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Lunenburg High

Football Notebook: Blue Knights grind it out in the rain

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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.

Lunenburg's Christian Kelley, left, and Eric Smith celebrate after Smith'stouchdown during Friday's game at Ayer-Shirley. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Gary Fournier)
Lunenburg’s Christian Kelley, left, and Eric Smith celebrate after Smith’s touchdown during Friday’s game at Ayer-Shirley. (Sentinel & Enterprise / Gary Fournier)

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.

 

Blue Knights sneak past Panthers

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AYER — The Lunenburg football team got back on track Friday night.

Coming off their first loss of the season at the hands of host Martha’s Vineyard last Saturday, the Blue Knights played their third straight road game Friday night, traveling to a soggy Harold Norton Memorial Field to tangle with neighboring rival Ayer-Shirley Regional.

Battling a steady rain all night, the Blue Knights found a way to get it done as senior captain Eric Smith booted a 36-yard field goal with 18 seconds left in the game to propel the visiting Blue Knights to an 11-8 victory over the Panthers.

“I think the biggest thing this group has shown over the past four games is that they are tough, gritty kids. They look out for each other and want to put out their best effort and play for each other,” said Lunenburg head coach Casey McDonnell, whose squad improved to 3-1. “That’s what we’ve wanted from day one and they’ve bought in. We knew Ayer-Shirley was going to play us tough. The weather was a factor and things got ugly at times, but I’m really proud of our kids and they way they played tonight.”

The Panthers fall to 0-4 with Friday night’s loss.

With the game deadlocked at 8 midway through the fourth quarter, the Blue Knights put together a game-winning drive that started at their own 20 with 6:26 remaining. Lunenburg marched the ball to the Panther 5-yard line before a high snap sailed over quarterback Hunter Matson’s head and was covered up at the 20-yard line. Smith was brought on to try and give the Blue Knights the lead with his leg and the senior came through as he drilled the field goal.

“The biggest thing is wanting to show guys that you can trust them in big moments and if you put that trust in them, they can deliver,” said McDonnell. “Eric is a guy that you can look at and tell him what you need and he’s going to go out there and deliver. That was a big kick in a big moment.”

The Panthers had one final shot.

On the ensuing kickoff, a personal foul penalty on the Blue Knights put the ball at the Lunenburg 45-yard line. An incomplete pass from Panthers quarterback Bobby Manchester took five seconds off the clock. On the next play Ayer-Shirley fumbled the football and a wild scrum ensued. The clock continued as both teams wrestled for the pigskin and the clock ran out as Lunenburg escaped with the victory.

The hosts drew first blood when Manchester connected with Manny Gambino for a 21-yard touchdown toss on the game’s opening possession. Workhorse running back James Gauntlett added two points on a successful conversion run to make it an 8-0 game with 3:53 left in the first quarter.

Lunenburg answered late in the second quarter.

A 12-play, 78-yard drive was capped by a 20-yard touchdown strike from Matson to Smith with 1:16 left before halftime. Matson called his own number on the conversion run and found the end zone to tie the game at 8 heading into halftime.

The wet conditions made throwing the football tough on Friday night as both teams relied heavily on the run game. Lunenburg sophomore running back Frankie Delgado took some of the pressure off Matson and Smith as he ran the ball well on Friday night.

Local roundup: North Middlesex cruises to victory

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The North Middlesex Regional boys soccer team stormed to a 6-1 victory over Shepherd Hill Thursday afternoon in Townsend.

Tyler Jastrab had two goals and two assists for the Patriots, while Adeel Khan added a single goal and two helpers in the win. Colten Werlinger and Marlon Artuso also scored for North Middlesex, which took advantage of an own goal for the final tally.

Collin Harrington chipped in with an assist and Adam Ippolito earned the win in net.

Fitchburg 0, Lunenburg 0: Neither the Blue Knights (3-2-2) or the Red Raiders (2-4-2).

Bromfield 3, Oakmont 2: Gael Vera and Nate Hylan scored for Oakmont (7-1).

Leominster 4, Wachusett 0: Ajani Guzman netted a pair of goals for the Blue Devils, while Luis Angeles and Facundo Amaro had single markers.

Golf

North Middlesex 53.5, Fitchburg 0.5: Shawn Amari carded an even par 35 at Northern Spy Golf Club to lead the Patriots (4-3).

Westboro 202, Leominster 203: Luke Grebinar claimed medalist honors for Leominster (3-6, 0-6 Mid-Wach A) with a 1-over-par 36 at Gardner Municipal Golf Course.

Nashoba 201, Shrewsbury 221: The Wolves improve to 8-2 on the season.

Ayer-Shirley 42, Hudson 12: Tyler Crawford notched a hole in one on the seventh hole at Northern Spy Golf Club as the Panthers improved to 8-0. Tommy Bergin led the way with an even-par 35 in the win.

