RallyNorth.net

METHUEN — You scheme, prepare all week, read keys and drill the opposing quarterback.

The special ones still innovate and find a way.

Yesterday before about 3,800 fans, Methuen High had its championship hopes crushed by one of those special athletes, Dracut's Matt Silva.

With the Middies stuck in neutral, Silva delivered one of those special indefensible plays, erasing a 12-6 third-quarter deficit and propelling Dracut to the 19-12 win.

"It was real loud in the stadium, and the snap kind of bobbled to me," said Silva on what looked like a harmless third-and-6 play. "It was meant to be a run play up the middle. I ended up pulling it and saw Malonis out of the corner of my eye. I tossed it to him as I got nailed. I didn't even know what happened. I turned around and he's in the end zone."

The 57-yard TD-catch-and-run stunned the Rangers, who really never recovered, even with Eric Lacroix preserving the tie by blocking the PAT.

Methuen, working without star receiver Raudy Minaya (team violation), never got the offense moving in the second half.

"They loaded the box on us," said Methuen coach Pat Graham. "When they load the box, you have to be able to throw it and we didn't."

After the intermission, Methuen managed just 74 yards of offense — giving 20 back in offensive penalties and turning it over twice with interceptions. Not capitalizing on Silva's lone mistake of the day — an 8-yard punt to his own 36 — basically set the Rangers up for the Turkey Day disappointment.

Cal Carroll, who cracked the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second straight year, came up short on 4th-and-2. One possession later, a Carroll pass was deflected and intercepted putting the Middies in business at the Methuen 47.

Silva smelled a championship and the Middies' third straight trip to the Eastern Mass. playoffs. The senior hit Keith Hamel for 44 yards down the left sideline then plowed in from the 3, making it 19-12 with over eight minutes to play.

Methuen wouldn't threaten again.

"We gave up a couple big plays on defense, and offensively we struggled," said Graham. "We turned the ball over 3-4 times. You can't win like that."

Silva dominated this classic collision with Carroll and the Rangers, hitting 8 of 14 passes for 207 yards and a pair of TDs to Malonis.

"Me and Cal, we've always been head to head with each other," said Silva. "We're like the same person, different school. Even with baseball and basketball, quarterback, pitching, we run the same offense. I've known him for a long time. He's a great quarterback. Off the field, we're best buds. On the field we went after him."

Carroll, who closed out his two seasons under center with 2,031 rushing yards and 2,282 passing yards, was held to 44 yards on 21 carries for the day. He hit 10 of 20 passes for 162, but the two interceptions were costly.

Eric Lacroix caught a 58-yard TD bomb for the Rangers, and junior Ryan Savastano (9 carries, 72 yards) added a 47-yard TD run.

Methuen finishes at 9-2, while Dracut advances to Tuesday's EMass semifinal date with Reading at 8-3.