Classical makes football playoffs

LYNN – Looking to clinch a playoff spot for a second straight season, the Classical football team turned to a three-time Northeastern Conference All-Star to lead the way.Senior Devin Crayton bulled his way to 139 yards and four touchdowns as Classical turned on the jets in the second half and cruised to a 30-6 win over Revere to all but insure its place in next week’s Division 2 North playoffs.”I think that this secures us into the playoffs and that’s a good thing,” Classical coach Tim Phelps said. “We’ve been fortunate that Micah (Dublin) has been able to take the carries so we can save Devin for defense.”There wasn’t much to write home about for either offense through most of the first quarter as the team’s exchanged punts on three of the game’s first four possessions.The last punt, however, would set the Rams up at the Revere 20.Quarterback Matt Lauria got Classical (3-4) inside the five with a 20-yard scramble on third-and-14 at the 24. Devin Crayton bulled in on the next play before Lauria added the 2-point conversion for an 8-0 Rams lead with :12.7 left in the first quarter.Classical had a chance to extend its lead early in the second when Ajayli Booker picked off a Dan Murphy pass at the Revere 23. But an illegal block on first down thwarted the drive and eventually led to a turnover on downs.Revere reached the Classical 41 on the next drive but had to punt with 7:37 left in the half. That’s when Classical went back to its old double wing and it paid immediate dividends.Booker ripped off 29 yards on the next two plays before Chandler Leguerre gained 17 to the Revere 32. The Rams later faced a third-and-12 at the 22 when Lauria hit Jakeel Brown for a first down at the 10. Two plays later, Crayton powered in from the one and Classical took a 16-0 lead to the half after Crayton’s conversion rush.”That drive just kind of killed us,” Revere coach Lou Cicatelli said. “We just couldn’t stop them. Bottom line is our offense couldn’t get anything going and our defense was on the field way too long.”After a Revere punt to begin the third, Crayton and the Rams put together a 12 play, 70-yard drive that he capped with a 3-yard plunge and a conversion rush that upped the lead to 24-0 with 5:20 left in the third.The Classical defense forced another punt on the next possession. The Rams offense then embarked on an 89-yard drive that killed the rest of the third quarter before Crayton scored from the 18 on the first play of the fourth to make it 30-0.The Patriots finally got on the board when quarterback Dan Murphy raced 58 yards down the right sideline to cut the lead to 30-6.”We had a lot of guys step up,” Phelps said. “And that’s a good thing going into the playoffs.”