MEDFORD — The Lynn Classical Rams (3-1) earned their third win of the season with a dominating 38-14 win against Medford (2-2). Classical put up 30 points in the first quarter and then cruised to the finish line.
The first half was all Classical, which scored on its first four drives, highlighted by some great throws from quarterback Brian Vaughan Jr. and catches from John Nasky.
The senior duo opened the scoring on a 24-yard fade route where Nasky got past his opponent before using his speed to get to the endzone. As he turned, Vaughn threw a perfectly-weighted pass.
“He’s [Nasky] one of the better athletes in the area, so we just try to be creative in the ways we get him the ball,” Classical coach Brian Vaughan Sr. said. “I’m glad he’s playing for us and not someone else.”
Nasky wasn’t done torching Medford’s defense. On Medford’s 39-yard line, Vaughan Jr. threw a screen to Nasky who made three Mustangs miss before taking it to the house for a 14-0 lead with less than six minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Despite showing off his elusiveness in the open field, Nasky preferred his first touchdown because he got to utilize his footwork.
“My favorite was probably the fade route when I hit a stutter and caught it with my fingertips,” he said. “I like deep balls because I’m a guy who has a lot of speed, so, I like going up there catching deep passes.”
After the touchdown, Classical caught Medford by surprise with an onside kick, which the Rams recovered, giving them great starting field position.
“We saw some things on film that made us think we had a shot with the onside kick,” Vaughan Sr. said. “I think we were up two scores at the time and it was the perfect opportunity to try and it worked out in our favor, which is always a good thing.”
Classical marched downfield and it was, again, Vaughan Jr. to Nasky for the third straight time – this one from 5 yards out.
“Brian and all the receivers worked together all offseason, on their own, and it shows,” Vaughan Sr. said. “The chemistry is really good amongst them. Their goal is to go out there and have fun and throw the ball out there a bit. Tonight, it ended up in our favor.”
The two-point conversion was successful, giving Classical a 22-0 lead with three minutes left in the first.
The Rams forced a quick three-and-out to get the ball back at Medford’s 49. The Rams’ defense was dominant in the first quarter, not allowing a first down.
It, seemingly, never stopped. Classical scored its fourth touchdown of the quarter on a 3-yard run from RJ Faessler (30-0).
That score remained until halftime, but the Mustangs scored 14 straight in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 30-14.
“It’s kind of my fault because I took the pedals off. When you go up big, you kind of want to change the tempo and change the things you want to do,” Vaughan Sr. said. “I take full responsibility for that. I think the kids fed off that [because] in the fourth quarter when I picked it up, they picked it up, too.”
Classical found its groove again, and it was Vaughan Jr. finding Ryan Buth on a crossing route to give the Rams a 38-14 lead, the eventual final score.
Vaughan Jr. finished the game 17-for-26 for 232 yards and four touchdowns. Nasky hauled in eight receptions for 135 yards (126 in the first half) and three touchdowns.
“My game plan going in was to be there for my team, and my team was there for me. Me, being a guy on the team, I need to provide like how they provide for me,” Nasky said. “I was just going in there wanting to win more than anyone else on the other team.”
