Lynn Chargers’ Gladiator squad falls in NECYF Super Bowl

PEABODY – The Lynn Chargers’ Gladiator team, consisting of players from the seventh and eighth grades, came up short against a powerful Chelsea team Sunday at Bishop Fenwick’s Donaldson Field, falling 35-6 in the Super Bowl of the Northeast Conference of Youth Football.The loss was the first of the year for the Chargers, who rolled through the regular season with an 8-0 record, and then defeated Swampscott in their first playoff game.The Chelsea Pride won two of the league’s three division championships. Beverly won the other.The Youth Football League began three years ago and structures its leagues similar to the way the MIAA does in high school. For example, there is both a Northeast Conference and a Cape Ann League (Marblehead had two of its three teams playing in the CAL title game this weekend as well).The league differs with Pop Warner in that it doesn’t go beyond the league level. Sunday’s games were the league’s final contests.The league also mandates that once a team is 28 points ahead, it can no longer pass. Also, the clock reverts to running time.Lynn jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter when Devin Clayton scored on a nine-yard dive up the middle. From there, it was all Chelsea.”It wasn’t really our day,” said Lynn coach Brian Lozzi. “All I can say is my hat is off to Chelsea. They worked hard.”Chelsea’s only regular-season loss was to Lynn, but, said Lozzi, “they beat us when it counted.”Members of the team are as follows: Caeser Lopez, Isaac Bethea, Jordan Javier, Damien Earp, Brent Lozzi, Bevon Walker, Carlos Herrera, Kayvon Tiggs, Jacob Driscoll, Devin Crayton, Rufus Rushins, Shawndy Pierre, Matthew Derby, Dante Johnson, Danny Maria, Jordan Finnerty, Glendon McCormick, Tommy O’Connor, Mitchell Walsh, Jarrid Tennian, Jahvon Van, Kevin Deblas, James Eldred, Conner Robertson, Johann Marcalle, Thomas Wilson and Justic Andrade.