Ignore the artificial turf and it was the type of game one thinks of finding in archival footage from the college ranks.
In pouring rain and solid wind gusts, two teams battle in a physical clash. Both are forced to stick to the ground game due to elemental influences.
And in the end, it comes down to a big play in the final minute.
It’s not a Hollywood script played out on grainy black and white film. It’s how Lunenburg High improved to 3-1 on the season.
On Friday night, the Blue Knights won a nailbiter, topping Ayer-Shirley 11-8 in tough conditions at Harold Norton Memorial Field.
Old-school. Grind it out.
Call it what you will. Any way you describe it, the war of attrition on the gridiron was a victory for the Blue Knights.
Frankie Delgado (81 yards on 12 carries) and Eric Smith (67 yards on 16 carries) were workhorses for Lunenburg, while duel-threat quarterback Hunter Matson (31 yards on 12 carries, 4-for-6 passing for 48 yards and a touchdown) more than did his part on a soggy night.
Matson found Smith on a 20-yard catch-and-run for a score in the second quarter before punching in a QB keeper on the two-point conversion to tie the game at 8.
From there, the conditions slowed both teams. But the driving rain couldn’t keep back Smith’s 37-yard field goal try with 19 seconds left, which proved to be the game-winning points.

Surviving the elements and a tough rival. …. It’s the type of game that can galvanize a team, bring everyone together, not that it appears the Blue Knights need that.
They’ll try to improve to 4-1 Friday evening, traveling to Tyngsboro for the fourth of five straight contests on the road.
Blue Devils break through
It took four games, but Leominster High has claimed its first victory of the season.
Within striking distance in each of their first three contests, the Blue Devils had been unable to put it all together and get over the hump. That changed Friday evening at Westford Academy.
The Blue Devils grabbed a 21-13 victory over Westford to improve to 1-3.
Osiris Lopez rushed for a touchdown and threw a TD pass to Jaidis Delgado in the victory. Xavier Cora also ran for a score and Daniel Thompson was perfect in point-after attempts for the Blue Devils.
So, so close
Sitting at 1-3 on the season after Saturday’s 26-20 loss at Nipmuc Regional, don’t fault St. Bernard’s for playing a game or two of “What if?”
The Bernardians have been competitive in every game they’ve taken the field for, with Saturday’s six-point defeat looking like a blowout in comparison to their other two. In all, St. Bernard’s has lost three games by a total of nine points.
There was a one-point loss at Martha’s Vineyard. A two-point defeat at Northbridge.
St. Bernard’s will finally play its home opener this Friday after traveling for all four of its contests this fall. Auburn (1-2-1) heads to the Bernardian Bowl coming off its first win of the season, a 35-0 decision over Fitchburg High last Friday.