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Amesbury Indians Football '08

Thu, Nov 27, 2008 10:00 AM @ Amesbury
Team Final
Newburyport 7
Amesbury 22

Amesbury deserves CAL Small title

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Ben Laing, Staff PhotographerMore photos

Thursday, November, 27 By Dan Guttenplan
Sports editor

AMESBURY — With the latest chapter of the Newburyport vs. Amesbury rivalry complete, we are left to wonder about the legacy each school’s senior class will leave.

Fair or not, Thanksgiving is the day when heroes are made on the high school football circuit. Amesbury captain Steve Serwon will always be remembered for sparking Thanksgiving Day upsets in 2006 and 2007 with defensive touchdowns. Indians quarterback Jared Flannigan will always be thought of as the game manager who took care of the football and kept the chains moving in victories in 2007 and 2008.

Yesterday’s Amesbury victory will do nothing to impact the legacy left by Amesbury’s senior class. This group of Indians took a team that routinely finished at the bottom of the CAL Small and won league titles as junior and seniors.

From the very start of yesterday’s game, there was a sense that it would be Amesbury’s day. The home team’s bleachers were packed 30 minutes before game-time. Shirtless fans marched around the field with temperatures in the 40s. By the time Serwon led his team onto the field through a paper banner that read “Blood Bath” minutes before game-time, the home-field advantage was palpable.

In perhaps the biggest play of the game, Amesbury senior linebacker Ben Uhlarik’s 28-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter, a familiar theme resurfaced. Amesbury coach Thom Connors looked like a genius. In Amesbury’s successful two-year run, the Indians coach always seems to push the right button. In this instance, he gave a senior linebacker a chance to start for the first time in his career after a strong week of practice. The senior rewarded him with a defensive touchdown. From there, Connors implemented the game-plan he has used for two seasons. On offense, pound the ball with tailback Jesse Burrell, register big plays with wingback Kevin Johnston, and put the ball in Flannigan’s hands in any clutch situation. On defense, pressure the opposing quarterback with disguised blitzes, and rely on an air-tight secondary in man-to-man coverage.

It worked just like it has for the last two seasons.

Newburyport coach Ed Gaudiano had another take.

“Too many turnovers,” he said minutes after the loss. “Someone in Newburyport should fire me.”

Gaudiano, who holds the program records for coaching victories, will surely not be fired. He had little to do with a few fluke turnovers — ones his team avoided over the last two months. Gaudiano’s team responded to an 0-5 start by winning five in a row and putting itself in position to battle for a CAL Small title. Amesbury was just a little better this season.

Since Thanksgiving Day of 2006 — a 20-0 Indians upset victory — Amesbury has established itself as a team that plays its best on the grandest stages. Newburyport, on the other hand, has struggled in its most important test — the Thanksgiving matchup with Amesbury.

So how will this loss reflect this group of Clippers?

The biggest question mark entering the day was Clippers quarterback Joe Clancy, who struggled in Thanksgivings past. Last year, he served a one-game suspension for a previous physical altercation and watched a Clippers loss from the sidelines. As an inexperienced sophomore a year earlier, he threw four interceptions and only completed one pass.

Unfortunately for the program’s most acclaimed quarterback ever, he has another Thanksgiving Day loss to his resume. Two more interceptions will mask a spirited second-half comeback that saw Newburyport overcome a 15-0 halftime deficit. With Clancy’s touchdown toss to Kyle LeBlanc early in third quarter, the Clippers narrowed the lead to a touchdown and two-point conversion. The defense even stopped the Indians on their next possession, but a potential game-tying Clippers drive was halted when Andrew Sokol fumbled on his own 39-yard-line.

Amesbury answered with a quick score, making it 22-7 early in the fourth quarter. Clancy’s Thanksgiving Day legacy appeared to be cemented.

Is it fair? Of course not.

Clancy has been the best quarterback in the CAL over the last two seasons. He holds the single-season and career marks for passing yards, touchdowns, attempts and completions. He should be remembered as a winner; his teams went 12-10 during his junior and senior seasons.

The truth is, no one is to blame for the Clippers victory. Not the winningest coach in school history. Not the best quarterback in school history. The Clippers needed to play their best game to compete, and they didn’t. Four turnovers are evidence of that.

“They’ve always said in this rivalry you can throw out the records, because all anyone will remember is who won on Thanksgiving,” Connors said. “I don’t look at it that way. I remember out 10 wins.”

Good philosophy: Remember the ride. And the Clippers should remember their accomplishments this season. They treated everyone — Amesbury fans included — to a Thanksgiving game with everything at stake. That didn’t appear likely six weeks ago when the Clippers were 0-5.

Everyone is entitled to one off-day a year. The Indians have been dealing out off-days for two straight seasons.

Dan Guttenplan is the sports editor of The Daily News. E-mail him at dguttenplan@newburyportnews.com.

