LYNN — Neither Lynn Tech nor Lynn English made the 2023 state tournament, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t time for more rivalry football.
With Thanksgiving day games on the horizon, both Tech and English still have reason to battle it out, and did just that on Thursday night at Manning Field.
A low-scoring, defensive battle came down to the wire, and a late English turnover ended up giving Tech the 18-12 victory.
“Hell yeah that’s a good win,” said Tech coach James Runner, fired up after his team’s win. “A lot of people say that Lynn Tech is just a vocational school, that they don’t have players. All we wanted to do is prove that we play ball, we work hard, and we can win a big game.”
English got off to a good start, opening the scoring in the first quarter when Jordan Hernandez ran one in for a 14-yard score, giving the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead.
However, Tech stormed right back, thanks to an Ethan Alston (119 yards, 1 touchdown) 49-yard rush to put his team in the red zone.
A few plays later, Alston tied things at 6-6 with a five-yard rushing touchdown.
The Tigers doubled its lead on their next possession, set up by another Ethan Alston 40-yard gain. This time, it was Cesar Reyes (48 yards, 2 touchdowns) punching in the score from 16 yards, breaking multiple English tackles.
Tech led at half 12-6.
The lead didn’t last long as English came out with a punch, driving 65 yards down the field which ended with a three-yard score from Alessander Munoz to tie the game at 12.
On its ensuing possession, English would drive to Tech’s two-yard line, but a goal-line fumble cost them the potential lead to end the third quarter.
The game would remain tied (12-12) until three minutes left to go in the game, where another English turnover gave the Tigers the ball at its own 15-yard line.
From there, Cesar Reyes found his second touchdown of the game, giving Tech the 18-12 lead, and eventual victory.
Runner had two specific shoutouts when it came to his team’s defensive efforts.
“I want to give a big shoutout to my two interior defensive linemen Joshua Louis and Alvaro Ossambo. They played very tough tonight, they had a couple of sacks,” Runner said. “I’m very proud of them.”
English coach Anthony LaFratta knew that his team’s turnovers proved to be costly in the loss.
“Overall I thought for a lot of the game we played well, we just made too many mistakes,” LaFratta said. “A tough loss like this is how character is made, so we have to come out in the next couple of days and get ready for a very good [Lynn Classical] football team.”
Runner expanded on how proud he was of his team in the victory.
“We think we should have had the chance to get into the vocational playoffs, it was unfortunate we weren’t able to do so, but this is a good feeling.”
Runner also said that the win had his team locked in for Thanksgiving football.
“I’m looking forward to checking out KIPP tomorrow night, and scouting like we’re supposed to for our last game of the season on Turkey Day,” Runner said. “But I won’t lie to you, this feels like Turkey Day right now.”
Lynn Tech will face KIPP on Wednesday, November 22nd at 6 p.m., while Lynn English will close out its season against Lynn Classical on Thanksgiving at 10 a.m.
