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2009 Football: Masco rolled over Knights last year in showdown for playoffs

BOXFORD — The Masconomet Regional football team won the game, 40-20, thus ending North Andover's title hopes.

Thus the Chieftains won their fourth straight CAL Large title and fourth straight playoff berth.

 Masconomet was the preseason favorite to run away with the Cape Ann League Large title. But doubt had been cast on the Chieftains by some outsiders with the emergence of North Andover as a title threat.

That only made the Chieftains want it more.

Masconomet had its way with the Scarlet Knights, 40-20, at Roberts Field. It not only locked up the CAL title with a 5-0 conference mark, but also advanced to the Division 2A playoffs where it will meet Dual County Small champ Concord-Carlisle.

"All that (doubt) did was feed the fire for us," senior running back Evan Bunker said. "That made us angry and we came out and proved them wrong."

Propelled by a physical defensive performance and an explosive running attack on offense, Masconomet (9-2 overall) dominated from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.

"We knew that we really had to come out more intense than they did," Chris Splinter, Masco's dynamic senior quarterback, said. "We said that the team that wants it more is going to get it. We wanted to prove it to the rest of the league that we were the team to beat."

Masco clearly was the team to beat, but no one in the CAL was able to do so. The Chieftains' latest performance was proof that they were playing the game at a different speed than everyone else in the league.

Masconomet's defense made life miserable for Zac Iovanella, a standout senior running back for North Andover, and the Scarlet Knights' promising sophomore QB, Brandon Walsh. North Andover faced a healthy dose of blitzing from the Masco linebackers.

"We wanted to really bring the game to them. Our backers were blitzing almost non-stop," Splinter said. "Kurt (Hunziker) and George (Alexandrou) at linebacker and Tom Chub and John Daniels at defensive end were pressuring Walsh all day. I know from experience that being a sophomore when people are blitzing is not fun."

The defense got Masco going early when they forced a fumble at the North Andover 44-yard line.

Six players later, Masco was on the board when Splinter scored on a 1-yard keeper.

Masco then increased the lead to 18-0 on a pair of Bunker scores: one a 16-yard run and the other a 21-yard pass from Splinter.

A Masco turnover resulted in a first-and-goal for the visitors from the Chieftains' 2, and Iovanella crashed in for the first of his three touchdowns to cut the Knights' deficit to 18-7.

Bunker then scored his third TD of the day on a 35-yard run before halftime to bump the score to 26-7.

Bunker had 96 yards rushing in the first half, and Splinter accumulated 68. They each ended the game with more than 100 — Bunker ran for 145, while Splinter finished with 132.

"The offensive line gave us huge holes," Bunker said. "Once I got to the second level, I was able to see the defense and they had trouble bringing me down. But the O-line was the key."

Splinter started the second half with a 58-yard touchdown run, then added another 1-yard keeper early in the fourth to increase the advantage to 40-7.

Iovanella scored two more times in the fourth against Masco's reserves to make it respectable.

"The (offensive) line really stepped it up," Splinter said. "Before the game they were making perfect blocks and executing everything. We said, 'If you do that today, there's no way they're going to stop us.'"

Masconomet 40, North Andover 20

at Roberts Field, Topsfield

North Andover07013 — 20

Masconomet121477 — 40

M-Chris Splinter 1 run (kick failed)

M-Evan Bunker 16 run (pass failed)

M-Bunker 21 pass from Splinter (pass failed)

NA-Zac Iovanella 2 run (Dylan Lurvey kick)

M-Bunker 35 run (Splinter rush)

M-Splinter 58 run (Bunker kick)

M-Splinter 1 run (Bunker kick)

NA-Iovanella 18 run (kick failed)

NA-Iovanella 4 run (Lurvey kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: North Andover — Zac Iovanella 14-111, Jack Murphy 8-31, Brandon Walsh 2-6; Masconomet — Evan Bunker 19-145, Chris Splinter 9-132, Dylan Mann 1-11, Tim Towler 2-5, Jake Lawrence 1-3, Drew Kenney 1-1, Ben Panunzio 1-(-1).

PASSING: North Andover — Walsh 6-22-44-0-0; Masconomet — Splinter 4-5-43-1-1, Bunker 0-3-0-0-1.

RECEIVING: North Andover — Murphy 1-12, John Hufziger 1-12, Jon Swanton 2-11, David Foote 2-9; Masconomet — Bunker 2-31, Braden Kowalski 1-12, Lawrence 1-0.