basket and often made the layup or got fouled. Cody drained seven free throws.
The Clippers came out of a timeout after going down, 50-41, and finished the quarter with seven straight points including a Jack Fehlner three.
Scramble on the floor
Two-plus minutes into the last quarter Owen Tahnk cashed two free throws and the Clippers were on top, 55-54.
Finn Sullivan was the spark for the home team the rest of the way. He contributed points, assists, and steals and gave the nearby active student section plenty to get excited about.
“The fans are so committed,” said Finn Sullivan afterwards. “We love having them there.”
Logan Scribner makes a pass to a cutter
“Finn (Sullivan) gives us so much energy and passion on the court and it’s so contagious,” said Coach Clay. “He’s quite an athlete and a fierce competitor.”
Finn connected on a three assisted by Jack Fehlner and then set up teammates Ronan Brown and James Scali for additional three’s.
The Hornets struggled to respond.
“Give them credit,” said NR Coach Casey, “they hit a couple of tough shots down the stretch.”
James Scali (9 points)
Ronan Brown (12) and Jack Fehlner (11) reached double figures for Newburyport.
Finn Brennan had nineteen of this twenty-one points through the first three quarters. The Clippers 50-41 deficit late in the third quarter would have been much larger without the inside scoring of the tall freshman.
The Clippers hadn’t played in ten days.
Finn Brennan at the line
Newburyport won the first meeting between the two teams on January 6th, 57-42.
I’ve done quite a few basketball games this winter and this was easily the noisiest one.
Finn Sullivan: “We defended hard in the fourth quarter and did the little things you need to do to win.”
(The pictures will enlarge when you click on them.)
(Newburyport MA) You never know for sure what to expect in a non-league game.
You read about your opponent and maybe even scout them, but actual conclusions are reserved for the game itself.
Newburyport put the clamps on Lawrence’s best player (Tyanna Medina) and the visitors from the Merrimack Valley Conference never had a chance.
Deirdre McElhinney (12 points)
The final was Newburyport 61, Lawrence 23.
Tyanna displayed all the skills of a next-level player but she was usually kept far from the basket.
“She was a really good player,” said Olivia McDonald who took a turn defending Tyanna. “Our coaches told me to force her left and there would be help. Everyone did a good job of helping.”
Sydney Turner, MaKenna Ward, and Anna Seidel also spent time corralling the Lancers’ sophomore and limited her to six points.
Sydney Turner(11 points)
Meanwhile, on the offensive end, the Clippers were productive in the first-half, up-tempo approach as well as the second-half, deliberate approach.
The Lancers (1-5) used a zone defense that was slow to set up after missed shots. The fast-breaking Clippers turned rebounds into open looks and layups.
Newburyport scored all the points in the first four minutes and sped ahead, 14-0.
Emma Foley continues to be able to maneuver into open looks in close. Her ability to go either right or left, and use either hand successfully, makes her a scoring threat against any single coverage she faces.
Emma Foley – tough in close
Emma had twenty points tonight.
“Our team was really ready to play tonight,” said Newburyport coach Karen Grutchfield post-game. “We have to learn to do that against every team, not just against a team that is not that strong.”
The Clippers had a 24-4 first quarter lead and extended the margin to 44-10 at the half.
Olivia Foley eyes the hoop
Deirdre McElhinney (12 points) and Sydney Turner (11 points) scored all their points in the first half.
In the second half, the Clippers resisted the fast breaks and were very patient on offense.
The most entertaining part of the second half was when Tyanna Medina and Olivia McDonald turned up the defensive pressure on each other.
Both are tenacious and confident. Tyanna is used to being hounded because of her scoring reputation. Olivia is quick and willing to cause a turnover any way she can.
“I told Olivia that I got goosebumps tonight watching her play such good defense on such a talented player,” said Coach Grutchfield.
Here is a four-picture sequence of the two of them getting after it:
Emerson McCormick had the game-winner in the JV game
Coach Grutchfield had two players on her bench that she couldn’t use. Why? Emerson McCormick and Maddie Hopwood had played the entire JV game in which Newburyport won late. Emerson scored the go-ahead basket while Maddie sealed the win with free throws.
