Football: Lynnfield set for CAL Small showdown with Newburyport

On the road to a championship, every team usually has that one game it can look back at and say that it was its brush with losing.For the Lynnfield football team, last week’s 14-10 win over Amesbury could prove to be that great escape if the Pioneers go on to win the Cape Ann League/Small title. For the Pioneers, a win over Newburyport at Lynnfield Middle School on Saturday (11) could go a long way towards reaching that goal.The Clippers come in with a 4-3 record but are 3-0 in the CAL Small and have beaten the likes of North Reading and North Andover already this season. Lynnfield sits at 6-1, 1-0 in the Small.Last week, the Pioneers were facing an Amesbury team that had only two wins but was still a Super Bowl champion last season. And for a long time it looked like the Indians were going to spoil the Pioneers’ title hopes.Amesbury held an explosive Pioneer offense to only 168 total yards and had a 10-7 lead late in the fourth quarter and the ball with a chance to salt away the upset. But the Lynnfield defense came up with another huge play, forcing a fumble that Tim Lamusta returned 23 yards for a touchdown and the escape.Though the Clippers were hit hard by graduation this season, they have rallied to become a player in the CAL Small race again. Of their three losses, one came on a Pentucket field goal in a 3-2 win and another was by two points at Wilmington.Shawsheen at TechAt Manning Field (1:30), the Tigers (5-2, 1-2 Commonwealth Conference/Large) got off to a slow start last week against Mystic Valley but exploded for 28 points in the second and third quarters to pull away to a comfortable 36-6 win.Quarterback Dustin Rooney was deadly efficient in the win. He completed 6-of-10 passes, but they went for 217 yards and three long touchdowns. He added a fourth score on a three-yard run in the fourth quarter.The Tech defense also played well, holding Mystic Valley to 135 yards in total offense. Shawsheen (2-5, 0-1) opened league play last week with a 38-14 loss to Whittier.Saugus at BeverlyAt Hurd Stadium (1), the Panthers (4-2, 1-1 NEC South) rebounded from a surprising loss to Danvers in their league opener with a solid 21-14 win over Winthrop.Beverly had leapt out to a 14-0 lead on touchdown passes by Mark Hannable but saw the Vikings rally to tie the game late in the third quarter. It was still tied until the late minutes of the fourth quarter when Hannable hit tight end Steve Dubois for the winning points.Hannable threw for 289 yards and the three scores in his best performance since returning from mononucleosis.The Sachems, meanwhile, gave Marblehead a fight for a half last week. But the Magicians’ depth wore Saugus down in a 34-12 loss. Quarterback John Moore had another good performance for coach Mike Broderick’s team, rushing for 109 yards and a touchdown.Fenwick at Arlington CatholicAt Arlington Memorial Stadium (6), the Crusaders (3-4, 0-1 Catholic Central League/Large) got a pair of touchdown runs from Alex Crecco but saw a third-quarter lead disappear in a 22-18 loss at Cardinal Spellman.The task doesn’t get any easier for Fenwick this week as it faces the reigning Division 3A Super Bowl champs. The Cougars (6-1, 2-0) come in off a 36-20 win over Archbishop Williams.