RallyNorth.net

DERRY | All season long, the recipe for Pinkerton's success has been to score early and often, and then watch its opponents struggle to play catch-up.

The Astros once again executed that strategy en route to a dominating 27-7 victory over Salem in the Division 1 state championship yesterday before a crowd of about 3,000 fans. It is the second consecutive state crown for the Astros, who also finished their remarkable season with a perfect 12-0 record.

NORTH ANDOVER | Pentucket Regional might have had Mother Nature when it counted, but North Andover had someone a bit more influential this time around | Andrew Foote.

The Scarlet Knights' running back scored two of his four touchdowns when it counted the most, in the final 4:49 of the Cape Ann League large school showdown with the Sachems. The result was a 35-31 victory for the hosts, whose star running back, Foote, finished with 199 yards on 23 carries. With a stiff fourth quarter wind at their back, the Sachems appeared ready to weather a North Andover comeback, which saw the Scarlet Knights score two third-quarter touchdowns to take a two-point lead heading into the the final frame. Jeff Puopolo had given the Sachems their final lead with 4:49 remaining on a 66-yard touchdown run.

IPSWICH | No flash, just efficiency.

The Ipswich High School football team has kept it simple through the first three weeks, and the results have been pouring in against established programs.

North Andover was the Tigers' latest victim, succumbing to the strong defense and deliberate offense in a 20-0 whitewashing last night.

BYFIELD -- Triton was able to stem the tide for the first 22 minutes last night in chilly Byfield, but ultimately the hosts had no answers for either North Andover's running game or its relentless pass rush as the Vikes fell to the Knights, 14-9.

HAVERHILL | Haverhill High quarterback Peter Byron and ace receivers Andy Powell and Peter Early found out again last night that first-year coach Tim Briggs is a man of his word. "He told us in the summer that we'd be passing the ball if we had the chance," said Early. "So all three of us worked out together three days a week, after lifting, to get ready."

LONDONDERRY, N.H. | With eye black smeared all over his face and his jersey covered with dirt, Londonderry's Chris Stringfellow smiled big.

How could he not bask in what had just transpired. The 265-pound senior center anchored an offensive line that produced 413 rushing yards on 54 carries last night. About 2,000 fans watched the Lancers pummel Manchester West 37-3 under the lights at Lancer Park and improve to 1-1 on the young season.

WEST NEWBURY | Staring at the Cape Ann League large school gauntlet over the second half of the season and still stinging from last week's nauseating loss to rival Newburyport, the Pentucket Regional football team needed a positive afternoon entertaining Lawrence.

MANCHESTER | Time expired on the Greater Lawrence football team last night, but Jonathan DelaSantos kept running. He refused to concede a loss, 15-point deficit or not.

The 5-foot-7, 140-pound junior quarterback weaved through a series of Manchester Essex defenders and appeared to break into open field. DelaSantos' right knee buckled as the Reggies' sideline erupted, effectively ending the game.

MANCHESTER | Joseph M. Hyland Field is now closed! Unfortunately for host Manchester Essex, Georgetown saw to it that it was closed on a depressing note.

Commonwealth Conference Small champion Manchester Essex will enter the playoffs with a loss fresh in its memory bank. Georgetown (5-5) will enter the offseason with a good feeling about how it battled through adversity throughout the year and finished the campaign with a memorable upset on the road.

DANVERS | The difference between a win or a loss is not the number of yards or first downs a team racks up, but how many points are on the board.

Visiting Central Catholic marched up and down the field in the first half, but never had a lead against St. John's Prep at Cronin Stadium. The Eagles relied on their defense for some big stops in the red zone to take the battle of Groveland, where both Prep's Jim O'Leary and Raider coach Chuck Adamopoulos reside, 27-17. It marked the third straight win for St. John's and overall the series is now 20-10-1 in its favor.

DRACUT | If a game could have been won on the first drive of the game, Andover would have gone to bed very happy last night.

Unfortunately, an entire four quarters had to be played, and the Golden Warriors struggled to keep up with the fast-paced Dracut offense on their way to falling to the Middies, 36-21.

ANDOVER | With a little deja vu at the start, a couple of big plays from quarterback Mike Pierce and some clutch stops from an unappreciated defense, Andover whipped up the recipe for a joyous holiday yesterday morning.

HAVERHILL | Andover nose guard Joel Israel didn't want to take much credit for the Golden Warriors' crushing 37-14 defeat of previously unbeaten Haverhill before more than 1,600 fans at Haverhill Stadium last night, but head coach Ken Maglio knew better.

WEST NEWBURY | The future certainly looks bright for the youthful Amesbury Indians, but in order to get there, they'll need to exorcise past demons.

The Pentucket Sachems, who've beaten the Indians seven consecutive times, would qualify as one of those demons. After the Sachems graduated 18 seniors and looked vulnerable in season-opening losses to Hamilton Wenham and Ipswich, this year appeared to be the one for Amesbury to end the losing streak.

AMESBURY | After playing an inspired game against cross town rival and Merrimack Valley League power Central Catholic last week, Lawrence coach Mike Yameen was more than a little disappointed with his team's effort in last night's 26-6 loss to Amesbury.