Classical can’t conquer Warriors

SUDBURY – The Classical High football team saw its playoff run come to an abrupt end Friday in a 37-16 loss to Lincoln-Sudbury in the Division 2 North quarterfinals at Sudbury.View Photo GalleryThe Rams (3-5) were in trouble from the get-go. The Warriors (6-2) got the ball on the Ram 25 off a bungled kick and although they had to settle for a field goal on their first possession, their next three trips to the red zone were a considerably more productive.Lincoln-Sudbury running back Jack Hubley pretty much had his way in the first half, scoring on two one-yard runs and one two-yard run. Before the Rams could catch their breath they were in a 23-0 hole.The morale-crusher came when the Warriors got the ball off an interception and marched 49 yards downfield with Hubley going in from the two with five seconds left in the first half.”We knew they were going to run him a lot,” Classical coach Tim Phelps said. “He runs well. They had a big, physical, offensive line.”The Rams couldn’t get much of anything going. Their most productive running back, Micah Dublin, has been battling some injuries and after missing last week’s game against Revere, he was unable to do much at practice during the week.”We knew we weren’t going to use him a lot,” Phelps said. “He’s been banged up … We put him in at the end and he got some good yards.”Dublin (6-88) had a big 41-yard run to start the fourth quarter and then followed it up with an eight-yard pickup to give the Rams their best field position of the night at the Lincoln-Subury eight.Lauria (9-88) c kept the drive alive on third-and-two with a seven-yard run and Devin Crayton, who had a pretty quiet night after scoring four touchdowns against Revere a week ago, bulldozed his way into the end zone to spoil the shutout. Classical got the two-point conversion on a Lauria pass to Ajali Booker to cut the lead to 37-8.Prior to Crayton’s touchdown, the Warriors Otto Zaccardo had scored twice, once on a 43-yard run and again from 18 yards out. Gino Fordiani, who had kicked the field goal on Lincoln-Sudbury’s first possession, was money in the back on the extra points (he kicked four).The Rams scored once more with just over two minutes left in the game on a Micah Dublin 17-yard run. Dublin also ran it in for the conversion for the 37-16 final. Lauria had a 47-yard run to set the table.Hubley led all rushers with 117 yards and three touchdowns. Zacardo had 91 yards. Lincoln-Sudbury coach Tom Lopez wasn’t surprised by their performances.”The last two games they each had over 100 yards,” Lopez said.Lopez said in he believes it was his team’s quickness, both on the offensive line and the defensive line that made the biggest difference in the game.”I think we played very well,” he said.The Warriors will advance in the playoffs. Phelps wasn’t sure who his team would play in the losers pool, but his goal is to get the most out of the next couple of games even though there is nothing at stake.”We were in the same predicament last year,” Phelps said. “Let’s use it to get better as a football team.”