With nine minutes to play in Friday’s game, the Patriots very much alive in their hopes to upset a very strong Lynn Classical team. Revere trailed by only seven points and had not allowed the Rams to score at all to that point in the second half.
Unfortunately, the Lynn Classical quickly offense found the “on†switch at had been looking for throughout the half and erupted for 22 points in the next five minutes of play. Revere was able to strike for a late touchdown, but too much damage had been done to avoid a 34-13 loss to the Rams.
For the Patriots, there was some encouragement in the fact that they played the Rams close for more than three quarters despite missing several starters due to injury. But that is of little comfort when a team loses its second straight game by over 20 points.
“We’re doing it with a very limited amount of kids and a lot of kids filling in who haven’t played football before, but I’m proud of them because they hung in there for three-and-a-half quarters against the biggest team I’ve seen all year and a very physical team in Lynn Classical,†said head coach Lou Cicatelli.
Lynn Classical took the first lead of the game with an early touchdown in the opening quarter. The Rams very well could have doubled that lead if they had recovered the ball after blocking a first-quarter Patriots punt deep in Revere territory. But Trey Weathers picked up the loose ball and gave the Pats new life by carrying it for a first down. Revere proceeded to go on a 60-yard drive that ended with Trey Weathers plunging up the middle for a five-yard touchdown.
The game remained tied at seven until late in the second quarter, when Lynn Classical scored to make it 14-7. Revere were left with time for a scoring drive if they could hurry, and the Patriots were able to bring the ball inside the Rams’ 20-yard line, but time ran out on the first half before they could advance any further.
The third quarter saw the game turn into a defensive stalemate. Revere prevented the Rams from getting on the board, but squandered a few drives that brought them into Lynn Classical territory. The game continued in this fashion until just over nine minutes remained in the fourth quarter, when Revere quarterback Paul Norton was sacked, causing a fumble. The Rams recovered the ball, giving them possession inside the 20-yard line. Three plays later, they ran it in from twenty yards out to give themselves a two-touchdown lead.
From there, things spiraled out of control rapidly for Revere, who surrendered another pair of touchdowns in the next five minutes, both of which were helped by broken plays that resulted in major gains for Lynn Classical. Trey Weathers scored his second touchdown of the game late in the quarter, but by then, the Lynn Classical lead was all but insurmountable.
Along with his two touchdowns, Weathers had 150 rushing yards in the game. Quentin Wesley complemented Weathers with some effective carries of his own, an Brandon Bones helped keep the Rams at bay for much of the game with a stellar performance on defense. On the downside, Paul Norton was forced to leave the game during the fourth quarter with a high ankle sprain.
The road does not get any easier for the Patriots (2-5), who will play on the road at Gloucester High this Friday. Gloucester is 8-0 on the season and, last week, hanged a 48-7 loss on the same Lynn English team that throttled Revere, 40-0 a week earlier. Coach Cicatelli knows that his team will have their hands full, but hopes that his team can somehow catch the Fishermen off guard.
“You prepare for it like you do for any other game,†Cicatelli said of the challenge of giving Gloucester its first loss. “If Paul is out, we’re going to put some different sets in and try to confuse them a little bit.â€
