Defense powers Gloucester back to fourth straight Super Bowl

The North Shore’s top team of the past decade is on its way to a fourth consecutive Super Bowl.Gloucester21Lincoln-Sudbury0 On Tuesday at Lincoln-Sudbury, the Gloucester defense came to the forefront against the Dual County League champions as the Warriors were shut out on their home field in a 21-0 Fisherman win that sends Gloucester to an astounding fifth Super Bowl since 2000.It will be a rematch at Gillette Stadium on Saturday as Gloucester will take on Bridgewater-Raynham, a 34-22 winner over Weymouth in the other semifinal on Tuesday. Last year, the Fishermen bombarded the Trojans, 33-13, in a driving snowstorm in Foxborough.Gloucester (12-0) forced a handful of Lincoln-Sudbury turnovers on Tuesday en route to winning its 25th consecutive game since losing the 2008 Division 2A Super Bowl to Duxbury. In all, the Fishermen seniors are 39-2 in their careers with their only other loss coming to Swampscott in the 2008 regular season.L-S got the ball to start and failed to move it effectively. Six plays later, Gilbert Brown went in from five yards out to make it 7-0 Fishermen.The Gloucester lead increased to 13-0 later in the quarter as Jordan Shairs picked up his 30th touchdown of the year to tie Trae Weathers atop the Division 1A standings.The Warriors (8-4) drove late in the half and had a chance to cut into the lead but the Gloucester defense stuffed them on fourth-and-goal to send it to the break at 13-0.Neither team could score in the third quarter with the Fishermen defense forcing another turnover to set the stage for the knockout punch. It came on the first play of the fourth quarter when quarterback Joe Avila hit wingback Brandon Cusumano for a 25-yard touchdown to make it 21-0 and ensure Gloucester’s trip to Foxborough.