RallyNorth.net

In a flash, Rangers rub out Redmen

Friday, October, 29 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

METHUEN — In seconds, the Tewksbury High football absorbed a lesson in explosiveness and watched its upset bid swallowed up like breakfast cereal last night at Nicholson Stadium.

The Redmen were poised to pour on the heat, trailing 27-21 but knocking on the door at the Methuen 20.

Snap, Bobby Blanchard blunted that scoring bid with an interception down at the one.

Crackle, Raudy Minaya caught a Cal Carroll slant and bounced off three defenders, racing 84 yards to the Tewksbury 15.

And pop, Carroll raced in off right tackle, breaking it open at 34-21 and paving the way for the Rangers' 48-29 victory.

Now 7-1 overall and on top in the MVC small, the Rangers now ready for large division-leading Central Catholic on Friday night in Lawrence.

With QB Sean Connolly back and healthy, the Redmen presented quite the scare, rolling up 253 yards before intermission and taking a 21-20 advantage to the break.

The Rangers needed a brilliant 88-yard kick return for a score by Raudy Minaya, just to hang around early.

But it appears that Ranger coach Pat Graham had all the answers at halftime.

"He just told us that we're the best team in the MVC, if we lost to Tewksbury tonight, who knows about the playoffs even if we beat Dracut (on Thanksgiving)," said Blanchard, who finished with three of Methuen's five interceptions in the win. "He told us we know we're a good team. We're better than them. Just go out and give it all you've got, no regrets. We just adjusted perfectly."

Little Brian Sim and the active Ranger linebackers slammed the door on the Redmen sweep game, and the defensive backs did the rest as Tewksbury would gain only 122 yards after the break, 54 of them coming in the final minute drive for a useless TD against the Ranger reserves.

"It really wasn't adjustments, we just played better," said Graham. "We took care of some things, but the kids just made the plays."

Cal Carroll and the Rangers offense continued to function at light-speed.

Carroll racked up his second five-TD game of the season, rushing for scores of 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 yards in a 97-yard night.

Backfield mate Ryan Savastano chipped in 126 yards and a TD on 13 tries, while Minaya and Kevin Higgins each had a pair of catches.

Methuen remains on pace for that potential epic Turkey Day collision with Dracut. It should be a wild month ahead, though for the Rangers, who make back-to-back trips to Veterans Memorial Stadium in Lawrence – first seeing Central then the Lancers, before the home morning matinee with the Middies.

Additional stories:

• In a flash, Rangers rub out Redmen