NORTH ANDOVER – In year’s past, the Lynn English football team had come close to ending an over two decade postseason drought. On Friday at Walsh Stadium, the Bulldogs finally put those demons to bed.The English defense forced two turnovers and turned them into 14 points while Jermaine Kelly had over 200 yards of total offense as the Bulldogs defeated North Andover, 24-13, to clinch the NEC/CAL Tier 1 crown and a spot in the Division 1A playoffs against either Everett or Malden on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.Needless to say, there was plenty for English coach Peter Holey to be happy about after his team gave him a celebratory Gatorade bath.”These kids believe in each other so much,” Holey said. “When we were on the bus after we lost to Swampscott, we said that losing is contagious and as coaches we didn’t want that. And since then, we’ve played great.”Ironically, Holey was the defensive coordinator on the last English team to make the playoffs back in 1990. And it was with defense on Friday that the Bulldogs put themselves back in the postseason.North Andover (8-2, 3-1 NEC/CAL Tier 1) was game playing with starting quarterback Brandon Walsh hobbled by a badly sprained ankle but it was his lack of mobility that led to three critical mistakes.English (8-2, 4-0) had taken a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when Kelly went 33 yards around left end for a touchdown that capped a 13 play drive that covered 73 yards. On the next possession, Walsh entered the game on third down after younger brother Casey had played the first two possessions.The Bulldogs promptly blitzed and forced a fumble that P.J. Dorsey recovered at the one. He took it in on the next play nad Englosh had a 14-0 lead after one quarter.”Coach (Greg) Brotherton has done a fantastic job,” Holey said. “Everyone was flying to the football just like we wanted them too.”It stayed 14-0 until late in the first half when the Scarlet Knights got a short field and took advantage, riding the hard running of John Iannone (28-166) to a touchdown and a 14-7 deficit at the half.North Andover coach John Rafferty elected to give the ball to the elder Walsh in the second half and the move seemed to be paying off handsomely as he briskly moved the ball to the English 16. But it was there where the lack of mobility caught him again as a bad snap sailed over his head and resulted in a 12 yard loss and effectively killed the drive.English held on downs again late in the third and then put together another solid drive thanks to the passing and running of Kelly and Dorsey. Chris Lessard’s 27 yard field goal with 9:54 left in the game upped the lead to 17-7.Even more damaging for North Andover was when Jevon Brown Simpson’s kickoff was fumbled and English recovered at the Scarlet Knight 24. Two plays later, Dorsey scored from the three for a backbreaking touchdown and a 24-7 lead.Iannone would score with 6:25 left to make it 24-13 but that was as close as the Scarlet Knights could get.”These players have taken us as coaches for a wonderful ride,” Holey said.