Marblehead rebounds, breezes past Georgetown

MARBLEHEAD – It was a thoroughly dominating performance for the Marblehead football team on Friday at Piper Field against Georgetown. Bouncing back from a tough loss to Classical last week, the Magicians exploded for 20 second quarter points and cruised to a 42-0 drubbing of the Royals.”I couldn’t be happier for the kids,” Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff said. “Last week was so disappointing to lose and it was great to see the kids not hang their heads about it and have a great week of practice and play well (Friday).”The Magicians (3-1) punished Georgetown all night with their physical running game out of the pistol offense, needing quarterback Hayes Richardson to throw only seven passes all night, and a defense that forced three turnovers and let the Royals snap the ball one time in the red zone all game.”The defense has been playing good all year,” Rudloff said. “And the pistol allows your running backs to get down hill quickly and the line really did a good job (Friday).”It took a little while for Marblehead to get its offense going on Friday, failing to convert on a lengthy drive in the first quarter but early in the second, Marcell Hardmon took a hand off and raced 57 yards through a gaping hole on the right side of the line to stake the Magicians to a 6-0 lead (Mike Bernato’s kick was blocked).Georgetown went three-and-out on the ensuing possession and the Magicians responded quickly. Richardson scrambled for 16 yards into Royals territory. Three plays later, he threw a strike to a wide-open Flynn McCormack on a fourth and five play for a 38-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead after a 2-point conversion.Late in the half, Marblehead’s Matt Perlow fumbled on a screen pass to give Georgetown some life. But Will Quigley stole it right back when he picked off a Chris Esposito pass and returned it 50 yards to the Royals 10.Two plays later, Richardson snuck in from the one and Marblehead took a 20-0 lead into the half.”We had to make some adjustments from what we did last week,” Rudloff said. “And I couldn’t be happier with how the kids played.”After forcing a Georgetown punt at the start of the third, the Magicians went about delivering the knockout punch. Starting at the Royals 38 with 8:01 left, it took just four plays for the Magicians to strike as Richardson threw his second TD of the game to McCormick, this one coming from 24 yards out to make it 28-0 after Ian Haigis’ 2-point conversion.The Royals turned the ball over again late in the third and Marblehead drove 42 yards to a touchdown on Richardson’s second one-yard sneak of the night. Josh Freedland provided the coup de gras for the Magicians moments later when he took an interception 44 yards to the house for the game’s final points.