Game Statistics:

First Quarter

Team — scoring play, time

Second Quarter

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Third Quarter

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Fourth Quarter

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12 Story Comments

0         scalivere

i am very proud of the indians I was at every game last year and this I wasn't able cause I have fighting cancer and I hope these boys go all the way to winning every game even the big one cause if I can beat cancer they can do this for me. Way to go guys i'm very proud of you all

Report! #1 11/27/2008 05:28 PM

0         scalivere

i am very proud of the indians I was at every game last year and this I wasn't able cause I have fighting cancer and I hope these boys go all the way to winning every game even the big one cause if I can beat cancer they can do this for me. Way to go guys i'm very proud of you all

Report! #2 11/27/2008 05:28 PM

0         scalivere

i am very proud of the indians I was at every game last year and this I wasn't able cause I have fighting cancer and I hope these boys go all the way to winning every game even the big one cause if I can beat cancer they can do this for me. Way to go guys i'm very proud of you all

Report! #3 11/27/2008 05:28 PM

1         KRISSY LYNN

Dear scalivere, You are just the type of Indians fan that has helped keep this team going. When Amesbury visits other fields for away games, we sometimes have to bring our own chairs because we have way too many fans for visitors' bleachers. And look at you, unable to attend the game and you are here, on this site, rooting for them still. I have never seen anything like this, in other towns! They are the best team in the CAL, again, Indian fans NEVER doubted that for a second, and perhaps in 3A east, as well. We shall soon see! The Clippers fought hard, but it takes more than ONE MAN on a team to win a football game.....especially when you are playing the NUMBER ONE TEAM. I wish you well & a speedy recovery, and thank you for supporting our sons

Report! #4 11/27/2008 07:19 PM

0         bruinsgirl1

Way to go Indians. You guys proved that you are the better team. You showed the Clippers that it doesn't matter if Clancy plays or not, since last year the Newburyport people were saying that you guys only won because he wasn't playing. You guys played like a team all year long and you deserve to go to the next round.The better team won today. You guys have the best record in school history and you should be proud. Good Luck Tuesday. GOOOOOOOOO INDIANS!!!!!!!

Report! #5 11/27/2008 09:17 PM

0         bruinsgirl1

Way to go Indians. You guys proved that you are the better team. You showed the Clippers that it doesn't matter if Clancy plays or not, since last year the Newburyport people were saying that you guys only won because he wasn't playing. You guys played like a team all year long and you deserve to go to the next round.The better team won today. You guys have the best record in school history and you should be proud. Good Luck Tuesday. GOOOOOOOOO INDIANS!!!!!!!

Report! #6 11/27/2008 09:17 PM

0         bruinsgirl1

Way to go Indians. You guys proved that you are the better team. You showed the Clippers that it doesn't matter if Clancy plays or not, since last year the Newburyport people were saying that you guys only won because he wasn't playing. You guys played like a team all year long and you deserve to go to the next round.The better team won today. You guys have the best record in school history and you should be proud. Good Luck Tuesday. GOOOOOOOOO INDIANS!!!!!!!

Report! #7 11/27/2008 09:18 PM

0         yeat123

bruinsgirl1, you say that the indians proved nbpt wrong by showing one man cant win it all. that was last year this is this year. you guys won this year and last you dont need to be punks and bring up last year. you dont know the power the clippers had last year. good job to the indians for their super bowl win this year its nice to have a cal small school win it. but when last year nbpt and amesbury shared the cal small title then amsbry publishes tshirts saying cal cmall chamos thats just BS. atleast port can say they were co-champs and not make tshirts saying what they think they should be. so get some pride

Report! #8 12/08/2008 12:22 PM

0         yeat123

bruinsgirl1, you say that the indians proved nbpt wrong by showing one man cant win it all. that was last year this is this year. you guys won this year and last you dont need to be punks and bring up last year. you dont know the power the clippers had last year. good job to the indians for their super bowl win this year its nice to have a cal small school win it. but when last year nbpt and amesbury shared the cal small title then amsbry publishes tshirts saying cal cmall chamos thats just BS. atleast port can say they were co-champs and not make tshirts saying what they think they should be. so get some pride

Report! #9 12/08/2008 12:22 PM

0         yeat123

bruinsgirl1, you say that the indians proved nbpt wrong by showing one man cant win it all. that was last year this is this year. you guys won this year and last you dont need to be punks and bring up last year. you dont know the power the clippers had last year. good job to the indians for their super bowl win this year its nice to have a cal small school win it. but when last year nbpt and amesbury shared the cal small title then amsbry publishes tshirts saying cal cmall chamos thats just BS. atleast port can say they were co-champs and not make tshirts saying what they think they should be. so get some pride

Report! #10 12/08/2008 12:23 PM

0         IndianFan26

The title was NOT shared last year. The Indians captured the title TWO YEARS IN A ROW; which is why they were sent to playoffs two years in a row. My son is 16 years old and he has NEVER LOST TO NEWBURYPORT, EVER. Very happy, yes he is.

Report! #11 12/18/2008 02:57 PM

0         ChrisDaigle16

why dont you guys just grow the f*** up and enjoy the fact that your children play sports and hav fun with it damn

Report! #12 05/22/2009 09:20 AM