Football preview: Classical happy to be home again

LYNN – The Lynn Classical High football team racked up some serious mileage the last few weeks beginning with a playoff game on the road against Lincoln-Sudbury and continuing with non-playoff games against Waltham and Newton South, also on the road. The Rams will be back in familiar territory when they face Lynn English on Thanksgiving Day at Manning Field.Like the Bulldogs, Classical will bring a 3-7 overall record to the game – the main difference being that the Rams had conference wins against Gloucester (27-20) and Salem (37-14).”We played well and we played poorly,” Classical coach Tim Phelps said. “We had some success and we had failures.”The Rams — who are looking to stop a five-Thanksgiving losing streak — took a hit early on when quarterback Eli McConney was suspended from the team because of off-field issues. Phelps was forced to make adjustments which led to sophomore Matt Lauria getting the call to fill McConney’s shoes. Lauria had only been playing football for two years.”He’s done pretty well for a kid with a lack of experience and having a new offense to deal with,” Phelps said. “There were a lot of variables to deal with and he handled it as well as anyone could.”Phelps said Lauria is a smart kid who picks things up quickly.”You tell him something once and he gets it,” Phelps said. “He’ll only improve with more experience and playing time.”Micah Dublin also emerged as a key player for the Rams. The senior running back was hot out of the gate, piling up more than 500 yards rushing over his first few games. He tapered off a bit in the middle of the season, but overall was a force for the Rams.”He’s a very dynamic runner,” Phelps said of his 5-10, 170-pound running back. “He’s been banged up at time during the year, but he’s feeling good now.”When Dublin is healthy, he and fellow running back Devin Crayton can be tough.”They’re not like thunder and lightning. They’re different in the way they run, but having them go back-to-back is nice to have,” Phelps said, adding they’re both healthy heading into Thursday’s game.Crayton, who scored four touchdowns in Classical’s win over Revere, has been a force on both sides of the ball. On offense the 6-0, 260-pound running back is especially effective on the short run.”He’s a strong kid with great hands,” Phelps said. “He’s also pretty quick. Defensively he’s really blossomed. I think he’s our leading tackler.”Junior defensive end Renzo Pappaterra has made a name for himself this season. “He’s become a very big player for us,” Phelps said. “He’s gotten a lot better over the last two years.”Trey Burris, an offensive and defensive tackle, has also been impressive.”He’s really been our best two-way lineman this year. He’s very consistent. He does everything you ask him to do, all those little things. He clogs the holes,” Phelps said.Phelps said two of the losses this season came against good teams – Peabody and Winthrop. The Tanners had their best season in years as did Winthrop, which went deep in the playoffs.But the Thanksgiving is always special.”I think these are the best games,” Phelps said. “Would be nice to be at the top of the conference and have gone deep in the playoffs, yes. (English coach) Peter (Holey) would say the same thing. But that didn’t happen for either of us.”Phelps said once his team was knocked out of the playoffs, with a loss to Lincoln-Sudbury, the focus turned to getting prepared for the Thanksgiving game. Playing those non-playoff games gives teams a chance to try some new things, tighten things up.”Thanksgiving is the most important game on the schedule,” Phelps said. “It’s the last game for the seniors. The last time they’re together (on the field).”The Classical-English game is special, Phelps said, because the players grew up together.”The kids have the scouting report,” he said. “They all know each other.”