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Masconomet one win away from returning to the playoffs

Friday, November, 09 By By Phil Stacey
Sports editor

TOPSFIELD | Masconomet captain Mike Nazzaro was conducting a postgame interview after his team's 31-7 victory over Triton last night at Walt Roberts Field when his teammates | listening to a cell phone transmission from the home stands about 40 feet away | started yelling and screaming with job instantaneously.

"I guess that means we're playing for a championship on Thanksgiving Day," said the big lineman said with a smile.

Masco's victory last night, coupled with Wilmington's 17-10 home victory over Pentucket, means that Nazzaro's words were true. What had been a four-way scrum atop the Cape Ann League Large standings when the night began was sliced in half, meaning one of two teams | Masco or Wilmington | will be advancing to the playoffs when the Thanksgiving Day football games are finished.

Wilmington's win gave Pentucket its second league loss and knocked them out of the CAL playoff picture. Wilmington can do no worse than a tie for the CAL title, having completed its league season at 4-1.

Masconomet, however, would go to the playoffs for the second straight season if they tie the Wildcats for the title, having beaten them head-to-head, 17-14. The 9-1 Chieftains, who are 3-1 in league play, need only to beat North Andover (7-3 overall, 3-1 CAL) on Turkey Day to advance to the postseason.

(North Andover can not go to the playoffs even if it beats Masco to tie Wilmington for the crown, since the Wildcats beat them head-to-head).

"When you play football, it's (scenarios) like this that you dream about," said Nazzaro, who was a monster defensively with two fumble recoveries, a sack that led to a fumble and undoubtedly his team's best hit of the season, a 5-yard tackle for loss where he absolutely smoked Triton ballcarrier Devin Culverwell just as he got the football.

"For us seniors, it'll be our last-ever home game, and all the seniors from last year's (Masco playoff) team will be back there cheering us on. It's going to be huge."

Tied at 7-7 late in the first half, Masconomet ran off 24 unanswered points to seal the victory. Senior T.C. Mannetta ran for 118 yards and two scores (from 5 and 6 yards out, respectively), while Evan Bunker had a 15-yard scoring run and Clay Cleveland caught a 3-yard TD pass from Chris Splinter. Kicker Nick Salvo added a 22-yard field goal and four successful extra points.

Masco junior Mike Fauci and sophomore George Alexandrou both contributed sacks to their team's defensive effort, while Eli Vollmer, a three-year starter at defensive tackle, as well as defensive ends Teddy Reed and Dan Wendt, and Andrew Barry at linebacker were also stalwarts.