RallyNorth.net

Dragon, Sachems bit Ipswich

Saturday, October, 10 By David Willis
Staff writer

WEST NEWBURY – Pentucket senior Dan Dragon issued little brother Nolan Dragon a challenge before yesterday’s game.

“I told Nolan that if he scored two touchdowns, I’d be happy with him,” said Dan Dragon with a laugh. “He sure did that.”

Neither Dragon, however, could have guessed how it would play out.

Sophomore Nolan Dragon picked off Ipswich quarterback Brendan Gallagher twice in the first quarter, and returned both interceptions for touchdowns to send Pentucket on its way to a 34-6 victory over winless Ipswich.

The Sachems have now won three straight after starting the season 0-2.

It was just three plays into the game that Dragon set the tone for the afternoon. He stepped in front of a pass and sprinted 24 yards down the right sideline for a score, the first interception he had ever returned for a touchdown.

“I was reading the quarterback’s eyes,” he said. “I was out in the flats, waiting for him to throw it and just grabbed it. It was a great way for us to start off the game with a Pick 6.”

But he wasn’t done from there. After the two teams exchanged three-and-outs, Dragon again pulled down an interception and this time went 32 yards down the left sideline for a score.

“I kind of got a little lucky on the second one,” he admitted. “The QB threw it behind the receiver and it kind of ended up in my hands. I just ran for the score.”

No one was more thrilled to congratulate Dragon than his older brother.

“It was awesome,” said Dan Dragon. “On the second one I was just standing at midfield saying, ‘Oh my God, again?’ It was great. We go out on defense twice and he gives us touchdowns. If the defense is giving us points, we’ll take it.”

Those two defensive scores were valuable because the Sachems had some trouble finding a rhythm in the first half, gaining just 41 yards of total offense. Their one offense score before the break, a 13-yard run by quarterback Mike Doud, was on a drive that started at the Tigers’ 29-yard line.

But Pentucket did find its groove in the second half. Nolan Dragon stuck again, this time on offense with a 21-yard touchdown run, and backup QB Jay Deschene added the final score on an impressive 20-yard scamper.

Doud led the offense with 64 yards on just two carries, while Dragon carried eight times for 45 yards and Deschene had 39 yards on two rushes.

The Sachems did allow Ipswich’s first points of the season, a 15-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left in the first half, but from there controlled the momentum. The Tigers managed just 111 yards of total offense, 40 coming on the final drive of the game when Pentucket had sent in its backups to face the Ipswich starters.

“We got a little soft right before the half,” said Dan Dragon, also a starting linebacker. “They marched down the field on us, so you really can’t say anything about it. But we came out fighting in the second half. We are fast and we want to hit.”

Dan Dragon again led the offense with eight tackles, while Jordan Pinzone, John Troy and C.J. Lataille each had six tackles and Braedan Leach and Zack Eddy each had five stops.

The Sachems also swarmed the quarterback for much of the night. Peter Koopman had two sacks and was in on a third while Leach, Troy and Eddy each sacked the QB once.

“We finished the win,” said Pentucket coach Steve Hayden. “Ipswich made it interesting. We need to adjust and go from there. Hats off the Nolan. It was a very impressive.”