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Pentucket Sachems Football '07

Pentucket seniors: Front row (from left) Justin Bolla and Stephen Jenkins. Middle row (from left) Bobby Delotto, Matt Green, Bobby Karlberg, Joey Nolan, David Spalding, Ryan Cooney, Nate Bunnell, Mike Sloban, Brian Pigott, Jake Wallace, Jamie Ryan, Nathan Poretta and Brandon Ballard. Back row (from left) Stephen Hayden, Liam Crawford, Ryan Durkin, Philipp Knechtges, Matt Roberts, Dan Cantone, Pat Buzzell, Max Arthur. » Katie McMahon, Staff Photographer

No time for complacency at Pentucket

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Any signs of complacency in the Pentucket Regional football camp the past couple weeks have been silenced by one simple score:

Triton 26, Pentucket 20.

The Sachems watched a run of seven straight Thanksgiving morning wins over Triton snapped on Pentucket's home turf last fall.

The scene shifts today to the marshes of Byfield but the sentiment is familiar, with the 7-3 Sachems a heavy favorite over 1-9 Triton.

"After last year, the kids will be ready," said Pentucket coach Steve Hayden. "Triton can throw the ball a little bit, and run the football. Being the last game, we expect a few surprises from them, too. This is a team that had Wilmington down. And it would make their whole season if they beat us." Quarterback Matt Emerzian is the Vikings' playmaker.

"Defensively for us it's the same as Day 1. Our kids have to run to the football," added Hayden.

Pentucket will have to climb over the emotional hurdle of having its CAL championship hopes wiped away in a heartbreaker with Wilmington two weeks ago.

"The kids are resilient, I'm sure they'll be fine," said Hayden, who reported that the only serious injury in Sachem camp is linebacker Steve Jenkins, who is questionable for the game with a knee injury.

Pentucket will lean on battering-ram Nate Bunnell. The 200-pound senior has run for 1,271 yards and 20 TDs on the year.

Junior Jordan Silva has come into his own. The Sachem QB has hit on 50 percent of his passes for 747 yards and seven TDs. This one is special for the coach, too, as senior guard Steve Hayden plays in his final game for his dad.

"Getting to coach my son and his friends is one of the perks in his job," said the elder Hayden. "It's one of the things that's made this year special."

Pentucket leads the overall and Thanksgiving Day series, 18-13-1.

Did You Know?

Nate Bunnell scored 20 TDs in the first six games, with a pair of 5-TD games and two 4-TD games. But he's been banged up a bit and defenses have ganged up on him since. He hasn't hit the end zone in the last four, hoping to end that run tomorrow.

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