Big Blue baffles Somerville

SWAMPSCOTT – There was plenty for Swampscott coach Steve Dembowski to like in his team’s season-opening 34-18 win over Somerville Saturday at Blocksidge Field.Led by quarterback Mike Walsh’s 302 yards of total offense, the Big Blue clinically dissected the Highlanders’ defense all afternoon.”My kids competed really well,” Dembowski said. “We had a lot of young players out there and they made some mistakes but also made some great plays as well.”Playing plenty of new faces on defense, the Big Blue forced Somerville into three turnovers and held the Highlanders to just 210 yards.It was evident from the get-go that the Big Blue was going to be on its way as it turned a third-and-16 on its first possession into a 41-yard touchdown pass from Walsh to Richard Sullivan for a 7-0 lead with 3:10 left in the opening quarter.Somerville punted on the final play of the quarter and it took all of 36 seconds for the Big Blue to find paydirt again. Walsh’s 59-yard run on a zone read play brought the ball to the one. Evan Rhodes pounded it in from there to make it 14-0 after Nick Meninno’s extra point.”Our offensive line was able to open some good holes for us to make some plays,” Dembowski said.The quick-strike Swampscott offense was back at it with 5:00 left in the half as Walsh needed only four plays and 68 seconds to shred the Highlander defense again.He ran for 12 on the first play and then hit Meninno for 18 yards to the 10. One play later, Walsh bulled in from the two for a 20-0 lead.Desperately in need of help, the Highlanders gained a bit of momentum when Swampscott fumbled with 3:04 left in the half. A 25-yard catch by Devon Hairston put the ball at the two. One play later, Hairston scored to make it 20-6.The Big Blue had a chance to put more points on the board in the final seconds but Walsh was picked off at the goal line by Christian Taylor.The interception, though, proved to be a catalyst as Walsh and Sullivan hooked up for a 50-yard touchdown on the second play of the second half to make it 27-6.It stayed that way until late in the third when Phoenix Huertas hit Zack Sciuto on a 36-yard pass to the Big Blue two. Troy Martini scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to bring the Highlanders within 15 at 27-12.Walsh would deliver the knockout blow with a little under seven minutes left as his 22-yard scramble put the ball on the nine. Rhodes went in from there for a 33-12 lead.Hairston’s 49-yard catch on a screen pass with 1:51 left capped the scoring.