Cuzner, Maag power Magicians football team

WEST NEWBURY – Before this season, Marblehead senior captain and running back Zac Cuzner contributed in any number of areas for the Magicians, all the while observing and waiting for his shot as a primary option on offense.That opportunity arrived Saturday afternoon and Cuzner delivered in a big way, scoring all three touchdowns on an 88-yard kickoff return and runs of eight and six yards while amassing 195 all-purpose yards to lead the Magicians to a sound 21-7 season-opening win against Pentucket.”Zac is a very good player but he was stuck behind Will Quigley and has been bursting at the seams for his chance on offense. He’s a terrific player and a great captain and eats and sleeps football. He put his heart and soul into getting ready for this season. He missed our first scrimmage with an injury but really worked hard to get ready for this game,” said Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff.Senior captain and quarterback Ian Maag also delivered an equally impressive outing, rushing for 54 yards and completing 9-of-17 passes for 73 yards in a turnover-free performance and “managed the game beautifully” according to Rudloff.Meanwhile, the Marblehead defense – most notably senior captain and linebacker Ty Bates, senior captain and tackle Kyle McCormack and junior linebacker Liam Gillis – contained Pentucket’s Wing-T, limiting the Sachems to 112 net yards and just four first downs. Interestingly, Rudloff felt the defense spent too much time in the Pentucket backfield in the early going.”Because of the misdirection, that’s not something you really want to do against the Wing-T, so we probably got away with it a little bit. I thought that as the game went along and we got into the action, the kids just started playing better. We did put some blitz packages in for the second half, but it wasn’t the X’s and O’s as much as it was about the Jimmy’s and Joe’s executing,” Rudloff said.Marblehead’s failed fourth-and-1 gamble from its own 41 on its first possession set up Pentucket at the Magicians’ 39 midway throughout the first quarter. Quarterback Ryan Kuchar’s 23-yard keeper preceded his 10-yard scramble for a touchdown. Nick Zaia’s PAT provided the hosts with a 7-0 edge with 2:30 left in the quarter. Pentucket, though, would not get a sniff of the end zone the rest of the way, advancing no deeper than Marblehead’s 37 and managing just 73 net yards in the final three quarters.Meanwhile, Cuzner erased the lead on the ensuing kickoff, blowing through a seam on the right side and outrunning three pursuing Sachems for the quick six. Joe Newell’s first of three PATs tied it at 7-7 with 2:16 left in the quarter.Marblehead took the lead for good with an 11-play, 76-yard drive that bridged the first and second quarters while consuming 5:40 of the game clock. Maag connected with Jeremy Gillis (4 catches, 35 yards) for 20 yards on third-and-7, and added another 37 yards on three keepers. Cuzner capped the drive from eight yards and Newell’s PAT made it 14-7 with 4:51 left in the half.Neither team penetrated the other’s 40 during a third quarter that more closely resembled a taffy pull. The Magicians put it away with another prolonged drive to start the fourth quarter, this one covering 63 yards in seven plays and 3:54. Cuzner’s 24-yard rumble preceded his third score of the day, a six-yard burst up the middle with 5:06 remaining. Newell’s PAT – from 30 yards after consecutive penalties against Marblehead – accounted for the final. Brooks Tyrell’s interception at the Marblehead 40 with 1:09 to play sealed it.”There are things we need to work on, but it’s a good start. I think it was a matter of new kids getting into the action. Once they got going, they got better,” Rudloff said.