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With most of their games this season being decided in the final minute of play, the Manchester Essex football team was looking to finish off North Shore Tech much earlier in the game yesterday.

As it turned out, the Hornets got just what they were looking for in a dominating 33-6 win over the Bulldogs at North Shore Technical High School's Barry Field.

The Manchester Essex football team needed a win over Chelsea on Friday night to keep realistic hopes of making the postseason.

It took two overtimes, but the Hornets accomplished their goal.

Junior quarterback Pat Orlando ran in the go-ahead score from 10 yards out on fourth down in the second overtime, and then the Manchester Essex defense held Chelsea out of the end zone to earn a 34-28 victory at Gloucester's Newell Stadium.

WAKEFIELD | Trap game. That phrase alone causes football coaches (at all levels) across the country to cringe. Manchester Essex traveled to Northeast Metro on Saturday, a game that looked like a total mismatch on paper. The Hornets were 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the Commonwealth Small Conference while the Knights were 0-6 entering its first league game. The contest had trap game written all over it and unfortunately for the Hornets, that's exactly how it turned out.

Manchester Essex head football coach Mike Athanas gathered his players at midfield after last Saturday's win over Whittier Tech and told them that he thought they were a special team.

How could he think otherwise?

The scoreboard read a depressing 35-28 defeat, but how could Whittier Tech coach Kevin Bradley gripe?

He had just watched his young Wildcats come up with big play after big play, only to be answered by Manchester Essex magic man Pat Orlando.

The Manchester Essex football team will have revenge on its mind Saturday when it faces off against Whittier Tech at Endicott College (5:30).

The Wildcats blew out the Hornets 44-8 last season. But this season things should be different. The Hornets come in with a 4-1 record, while Whittier is 2-3 and both teams come into tomorrow's contest on a one-game winning streak. Last week the Hornets defeated Greater Lowell 23-22, while Whittier knocked off Chelsea 22-18.

The cardiac kids did it again.

The Manchester Essex football team was once again put in a situation where they had to grab victory from the jaws of defeat, and once again they came through, defeating Greater Lowell, 23-22, Saturday at Endicott College.

When preparing to play the Manchester Essex football team, be prepared for a shootout.

The 3-1 Hornets have put up 91 points over the first four games of the season, 84 in their three wins. It's a potent offense that features something that is often a rare commodity around these parts | a passing attack. The two instrumental figures in the high-powered offense are junior quarterback Pat Orlando and senior split end Sam Cohen.

The Manchester Essex football team's 3-0 start has not come easy.

The Hornets have been tested by a tough Pope John team and a bigger school in Lynnfield. However, Manchester Essex was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in both of those games to keep their undefeated record in tact.

One of the most appealing aspects of playing high school football is the opportunity to play in front of your hometown fans.

Unfortunately, the Manchester Essex football team will not have that opportunity this season.