RallyNorth.net

Amesbury captures first win

Friday, October, 05 By Bob Albright
Staff writer

AMESBURY | Ask Amesbury football coach Thom Connors and he'll tell you it's the best 12 seconds Jesse Burrell's life.

Nursing a tenuous seven-point lead against a surprising Lynnfield club with 14 seconds left to play, Burrell took a deep snap on his own 10-yard line, headed for his own end zone and proceeded to scamper from one end of the other for 12 seconds before taking the intentional safety with two seconds left to secure Amesbury's first win of the year, 20-15.

"That was a heck of a play," said a very relieved Connors. "I can't say enough about that play."

Trailing 13-12 with eight minutes to go in the contest, the Indians (1-2) came up with the kind of second half drive that Connors has been waiting for. Taking over on their own 40 after a big stop on fourth down, Amesbury marched 60 yards on 12 plays converting on fourth down twice along the way. Staring at a fourth-and-one at the 4-yard line, Marion Wilder catapulted himself over the center of the Indian line for the first down and then repeated the acrobatics a play later for the score. Jared Flannigan's ensuing rush on the conversion then put the Indians up 20-13.

"That showed a lot of character from the guys," said Connors. "I was very pleased to see the way they moved the ball down the field in a pressure situation like that."

Lynnfield behind strong-armed quarterback Joe Grassi was not done, however. Moving the ball to the Amesbury 35, Grassi went deep into the end zone, but the pass was deflected by Wilder and intercepted by Kevin Johnston to set up Burrell's heroics.

On an unseasonably muggy night the Indians started out hot thanks to the Lynnfield punting game | or lack there of it.

A botched snap set up the Indians in fine position on the Lynnfield 10 and two plays later Johnston was celebrating a 5-yard TD run off left tackle which was made possible by the Amesbury line and a nice block Zach Haggstrom in particular.

After turning the ball over on downs on their next possession, the Tribe got back on the board at the end of second quarter. Once again they were staked to excellent field position at the Lynnfield 31 thanks to a Pioneer punt which did not make it back to the line of scrimmage. Three plays later, Flannigan rolled right at the Pioneer 26 and in an instant was down the Amesbury sidelines for the score leaving a slew of Pioneers in his wake .

Behind its promising sophomore quarterback, Grassi, the Pioneers mounted an impressive 71-yard, 13-play drive to start off the second quarter. Grassi’s plunge from 1-yard out brought the Pioneers to within in one score at 12-6. Grassi, who appears to have a major league arm, can also run a bit and finished with 71 yards rushing in the half. Marion Wilder was the Indians’ leading rusher in the first half with 37 yards on eight carries.