SWAMPSCOTT — The key to Friday’s Division 5 North final against Amesbury for the Swampscott football team is simple- stopping the Indians’ run-heavy offense.
In a rematch of last year’s sectional final, Swampscott will look to contain Amesbury’s running threats with a repeat trip to the state semifinal at stake.
“They’re a tough group of kids,” Swampscott coach Bobby Serino said of the Indians. “We played them in a 7-on-7 during the summer. That’s not their strongpoint. It’s all about stopping Amesbury’s run. It’s going to be big on big. We’ll see if we can stop the run and they’ll see if they can stop our run and pass.”
Perhaps limiting Amesbury’s run means moving the chains with its own ground game. If so, Swampscott’s prepared. Quarterback Graham Inzana’s the leader of the offense but Dylan January has been more than reliable at running back.
“I love our running game,” Serino said. “Dylan’s right around 1,000 yards for the season. We haven’t had that in a long, long time at Swampscott. It comes from the play calling. It comes from him knowing where the holes are and following his linemen. We also have Xaviah Bascon, who had a great game against Pentucket. He’s switched back and forth between inside receiver and running back.”
Bascon gives Swampscott’s running game an added dimension with his speed.
“Xaviah’s definitely a little more shifty,” Serino said. “Dylan bought into a great workout program during the offseason. He’s eating well and working hard in the gym. He looks great. He’s stronger, faster and more mobile. He plays both ways and he looks like he can play another half after a game’s over.”
Everything’s clicking for the Big Blue at the right time. Swampscott, the No. 4 seed, coasted past No. 5 Weston in a 55-6 rout in the opening round. Last Saturday, the Big Blue were pushed to the brink in a 14-13 win over No. 1 Pentucket.
Swampscott’s two regular season losses, 33-30 to English on opening night and 7-6 to Danvers in a rain-soaked clash, came by a combined four points. But those defeats are now paying dividends.
“We had a tough schedule this year,” Serino said. “I think it’s benefiting us in the playoffs right now. We faced some big, strong teams and some fast teams. I think it made us better in the long run.”
Amesbury’s journey to Friday’s final has come as a surprise to many. The Indians finished the regular season 2-5, knocked No. 2 Bedford out in the opening round with a 39-21 win and upset No. 3 Lynnfield last Friday in a 30-23 victory.
“You really have to see which teams are playing which teams for this playoff format,” Serino said. “We knew they played tougher teams than some other teams played. That’s kind of the strange thing with this format. We were in jeopardy of being the No. 5 seed. To me, for what seeds certain teams are, it doesn’t make a difference other than you want to play in your own backyard. You want to play at home.”
Serino knows Amesbury won’t make things easy on the Big Blue.
“The experience is going to be huge,” Serino said. “Amesbury was right there with us last year. They’ll be ready. They have a great coaching staff over there. The bottom line is it’s great to be home. When the tournament started we didn’t think we’d play at home in this game. Things fell our way and we’re in our backyard. We’re pretty pumped about that.”
Kickoff from Blocksidge Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.