Olivia McDonald: “I think that the reason we are doing so well this season is that our defense leads into our offense.”
Newburyport 24 20 6 11 = 61
Lawrence 4 6 5 8 = 23
(The pictures enlarge if you click on them.)
Lilly Papatola drives
Anna Seidel on a drive
Olivia McDonald breaks in after a steal
Checking the scoreboard
Lancers try to get to the basket
Tyanna Medina gets a rare open look
MaKenna Ward
Maddie Hopwood sealed the JV game with free throws
(Newburyport MA) Things haven’t gone perfectly for the Newburyport girls’ basketball team.
Tonight was another one of those nights.
“The game was frustrating,” said NHS coach Karen Grutchfield afterwards. “We didn’t execute very well, and we missed a ton of shots early.”
But despite the imperfections the Clippers are perfect where it counts the most; wins and losses.
Newburyport (6-0) defeated North Reading, 45-29 in Cape Ann League action.
Emma Foley (15 points) led all scorers
Good luck to the teams in the Cape Ann League when Newburyport plays really well!
“She (Coach Karen Grutchfield) has a great team here,” said NR coach Bob Romeo afterwards. “They play with a level of execution that it takes to win.”
It didn’t start out that way tonight as the Clippers trailed after three minutes, 4-2, and called a timeout.
Not sure what was said in the timeout but the next two minutes of playing time were a showcase for recently returned Deirdre McElhinney. Deirdre had missed several games with Covid.
Faith Newton covered by MaKenna Ward
The talented junior knocked down consecutive three’s and put in a fancy layup after a feed from MaKenna Ward.
Suddenly it’s the Clippers up, 10-4, and their lead would grow from there.
“It’s good to be back,” said Deirdre (12 points). “I’m feeling much better than I did last week.”
The Hornets (1-5) then sealed their fate by slipping into a nightmarish second quarter getting only three points.
The Clippers pressure the Hornets
“We struggle to score especially when we play really good teams that dig in and play defense,” said NR coach Bob Romeo.
The Hornets, led by Brianne Slattery and Faith Newton, were able to get to the basket but had trouble finishing. When the Hornets were fouled, they struggled at the line.
“Our foul shooting (1-for-8 in the second quarter) was not good,” admitted Coach Romeo. “If you can’t make free throws and layups it’s going to be a long game.”
The Hornets struggled from the line
Newburyport led, 25-9, at the half and extended that lead to twenty points (35-15) in the third quarter.
Emma Foley (15 points) got hot from the right baseline collecting eight points in the third quarter.
North Reading played an active zone defense for the entire game. Newburyport featured man-to-man almost all the way.
“Anna Seidel did a good job on #15 (Faith Newton),” said Coach Grutchfield post-game. “I thought she made a difference.”
The Hornets surround Emma Foley
North Reading kept Newburyport out of the 50’s for the first time this season.
“They (North Reading) showed that we didn’t run our zone offense very effectively,” said Coach Grutchfield.
The Clippers usually passed into open looks but shot inconsistently from the openings.
“It was good to play against a zone,” said Deirdre. “We were able to work for shots outside and hit our posts when they came out after us.”
Ball loose on the floor
Coach Romeo liked the way his team attacked the basket. “We were getting to the rim against a very good defensive team. That’s a positive.”
Coach Grutchfield: “It’s fabulous to have Deirdre back. She’s fun to watch. She’s such a smart player. But I do want her to shoot more.”
The two teams will match up again on January 21st at North Reading.
Emma Foley (19 points) had a strong second half for Newburyport
Olivia McDonald (4) and Reese Renda (45)
(Newburyport MA) Key player Deirdre McElhinney was missing (Covid).
Inside presence Abigail Gillingham had graduated.
But neither of those things kept Newburyport from defeating Triton, 54-31, on Tuesday night.
The win advances the undefeated Clippers (4-0) to the title game of the Institution for Savings Girls Holiday Basketball Tournament tomorrow night against Hamilton-Wenham.
Sophomore Olivia McDonald filled in nicely for Deirdre while Emma Foley feasted on the inside of the Triton zone defense.