Shepherd Hill 28.5, Oakmont 25.5: The Spartans (3-6) were paced by a 3-over 39 from Max Doane.

Local roundup: Blue Knights race to first wins

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The Lunenburg High boys and girls cross country teams picked up their first wins of the season on Wednesday afternoon at Pierce’s Tree Farm.

The Blue Knights took care of visiting Quabbin Regional, with the boys earning an 18-38 victory while the Luneburg girls captured a 17-45 victory.

Both Lunenburg teams are now 1-2 on the season while both Quabbin teams fall to 0-3.

Lunenburg’s Tyler Fortier finished first in the boys race with a time of 18:14, followed by teammate Lucas Pentedemos at 19:07. Lunenburg’s Matt Pilon placed fourth with a time of 19:13.

In the girls’ race, Lunenburg’s Lauren Long took home first place with a time of 21:12. Her teammate Iliana Thomas finished second at 21:58.

Boys soccer

Nashoba 8, Hudson 0: Brayden Batista and Zach Brown each scored twice for the Wolves, while Bryce Gaudet, Brady Mignault, Lucas Messier and Angel Bustillo added single tallies.

Field hockey

Notre Dame Academy 8, St. Bernard’s 0: The Bernardians fall to 0-4.

Shrewsbury 2, Leominster 1: Alana Marchetti scored in the first quarter for the Blue Devils.

Oakmont Regional 2, Westboro 0: The win lifts the Spartans to 2-3.

Golf

Ayer-Shirley 41, Hudson 13:  Reid Ohanesian carded a 1-over 37 at Stow Acres to lead the Panthers (8-0).

Monty Tech 156, Assabet 169: Michael Cannon was the medalist with a 1-over par 36 at Gardner Municipal Golf Course as the Bulldogs improved to 7-1.

Volleyball

North Middlesex 3, Ayer-Shirley 0: The Patriots won by set scores of 25-15, 25-13 and 25-20.

Norah Tesini had eight kills and two blocks, while Emily Archambault added four aces and three kills and Ava Lamonica had three kills.

Monty Tech 3, Notre Dame Academy 1: The Bulldogs (7-3) won by set scores of 25-20, 25-14, 21-25 and 25-22.

Bailey Tetreault had 15 assists, four kills, two digs and an ace, while Deanna Smith added six digs and an ace.

Women’s soccer

Fitchburg State 1, Wentworth 1: Kendra Peretzman scored off an assist from Adrianna Westcott early in the first half for the Falcons (2-5-2), while Skyla Vaudo (10 saves in 66:30) and Cassandra Pendleton (two saves in 23:30) shared time in net.

College sports

This week’s MASCAC weekly honor rolls featured several athletes with local ties getting recognition across multiple sports.

In football Fitchburg State’s Cameron Monette earned a mention after a strong performance in Saturday afternoon’s 21-3 loss at Mass. Maritime. The junior defensive lineman tallied seven tackles on six solo stops and one assisted tackle, as well as two tackles for loss and one blocked kick.

In field hockey former Oakmont Regional standout and current Worcester State netminder Sam Gastonguay landed on the honor roll after a 2-1 win over Wheaton. The senior made four saves in the contest.

Fitchburg State’s Stephanie Sardella earned a spot on the volleyball honor roll after she registered 28 kills, three assists, eight service aces and 33 digs over three matches for the Falcons last week.

Fitchburg State's Stephanie Sardella (4) was named to the MASCAC women's volleyball honor roll this week. (Courtesy Fitchburg State Athletics)
Fitchburg State’s Stephanie Sardella (4) was named to the MASCAC women’s volleyball honor roll this week. (Courtesy Fitchburg State Athletics)

Football notebook: North Middlesex stays red-hot

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Jordan Murphy’s smile said much more than any words that came out of the coach’s mouth after his North Middlesex Regional football team topped Fitchburg in its season opener on Sept. 7.

The second-year head coach beamed with pride after the Patriots dispatched the host Red Raiders, 42-7, at Crocker Field. He spoke of how years of hard work and struggling through lean times was beginning to pay off for a team loaded with senior talent.

Eventually, his ear-to-ear smile gave way to a smirk that glowed confidence. Murphy wasn’t kidding when he hinted that his Patriots were capable of big things this fall.

So far, the coach’s optimism has been spot-on. The Patriots are 3-0 and putting up points like they’re the Central Mass. version of the 2023 Miami Dolphins (against the Denver Broncos, at least).

In three contests, North Middlesex has posted 119 points while allowing just 22. On Saturday, the Patriots won their third consecutive blowout, winning 35-8 at Nauset.

Ahead 14-8 at halftime, the Patriots quickly put things out of reach in the second half. And while the first two contests of the season saw the combination of quarterback Michael Reardon and wide receiver Cade Callahan step into the spotlight, it was Jackson Hendley’s turn on Cape Cod.

The senior running back carried the ball nine times for 117 yards, scoring three times on rushes while also pulling in a touchdown pass from Reardon.

