RallyNorth.net

Thu, Nov 22, 2018 10:00 AM @ Pentucket

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Triton	0	0	0	0	0
Pentucket	0	14	14	0	28

Sachems roll past winless Triton

Sunday, November, 25 By Kyle Gaudette
Staff writer

HAVERHILL — Ice covered the bleachers as approximately 300 fans waddled into Haverhill’s Trinity Stadium bundled from head to toe from the brutal cold.

On the field, Pentucket and Triton finished warming up for their 44th annual Thanksgiving Day rivalry game as small chunks of ice crunched under their cleats.

But no matter what the thermometer said — no matter what parents in the bleachers might have been thinking — it was time for some football.

And as Pentucket senior Gus Flaherty celebrated with teammates after his Sachems shut down their rivals 28-0, ending his high school football career with a win, he wouldn’t have changed a thing.

“This is just a game I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” said Flaherty, who tossed a touchdown pass to teammate Andrew Joyce in the win. “It’s just one of those games. It was just fun to get out here for the last game of my career, be with all of the other seniors and all of the other players on the team that I’ve been with the last few years.

“It was an unforgettable day.”

The fact that the game stayed on Thanksgiving day meant something to everyone.

“It’s awesome,” said Flaherty. “There’s nothing like it.”

On paper, the Sachems (5-6) were heavy favorites over their rival. But in the first half, Triton (0-11), led by Cameron Gilroy and Steven Elliot defensively, frustrated the Sachems.

Pentucket scored twice on a Flaherty 8-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Joyce and a 9-yard run by Austin Senfleben, but both drives started in the red zone after a pair of botched snaps on Triton punts.

The Sachems, however, found their groove in the second half.

On the first drive of the third quarter, the junior Senfleben broke a 65-yard run and followed with a 6-yard burst up the middle for his second score of the day. Then after a Triton turnover, the Sachems went up 28-0 after wide receiver Jake Etter got the ball on a pitch and fired a 37-yard strike to Owen Thornton.

Incredibly, Etter broke his leg early in the season, but returned to play Thursday morning.

Senfleben led the way for the Sachems, finishing the day with 82 yards and two scores on the ground on just four carries.

“It was crazy cold,” laughed Senfleben. “My hands felt like they were falling off. As the game went on though we were heating up, so it felt good.”

Defensively, the Sachems dominated.

Thornton, Charlie Walsh, Jacob Codair and Jacob Luke led a defensive front that held Triton to just 30 yards of offense all game. The Sachems held the Vikings to just three first downs all game, and the Vikings’ longest play of the game only went for 10 yards.

“It feels great to get the win,” said Senfleben. “Especially against Triton, our rivals. And to do it for the seniors was really big for us.”

Pentucket 28, Triton 0

Triton (0-11): 0  0  0 0 —  0

Pentucket (5-6): 0 14 14 0 — 28

Second Quarter

P — Andrew Joyce 8 pass from Gus Flaherty (kick failed), 7:40

P — Austin Senfleben 9 run (Andrew Melone run), :33

Third Quarter

P — Senfleben 6 run (Daniels Lathum kick), 8:22

P — Owen Thornton 37 pass from Jake Etter (Daniels Lathum kick), 7:03

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING: PENTUCKET (34-202): Austin Senfleben 4-82, Dylan O’Rourke 14-61, Ryan Kiley 7-29, Andrew Melone 4-21, Andrew Joyce 3-10, Gus Flaherty 2-(-1); TRITON (27-30): Jack Tummino 7-18, Jared Berardino 6-6, Cameron Gilroy 7-3, Ethan Tremblay 7-3

PASSING: P — Gus Flaherty 3-6-0, 24, Jake Etter 1-1-0, 37; T — Cameron Gilroy 0-4-0, 0

RECEIVING: P — Owen Thornton 1-37, Jake Etter 2-16, Andrew Joyce 1-6