However, don’t be fooled by the final score. The Vikings (3-2) were very much in this one (25-23) with only three minutes left in the third quarter.
Kendall Liebert (16 points)
However, the two-point deficit at that time was a distant memory by the time the game ended.
“We just ran out of steam,” surmised Triton coach Bryan Shields afterwards. “Newburyport is a great team.”
The Clippers man-to-man pressure and foul trouble for high scoring Kendall Liebert (16 points) combined to limit Triton points severely.
Battle on the floor
The Vikings suddenly couldn’t match baskets with the Clippers.
Newburyport ran six straight points before Caitlin Frary (8 points) put in a layup.
The Clippers followed with ten unanswered points before a free throw from Lia Hatheway.
Then came eight straight Newburyport points and this game was out-of-hand, 49-26, with five minutes left.
Newburyport coach Karen Grutchfield
Key performer for the Clippers during their productive second-half possessions was junior Emma Foley. Emma had ten points during the breakaway segments and finished with nineteen points.
“We lost a lot of forwards from last year,” explained Emma post-game. “I realized that I had to step up. I’m working hard to do that this season. It’s really fun to play inside.”
Emma went out with an injury in the second quarter but returned to have a sixteen-point second half.
Emma Foley was injured in the second quarter on this play
“I have been playing on a sprained ankle for a couple of weeks now,” she said. “A girl landed on it tonight.”
Molly Kimball looks to pass
The Vikings used a zone defense for most of the night.
“We wanted to slow them down and keep them out of the paint,” said Coach Shields. “We were keying on “10” (Makenna Ward). She’s a great player for sure. We wanted to focus on her and make the rest of the team beat us.”
Makenna was limited to six points, but the rest of the team caught fire in the second half led by Emma Foley to get the victory.
Caitlin Frary on a drive
The Newburyport defense created twenty-four Triton turnovers. Most of the Vikings’ miscues were in the halfcourt and didn’t lead to many breakaway layups.
Triton put its best basketball on display in the second quarter. Trailing 17-9, the Vikings doubled their score while shutting out the Clippers during a three-minute segment. Kendall Liebert had a fullcourt layup and two assists to spark the visitors to an 18-17 lead.
One thing that both teams had in common was poor foul shooting. The Clippers missed ten while the Vikings missed eight. Several were the front ends of one-and-one’s.
Triton’s Molly Kimball was the only player to make a 3-point shot.
Free throw shooting was a problem for both teams
The Clippers came up with five rebound baskets. “We pride ourselves in our rebounding, but we didn’t do quite enough of that tonight,” said Coach Shields.
Asked about the Institution for Savings tournament, Emma said, “We love this tournament. It’s fun. They have T-shirts and trophies.”
(Click on the pictures below and they will enlarge.)
Plenty of pressure applied by the Clippers
Emma Foley (14 points in 2nd half)
(Newburyport MA) Don’t let the final score fool you.
The final was Newburyport 53, Manchester-Essex 26.
But the Hornets were more than holding their own into the second half.
In fact, the visitors were ahead, 22-21, 2 ½ minutes into the second half.
But the one constant was the Newburyport pressure defense. In the second half, that defense created points in bunches and ME couldn’t keep up.
Emma Fitzgerald (16 points)
“We had a great first half,” said ME coach Lauren Dubois afterwards, “and we handled their pressure better.”
“We struggled, however, against it in the second half,” she added. “Newburyport picked up the intensity and we ran out of gas a little bit.”
MaKenna Ward stole the ball and went the full length of the court to give the Clippers the lead for good, 23-22, in the second half.
After that the non-stop pressure set up a steady flow of productive possessions for Newburyport.
“When we play our defense,” said MaKenna Ward, “we get steals and we run.”
Olivia Foley and MaKenna Ward turn up the defensive pressure
“We work on a lot of different defenses,” added MaKenna.
In the first half, the Clippers were primarily man-to-man and while they created twenty turnovers (by my count) those turnovers weren’t leading to a flow of points.
