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Amesbury continues pursuit of CAL Small title

Friday, October, 31 By Dan Guttenplan
Sports editor

The Amesbury football team avoided fourth-drama last evening for the first time in four weeks. The Indians (7-1 overall, 2-1 Cape Ann League Small) cruised to a 31-13 victory over winless Ipswich (0-7, 0-4).

Entering last night’s game, the Indians were reeling from a difficult three-game stretch in which they went 2-1, and all three games were decided by three points or less. They avoided such dramatics last evening by posting the game’s first 10 points. The Indians held a 10-7 lead at halftime and effectively sealed the game when Jared Flannigan scored on a 74-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage in the second half.

“They played us tough the first half,” Amesbury coach Thom Connors said. “They’re a good little team. They’re coming. But I still had some things to say at halftime to make sure we came out with a different attitude in the second half.”

Flannigan’s run was his second 60-plus yard game-deciding touchdown run the past two weeks. In last week’s 13-12 victory over Lynnfield, he broke a 64-yard touchdown run to give the Indians the lead for good.

“We wanted to break a few big plays, and we did that,” Connors said. “Jared had the big play, and Kevin (Johnston) did, too.”

Flannigan led the Indians’ rushing attack with eight carries for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Johnston added eight carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns. His first touchdown — a 51-yard scamper — opened the scoring with 1:52 left in the first quarter. His second — a three-yard dive — put Amesbury ahead 31-13 with 6:40 remaining in the game.

Johnston also had a 70-yard kickoff return with Amesbury leading 17-13 with 3:06 remaining in the third quarter. He was tackled at the Ipswich 14-yard-line, and Flannigan rushed in from 14 yards out on the next play.

Ipswich, a team that has struggled to generate offense this season, did sustain three drives of 10-plus plays. Tailback Jim Cadogan has success running the ball, tallying 21 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

He scored on a two-yard run with 1:15 remaining in the second half, closing the Ipswich deficit to 10-7. He had five carries for 36 yards on the drive. He later scored on a 31-yard run with 3:21 remaining in the third quarter, closing the deficit to 17-13.

Ipswich was hurt by turnovers, though, as quarterback Jim McHugh (3 for 9, 39 yards) was intercepted by Amesbury safety Bill Medvitz in the first half and Steve Serwon in the second half. Serwon also recorded a sack on the opening drive, forcing a punt after a 10-play drive. Defensive end Kyle Mroz also forced another punting situation with a sack in the third quarter.

Amesbury will host CAL Small rival Hamilton-Wenham (4-3, 3-1) on Friday evening (7 p.m.).

“They all big games from now on,” Connors said. “They’re all championship games. That’s the way it is. After our game next week, one of the two teams will be out of it. That’s fun — it’s great stuff. That’s the way the league is, and we’ll take it.”