English has a field day in Winthrop

Coming off a tough loss in its season opener, English put together a solid running game to hold off a stubborn Winthrop squad last night, 31-12, at Miller Field.English31Winthrop12 The Vikings (0-2) scored the game’s first points, coming on a four-yard run by Nick McCarthy (21-73), which culminated a 12-play drive midway through the opening quarter. Yet the Bulldogs didn’t waste any time responding. Back Melvin Taveres (14-164), who sat out the second half against Lawrence last week, ran 20 yards on English’s first play to the Winthrop 45. After two more runs by Taveres, quarterback Tyllor McDonald picked up a first down to the 33. A fumble moved the team back to the 44, yet McDonald hit Taveres on a short screen two plays later, and he ran the length of the sidelines far sidelines to give English a 7-6 edge.The Bulldogs held Winthrop on the team’s ensuing possession, and took over at the Vikings’ 20. After picking up four yards on first down, Taveres scampered through a wide-open hole for 56 yards to the Winthrop 14. Taveres added his second score moments later, on a five-yard run, to increase the lead to 14-6 early in the second quarter.”We needed our offense to explode, and we responded and finished well,” said English coach Peter Holey, whose club only scored nine points in last week’s loss to Lawrence. “Tyllor (McDonald, who also ran for 136 yards of his own) and Melvin (Taveres) are a combo that other teams have to defend against.”Both teams traded possessions through the rest of the half, and for most of the third. English drove to the Vikings’ three, when McDonald found a hole and raced 46 yards . Yet the team had to settle for a 29-yard field goal from Cory Burt for a 17-6 edge.The Vikings cut the deficit to 17-12 in the early stages of the final period. The team put together an impressive 14-play, 52-yard drive, with McCarthy doing most of the damage. Quarterback James Barker, making his second varsity start, finished off the drive with the keeper on fourth-and-1 from the 1.The Vikings received a gift of sorts when the Bulldogs were assessed 15 yards on the kickoff, bringing the back to the 12. Yet McDonald (48 yards) and Taveres (40 yards) put the game out of reach on consecutive runs, with Taveres adding his third score for a 24-12 lead.”You have a running back playing quarterback, and paired with Taveres, it’s like they have three backs There,” Winthrop coach Sean Driscoll stated about McDonald and Taveres. “They’re a very good team with great athletes.”The Bulldogs closed the scoring when McDonald teamed with receiver Travonne Berry-Rogers for an 18-yard touchdown late in the game