St. Mary’s football defeats Whittier

LYNN – There were no post-season bids or league titles on the line, but the St. Mary’s football team came to play in a 28-14 win over Whittier Tech Friday at Manning Field.Connor Sakowich accounted for all four Spartan touchdowns, running for the first two and reeling in two touchdown passes from Antonio Felix for the next two. He finished with 141 yards rushing and 70 yards receiving.”He had a very good night,” St. Mary’s coach Matt Durgin said. “He had a lot of help from everyone blocking for him. He’s a good athlete with good speed. He runs hard and his teammates block hard for him. I was happy with the effort of the whole team.”The Spartans, who also benefited from a big running game by Jordan Manthorne (22 carries, 101 yards) took a 22-8 lead into the locker room at the half and added one more for good measure early in the third quarter.”Those are two good ones (Sakowich and Manthorne),” Whittier coach Kevin Bradley said. “In the first half they really did a good job. We made some adjustments in the second half, slowed them down a bit, but they’re experienced. They’re good.”Like Durgin, Bradley said his players didn’t let up even though they had already been eliminated from the playoffs.”I was proud of the kids. There was some good hitting going on. Coming off a tough loss, getting knocked out of the tournament, our kids gave everything they had. We did a good job in the second half containing them, but (in the first half) they just ate the clock up, they ran it. It had to be one of the fastest first halves.”The Spartans (5-4) first touchdown drive started from their own 18-yard line and went 12 plays, chewing up most of the first quarter. It culminated in a 13-yard touchdown run by Sakowich (rush failed). One of the key plays of the drive was Abraham Toe’s ability to convert on fourth-and-two from the Whittier 35.Whittier came right back on the next drive, taking an 8-6 lead when Jaylin Deveau ran it in from the one and Jesus Sanchez took it in for the conversion.That lead was short-lived, however. Sakowich capped off a nine-play drive on the Spartans’ next possession with a 14-yard touchdown run. Manthorne ran it in for two and St. Mary’s had a 14-8 lead. Sakowich and Felix teamed up for the next St. Mary’s touchdown, a 13-yard pass play. The Spartans converted on two fourth-down situations to keep the 12-play drive afloat. Manthorne picked up the two points again.Perhaps the most impressive play of the game came early in the third quarter when Felix found Sakowich with a highlight-reel 57-yard pass up the middle. The rush failed, but the Spartans had a 28-8. Whittier’s Jaylin Deveau scored his second of the night (a 3-yard run) for the 28-14 final.St. Mary’s, who play Greater Lowell next week, had 270 yards on the ground and 70 passing. The Spartans held Whittier to 35 yards rushing.