Fishermen reel in English

LYNN – The blowout some people expected never materialized on Friday at Manning Field as Lynn English gave unbeaten Gloucester its best shot. But the Bulldogs had no answer for the running of Jordan Shairs.Click here to see a photo gallery of last night’s gameThe Gloucester fullback broke a school record for touchdowns in a game with six and finished with 247 yards as the Fishermen pulled away to a 50-29 win that was much closer than the score showed.”This was one of those games where you never could relax,” Gloucester coach Paul Ingram said. “It seemed like just when we’d get control, it got taken away just as quickly.”Gloucester50English29 After keeping Shairs to only 48 yards in the first half, the Bulldogs (4-4, 1-1 NEC North) couldn’t stop the senior when it counted as the Gloucester line finally opened up holes that were non-existent for two quarters.”We just couldn’t stop that trap play,” English coach Peter Holey said. “That just killed us. I’m not happy that we collapsed like we did and gave up 50 points.”The two teams went back and forth through out the first half before Neil Whittredge returned a fumble 55 yards for a touchdown in the final minute to cut Gloucester’s lead to 19-17 at the half.It didn’t take long for Gloucester (8-0, 2-0 NEC North) to get going in the second half as quarterback Joe Avila (210 pass yards) hit wingback Brandon Cusamano for a 29-yard pass on a play Ingram had only put in the playbook a couple weeks ago. Shairs then raced 49 yards on the next play for a score to make it 25-17.”We ran that play at Danvers when I had Mark Bavaro and Joe made some great throws and Brandon runs great routes,” Ingram said.Even more damaging for English was when it fumbled the ensuing kick and Gloucester recovered. Another pass to Cusamano gained 32 yards to the one. Shairs bulled in from there and it suddenly was 31-17.Tyllor McDonald changed the momentum in a flash, though, when he raced 72 yards on the next play from scrimmage to make it 31-23. English the recovered Cory Burt’s pooch kick at the Gloucester 29 and seemed to have things in their corner.Four plays, however, lost 11 yards and the Bulldogs turned it over. Shairs made them pay with a 21-yard TD run to up the lead to 37-23.He struck again on the first play of the fourth quarter for a 44-23 lead to allow Gloucester to breathe easy for a moment. That respite lasted until P.J. Dorsey’s 62-yard kick return led to a one-yard McDonald run with 9:08 to go that cut the gap to 44-29.Shairs wasn’t done yet though as his 30 yard run with 6:59 left finally put the Bulldogs on the canvas for good.