LYNN — If there was one thing for certain heading into Friday night’s football game at Manning Field, it’s that the odds weren’t with Lynn English, which hadn’t beaten Revere since 2011.
Forty-eight minutes later, the run-first, head-down Bulldogs (1-3) picked up their first victory of the season with a 28-6 thrashing of the Patriots (0-4).
“I was proud of our guys tonight. Not many people picked us to win this game,” said second-year English coach Anthony LaFratta. “I thought we made a bit of a statement.”
A statement, indeed. Last season’s matchup saw Revere go home with a 47-0 win.
“We came back with a win tonight against a team we’ve struggled with in years’ past,” LaFratta said. “Being 0-3 is always tough…. We’re getting there.”
When asked to differentiate last season and Friday, LaFratta pointed to his team’s mindset.
“These guys came in more confident,” LaFratta said. “We fell down early [in last year’s game] and I think our guys didn’t really know how to respond to adversity.”
LaFratta went on to call Friday “our best game of the year,” and the first quarter backed it up.
After Limbert Thomas and Isaiah Goorahlal rushing touchdowns and a Cody Richardson interception, the hosts led 14-0 after one.
“We like playing with the lead. When they get to rolling, they have a lot of confidence in themselves,” LaFratta said.
It didn’t stop. On a misdirection screen, Thomas threw to his left to Mitchell Purter for a 15-yard score with 1:42 remaining in the second (21-0).
“The offense moved the ball right away and we never looked back from there,” LaFratta said.
After another interception from Richardson – a diving effort on a deep route – English (231 first-half rushing yards) retained its commanding three-touchdown lead heading into the break.
“Our DBs (defensive backs), our linebackers, our defensive ends… we had a lot of guys pitch in,” LaFratta said. “Like I said to the guys: there were almost too many to recognize.”
The third quarter came with some insurance. Thomas threaded one to Zamari Omosefe who bolted down the right sideline for a 56-yard English touchdown (28-0).
“LT (Thomas) stepped up and led us,” LaFratta said.
Despite the win, LaFratta believes his group played “three-and-a-half” strong quarters.
“We left some points on the board,” he said. “There is still room to grow. We had two touchdowns called back because of penalties.”
English travels to take on Greater Lawrence Tech at 6 p.m. Friday.
