WAKEFIELD — Similarly to the rainy practice scene from “Remember the Titans” or when Rudy Ruettiger was dragged through Notre Dame’s practice field, Saturday’s matinee between visiting Swampscott and Northeast Metro was old school.
In the end, despite its visiting white uniforms turning green and brown, Swampscott (3-1-1) topped Northeast (1-4), 24-0.
“Hey, we practice on grass,” said first-year Swampscott coach Peter Bush. “We made sure we stayed there all week. And… if we’re fortunate enough to make the (state) tournament, where are you going to play?”
Friday night lights had to wait another week, but Bush said he enjoyed the change.
“You kind of, technically, get the extra day playing on Saturday, but we still went out on Monday. We lifted, we got out on the field, we ran around a little bit, and then we hit the ground running Tuesday with the rest of our install,” he said.
It paid off. Swampscott quarterback Jack Spear (144 yards, 2 TDs) put on a masterclass through the air, also rushing for a 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
“He’s a sophomore and got thrown into the fire a couple times last year as a freshman at 14 years old,” Bush said. “He’s working really, really hard and he’s a student of the game. He understands coverages, he understands leverage, and he’s a smart kid.”
Three plays after a Swampscott touchdown was called back, Spear stayed focused, tossing one to Liam Keaney in the middle of the endzone for a 10-yard touchdown in the opening quarter (6-0).
It was only fitting the Big Blue struck first.
“I told the kids, ‘I thought we were ready to play by Wednesday,’” Bush said.
After Henry Beuttler’s (45 yards) rushing touchdown in the second, Spear got another chance in the redzone. Rolling to his right, he threw a dart to Jack Hazell for a 12-yard touchdown just 32 seconds before halftime (18-0).
“He (Spear) pitched for the varsity baseball team last year,” Bush said. “So, again, he was given the ball at 14-15 years old on the mound. He’s been great.”
Swampscott’s running game was clinical in the second half, turning small gains into first downs to milk the clock.
“It starts with our offensive line. Chris Holey does our offensive line and does a fantastic job with those guys. It’s a cohesive unit,” Bush said.
Will Bush (45 rushing yards), Beuttler, and Xavier Beauchamp were the primary ball-carriers.
“It comes down to the back seeing the hole,” Bush said. “I don’t think we busted too many long runs, but for the most part, we’re OK with 4 or 5 yards. That keeps us on schedule at second-and-4, so we like that.”
As for the shutout on defense, it all started with the defensive line, per Bush.
“When you play an offense like this, you just can’t let them get a push,” he said. “You had Luke Siriani, you had Holden Riddell, and you had Phil Thomas and Max Field. The front four were great.”
Despite the final score, Swampscott failed to convert on two extra-point attempts and two conversion tries. Northeast’s Chris Zullo (78 yards) was effective on the ground, too.
“A couple of them made some cut-back plays for big plays where our angles were just a little bit wrong,” Bush said. “You’ve got to make sure you get them off schedule.”
In a battle of hot programs, Swampscott hosts Danvers (3-2) this Friday at 7 p.m. The Big Blue look for three consecutive wins, while Danvers seeks four.
