LYNN— From the beginning of the season, Classical football coach Brian Vaughan’s team has taken pride in improving each day. Naturally, the Rams had no problems gearing themselves up for Saturday’s non-tournament tilt against Beverly.
Quarterback Daniel Gisonno ran for three touchdowns and connected with receiver Jeffrey Hill on two scores in a 42-28 win at Manning Field.
Vaughan applauded his Rams for turning the page on their playoff loss to Winchester. Saturday’s win guarantees Classical, 6-3, a winning record for the third consecutive season.
“We fought hard against Winchester,” Vaughan said. “That game could’ve went either way. I think we just made some mistakes. We’ve talked all year about getting better every day. When you get knocked down, you get back up. This is the perfect opportunity for us to do the things we say all the time.
“It’s tough to lose a playoff game but our guys were excited to play football. We haven’t lost at home. Our guys have taken pride in that.”
To Beverly’s credit, the Panthers came ready to play. Marje Mulumba made things tough on Classical’s defense with two rushing touchdowns and UNH-commit Duncan Moreland scored twice.
“That’s a good football team,” Vaughan said. “We talked about it all week, they’re in the same position as us. They wanted to win a football game. Beverly has tough, physical kids that have a lot of pride in their program.”
Gisonno completed 16-of-32 attempts for 236 passing yards and ran for 174 yards. Hill recorded nine catches for 163 yards.
Classical kicker Kyle Durant went 5-for-5 on PAT’s, while Beverly’s Joe Loreti was 4-for-4.
It was Mulumba who put Beverly up 7-0 on a 10-yard run four minutes in. Classical, who fumbled on its opening drive, knotted the score at 7-7 on Gisonno’s 13-yard keeper. Moreland put Beverly up 14-7 at the end of the first quarter on a 57-yard toss from Anthony Pasquarosa.
Back came the Rams in the second quarter. Hill joined in on the fun with a 30-yard touchdown catch. Nico Galeazzi intercepted a Beverly pass on the next possession, setting Gisonno up for a 3-yard touchdown run. But Beverly capped the half with Mulumba’s 61-yard sprint into the end zone, making it a 21-21 game at recess.
Back-and-forth it remained in the third quarter. Gisonno connected with Hill for a 17-yard score but Beverly, again, punched back on Mulumba’s 68-yard dash.
With 3:34 left in the game, Gisonno put Classical ahead 35-28 with a 6-yard plunge.
“We tried to go a little more up-tempo, a little faster than we normally are,” Vaughan said. “Beverly has some guys on defense. They have some really good athletes. We wanted to try and catch them off-guard.”
The Rams’ defense sealed the deal a minute later when Galeazzi forced a fumble and defensive tackle Orlando Concepcion carried it home from five yards out.
“Orlando works so hard,” Vaughan said. “A lot of times the guys on the d-line do the dirty work and don’t get the recognition. That’s why our sideline went nuts when he scored. They know how hard he works in the offseason, during the season and in the classroom. He’s a kid that always pushes himself. Our team was excited to see him score. We were happy for him.”
Beverly’s last hope was dashed by Eusebio Quintana’s interception at Classical’s 25.
With two games remaining, nothing changes in Classical’s approach. The Rams play another non-tournament game this week (TBA) before Thanksgiving’s clash with English.
“We just want to get better on Monday,” Vaughan said. “Hopefully we’ll be prepared, put our kids in the right position to be successful and take it from there.”
