Fenwick’s Woods gets 100th win, with Lynn’s Rushins paving the way

PEABODY – Behind big defensive plays and a aggressive ground attack, Fenwick beat Lynnfield 14-7 at Donaldson Field on Friday night.The victory for Fenwick was head coach Dave Woods’ 100th win with the Crusaders.For Fenwick, the bruising running back Rufus Rushins from Lynn pounded out 188 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries. Rushins scored on a nine-yard plunge with a little over one minute remaining in the first half and gave Fenwick a 7-0 halftime lead.In the second half, the Crusaders put together long, clock eating drives, while Lynnfield attempted to get their potentially prolific passing offense off the ground.Fenwick’s opening possession of the second half was a 13-play march down field with rushing contributions from quarterback Nick Bona, Rushins, and pinball running backs Charlie Maistrellis and Eric Razney. Bona scored from one yard out to give Fenwick a 14-0 lead.”Everybody did their job tonight. Everybody worked hard and played their tail off,” said Fenwick coach Dave Woods. “Rufus is Rufus and I thought that (Bona) played a phenomenal game tonight.”Each time the Pioneers had the ball, their scoring opportunities would be thwarted by either a big defensive play by Fenwick or an inability to convert their opportunities.This was never more evident than in the fourth quarter with less than five minutes remaining in the game. Lynnfield quarterback Michael Karavetsos had managed to get the Pioneers down to a first-and-goal situation at the 10-yard line. After a big sack and short gain, Karavetsos found Alexander Pascucci on a 14-yard connection, bringing Lynnfield just six inches short of the goal lineOn the ensuing 4th down attempt, a Karavetsos dive was snuffed out by Bona and linebacker Jake Brennan. Lynnfield could not convert and Fenwick still held a 14-0 advantage.”I couldn’t believe that goal line stand,” said Woods.After the Crusaders were unable to generate any momentum downfield, Lynnfield regained possession with 2:05 remaining. This time Karavetsos connected with Pascucci on consecutive 20 and 14 yard passes to score a touchdown and bring the Pioneers within one score at 14-7. The late heroics, however, were for naught at Fenwick recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.”We were not able to make the plays when we needed to,” said Lynnfield coach Neal Weidman. “We left too many big plays on the field.””(Fenwick) has a lot of speed, a big offensive line, a big running back,” said Weidman. “They have a very good football team.”For Fenwick, Brennan had a massive game on defense. Between knocking down passes in the secondary (yes, that was a linebacker 25 yards downfield in coverage), or coming up with a big sack (forced an 18 yard loss when Lynnfield was knocking on the door aT the Fenwick nine-yard line), or being in on the stop of a 4th-and-six inches, Brennan was all over the field.After the game, Woods reflected on his 100th win with Fenwick.”I told our guys after the game, that the wins were not mine but all of the players over the years. I did not make one tackle, rush one yard, or play one play. They did. I am grateful for my players, my great coaching staff, and the support of the administration,” said Woods. “After all that, I guess it just comes down to longevity.”