Lynnfield gridders wear down Pentucket

WEST NEWBURY – Lynnfield countered Saturday?s searing mid-afternoon heat with superior depth, pulling away from Pentucket, 28-7, in a non-league meeting of defending Cape Ann League divisional champions.The Pioneers? size advantage across the interior front was obvious with the likes of Cam DeGeorge (6-5, 265), Eddison McIntosh (6-1, 275), Spencer Balian (5-11, 225), David Adams and Steve White, and they seemed relatively unfazed by the conditions.Coach Neal Weidman and his staff kept players as fresh as possible with a constant rotation on a day when Pentucket?s premier offensive player, senior back Jeff Porter, was transported to the hospital at halftime for apparent dehydration.?Luckily, we?ve had a solid two-deep throughout the whole (training) camp. That?s been a key for us. It?s nice when you guys you can run in there and have confidence in them,” said Weidman. “We have guys (up front) who get lots of reps in practice, as much as the starters.”Still, the Sachems struck first, set up by 6-4 sophomore quarterback Pat Freiermuth?s 42-yard scramble to the Lynnfield 35 on the final play of a scoreless first quarter. The converted tight end then delivered a strike to Porter for a 35-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. Porter?s PAT made it 7-0.Freiermuth emerged as the primary option in the Sachems? Wing-T attack, finishing with a game-high 80 yards rushing on 12 carries.After a lengthy drive fizzled at the Pentucket six, Ricky Johnson?s 24-yard interception return put the Pioneers back in business at the Pentucket 26 with 4:10 left in the half.Following a first-down holding penalty, senior quarterback Dan Sullivan (7-of-12, 175 yards, 2 TDs) connected with Rob Debonis on a 36-yard scoring strike as Pentucket?s secondary bit on a fake swing pass and left Debonis altogether uncovered. Dan Bronshvayg?s PAT tied it, 7-7, with 3:44 left in the half.?We decided we needed a couple of big plays to loosen them up. They just kept coming up tighter and tighter,” Weidman said.The Pioneers were back at it with 2:15 left in the half, taking over at midfield following a short Pentucket punt. Sullivan completed two passes for 19 yards and carried three times for 22, preceding a nine-yard TD burst by Jake Rourke (11 carries, 78 yards). Bronshvayg?s kick gave Lynnfield a 14-7 lead at the half.After Pentucket opened the second half with a 15-play march to the Lynnfield eight that erased nine minutes from the clock, Freiermuth fumbled the snap on 4th-and-7 with David Adams recovering.Two plays later Sullivan found Jon Knee on a fly route up the right sideline. Knee shed a tackler at his own 45 and outraced the pursuit to complete a 91-yard scoring play. Bronshvayg?s PAT extended the lead to 21-7 with 1:25 left in the third quarter.Junior back Drew McCarthy (9 carries, 71 yards) added the game?s final score from a yard out with 2:35 to play.Johnson and Knee had interceptions while Adams and Balian recovered fumbles for the Pioneers.Lynnfield travels to Newburyport Friday night (7), a venue where no Pioneers team has won since 1986.