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Fulford scores 20 in first half, leading Gloucester to playoff spot

Friday, November, 09 By Matt Langone
Sports editor

GLOUCESTER | The scenario coming into last night's football game between Gloucester High and Salem High was exactly what November football is all about.

Two teams with postseason aspirations playing in temperatures below 40-degrees at a packed Newell Stadium. Of course, the bulk of those fans in attendance were Fishermen fans and the hometown faithful left the contest very happy thanks to senior running back Andrew Fulford's monster performance (3 first-half touchdowns and a 2-PT conversion).

Gloucester (10-0, 6-0) knocked off the Witches (5-5, 3-2), 42-0, to clinch the Northeastern Conference Large title and a Division 2A playoff berth. It was the Fishermen's eighth straight victory over Salem and the postseason appearance will be the program's first since 2001.

The Fishermen took a commanding 28-0 lead in the second quarter and cruised from there. Fulford opened the scoring with a 36-yard run just three minutes into the game. Gloucester forced a Salem three-and-out on the Witches first possession and Fulford followed that with another touchdown run, this one from 5 yards out. It was 12-0 Gloucester after the first quarter.

Following another Salem drive that failed to produce a first-down, Fulford capped the ensuing drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Gloucester missed both PATs after the first two scores but senior tight end Cam Marston caught a 2-PT conversion from quarterback Rick Gallant to make it 20-0.

The last touchdown of the first half was recorded by Fishermen junior running back Taylor Burbine, who scored on a reverse from 8 yards out. Fulford ran in the 2-PT conversion for the final tally of the second quarter. Over the first two quarters, the Witches could only manage two first-downs. Overall, Salem had just 34 total yards (all in the air, their ground attack was held to zero yards) in the first half.

In the third play of the second half, Gloucester senior running back Brian Harnish scored from 2 yards out and the PAT was good. The final margin was provided by junior running back Ross Carlson, who scored a 30-yard touchdown later in the third. The PAT was successful. The Fishermen are off until Thanksgiving morning when they host Danvers at 10 a.m. It's the regular season finale for both teams, Gloucester will play its first playoff game the following Tuesday.