In the second half, the double-teams started. Makenna Ward, Deirdre McElhinney, and Olivia McDonald swarmed the Hornets’ ballhandlers into miscues. In the second half, the takeaways often turned into points.
MaKenna Ward (13 points)
“Our team is fast,” said MaKenna. “When we push, we score the most.”
Newburyport’s Emma Foley (14 points) had all of those points in the second half.
“We held them to six points in the second half,” said Clippers coach Karen Grutchfield post-game. “That was the difference.”
Coach Grutchfield couldn’t help but reflect on her team’s first half: “It was frustrating. We missed a lot of layups and free throws.”
Contact in the lane
“But,” she added, “we overcame the first-half adversity and I think we can enjoy our play in the second half.”
One thing that both coaches could agree on was the impressive game that ME’s Emma Fitzgerald had.
Coach Dubois: “Emma brings intensity. She’s a great leader. She battles hard on every possession.”
Coach Grutchfield: “We had trouble with #3 (Emma Fitzgerald). She’s a very good player.”
Emma led all scorers with sixteen points. She tallied all of ME’s second-half points.
Deirdre McElhinney (13 points)
MaKenna Ward and Deirdre McElhinney both had thirteen points for Newburyport.
This was a game played almost entirely on the inside. No three’s were made and very few were attempted.
When Newburyport went into organized offense, they were intent on getting the ball inside to Emma Foley. That strategy was the key to Emma’s productive second half.
This was the season opener for both squads.
Parker Brooks under the basket
Free throw shooting was an adventure for both teams. They combined to miss twenty-five freebies. ME was 10/25 while Newburyport was 13/23.
Coach Dubois: “Newburyport is a great team with a lot of experienced players back.”
Coach Grutchfield: “The win was nice, but we all have a lot of improving to do.”
MaKenna Ward: “I think that we were a little bit scared in the first half and not playing our best defense.”
Newburyport 11 – 8 – 17 – 17 = 53
Manchester-Essex 9 – 11 – 4 – 2 = 26
The Clippers scored the last fifteen points of the game.
(All of the pictures will enlarge if you click on them.)
Nolan Mulcahy (53) brings down Newburyport quarterback Finn Sullivan
Niko Silverio (50) and Brady Ford (73)
(Newburyport MA) The Lynn English Bulldogs (5-6) are on a roll.
Yes, they have six losses but the last one was on October 1st.
LE has now won five straight adding Newburyport to the list, 28-7, at Stehlin Stadium Thursday night.
It was the last home game for the Clippers (4-6).
Newburyport visits Amesbury on Thanksgiving Day.
The Clippers put three straight wins together early in the season but have struggled with five losses in their last six games.
In tonight’s game, Newburyport trailed only, 14-7, early in the fourth quarter after a Finn Sullivan 15-yard scramble and extra-point kick.
Bulldogs quarterback Jesse Maggs
But the Bulldogs responded with points on each of their next two possessions to seal the win.
One of the keys to the Bulldogs’ win was their ability to contain quarterback Finn Sullivan. Finn’s running has been crucial to the NHS offense all season. Lynn English shut that part down except for the 15-yard touchdown scramble early in the final quarter.
Meanwhile, LE showed the ability to run and pass.
Midway through the opening quarter, Newburyport junior Aidan Blunt deflected a pass in the end zone to keep freshman Edwin Castro from putting Lynn English on the scoreboard.
First LE touchdown celebrated
Lynn English would not be denied. They started a drive at their own thirty-eight, late in the first quarter, that paid off at 9:02 in the second quarter.
Mixing passing, running, and a fumble recovery (Edwin Castro) the Bulldogs reached the Newburyport 18.
QB Jesse Maggs then found Edwin Castro yards behind his nearest defender for an 18-yard score. Clipper Angus Webster broke up the 2-point conversion attempt, but LE had a, 6-0, lead.
The Bulldogs put another threatening drive together in the second quarter aided by a major penalty on the Clippers. However, QB Jesse Maggs fumbled and Angus Webster recovered at the Newburyport 17 with less than two minutes left.
The rest of the second quarter the Clippers showed an excellent passing attack. There was protection and the sidelines routes were nicely executed. But the clock was the problem.
