MALDEN — Often the losing coach offers the best perspective when his team’s overrun by a buzzsaw the way Bill Manchester’s Malden team took it on the chin to Classical.
For the second week in a row, the Rams put their feet down on the throttle and didn’t release it until there was no time left on the clock and the score read 40-7, Rams.
“They’re big, strong athletes on both sides of the ball,” Manchester said. “They have a very good offensive line, and they don’t let you have a lot of space on defense. And the defensive line is very good too.
“They spent all night in our backfield,” Manchester added.
After Classical took a quick 14-0 lead, the game’s defining moments occurred, Manchester said.
On the ensuing kickoff, Classical’s kick was short and Malden pounced on it to get good field position at the Ram 46. Classical’s defense, stout all night, held. However, two penalties on Classical, one for a face mask and the other an offside, kept the drive alive to the point where Malden had a first down at the Classical 9-yard line.
Malden quarterback Jose Monteiro got the call five straight times, and went 8½ yards. But Classical stopped him from going the other half-yard, thus keeping their scoreless streak to six quarters.
To make matters worse for Malden, Classical started on its own 1-yard line and went 99 yards in 14 plays, the last five coming on a Keith Ridley carry.
Classical scored with 5:45 left in the first quarter on a 7-yard run by Malcolm Best, with Adam Washington getting the conversion; and then again with 3:52 to go in the opening period (resulting from a Malden fumble) on a 28-yard pass from Ridley to Nashaun Butler to make it 14-0 after one.
After Classical’s third score, Malden put together another long drive, again aided by two untimely Classical penalties (roughing the kicker and pass interference) and got all the way down to the Ram six. Again, the Golden Tornadoes were turned away.
“Those were defining moments,” Manchester said.
“We got some breaks,” said Classical coach Brian Vaughan, “but that’s OK.
“We just came into camp ready to work hard, and we work hard at practice every day,” Vaughan added. “We know it’s not going to be easy on Friday nights, so we make sure it’s as hard for them as possible during the week.”
Classical put together another long drive on its first possession of the third quarter (it scored every time it had the ball until it put up its last touchdown). This drive started from the Ram 24 and went 10 plays before Ridley found Butler with a 5-yard pass to make the score 27-0.
With 1:39 to go in the third quarter, the Rams finally allowed their first touchdown of the season when Monteiro found Raushad Moore for a 28-yard scoring pass.
But Classical kept its foot on the petal. Ridley hit Butler for a 22-yarder in the fourth quarter to make the score 34-7, and then Best finished things off with a 16-yard run late in the game.
Vaughan singled out Matt Gisonno for playing well on defense.
“He sets our edge, and he had a great game there,” Vaughan said. “Also, Maurice Sequeira had 12 tackles, four of them behind the line. He’s only a sophomore and he’s going to be a special player.”
Classical’s home Friday night (5) against Revere, in the first game of a Manning Field doubleheader.
