Gloucester claims NEC North title with hard fought win over Classical

GLOUCESTER – It was every bit of the heavyweight bout it was expected to be at Newell Stadium on Friday. There weren’t many seats to be had as the Classical and Gloucester faithful packed the venerable stadium on a chilly night along the Annisquam River.Classical7Gloucester14 In the end, it was the reigning champion Fishermen who had a little more in the tank on Friday as they took advantage of a botched punt snap early in the fourth quarter. Jordan Shairs’ one-yard plunge would be the difference as Gloucester clinched its fourth straight NEC North title with a 14-7 win over the gritty and game Rams.Click here for more photos from the game”Both teams just wanted it so bad. And in a way, I feel bad for those Classical kids,” Gloucester coach Paul Ingram said. “They are great kids and a great football team and it’s a shame it came down to a play like that. Our kids just found a way to win against a great team.”It was a throwback to the old days of football as both defenses took turns knocking the opposing offense in the mouth for 44 minutes. There were plenty of big hits on both sides that led to several turnovers and Classical’s undoing in a way.Four times in the first half, Gloucester (10-0) turned the ball over, but the Rams (8-2) failed to convert on a single one of those chances. Afterwards, Classical coach Tim Phelps knew his team had let a chance get away.”The kids played well and both teams made mistakes. Gloucester was able to capitalize on ours and we didn’t on theirs,” Phelps said. “We asked our kids to play hard and they did. We didn’t capitalize on their mistakes as much as we should have.”The Fishermen started about as well as they could have hoped for in a title game, taking the opening kick and driving 48 yards in nine plays, capped by a two-yard run from Shairs and Santo Parisi’s PAT that made it 7-0 with 6:42 left in the first.Classical’s first possession ended quickly as Mike Tomaino picked off a Nick Grassa pass at the Classical 39. The Rams defense, however, forced a turnover on downs and the offense got a 36-yard run from Keith Nance to move the ball to the Fishermen 19.On the next play, Grassa kept on the option and went around right end for a touchdown that tied the game at 7-7 after one quarter.The Rams then recovered a squib kick at the Gloucester 33 but failed to turn it into points early in the second quarter. That would not be the last time Classical missed a chance to take the lead before the half.Gloucester’s Gilbert Brown fumbled on the next possession and Classical recovered but couldn’t score. The Fishermen would turn the ball over two more times before half’s end, but their defense stonewalled Classical each time to keep it 7-7 at the break.”Classical was tough,” Ingram said. “We had a really hard time blocking their defensive line and they really came out and stopped us.”Both teams got the ball once in the third quarter as Classical had a long drive to begin the half stopped by a fumble at the Gloucester 30 while the Fishermen turned it over on downs at the Rams 36 to end the third.It was of that turnover on downs that the game’s defining play came when with Jalen Brown back in punt formation, the snap sailed over his head and he fell on it at the Classical one. Two plays later, Shairs was in and Gloucester had the lead.”It always seems that in a game like this it comes down to special teams,” Ingram said.Classical had a final chance with 6:16 left starting from its 29. Grassa raced 32 yards into Gloucester territory, but the Rams saw the drive die when a fumble at the Fishermen 30 was recovered by Brian Ingersoll.