Newburyport reached the LE 22 with time for one last play. The Bulldogs’ defense responded as sophomore Mitchell Purter brought the pressure and sacked QB Finn Sullivan to end the half.
Wes Chandler (89 yards)
Lynn English padded their lead in the third quarter. The key to LE’s second scoring drive was catches by senior Shea Palmer. Shea’s second catch was a leaper along the right sidelines that reached the Newburyport 14.
Senior Wes Chandler (89 yards) broke left, cut back and scored untouched. Wes also ran in the two-point conversion. LE now led, 14-0, with four minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter.
The Clippers needed a big break to get back in the game and the Lynn English coaching staff supplied it.
Located deep in their own territory (28-yard-line) on fourth down, the Bulldogs decided to go for it. (I’m thinking the two-touchdown lead and significant confidence in their running game may have been the motivation.) Anyhow, QG Jesse Maggs tried and failed to get the one yard needed, setting Newburyport up at the LE 28.
QB Finn Sullivan (155 yards passing) passed to sophomore Sean Miles to get NHS to the L15 and scrambled in from there.
Finn Sullivan off on his 15-yard touchdown run
Finn Sullivan dives into the end zone
The Clippers were now only behind, 14-7, with most of the final quarter ahead of them. Could they tighten up the defense and get closer?
Unfortunately, for the home team, the defense couldn’t get it done.
Ernie Panias runs away from the Clippers defense to score his 2nd touchdown of the half
The Bulldogs had size on their line and had already picked up quality yards running or passing.
Sophomore Ernie Panias started the third scoring drive with a 20-yard run and then the QB Jesse Maggs to Wes Chandler connection clicked twice to reach the Newburyport 2.
Ernie Panias covered the last two yards at 9:43. Wes Chandler rushed for the 2-point conversion. LE was now in front, 22-7.
Jack Hadden
The Clippers took a 4th down gamble on their next possession, and like the Bulldogs, came up empty. Sophomore Kane Brennan was stopped in his tracks by the Bulldogs defense to set them up at the Newburyport 42.
Lynn English capitalized on the good field position two minutes later. Ernie Panias went in off the right side standing up. The two-point conversion (Lionel Rivera) was stopped. LE was in command, 28-7, with 6:40 left.
Credit the Clippers. The game was essentially over but that didn’t stop them from putting a solid drive together. A key play was a catch by junior Jack Hadden getting Newburyport to the one-yard-line.
However, a pass interference call against the Clippers in the end zone frustrated the golden scoring chance.
Lynn English 0 6 8 14 – 28
Newburyport 0 0 0 7 – 7
I noted a tremendous difference in the atmosphere at the stadium from Wednesday night (boys soccer tourney game) and Thursday night (football game). Weekday, non-tournament games can reduce the crowd to close friends and family.
Finn Sullivan passed for 155 yards
The weather was cool but not cold.
Lynn English is in the Northeastern Conference and Division Three.
Newburyport is in the Cape Ann League and Division Five.
Bulldogs’ quarterback Jesse Maggs reminded me of Pentucket’s Chase Dwight. Both are big, strong, and faster than you suspect.
(I wasn’t intending to write this game up. I planned to cover it with a few pictures, which I did on my Twitter account (McClellandPeter). When I realized that there was no local coverage (at all) I decided to put this story together. I didn’t talk to coaches and players afterwards. Those interactions are important, and it would have helped me to have had them.)
(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)
Ball on the ground
Ernie Panias (7) and Jeff Thurston (9)
Robert Merenda (67), Nolan Mulcahy (53), Finn Sullivan (10)
Ernie Panias (7) has blockers in front
Logan Jones (3), Josh McDonald (4), Jack Hadden (6), and Ernie Panias (7) battle in the end zone
(Newburyport MA) The Newburyport Clippers had lost to North Reading on October 25th.
It was their only loss (so far) this season.
That history played a part in Newburyport’s 1-0 win over North Reading tonight.
“We came out ready to play,” said Coach Shaw Bleau. “We carried the momentum, finally got a goal, and held them off.”
