SWAMPSCOTT — Swampscott head football coach Bob Serino knew his team was in for a tough Northeastern Conference challenge on Friday night, but it didn’t take long for his Big Blue to set the tone against Winthrop.
One dynamic play was all the hosts would need en route to a 28-6 win at Blocksidge Field, as Zack Palmer returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and Thomas Frisoli kicked the ensuing extra point.
“After watching game after game of film (on Winthrop) we knew we’d be in for a battle, but we didn’t let the foot off the pedal all week,” Serino said. “Coach (Peter) Bush and his staff put in a half-hour or 40 minutes a day on special teams, and that group keeps scoring. It was a great start for us.”
Palmer, who scored the deciding touchdown in last week’s 27-20 win at Beverly, also found the end zone on the opening play of last year’s meeting with the Vikings. This score helped Swampscott start and end the first quarter with a 7-0 lead.
The Big Blue’s second drive was halted after crossing midfield, allowing Winthrop to storm down field for a 14-play drive that started on its own 12-yard line. Ryan Hovermale’s 4-yard touchdown capped it off, but a blocked extra point allowed Swampscott to maintain a 7-6 lead with seven minutes left in the second quarter.
Swampscott padded its lead as Graham Inzana completed three passes during a nine-play drive. A 15-yard pass to Palmer and 14-yarder to Arturo Vasquez for the touchdown finished the series.
“(Palmer’s run) got things going for us, but they came right back with that long drive,” Serino said. “We got Graham throwing some passes on the sideline, and the offense really responded.”
Winthrop used four different ball carriers as it moved inside the 5-yard line on the final drive of the first half, but after Bobby Hubert’s 6-yard run, Vasquez picked off a pass at the goal line to keep the score 14-6 going into halftime.
The Big Blue began the second half like they ended the first. Andrew Augustin’s interception six plays into the third quarter quickly turned into six points following an 8-play drive. Dylan January picked up a pair of first downs before extending Swampscott’s lead to two scores on a 9-yard touchdown run with 3:30 to play in the third quarter.
“Dylan played one of the best games in his four years here,” Serino said. “He ran the hardest I’ve ever seen him run. He compliments the line every time in practice. Just an all-around team player.”
January carried the ball five more times and caught a 6-yard pass from Inzana to move the chains during the Big Blue’s final scoring drive. The senior quarterback then found Cameron O’Brien from four yards away with 3:18 remaining in the game.
Next Friday, Swampscott visits Danvers (7) while Winthrop travels to Classical (7:30).
“We have Classical and that’s a conference game for us,” Winthrop coach Jonathan Cadigan said. “We have to regroup for Classical.”
