RallyNorth.net

Sun, Nov 15, 2009 01:00 PM @ Salem

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Pinkerton	7	0	7	14	28
Salem	14	10	0	20	44

Relentless Salem advances to title game

Sunday, November, 15 By David Willis
Staff writer

SALEM — The moment Salem’s Jerickson Fedrick entered the end zone with 2:01 left to play in the game, the running back simply could not contain his excitement any longer.

“I gave a high-5 to a few kids on the sidelines I felt so good,” said the sophomore. “I don’t know how I would have reacted if we had lost, but we are back on top, just like we wanted to be.”

Federick’s third rushing score of the game was the finishing touch on No. 1 Salem’s 44-28 victory over archrival No. 4 Pinkerton in the Division 1 semifinals yesterday at the Blue Devils’ home field.

“This is the most unreal feeling I have ever had,” said Salem quarterback Matt Cannone. “I’ve been waiting for this my whole life. This week we came out with fire, and I could not have asked any more from my teammates today.”

The victory sends the Blue Devils to the Division 1 title game to face No. 2 Nashua North on Saturday at noon in Salem. The Blue Devils blasted North 54-33 in their regular-season meeting.

“This is amazing,” said senior Darren Brown. “To be going to the state championship. Last year we didn’t even make the playoffs. When we were in youth football, we never really made the playoffs. So this is something this group has really never done.”

This marks Salem’s first trip to the championship game since the Blue Devils lost back-to-back title games to Pinkerton in 2005-06. Their last championship win was a Division 2 title in 1995.

“I can’t even describe this feeling,” said running back Max Jacques. “It is so great to be really going to the championship. Adding guys like Jerrickson, we have had people step up all season. We knew we had to step in and get it done.”

This was the second time this season Salem downed Pinkerton, cruising to a 24-7 regular season win over an Astros team that won three straight state titles from 2005-07, and took Nashua South to overtime in the title game last season.

“We’ve never beaten Pinkerton twice in one season,” said Blue Devils coach Jack Gati. “This was a huge game. We’re at the pinnacle, and now we have one game left. We didn’t even think about being in this position in August. It’s phenomenal.”

The first half belonged to Salem, which wasted no time taking control of the contest. On the first offensive play of the game, Federick took a handoff and scampered 73 yards for the touchdown.

“That felt amazing,” he said. “After that run, I just said to myself, ‘This is going to be a good day.’”

Pinkerton responded three possessions later. Following a blocked punt by Kevin Davies, Eric Guinto scored a 5-yard touchdown.

But back came the Blue Devils. First, it was a nine-play, 77-yard drive that Cannone finished off with a beautiful 41-yard touchdown pass to Alex Sobrado. Then, after a Pinkerton three-and-out, Salem went on a 14-play, 67-yard drive that took up over 10 minutes and culminated in a 3-yard run by Jacques. The Blue Devils finished off the first-half scoring with a 24-yard field goal by Chris Saulnier.

However the Astros, who were held to just 32 total yards in the first half, would not go away quietly.

Taking the opening kickoff, Guinto carries three times for a combined 41 yards, the last a 4-yard score to make it 24-14. After five straight punts, Pinkerton cut the lead to four when QB Ryan Simpson connected with Zach Tulley on a 45-yard touchdown.

But that was as close as the Astros would get.

Following Tulley’s score, Jacques took the ensuing kickoff back 91 yards for a touchdown. Pinkerton countered with a 25-yard TD run by Guinto, but 1:06 later, Federick blasted 66 yards for a touchdown.

“Pinkerton came back and made it a game because that’s the kind of program it is,” said Gati. “But our players answered the call. Max and Jerrickson just do special things that you can’t coach.”

Pinkerton manage one last drive to the Salem 42, but Simpson was picked off by Brown.

“It was getting late in the game, so they needed to pass,” he said. “We were dropping, and Simpson was rolling out and had to dump it off. I read it and picked it off. I don’t know if it clinched the game, but the touchdown by Jerrickson did.”

Federick closed out his stellar performance with the game’s closing touchdown. He finished the day with 19 carries for exactly 200 yards (10.5 yards a rush). His backfield mate Jacques added 18 carries for 76 yards, along with his kickoff return for a score. The Blue Devils also went to the air, with Cannone completing 5-of-10 passes for 136 yards.

For the Astros, Guinto, who sat out last postseason with a knee injury, shined in his final high school game, going for 116 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Tulley caught two passes for 56 yards.

"Salem is a better team than we are," Pinkerton coach Brian O'Reilly said. "With Jacques and Federick there's some speed there. Once they got around the corner you knew. The moment they got around the corner you could see it.”

Additional stories:

• Passing game keys Salem semifinal win