Reardon completed 12 of his 20 passes for 128 yards and spread the tosses out to a quartet of receivers. In addition to Hendley (two catches for 14 yards), Brady Reardon caught four passes for 58 yards and Darien Crawford (30 yards) and Callahan (26 yards) each had three receptions.

Up next for the Patriots is Friday evening’s border war with Groton-Dunstable (0-3), slated for a 7 p.m. start at John E. Young Memorial Field.

Matson dual threat

Though Lunenburg High suffered its first gridiron loss of the fall on Friday evening, Hunter Matson continues to be a problem for opposing programs.

In a 16-13 loss at Martha’s Vineyard, the senior quarterback posted 101 yards through the air, while also rushing for over 100 yards. Matson ran for a 5-yard score, while finding Eric Smith on a 29-yard touchdown pass.

Effort improving for Fitchburg

Despite coming up on the short end of a 36-12 contest at Shepherd Hill Friday night, Fitchburg High head coach Paul DiGeronimo is beginning to see his Red Raiders improve on the gridiron.

The first-year head coach has told me that with each week, the Red Raiders’ effort has been better as the team comes together. This week’s loss saw Fitchburg put up a season-high in points as Devanni DeLeon and Lukas Beaulac each rushed for scores.

A shift at St. Bernard’s

Losses happen. A look at the box score from St. Bernard’s 7-6 loss at Gloucester might not seem that unique to those not familiar with the Bernardians, but to those who follow the team, a shift what has been effective for St. B’s this fall is apparent.

Normally a run-dependent team, the Bernardians saw senior quarterback Salvi Bilotta complete 8 of 14 passes in the loss, piling up 125 yards through the air. St. Bernard’s lone score came on a pass from Bilotta to classmate Quinn Carlson.

Sure, the Bernardians still put up more yards on the ground (137) than through the air, but it’s likely the first time in a long time that the offensive stats have been that close. Good teams take what the opponents give them and if teams are going to sleep on Bilotta’s passing prowess, the Bernardians will likely try to take advantage.

Lukas Beaulac and the Fitchburg High football team have shown improvement each week this season. (Sentinel & Enterprise File Photo)
Lukas Beaulac and the Fitchburg High football team have shown improvement each week this season. (Sentinel & Enterprise File Photo)

Local roundup: Nashoba’s Balewicz breaks running record

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Nashoba Regional’s Adam Balewicz made sure Tuesday was a memorable day for the Nashoba Regional boys cross country team, win or lose.

And by the end of a tri-meet, the Wolves had both won and lost, but Balewicz’s performance was what took centerstage. Nashoba (3-1) topped Leominster, 15-49, and fell to Groton-Dunstable, 22-34.

The Nashoba standout broke his own record on the 3.1-mile course in Bolton, finishing in 15:48 to top the previous mark by seven seconds.

Nashoba’s Connor Acerino had the fifth-best time on the day at 16:57.

Groton-Dunstable also topped Leominster (0-2), 15-50.

Boys soccer

Oakmont 6, Littleton 0: Gael Vera’s first half hat trick helped propel the Spartans (5-0) past the Tigers.

North Middlesex 7, Hudson 3: Tyler Jastrab scored three goals and added an assist for the Patriots, while Adeel Khan (two assists), Collin Harrington (assist), Jacob Heard and Noah Lake added single goals. Marlon Artuso dished out a pair of helpers in the victory.

Girls soccer

Nashoba 8, Groton-Dunstable 1: Grayson Edwards potted three goals and Holly Bechara added a pair for the Wolves (4-0).

Field hockey

Leominster 2, Algonquin 1: Taylor Boulay and Alana Marchetti scored in the first half to lift the Blue Devils at Doyle Field.

Volleyball

Groton-Dunstable 3, North Middlesex 2: Set scores were 25-16, 25-23, 20-25, 16-25 and 15-9.

Marissa Lacreta had 12 digs, 10 kills and three aces for North Middlesex, while Norah Tesini had nine kills, five blocks and three aces and Annie McNabb had 14 digs and a kill.

Golf

Groton-Dunstable 28.5, North Middlesex 25.5: Max Caliri shot a 5-over 40 at Northern Spy Golf Club for the low round for the Patriots (2-1, 2-1 Mid-Wach B).

Ayer-Shirley 155, St. Bernard’s 176: Reid Ohanesian carded a 1-over 36 at Oak Hill Country Club to lead the Panthers (4-0) to victory.

The Bernardians fall to 2-3.

Shrewsbury 212, Leominster 220: Daniel Simons posted a 4-over 40 at Gardner Municipal Golf Course to lead Leominster (0-4) and tie for medalist honors.

Girls cross country

Nashoba stays perfect: Nashoba Regional topped Groton-Dunstable, 26-29, and Leominster, 17-42, to improve to 4-0. Nashoba’s Caroline Collins had the top time for the day, finishing in 19:43.