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Pentucket storms back, survives Lynnfield

WEST NEWBURY — Pentucket stormed back from a 21-point halftime deficit to pull off an impressive 28-27 consolation round victory over Lynnfield.
The Sachems gambled and made a 2-point conversion late but still had to survive a 25-yard field goal which was narrowly wide left on the final play of the game.
Senior running back Kiernan Haley ran for 135 yards and junior quarterback Finn Graham tossed two touchdown passes for the 8-1 Sachems.
“We knew we only had a few games left in the season, so we decided to dig deep,” said Haley. “It may not have been a playoff game, but it still feels really good and the atmosphere today was like a playoff game.”
Jake McHugh threw two TD passes in the first half and Drew McCarthy (16 carries for 177 yards on the day) scored on a 41-yard run for the Pioneers (6-3).
Pentucket registered just 48 yards of total offense in the first two quarters.
The second half was a completely different story.
Junior Robert Porter took the second-half kickoff to the Lynnfield 36-yard line. Haley, Liam Sheehy and Brennan McGuirk rushed six consecutive times before a 9-yard Graham touchdown pass to Travis Bounsy.
After a three and out by Lynnfield, Pentucket drove 52 yards on eight plays capped off by Graham’s 19-yard TD strike to Sheehy. Pentucket shut down the Pioneer passing attack and got the ball back. Sheehy cashed in on a 9-yard TD run.
The 2-point conversion failed and Pentucket trailed 21-20 with 5:55 left.
McCarthy answered with a 29-yard run but Lynnfield botched the PAT.
Haley broke free for a 60-yard run on the first play of the drive before Sheehy punched it in from 1-yard out for his third score of the day. All Pentucket had to do was kick the extra point and the game would be tied, but coach Steve Hayden wanted the win.
Graham found a wide-open Haley in the corner of the end zone to give the hosts their first lead of the game.
“We knew they could come down the field again so we went for it,” Hayden said.
With 3:28 remaining, Lynnfield had one more chance and drove deep into Pentucket territory. But Joe Raimondi came up huge with a tackle on third down to force a 25-yard field goal attempt. The kick sailed wide left as time expired.
The Sachems will host Ipswich (5-4) next weekend.
Pentucket 28, Lynnfield 27
Lynnfield (6-3):     6     14     0     7 – 27
Pentucket (8-1):     0     0     14     14 – 28
SCORING
First Quarter
L — Kyle Hawes 23 pass from Jake McHugh (kick failed)
Second Quarter
L — Drew McCarthy 41 run (McHugh 2-point conversion run)
L — Louis Ellis 6 pass from McHugh (Dan Bronshvayg kick)
Third Quarter
P — Travis Bounsy 9 pass from Finn Graham (Stevie Johanson kick)
P — Liam Sheehy 19 pass from Graham (Johanson kick)
Fourth Quarter
P — Sheehy 9 run (2-point conversion failed)
L — McCarthy 29 run (kick failed)
P — Sheehy 1 run (Graham pass to Kiernan Haley 2-point conversion)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Pentucket — Kiernan Haley 15-134, Liam Sheehy 13-69, Brennan McGuirk 3-19, Finn Graham 1-10; Lynnfield — Drew McCarthy 16-177, Jake McHugh 12-31, Nick Kinnon 1-4
PASSING: Pentucket — Graham 5-8-49, 0 intercept; Lynnfield — Jake McHugh 15-23-158, 0 intercept
RECEIVING: Pentucket — Travis Bounsy 2-24, Liam Sheehy 2-23, Kiernan Haley 1-2; Lynnfield — Kyle Hawes 6-68, Ricky Johnson 3-46, Drew McCarthy 3-29, Louis Ellis 2-24, Dan Bronshvayg 2-10, CJ Finn 1-7