“The last time we played them we took our only loss,” recalled Max Gagnon. “We wanted revenge.”
Playing with more determination was one thing but the key to the Clippers’ win tonight was neutralizing Hornets’ standout junior Josh Stanieich.
NR goalie Kieran Gorgenyi had a busy night
“They (Newburyport) did a great job of taking away what we like to do,” said NR coach Mark Bisognano. “They took away our best player (Josh Stanieich). They man-marked him out of the game. It was good strategy. It’s what I would have tried to do against us.”
Coach Bleau identified that player doing the marking. It was junior Will Thoreson.
“Will stayed all over him,” said Coach Bleau. “He marked him as best he could right out of the game.”
Will told me that he had been assigned to mark other players before tonight.
“It’s kind of my trademark now,” Will said. “It’s pretty much a basketball defense. I have to see the ball and the man at the same time.”
Josh Stanieich warranted all the attention because his goal had beaten the Clippers on October 25th. Also, Josh had the game winner in North Reading’s tournament win.
Will Acquaviva (8) about to set up the Newburyport goal
Liam Rodger (2) and James Forest-Hay (12)
Will’s defense helped limit Josh to just one shot.
“He had one clean shot early on and it went 15’ over the bar,” said Will. “That was the only one he had.”
The Clippers (18-1-1) applied plenty of pressure on the Hornets (10-5-3).
Every throw-in by senior Jack Fehlner landed in the box area and kept NR goalie Kieran Gorgenyi very busy.
The Clippers weren’t shy about substituting, either.
“We kept putting in subs to keep the pressure on,” said Coach Bleau. “We stayed after it.”
Newburyport got its only goal two minutes into the second half.
Will Acquaviva put a cross in front of the North Reading goal and it was deflected in off a Hornets’ defender.
Trouble in front of the Hornets net
“You let a guy get to the end line and you’re in a lot of trouble as a defender,” said Coach Bisognano recalling the goal. “He (Will Acquaviva) hit a good smart ball across the face of the goal, and it ended up in the back of our net.”
Will Acquaviva was quite certain that teammate Caelen Twitchell would have gotten the goal if the defender hadn’t deflected it.
“I was coming to the near post on the right side and the goalie was there,” said Will. “I cut it back past him and Caelan (Twitchell) was there. The defender didn’t have many options. If he didn’t touch it, Caelan would have.”
“You keep pressuring a team and hope you’ll get a break and I think that we got one on that goal,” said Coach Bleau.
Newburyport goalie Owen Tahnk up for a second-half save
Graham Smith (2) and Josh Stanieich (14)
The Hornets turned up the pressure after the Newburyport goal.
“We created a few chances late when it became desperate times,” said Coach Bisognano.
“North Reading gave us our only loss this season,” said Coach Bleau. “They defend really well. They’re very organized and dangerous at the same time. We knew that we couldn’t go to sleep on them.”
#6 Newburyport will travel Saturday to face #3 Norwell at 5PM.
“Coach (Bleau) saw Norwell play the other night,” said Max Gagnon.
The Clippers are 10-0-1 at home. The tie was with Pentucket.
Max Gagnon
Good crowd with active support for both teams.
Will Thoreson: “He (Josh Stanieich) tries to beat you one-on-one. I tried to keep him to his weak foot.”
Coach Bisognano: “I’m glad that we have a Cape Ann representative in the final eight. Of course, I hoped it would be us! We thought that we had another shot at an upset.”
Jack Fehlner: (He has committed to play baseball at Roanoke College.) “My sister goes to James Madison in Virginia. When we moved her in, I went to a prospect camp down there. I met the Roanoke coach. I toured the campus and liked it down there.”
(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)
Coach Shawn Bleau and Brady O’Donnell
Will Acquaviva (8) and Max Gulino (20)
Henry Acton (6) elevates
Kevin Doble
Henry Acton
Ronan Brown
Newburyport celebrates goal before it goes up on the scoreboard
Clippers’ goal celebration
Kevin Doble and Brady O’Donnell
Adam Bovee (3)
Action in the box in front of the North Reading goal
McClelland Miscellanea 