English 22, Classical 12: McDonald runs wild for Bulldogs

LYNN – It was the Lynn English football team that coach Peter Holey thought he was going to see from the outset this season.On Thursday at Manning Field, the Bulldogs put on one of their best performances of the season and with it knocked off Classical, 22-12, thanks to a spectacular defensive effort and an amazing performance from Tyllor McDonald in his final game at English.Click here for a photo gallery of the game”This was the first time all year we were able to put our entire team on the field,” English coach Peter Holey said. “We were more physical than they were and that was the bottom line.”McDonald was simply brilliant on Thursday as he made big play after big play against a defense that was among the stingiest in the Northeastern Conference all season. All told, the senior quarterback accounted for 265 of the Bulldogs 293 yards against the Rams.”Tyllor certainly is a very dynamic player,” Classical coach Tim Phelps said. “Our kids played well, but it was more their day than ours (Thursday).”The Rams (8-3) won the toss and deferred, giving English the ball. The Bulldogs (7-4) used the scrambling of McDonald to move immediately into Classical territory, but the Rams bowed up and stuffed English at the 26.Classical’s attack suffered a big loss on the next series when Tyler Alicudo injured an ankle and was taken off on a stretch er. A fumble by Keith Nance on the next play gave the ball back to English.”Tyler has been a good player for us and he was a tough guy to lose,” Phelps said.The Bulldogs failed to convert on the turnover, but forced Classical to punt at the end of a scoreless opening quarter. Lightning then struck on the first play of the second period when McDonald hit speed demon Melvin Tavares for a 49-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead after Cory Burt’s extra point.The touchdown was a wake up for Classical as well. The Rams caught a break when English was called for a personal foul penalty on a punt to keep a drive going.Quarterback Nick Grassa paid off the second chance with a one-yard sneak at the 2:52 mark, but the PAT was no good keeping it a 7-6 game.McDonald returned the ensuing kick to the Classical 43 and then hit Travonne Berry-Rogers behind double coverage for a 42-yard touchdown and a 13-6 lead with 1:54 left in the half. Grassa fumbled on the next play and Mike Dwyer recovered for English.Three plays, however, gained only three yards and the Bulldogs settled for a 26-yard Cory Burt field goal and a 16-6 lead at the half.”We came out and played the way we’re capable of,” Holey said.Things nearly went from bad to worse when Brandon Pinnock muffed the second half kick, but recovered at his three for Classical. The Rams then went on one of their trademark sustained drives that would eat up most of the third quarter.The Rams reached the English 43 where they faced a fourth-and-17 which was converted when Grassa hit Sam Rios for a 36-yard gain. Three plays later, Eric Sisson bulled in from the one to close the lead to four at 16-12.Special teams again stepped up for English as Tavares returned the kick to the Rams 43. McDonald kept the momentum when he converted a fourth- and-six with an 18-yard pass to Berry-Rogers.Four plays later, McDonald scored from the three to give English a 22-12 lead with one quarter to go.The fourth quarter belonged to the Bulldog defense as Neil Whittredge’s interception of a tipped pass killed one march and pressure on Grassa with 2:00 left forced an incomplete throw on fourth-and-10 at the English 45 to let the celebration begin in earnest.”Our kids played well and to the end,” Phelps said. “But English is a good football team and they came out, played well, and made some big plays.”