Football preview: Lack of time to prepare may hurt Lynnfield

There are short turnarounds and then there are, well, ridiculously short turnarounds such as the one that confronted Lynnfield as it readied for Thursday morning?s game against North Reading at Pioneer Stadium.In the immediate aftermath of Saturday?s Division 4 State semifinal loss to Holliston, coach Neal Weidman noted it would be a challenge for the staff to have the Cape Ann League Baker champion Pioneers (10-1) refocused and properly prepared for the holiday tussle.He reiterated that point Sunday. While North Reading (4-6) has been dissecting Lynnfield for more than a week, the Pioneers were focused on all things Holliston last week and, Weidman said, did not spend “one second at all on North Reading.” Essentially Lynnfield had three days to reset and plan for the Hornets with Wednesday little more than a walk-through session. “The kids are obviously still disappointed but we have to recover and put our best foot forward Thursday. We can?t be very physical (in practice) this week because we?ve had nothing but physical games for the last four weeks,” Weidman said. “We?ll be working to get them lined up properly, go through it, and hope things work out. It will be simple. There?s not a lot we can put in.”Weidman and his staff are familiar with a truncated practice schedule. In 2012, under the old playoff system that had semifinal games on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving followed by Super Bowls on Saturday, the Pioneers played three games in 10 days.It?s been a rollercoaster season for North Reading, which opened with two solid wins, then dropped five straight during the qualifying portion of their schedule and finished 0-4 in the Cape Ann Kinney Division.However, North Reading seemed to regain confidence during non-qualifier games, pummeling Arlington Catholic (54-6) and shutting out a solid Pentucket squad (21-0) before losing to Newburyport for the second time this season, 29-27 in overtime.Though erratic at times, North Reading?s retro single wing offense has produced 22.2 points per game and features a stable of solid running backs while operating almost exclusively on the ground. This game will be about maintaining discipline and playing assignment football for the Pioneers? defense, which could be minus senior linebacker David Adams, injured in the fourth quarter against Holliston.?It?s a very difficult offense to prepare for and, technically, with no practice, it?s certainly going to be a difficult challenge. They have three good running backs and they use them all,” said Weidman, who understands North Reading?s style shortens games and that possessions will be at a premium. “We have to control the ball on offense and get off the field on defense on third down.”Lynnfield will look to regain the big-play identity on offense that produced more than 36 points per game before getting stopped cold by Holliston.Senior running back Jake Rourke (141 carries for 878 yards) has a legitimate shot to eclipse 1,000 yards on the season while senior captain and quarterback Dan Sullivan (18 touchdowns) could surpass 20 TD passes. Senior captains and wide receivers Cam Rondeau and Jon Knee, big-play specialists all season, force opposing defenses to cover the entire field.Weidman praised the senior class for its part in leading this team to the first 10-0 start in program history. Eighteen Pioneers wrap up their high school careers tomorrow.?They did a lot together in the offseason, going to 7-on-7 camps, working on their strength and conditioning,” he said. “That?s a big part of the reason they?ve had this kind of success. They put in the work and effort, improved as individuals, and it paid off.”