Determined Tech tops Minuteman

The Lynn Tech football team likely would have made the playoffs a season ago if not for losing a regular season game because of Pope John not being able to field a team. That left the Tigers with a bitter taste in their mouths and on Saturday at Manning Field, Tech took a big step towards the postseason.Dominating in all three phases of the game, the Tigers held Minuteman to 81 yards of total offense while returning a kick for a touchdown, an interception for a score and pounding out 202 yards on the ground en route to a 35-0 victory over the Mustangs.The win puts Tech at 3-2 and 1-1 in Commonwealth Conference play. Coupled with Mystic Valley?s win over Chelsea late Saturday, this means that the Tigers will host Mystic on Saturday (10:30) at Manning with a victory guaranteeing the Tigers one of the top two spots in the league and an automatic playoff berth.?We know that it?s in our hands,” Tech coach James Runner said about clinching a playoff spot. “If we can win the next two games we are going to be in.”The Tigers had this one in control almost from the outset as freshman Stefan Gravely took the opening kick 89 yards to the house for a 6-0 lead. He also would lead Tech with 89 yards on the ground behind the tough blocking of Michael Brown; Luis Ayala; Alen Cangalovic; Omar Herrera; Jonathan Soto and John Aparicio.?The offensive line was outstanding,” Runner said. “And Stefan is such a good football player and we?re lucky that we are going to have him for another three years.”The Tigers threatened to add to the lead late in the first but Gravely was belted inside the five and fumbled. Minuteman recovered at the three, setting the stage for the Tech defense to step up.On second down, Brian Haddock?s pass was batted into the air and caught by Aparicio, who rumbled in from the four to give Tech a 14-0 lead after one. Minuteman drove into Tigers territory early in the second quarter before Rafy Lora picked off a pass inside the 20 to thwart the scoring chance.It was still 14-0 late in the half when the Tigers worked the two-minute drill to perfection. Lora hit Justin Lewis for a 31-yard gain to the Mustangs 20. Three plays later, Lora kept on first and goal and scored from the seven to send Tech to the locker room with a 21-0 lead.The Tiger defense came up big again on the first possession of the third as Lora picked off his second pass of the day to put Tech in position to deliver the knockout blow.The Tigers then drove 65 yards, taking almost seven minutes off the clock, before Gravely capped the march with an 11-yard TD jaunt to make it 28-0 with 2:59 left in the third.After a Minuteman punt on the next possession, fullback Devin Phean raced 42 yards to the Mustangs six. He scored from the one on the first play of the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.