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Central makes decisive stand in OT

Saturday, September, 17 By Hector Longo

LAWRENCE — Central Catholic's defense was ferocious for two quarters, fortunate in the third and hanging on opportunistically in the fourth.

But one decisive overtime stand deemed the entire package priceless.

The interior of the Raider defense — Santino Brancato, Mike Bernabei and a couple beefy friends — quickly collapsed the pocket around St. John's Prep QB Jack Sharrio, snuffing out a two-point conversion play and preserving a 7-6 Raiders' win before about 1,200 fans here at Veterans Memorial Stadium last night.

Only seconds earlier, Sharrio emerged around left end, streaking into the end zone on a desperation 4th-and-goal play from the 10, to put St. John's in the position to either tie or win.

"We just came up short on the last play," said Prep coach Jim O'Leary, who went for the two and beat Central in a very similar situation last year. "I wasn't going to hang around here all night. You get an opportunity to win it, you go for the win."

Central gained only 179 yards on 29 plays in regulation, but the offense struck first in overtime, scoring on the second play after getting the ball set at the Prep 25.

QB Matt McDermott gambled, squeezing a rope into Henry Rodriguez just a split-second ahead of a streaking Eagle. The Raider receiver then turned and dashed to paydirt, with Tommy Jenoski knocking through the all-important PAT.

"He ran that perfect," said McDermott, Central's leading rusher on the night with 56 yards on 12 carries. "He's supposed to settle where he did, right in the seam, stop, and he turned to the outside perfectly, just like you're supposed to.  That's the game. You're on the 25, sometimes you have to gamble. This time it worked out."

For four quarters, this one was all about two stingy defenses, refusing to break.

Yes, the Prep had the better of it, especially after halftime, but Central's grit was plainly a factor.

Twice in the fourth, St. John's knocked on the door.

First, the Eagles moved inside the Raider 5 with under five minutes left, but defensive lineman Pat Hammond got a glimpse of the pigskin and wouldn't be denied.

"I saw (Sharrio) had bobbled the snap a little, and I just went after it," said Hammond, who had shot the center-guard gap. "I just ripped it from him."

It was a huge play by the 195-pound senior, who only minutes earlier had kept the drive alive by jumping offside.

The Prep got one more shot in regulation, taking over at its own 40 with 30 seconds to play.

Sharrio hit a pair of passes to get over midfield, and Jonathan Thomas ripped through the Raiders for 21 more to reach the Central 18 with 3.2 seconds left.

On came junior Alex Soucy to try a 35-yarder, which was on line but fell well short.

"He's been with us two weeks, he has the leg to do it," said O'Leary. "Here's a kid who was cut from the soccer team two weeks ago, and he has a great leg. He just got under it."

Central, 1-1, now moves into the heart of its Merrimack Valley Conference schedule, hosting Dracut on Friday night.

"Coach talked to us about how two years ago we lost to Marlboro, and after that we got on a roll," said Rodriguez. "We won seven in a row, and like that we're hoping we're ready to make some big moves."

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• Central makes decisive stand in OT