MANSFIELD — After season-opening losses final week, Mansfield and Duxbury met Thursday evening looking for constructive momentum.
And with a good, comeback win in enemy territory, Duxbury confirmed everybody that — regardless of that early setback — the Dragons nonetheless know methods to win, thanks very a lot.
On the again of a Finn Carley fourth-quarter landing run, Duxbury (1-1) earned a 21-17 win over the host Hornets (0-2).
“Just really proud of the guys,” Duxbury coach Matt Landolfi stated. “This is a big game for both teams. (Mansfield coach Mike) Redding’s an unbelievable coach. They have a historical program, and just coming here to play here, we’re going to get better just doing that. I think today we got better vs. last week. Happy for the kids.”
“Last week, we kind of beat ourselves,” Carley stated of the loss to Hanover. “It was a discipline thing, It was a physicality thing, penalties. This week, we just didn’t hurt ourselves, you know? We played more as a team, instead of as individuals. It feels great to get that team win, especially against a good Mansfield team.”
Despite giving up the sport’s first landing, Mansfield took a 17-14 lead into halftime. It stayed that manner for a lot of the second half, however a pretend punt run for a primary down by Trevor Jones sparked the game-winning drive. The 14-play, 77-yard march concluded with Carley making a 7-yard landing run because the Dragons took a 21-17 lead.
Carley alternated snaps at quarterback with Jones, and every made massive performs, with Carley’s landing run the most important.
“I think the thinking is, really, one’s gassed and one’s not,” Landolfi stated of when to change gamers. “We’re trying to rest them with both starting on defense (Carley at linebacker, Jones at defensive back). Finn, we know, is a big-play kid. He’s a great defensive player, but he made some big plays today, so we’re really happy about that.”
But the most important defensive play was but to return. Mansfield drove into Duxbury territory and confronted a fourth down with lower than two minutes to go. Junior Jack Rees then flew into the backfield and stopped Mansfield quarterback Connor Curtis (54 yards speeding) in need of the primary down.
Duxbury scored first as a Robert Heppenstall interception arrange a 2-yard landing run by Jones.
Mansfield rallied, as Curtis threw a 26-yard landing cross to Matt Tourigney to tie it with 5:48 left within the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Tommy Smith (64 yards speeding) ran 5 yards to the Mansfield 1 and fumbled, and Trevor Foley fell on the ball ultimately zone for a Hornets landing.
Mansfield upped its result in 17-7 with 3:02 left within the half when Evan Hefez booted a 23-yard subject purpose.
Duxbury answered, as Jones threw a 13-yard landing cross to Adam Barr, and it was 17-14 on the break. Running again Alex Barlow rushed for 57 yards on 12 carries for Duxbury, whereas Carley rushed for 32 yards.
Source: www.bostonherald.com
