DANVERS — Before the matchup between unbeaten Marblehead and one-loss host Danvers, the name tossed about as being key to the game from the Danvers side was running back Matt McCarthy. For the Magicians, they were quarterback Chris Gally and back Tim Cronin. Those names were called many times in Marblehead’s 10-7 win, but the key name was Magicians kicker Mason Poisson.
Poisson split the uprights on a game-winning 21-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining in the game, giving the Magicians the win, a 7-0 record, and home field for the playoffs. Poisson said he was pretty calm before his game winner.
“I was not nervous at all, I was really surprised it was up to me with a few seconds left, I could not hear anything when I came on the field,” Poisson said. “This is huge for us, so big to win, it’s a huge morale booster for us, it clinches home field advantage, and 7-0 is a lot nicer than 6-1.”
Both teams scored on their opening drives of the game. Danvers got the ball and marched down the field, eating up eight minutes of game clock, and moving 69 yards before McCarthy drove it home from the three, gaining 54 of those 69 yards himself. Max Leete made the kick, and the Falcons led 7-0.
Marblehead responded to the Falcons’ march with one of its own, consuming seven minutes on 13 plays. Gally hit Sean McCarthy from 13 yards out to make it 7-6. Poisson’s PAT tied it at 7-7, and no one would score for the next thirty minutes.
Marblehead came up huge on defense twice, stopping McCarthy on 4th-and-1 after the Falcons back had hauled in a 17-yard pass from Ezra Lombardi, getting tackled at the Magicians one. The Magicians defense held McCarthy out of the end zone twice and took over on downs.
The Magicians also stopped the Falcons on a 4th-and-10 from the Marblehead 21 in the fourth quarter. Marblehead began its winning drive after that, marching to the Danvers 5 with 17 seconds to go. Poisson then trotted out and won the game with 12 ticks left.
Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff said he was pleased his team earned the win after just about everyone on the team had the flu this week.
“Every time we play those guys it’s stressful, and tonight was no exception,” Rudloff said. “We had a tough week, but we were able to pull this one out, now it’s just gets more stressful from here.”
Danvers (6-1) coach Ryan Nolan said it was a great high school football game, even though it’s tough to be on the losing end.
“It was a good game, a great game, you want the results to be different, but our guys played great, it was an excellent high school football game, good hitting, emotional, great game, even though it didn’t go our way,” Nolan said. “This week we’ll work on the details to be the best team we can be.”
Both teams await the state tournament pairings, to be announced Sunday.
