LYNNFIELD — The Pioneers (5-0) celebrated Senior Night in a big way Friday, crushing the visiting Ipswich Tigers 42-0 at Pioneer Stadium, thanks to a dominant defensive effort that held the Tigers to just 50 yards of offense and two first downs in the first half and not much more than than in the second.
The Pioneers put the game out of reach in the opening half, leading 35-0. While Lynnfield had only four possessions in the half, they scored on each and every one. Toss in a 20-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior David Tracy, and the game was, for all practical purposes, over for the winless Tigers.
“Defense was great. The offense was great and our seniors really played great tonight,” Lynnfield coach Pat Lamusta said. “I loved the way they played and the pick-six by David Tracy on defense on Senior Night was just unbelievable. Senior Kyle Schmitz, per usual, Madux Iovinelli and senior captains Anthony Morales and Quinn Hardisty also had fantastic games.”
After forcing a three-and out on the Tigers’ first possession, the Pioneers needed less than two minutes to put a four-play, 50-yard scoring drive together and take a 7-0 lead. Junior Jared Bernabei did the honors, slicing and dicing his way down the left sideline from 27 yards out. Junior Massimo Lograsso tacked on the extra point, the first of six (of 6) he made in the game.
Lamusta said special teams were a huge factor in the game with Lograsso adding two touchbacks on kickoffs forcing the Tigers to start their drives deep in their own zone at the 20. After another Tigers’ three-and-out, senior Kyle Schmitz fielded a punt at the Pioneer 45-yard line, and turned on the jets, returning it virtually untouched 55 yards to the house to make it a 14-0 game with about five minutes to go in the first quarter.
Lynnfield got the ball back after another negative-yard drive by Ipswich, starting with a short field at the Tigers 40. The Pioneers needed just three plays to find the end zone on a 29-yard touchdown pass from junior Tyler Adamo (3-for-4, 29 yards, TD) to sophomore Zahir Mitchell to make it 21-0 with 35 seconds to go in the half.
But the Pioneers weren’t done yet. Tracy picked off Ipswich quarterback Massimo Pinsky on the first play of the second quarter, taking it 20 yards to the house to bump the lead to 28-0. Bernabei (3 carries 81 yards) closed the first half scoring with a 48-yard touchdown run, his second of the day. Key plays on the drive were a 15-yard rush by senior Arthur Chiaradonna and a 15-yard personal foul on Ipswich that set the Pioneers up with a first-and-10 at the Ipswich 30.
Lamusta went to his reserves in the second half. With Tracy at quarterback, the Pioneers didn’t skip a beat. He engineered a 65-yard drive, capped by an 8-yard scamper by senior Cole Hawes (4 carries, 58 yards) that made it 42-0 with 8:33 left in the third quarter. Key plays on the drive included a 34-yard rush by sophomore Nick Kelter and a 20-yard scramble by Tracy.
The Pioneers are ranked No. 4 in the Division 6 power rankings, but they’ll have to bring their “A” game next week against an always-tough Amesbury squad, which is ranked No. 8 with a 4-0 record in the Division 7 power rankings and is coming off a bye week.
That game will be played Friday at Landry Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.
