SWAMPSCOTT — Big Blue running back Xaviah Bascon was running up and down Blocksidge Field on Friday night as Swampscott defeated the Lynn English Bulldogs 41-14.
The Bulldogs came out firing, starting the game off with a seven-minute, 14-play drive that concluded with Jesse Maggs firing an eight-yard passing touchdown to Shea Palmer to put English up 7-0 with 5:05 left to play in the first quarter.
Maggs had a great drive for Lynn English, completing seven of his eight passes. He would finish the night throwing for 114 yards and a touchdown while completing 55 percent of his throws.
English head coach Mackenzie Charles thought that his QB had grown in their first two games of the season despite the Bulldogs having yet to record a win.
“He’s a great kid,” said the head coach. “I think he is getting better as a leader. We have to be more conscious of details and that’s all different levels, all different plays.”
Swampscott responded with a quick three-minute drive that concluded with a 29-yard touchdown with Cameron O’Brien throwing a beautiful ball to Chris Ferragamo that would put the Big Blue up 7-6 after the extra point kick was good.
Then came the turnovers as English fumbled the ball after starting the drive on their own 44-yard-line. Then Tommy Em sacked O’Brien to force a Swampscott fumble and give the ball back to the Bulldogs with under a minute left in the first quarter.
English continued driving into the red zone through the beginning of the second quarter but Maggs received an unsportsmanlike conduct that forced him to miss a key fourth down that saw Lynn turn the ball over on downs. Flags were a problem for the Bulldogs as the night went on.
A big play for English came courtesy of Palmer, who had a great game on both sides of the ball. He used his hands to grab an interception and swing the momentum back in Lynn’s hands. Wesley Chandler continued to get a steady diet of carries and with 4:02 left in the half; he would run 14 yards and into the end zone. With the Bulldogs completing the two-point conversion, Lynn took a 14-7 lead over Swampscott.
The Big Blue responded with Xaviah Bascon running five yards for a touchdown to tie the game up with 1:24 left in the second quarter. Disaster would then strike for the Bulldogs as they fumbled the kickoff, which gave Swampscott the ball on their opponent’s two-yard line. O’Brien would do it himself and rushed the ball into the end zone to give the Big Blue a 21-14 lead.
Swampscott started the second half just as they ended the first, driving down the field. Starting at English’s 46-yard line, the just over three-minute drive concluded with Bascon punching it into the end zone from four yards out to give the Big Blue a 28-14 lead.
It appeared as if the Bulldogs were ready to respond, as Chandler had a 63-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, which brought Lynn English deep into the red zone. But Swampscott’s defense came up big and kept the Bulldogs out of the end zone. The Big Blue drove the ball down the field for six minutes and eventually Bascon collected his third rushing TD of the game with 29 seconds left to play in the third quarter.
Lynn English would get the ball at their own five-yard line, hoping to claw their way back into the match. Unfortunately, their offensive struggles in the second half would continue as they went three and out to give the Big Blue the ball with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Bascon would complete his terrific performance, scoring his fourth rushing touchdown of the evening to put the game away with just over five minutes left. Charles described Bascon as a “heck of a runner” after the game.
Still, after the game, Charles didn’t hold back, calling his team soft.
“That was soft,” he said. “That was embarrassing but it was really soft football, and that’s not the style of football I like to coach, but I guess we have to get better. That’s what it is. We get back tomorrow morning, (have the players) take care of their bodies (and) Monday we have to get back to getting better.”
Lynn English is now 0-2 this season and faces Everett next Friday (6) at Manning Field.
Swampscott (2-0) hosts Gloucester next Friday (7) back at Blocksidge.
