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TOPSFIELD | The atmosphere was a festive one at Masconomet Regional High School last night.

With Homecoming Week winding down, a carnival-like atmosphere took place outside of Roberts Field. Hundreds of students, teachers and parents partook in everything from eating sausages and fried dough to trying to sink various school educators in a dunk tank.

To say that Hamilton-Wenham needed this one might be a bit of an understatement.

Looking to snap a three-game losing streak and stay alive in the Cape Ann League Small race, the Generals rode the rugged running of captains Jake Cotter and Nate Masterson to a 14-7 triumph over Amesbury Saturday afternoon at Sawyer Field. "This is huge," Masterson said. "We were on a three-game skid, and it's good to get back."

After his team's disappointing 0-3 start, Amesbury football coach Thom Connors decided it was time to shake things up a bit and use two quarterbacks with different styles.

The results, thus far, have been encouraging.

AMESBURY | Deadlocked at the half against a fired up Triton squad at a windswept Landry Stadium, Amesbury coach Thom Connors elected to kick into the wind to start the third quarter fearing he may need to take to the air to put up some points in the final stanza.

At the start of the football season, Marion Wilder's career as Amesbury's highly-touted tailback appeared to be over after one season.

The fastest player on the Indians roster didn't have the necessary credits to remain eligible by the Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association. He completed his freshman year having earned eight credits | four shy on the MIAA requirement.

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.

An Amesbury football team that opened the season just over two weeks ago with high hopes now finds itself in desperate need of a victory.

The Indians dropped to 0-3 last night with a 34-13 loss to Wilmington. Wildcats quarterback Kyle Moon was 8 for 11 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Ernie Mello returned after his seven-touchdown effort against Lawrence last week and added two more and 93 yards on the ground. He now had 16 touchdowns on the season.

The Indians registered an apparent program-changing victory last Thanksgiving with a 20-0 shutout of Newburyport.

Again, it appeared to be the sign of two programs moving in different directions. The Clippers completed a 3-8 campaign, while a historically inferior Amesbury program posted its first .500 season in the Thom Connors era.

AMESBURY | It was a great night for high school football fans | and an even better night for Nate Bunnell.

The Pentucket senior fullback scored five times and came up with a huge sack in the final minute as the Sachems outlasted Amesbury, 35-28, in a terrific river rival shootout at Amesbury's Landry Stadium.

LAWRENCE | Six Lawrence High penalties, a pair of turnovers and one badly missed pass coverage, and all Amesbury High had to show for it was a 7-0 halftime lead.

The improving Lancers cleaned up their act in the second half, and made Amesbury pay, souring the Indians' season opener by a 16-7 tally.