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Central takes charge in MVC large

Saturday, October, 30 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

LAWRENCE — Don't tell yesterday's game officials, Cam Walsh stole one.

"I'm going to be honest, they had the ball, I just ripped it out of his hands,"
 said the Central Catholic senior, who "recovered" a Chelmsford onside kick with 1:50 left to preserve the Raiders' 23-21 win yesterday at Veterans Memorial Stadium. "Under the pile, I just reached out and took it from them. It would have been trouble if I didn't. It definitely exchanged hands down there."

Walsh's power in the pile helped Central hang on in the pivotal Merrimack Valley Conference large clash, giving the Raiders the inside track in the large with seven out of a possible eight points gained.

"I love playing Lawrence and Methuen, the hometown teams but this was huge, biggest win of the year," said Raider Jaycob Morales.  "Everyone has been saying it all week. Now we can dictate it, if we keep winning, we win it all."

The wild afternoon ended with a whimper, on a day when craziness reigned, as Chelmsford got the ball back late but mounted no serious, last-minute threat.

Central saw a 14-0 first-half lead in a near-disastrous third, only to be saved in the fourth by defense and one perfectly-timed wind-riding 68-yard punt.

Nearly all the life had been sapped from the Raiders, who got a 16-yard Ben Onett TD pass to Ryan and Sullivan and an 82-yard Trae Musumarra option run — Sullivan provided the devastating seal block at the corner — for the lead.

Chelmsford had the momentum and the ball in a tie game at 14-14 when QB A.J. Rotella toppled to the turf untouched and leg the game with an agonizing knee injury.

"That took away our momentum," said Lions coach Bruce Rich.

Chelmsford stalled in Central territory, and the Raiders could do nothing with the ball either as the fourth began.

That's when Onett booted a liner with the breeze that bounced, rolled and cajoled to the Lions 1.

Two plays later, Morales lifted the Raiders off the canvas, busting into the backfield with a tackle in the end zone for a safety and the 16-14 lead.

Central got the ball, too, and QB Matt McDermott came through with his best drive, running for 33 and 6 yards then hitting Morales for 20 to set up Musumarra, who hobbled off the bench and rolled in with the two-yard TD.

From there, it was all about survival for the 6-2 Raiders, who allowed an unthinkable 96-yard punt return from Zach Hayes in the final two minutes, only to have Walsh play strongman at the bottom of the pile.

Central now faces Methuen here Friday night in a battle of the MVC's divisional leaders and fierce rivals.