RallyNorth.net

Late Danvers rally falls just short against Lynn English

Friday, September, 14 By Bill Kipouras
Staff writer

DANVERS | The bottom line was Lynn English's speed | particularly the quick feet of Byron Brown, who ran for 159 yards in 22 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns, the last one a 3-yard run with 37.5 seconds remaining | was the difference as Lynn English held off a spirit Danvers comeback to win, 21-14, last night at Dr. Deering Field.

"We did some positive things, fighting back when we were down 14, and we kept fighting. But they scored the last touchdown," Danvers coach John Sullivan said after his Falcons fell to 0-2, but showed a great deal of improvement from their season opening 26-0 loss to Salem last weekend.

"I was happy the way the kids played. Of course, you don't want to lose," Sullivan said.

It looked like a blowout early on when the visiting Bulldogs (1-1) jumped to an early 7-0 lead on Justin Young's 43 yard TD pass at the 5:12 mark of the opening period, ending a 7-play, 70-yard thrust.

English then went up 14-0 when Brown blistered the left sideline for 32 yards and Matt Garuti toed the point again, finishing a 7-play, 80-yard drive.

But after a sluggish start, Danvers came alive to narrow its halftime deficit to 14-6 when captain Chris Martin (10 carries, 56 yards) plowed through the left side from the 6-yard-line with John Gikas, a guard, making the key block. The touchdown came with 1:38 before the intermission break, and from that point on the Falcons were different team the rest of the way, at least offensively.

Danvers didn't do much committing the perimeter, where Brown and Julio Anzoo (9 carries, 60 yards) had a dynamic effort, helping the Bulldogs to roll up 259 yards on the ground.

"The difference after that (touchdown before the half) was that were motivated," Danvers' 15-year old sophomore quarterback Greg Ladd, who made it a winnable game when he hit Mike Pursley on a perfectly thrown 30-yard scoring strike with 5:31 showing in the fourth quarter. The same combination clicked on the PAT pass for 14-all.

But Bulldogs showed a lot of character in bouncing back immediately, riding Brown's back a 3rd-and-goal at the Danvers 3, where Brown scored in the dying seconds.

Ladd, who was 7 for 16 for 80 yards, and played very well, got the Falcons to the LE 41 when the game ended.

"Our first half scored lifted us, but on their first TD the QB fumble and our defense froze. The receiver (Rucker) was all alone for the catch," Sullivan said.

"It was a long time coming," Bulldogs' coach Gary Molea said of his team's first win of the young season. He meant that his East Lynners had lost their last five games in 2006 as well as their opener to Beverly last Saturday (28-13).

"I was proud of the way our kids rallied from that Beverly gme. We set out to run the ball this year, and that's what we did tonight. We also were physical, too."