Masco runs down Revere, claims crown

BOXFORD – Masconomet’s defense set the tone on the game’s second play, its offense scored on its first six possessions and the Chieftains routed Revere, 42-0, to capture the CAL/NEC Tier One championship Friday night at Roberts Field.Revere (5-4, 2-2) would have worn the crown with a win but will now re-focus on finishing above .500 by defeating rival Winthrop on Thanksgiving Day. The title was the sixth for Masconomet (8-2, 4-0) in the last 10 years under long-time coach Jim Pugh.”They beat us big-time and they beat us up on both sides of the ball,” said Revere coach Lou Cicatelli. “They did nothing fancy but they were methodical and they executed. We have nothing to be ashamed of – we were playing for the title and I love the fact that Revere was playing for something special in November. We just did not play very well. We had the ball maybe nine or 10 minutes on offense and we didn’t tackle on defense.”The numbers back up Cicatelli’s assessment. Revere ran only 23 plays from scrimmage, netting 33 yards and two first downs. Masco rolled up 313 total yards and 17 first downs as 13 players carried the ball.Masco delivered an immediate message when Dylan Mann drilled the Patriots’ Tommy Portrait after a seven-yard gain, separating from the football. Casey Tines recovered the fumble at the Revere 39 and Mackenzie Cashin (9 carries, 62 yards) rumbled 20 yards on first down. Fittingly, Mann (12 carries, 71 yards, 2 TDs) finished that which he started from two yards and Tines tacked on the first of his six PATs for a 7-0 lead with 5:40 to play in the opening quarter.Before the half ended, Masco scored after a pair of Revere three-and-outs and following Harry Cwik’s 22-yard interception return of a tipped Joe Ritchie pass. Scores by Mike Tivinis (4-yard run), Mann (6-yard run) and Nolan Rice, on a nine-yard pass from Chris Schleer, expanded the Chieftains’ lead to 28-0 at halftime.Schleer, on an eight-yard keeper; and Gavin Monagle, on a 32-yard run, added second-half scores.Cicatelli said securing a winning season is now the Patriots’ goal, adding “it’s huge and not too shabby.”For Pugh, winning a title as the sole CAL representative in Tier One had no added meaning – even though it came one day after the NEC rejected Masco’s application to join the league.”A championship is a championship and we’re just happy to get it – it’s awesome. The kids worked their butts off to get this,” he said.