Lucky 13: Fishermen claim second Super Bowl title in three seasons

FOXBOROUGH – Not even a driving snowstorm could halt the Gloucester football team’s march to a Division 1A Super Bowl title on Saturday at Gillette Stadium.In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Fishermen, Conor Ressel rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns and caught a third as Gloucester finished a 13-0 season with a comprehensive, 33-13, destruction of Bridgewater-Raynham for a second Super Bowl title in three seasons.Even Gloucester coach Paul Ingram marveled at what his team did to claim another championship.”Not bad for a rebuilding year,” Ingram joked after his 71st win as head coach of the Fishermen. “It is pretty amazing that we’re here again ? The kids just come to play.”Ressel was a man among boys on Saturday as he completed a record-setting senior season. His three touchdowns gave him six in the postseason and a school record 31 for the season. He also rushed for 411 yards in two playoff games and finished with 1,928 yards on the season.”Conor is amazing,” Ingram said. “He never gives up.”In an out of character move, Gloucester won the toss and elected to defer to the second half as the snow and winds were picking up. Ingram said afterwards it was part of a plan.”We just wanted to get out here to see which way the wind was blowing and we pinned them in,” Ingram said.The move paid off in droves as B-R punter Kevin Bumpus fumbled and Ben Chianciola recovered at the six for Gloucester. Two Jordan Shairs runs later, the Fishermen led 7-0 less than two minutes in.The Trojans went three and out on the next possession and Ressel and company went back to work. The senior gained 15 yards on the first play from scrimmage and then dashed 52 yards down the right sideline for a score to make it 14-0 less than five minutes in.”Scoring those two touchdowns quickly was just a real advantage,” Ingram said. “Our offense helps in all kinds of (weather) conditions and we thought we could move the ball against them.”B-R responded quickly as quarterback Mike Connolly hit Neil Harrington for a 35- yard touchdown pass to cut the gap to 13-7 after one quarter.It was still a six point game midway through the second quarter when the Gloucester defense stepped up its game.Jordan Shairs intercepted a Connolly pass at the Fisherman 45. The junior then rumbled 43 yards to the B-R eight before quarterback Brett Cahill threw a touchdown pass to Brandon Cusumano on second-and-goal to stake Gloucester to a 19-7 lead at the half.After the teams exchanged punts in the third quarter, Gloucester moved in for the knockout punch.Ressel ripped off gains of 14 and 20 yards to help move the ball to the B-R 28 early in the fourth quarter. The senior then put on his play calling hat, tipping off Ingram that he was wide open sneaking out of the backfield.Ressel’s hunch was correct as Cahill faked to Shairs and threw back to a wide open Ressel on the left sideline for a touchdown that made it 27-7 with 9:05 left.”Conor actually called that,’ Ingram said. “He’s done that a few times this year and generally it does work.”Ressel capped his stellar night with a 22-yard touchdown jaunt with 6:27 left to make it 33-7.