THE NRHS football team lines up for the Div. 5 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium while the Hornet Marching Band plays the National Anthem as pictured on the big screen. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
Hornets battle to the end in 14-7 Super Bowl defeat
By DAN ZIMMERMAN
FOXBORO — Following the conclusion of last Wednesday night’s MIAA Division 5 championship football game at Gillette Stadium, an official stood at midfield centered between the two teams, North Reading and Swampscott. With the Agganis trophy in hand, he said, “There are 37 teams that represent Division 5 football and the two best are here on this field tonight.”
Unfortunately, it was No. 2-seed Swampscott that proved one score better, outlasting top-seed North Reading in a classic defensive struggle, 14-7, and claiming the hardware for the second consecutive season.
Scoreless through the first quarter, Swampscott snapped the stalemate with a rushing TD near the end of the half and added the eventual game-winner on the deceptive double pass, minutes after the intermission. North Reading answered with a 2-yard plunge from QB Alex Carucci but with less than two minutes remaining, it proved to be too little, too late.
Amid the spectacle of a high school Super Bowl, which included a fire apparatus siren sendoff as the team busses departed North Reading and obviously, the opportunity to play football on the same big stage previously occupied by so many New England Patriots dignitaries, the Hornets discovered very early how difficult the task ahead would be. On the first play of the game, for instance, sophomore sensation Will Batten, who scored twenty-five rushing TDs this season, was driven back for a 3-yard loss. As the running game failed to materialize, the Hornets resorted to short passing.
“That’s a credit to the Swampscott defensive line and their linebackers,” said North Reading head coach Ed Blum, who wrapped up the 2021 campaign with an enviable 11-2 overall record. “They fly around. Short-passing was part of our game plan. We knew we had to stretch their defense and at times, we were successful.”
The combatants traded three-and-outs at the outset, evidence that taut nerves were having an impact in the early minutes. North Reading held the upper hand in the punting game, compliments of Matt Guidebeck, who buried Big Blue on their 17 and 9 on their initial possessions.
Midway through the first frame, Craig Rubino got in front of a throw from Swampscott QB Cam O’Brien. Rubino was also instrumental after the takeaway, collecting a toss from Carucci and firing it 33-yards downfield to Ryan McCullough. A pair of Batten rushes later and the Hornets were in great shape, armed with a 1st-and-goal on the 10. Forward progress soon slowed, however, and then stopped altogether on a penalty and a sack of Carucci.
Swampscott was prone to turnovers and during the series immediately after their defensive stop, O’Brien coughed it up on his own 27. This time, it was linebacker Sam Morelli recovering the ball but once again, the Hornets squandered a red zone visit. Carucci connected with McCullough for back-to-back slants to reach the 13 but a third attempt proved fateful, as the Hornet QB was picked off by Yorlan Herrera.
On the way to a 14-1 finish, Swampscott had outscored opponents by a wide 402-172 margin. While the North Reading defense played their typical smash-mouth style and managed to stave off their potent adversary, Big Blue finally enjoyed a breakthrough, claiming a 7-0 lead with 4:01 left in the first half. The culprit was O’Brien with a 9-yard keeper.
Swampscott added insurance several plays after the break on yet another double-pass play. Tailback Xaviah Bascon hauled in a lateral from O’Brien and heaved a 38-yard TD pass to a waiting Cole Hamernick.
Later in the third frame, Rubino claimed his second takeaway of the night, pouncing on an O’Brien fumble but the Hornets’ offensive struggles continued and another punt soon followed.
The North Reading faithful, huddled against the cold in the Gillette stands, were rewarded for their patience as the fourth quarter got underway. Starting deep on their own 14, the Hornets began to steadily chip away at the long field ahead. A determined Carucci was accurately slinging short sideline throws, completing a flawless 8-of-8 to Batten, Rubino and McCullough. In interest of clock preservation, the receivers would secure the catch and quickly step out of bounds.
Reaching the Swampscott 2-yard-line, Carucci targeted McCullough in the end zone but was picked off by Bascon, who raced 98-yards for a score. Most of the players and spectators were so engrossed with the run-back, they didn’t readily notice the sole yellow flag resting on the goal line signaling a defensive holding infraction.
Armed with a second chance, Carucci would not be denied, bursting through the line for a 2-yard TD. Guidebeck split the uprights to halve the deficit to 14-7.
On the one hand, the prolonged 13-play drive yielded points but on the other, consumed most of the fourth quarter. With 1:42 remaining, the Hornets had no choice but to try an onsides kick. Unfortunately, Swampscott was able to secure the ball, but not for long as Bascon lost the handle on a later rush. Brandon Eng came up with the ball but there was only a glimmer of hope with 1:08 to travel 98-yards.
North Reading certainly made an effort, as McCullough, who caught a dozen Carucci passes on the night, worked the sideline to perfection. But a pair of misses and a penalty undid the Hornets, ending their season.
“I mentioned to the kids that I’m not one for moral victories,” said a dejected Blum. “Going into this game, there was a lot of talk about how good Swampscott was. They’re a well-coached team and they have a lot of good players but I’d like to think that we were legitimate this year and we gave them all they could handle. I’m proud of our kids – they left it all on the field. Swampscott just made a few more plays. We’ll just try to enjoy our successes this season as much as possible.”
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