Swampscott rally stuns Beverly

SWAMPSCOTT – When it mattered most, Swampscott stepped up in stunning style to earn a Division 4 North playoff berth with a rousing 28-27 last-minute win against Beverly Saturday afternoon at Blocksidge Field.View Photo GalleryTrailing by 13, the Big Blue (3-1, 3-4) drew to within 27-21 on quarterback Devin Conroy?s seven-yard scoring pass to Frank Dilisio with 3:33 to play.Then, after Mark Rittiboon snagged Sean Lahrizi?s well-executed onside kick, Mike Faia?s nine-yard scoring run and Jeremy Epstein?s PAT gave the Big Blue a one-point lead.One big play remained. When Rittiboon blind-sided Beverly quarterback Bryan Flaherty and Dante Ceccarelli recovered the resulting fumble at the Swampscott 36, the Big Blue sideline erupted, their post-season ticket punched.Swampscott showed great resilience, fighting through four turnovers and a first half coach Steve Dembowski described in less-than-glowing terms.?How many mistakes did we make? We couldn?t have been any more inconsistent.?We didn?t respond well to the magnitude of the situation, to the pressure of win and you?re in and lose and you?re out. The turnovers we had were horrible,” he said.And yet the Big Blue found a way.?We have a good group of kids, most of them seniors,” Dembowski noted.Special teams played a huge role.Early in the fourth quarter, heavy Big Blue pressure forced a muffed snap and a shanked punt of minus-three yards, putting Swampscott in position at the Panthers? 38 with 8:54 remaining.Set back by a holding penalty, the Big Blue patiently covered 48 yards in 10 plays, aided by a dead-ball foul against Beverly. On second-and-goal, Conroy rolled right and found Dilisio for a seven-yard score. Epstein?s PAT made it 27-21.When Lahrizi?s onside kick got the hoped-for high third bounce, Rittiboom rose above the crowd and brought the ball down at the Beverly 45. On the first play after Conroy delivered a first-down strike to Ryan Cresta, Faia swept the left side from nine yards and Epstein delivered the clincher.?We executed on the punt rush and the onside kick. That (onside kick) is a play we practice every week.?It went to the spot it was supposed to and we got the high third bounce,” Dembowski said.Swampscott seized the early lead, covering 84 yards in seven plays. Conroy kept left for 39 to the Beverly 17, then extended the next play with his feet before finding Cresta (5 catches, 61 yards) for the first of his two TDs.Epstein?s kick was blocked, leaving it at 6-0 with 6:21 left in the first quarter.The Panthers (2-2, 3-4) countered with Matt Madden?s 35-yard scoring dash and a go-ahead PAT from Christian Echevarria with 4:18 left in the quarter.Beverly opened the second quarter with an eight-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 17-yard scoring run from Christian Miller (21 carries, 111 yards) to make it 14-6.Swampscott matched that in less than a minute on a Conroy (10-of-14, 101 yards, 3 TDs) nine-yard scoring dart to Cresta slanting in from the right. Jordan James? two-point conversion created a 14-all tie with 6:44 left in the half.Ryan Garrity?s tip and diving interception of Conroy?s attempted screen pass set up Beverly?s go-ahead score. The payoff came on fourth-and-goal from the three when Flaherty flipped a pass to Peter Malumba planted in the left front corner of the end zone.Echevarria?s kick sent Beverly off with a 21-14 lead at the break.When Madden rolled in from five yards midway through the third quarter for a 27-14 Beverly lead, Swampscott?s post-season hopes seemed all but gone.The Big Blue had other ideas.?To win with four turnovers and the way we played in the first half is really something. It?s our third comeback win in a row and we?ve probably led for about a minute in those games – but we?re in the playoffs,” said Dembowski.?The difference between now and our slow start is that we can score.?We know our personality. We?re a run-pass team,” Dembowski said.