CONCORD — Friday night’s Division 5 state semifinal win was true group effort by the Big Blue and a perfect example of that came on their final offensive drive.
Swampscott led Holliston 20-12 with just 3:05 remaining in the game and had possession facing a third-and-four. Needing a first down to chew the clock down to the final seconds, the Big Blue kept it on the ground with quarterback Graham Inzana.
Inzana rushed for a few yards before being wrapped up by a Holliston defender, but his offensive linemen were right behind him, pushing their signal-caller ahead four more yards to pick up the key first down.
“I had the ball, my linemen were right behind me and I was just yelling at them, ‘push me, push me,'” Inzana said of the play. “They pushed me all the way for the first down. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Inzana played a key offensive role throughout the night, throwing three touchdowns and rushing for 89 yards in the Big Blue’s 20-12 win over the Panthers. Once again, Inzana was quick to give credit to the players around him.
“These receivers on this team are the best in the whole league,” Inzana said. “It’s unbelievable. It’s a gift that they’re here and I couldn’t do it without them. Everyone, the whole line to the receivers, running backs. We couldn’t have done it without everyone.”
But it wasn’t a perfect night for Inzana and company, with a pair of interceptions stalling drives in the second half. The Big Blue didn’t let it affect them.
“My coaches were telling me before the game, ‘it’s not about what happens it’s about how you react to it,'” Inzana said. “So after those plays it’s just about moving forward and keep going.”
A senior captain, Inzana also plays safety on a Swampscott defense that was stout for most of the night. Besides one lapse in coverage that allowed a 36-yard touchdown pass, the Big Blue secondary looked more than prepared for the Panthers’ passing attack.
“They’re very similar to us, how they run and they spread it out and everything,” Inzana said. “It was like playing us. We practice against each other and compete. It was just awesome all night.”
Also playing a key role on the defense was another senior captain, Nick Reiser. Looking for a miracle on the last play of the game, Holliston ran out a last-ditch lateral play, but Reiser jumped on a fumble to seal the win.
For Reiser, much of the credit goes to the Big Blue’s coaching staff.
“Coach Peter Bush, coach Robert Serino, coach Eric Burgos, coach Kyle Shonio, coach Chris Cameron and coach Geoff Beckett,” Reiser said. “All the coaches make sure we’re prepared every week. We practice harder than anyone I know.”
Both Reiser and Inzana played key roles last year when Swampscott also made it to the state semifinal but fell 45-14 to Scituate. The Big Blue came in excited for another shot, and this time they walked away with a ticket to Gillette Stadium for the Division 5 Super Bowl.
“It’s not often you get a second chance,” Inzana said. “I’m glad we got to have it work out for us this time around.”
Reiser agreed.
“It’s just great,” Reiser said. “All the hard work pays off. We have the best coaches in the league. And I have some of the best teammates I’ve ever played any sport with. It’s great. The town needed this.”
