Classical overcomes Revere

LYNN – On a chilly night at Manning Field, Classical and Revere combined for six turnovers and 12 penalties, but the Rams got some big plays from sophomore Brad Scuzzarella and a couple of fourth down stops from their defense in the third quarter to earn a 25-6 win, Friday night.Click here for a photo gallery of last night’s game.”The defense came up big,” Classical coach Tim Phelps said. “We had a lot of kids step up and make plays.”With Classical (4-4) leading, 12-6, at halftime, the critical moment of the game occurred after the Rams fumbled the second half kickoff and Revere’s Brian McNitt recovered at the Rams’ 9-yard line. Four running plays picked up just five yards and the Patriots (5-4) turned the ball over on downs.Revere got the ball back at the Classical 38 when Comlan Adjindah recovered another fumble, but the Rams’ defense held again.”Too many missed opportunities,” Revere coach Lou Cicatelli said. “We get the ball at the beginning of the second half at their 9-yard line and we can’t punch it in. Their defense made some plays, but we had chances to take control of the game.”Classical quarterback John Finnigan scored a pair of running touchdowns, one of which was set up by a long punt return by Scuzzarella. Finnigan also found Scuzzarella (3 catches-133 yards) for a 72-yard scoring strike late in the third quarter that put the game away. Rudy Collymore added a touchdown on a 2-yard run, also in the third quarter.For Revere, Drew Lauria scored on a 49-yard run in the first quarter. Lauria led all rushers with 109 yards on 13 carries.The first 4:40 of the game featured three touchdowns, two from Classical and one from Revere. On the second play from scrimmage, Classical’s Morvyn Belice recovered a fumble at Revere’s 23-yard line, and two plays later Finnigan rumbled in from 17 yards to give the Rams a 6-0 lead.Scuzzarella’s 47-yard punt return after Revere’s second offensive series set up another score, a 1-yard run over right guard by Finnigan came three plays later.The Patriots answered with Lauria’s scoring run on the first play from scrimmage on the ensuing possession to cut Classical’s lead to 12-6.Revere marched to Classical’s 10-yard line early in the second quarter, but the Rams held on 4th-and-7, and there were no more significant drives in the first half.After Classical’s two big defensive stands in the third quarter, the Rams went 55 yards in six plays, the best of which was a 24-yard carry by Justin Avery (54 yards-11 rushes). Collymore capped the drive with a run to the right and the Rams led, 18-6, with 2:53 left in the third quarter.The Patriots went three-and-out on their next drive and Finnigan quickly hit Scuzzarella with a long scoring pass from the Rams’ 28. Scuzzarella beat a double team at about Revere’s 45-yard line and raced into the end zone.Revere drove to Classical’s 25 early in the fourth quarter, but Malcolm Leng-King intercepted a pass in the end zone to curtail the march.