English beats Classical in last minute

LYNN – In a game filled with worthy performances on both sides, the Lynn English football team prevailed, 13-12, to win the 100th Thanksgiving Day game between the crosstown rivals.View Photo Gallery “I’m flabbergasted with how well both teams played,” Bulldogs coach Peter Holey said. “The people of Lynn who braved (the cold weather) saw a classic. I expected it to be tight.”Indeed it was … right down to the final minutes of the final quarter.Trailing 12-6, English faced second-and-eight at midfield when quarterback Lucas Harris unloaded a beautiful pass to Chris Lessard, who stretched his arms for a 31-yard catch at the Rams’ 19. The Bulldogs called timeout with 1:20 left in regulation.Lessard threw back-to-back incompletions and was subsequently sacked by A.J. Bradbury for a 9-yard loss, putting the ball on the 28. It was fourth-and-19 with 50.6 seconds left.On the next play, Harris found Lessard in traffic in the end zone, tying the score, 12-12, with 42.9 seconds remaining.”They got two big plays from Chris Lessard,” Rams coach Tim Phelps said. “They got to the 19 and it was fourth and (19). What can you do?”Harris and Lessard talked it over before Lessard kicked the extra point for the winning margin.”Chris Lessard is probably one of the best extra-point kickers in the state,” Holey marveled. “There was no doubt in his mind. He kicked the ball to Chestnut Street, didn’t he?”It wasn’t over, thanks to the tenacious play of Rams quarterback Jordan Brown and running back Devin Crayton.Despite a sack by C.J. Hernandez, Brown found Crayton for 20 yards on the next play. On first down from his 25, Brown went deep to Justin Avery at the Bulldogs’ 20. However, the Rams were flagged because the ball was thrown after the line of scrimmage.The penalty set the Rams back at their 22 with 4.9 seconds left. On second-and-12, they called timeout. Their next play, the last of the game, was an incomplete pass.The Bulldogs have won four straight in the series, although Classical leads the all-time standings, 53-38-9. Since 2002, English is 9-3.Earlier in the fourth quarter, Classical had taken a 12-6 lead thanks to strong performances by Crayton, Brown and Brad Scuzzarella, who capped the drive with a 6-yard scoring run up the middle.”Devin Crayton was out the last two weeks,” Phelps noted. “He was well-rested. I thought he was excellent on both sides of the ball.”Holey said that “Devin Crayton is so damn big. He brings his knees up high and has a good body lean. He’s tough offensively to stop. He’s a big back.”Jordan Brown has developed into a pretty good passer. Against Lynn Classical in offense, you load up against the run. (His passing) added a dimension.”The fourth-quarter touchdowns ended a scoring drought. Neither team had scored since they traded touchdowns in the first quarter.Classical started the game in promising fashion. Lineman Eri Pleitez recovered a fumble on the Rams’ 44 and on the next play, Brown found Crayton for 11 yards. In five plays, the Rams marched to the Bulldogs’ 33. That prompted an English timeout with 4:53 left in the first quarter.Avery ran to the eight, with Chris Tinkham (7 tackles, 1 sack) and Lessard coming up with the stop. Scuzzarella carried three yards, but on second down from the five, Lessard nearly picked off Brown. On the next play, Brown ran it in for a 6-0 lead. However, the English line stuffed a 2-point conversion try.The Bulldogs tied it by the end of the quarter. Taking over at their 33, they mixed the run and pass, aided by several penalties on Classical. Lessard finished things, running two yards around the left side for the tying score. Harris misfired on a conversion pass attempt to Daekwon Shepard, and the score stood at 6-6.The teams would have to wait until the fourth quarter for the dramatic finish.”The 100th game, to have a classic like this is fitting,” Holey said. “It was so hotly contested. It’s a magnificent, glorious day.”