LYNNFIELD — It’s been a special year for the Lynnfield football team’s passing attack.
With senior quarterback Clayton Marengi leading the charge and a handful of capable skill players catching his throws, the Pioneers have been clicking.
They’ll hope to keep that chemistry rolling on Thanksgiving.
“We want Clayton to do what he’s done for us all year,” Lynnfield coach Pat Lamusta said. “Then we have a great receiving core led by Jack Ford, John Lee, Bakari Mitchell and Blake Peters. Passing has been our identity this season and it’ll be a key piece going into Thanksgiving.”
But it isn’t just the passing game that has Lamusta praising his offense. It’s the unit’s ability to change on the fly and that could be key in getting a win over North Reading Thursday morning (10:30).
“I think North Reading’s defense is solid,” Lamusta said. “Part of our offense is it evolves as the game gets going. We have a good energy with our no huddle. That first possession is really going to be key. Who knows what the game will call for? We could have to run the ball. The best part of our offense is we can go into the game planning one thing but we’re willing to adapt.”
The Pioneers’ run game would go through junior David Capachietti, who helped Lynnfield (8-2) move the ball in a 25-22 win over Wilmington two weeks ago.
“On offense we found ourselves needing to turn to David in the run game,” Lamusta said. “He did a great job and picked up some first downs. He does it all.”
Capachietti also plays a key role leading Lynnfield’s defense, along with Aidan McCormack and Liam Farrell.
“David at middle linebacker has done an awesome job playing sideline to sideline,” Lamusta said. “He’s all over the field every game making plays for us.
“Aidan is another key player at safety and he’s got a nose for the football. Liam has stepped up at defense line. He’s a little undersized for the position but he’s stepped up.”
The Pioneers advanced to the semifinal of the Division 5 North tournament before falling to Cape Ann League rival Amesbury (30-23). Lynnfield’s seniors are more than familiar with competing against North Reading and they’re bringing positive energy as they prepare for their last game in a Pioneers’ uniform.
“I think regardless of how things panned out in the playoffs, our seniors are leading the charge now,” Lamusta said. “For a lot of them it’s their last football game. They compete against North Reading in other sports too and Thanksgiving, it’s tradition.
“It’s a legacy thing too,” Lamusta said. “This is something people talk about down the road. People always ask, ‘how did your team do on Thanksgiving and what was your record on Thanksgiving?’ You want to be able to say you came out on top.”
