Gloucester Alumni

By Matt Langone
Sports Editor, Gloucester Daily Times

Northeastern Conference Large Champions.

That is a title that the Gloucester football team has gotten very used to over the last three seasons and after last night's tight 21-14 win over Lynn Classical at Manning Field, the Fishermen have clinched their third straight conference championship.

With the win the Fishermen (10-0) also clinch their third straight playoff berth and will play the winner of the Dual Country League Large on December 1 (Time and location TBA) in the Division 1A playoffs.

The Rams gave the Fishermen the fight of their lives, Gloucester needed a fourth down stop with the Rams driving in for a tying score with under a minute to play. Ali D'Angelo's interception in the end zone on fourth and 19 from the 24-yard line with under 45 seconds to play in the game sealed the win.

While the Fishermen have moved the ball at will this season, the Rams (6-4) made them work for every inch and shut the Fishermen down for the majority of the second half. Sporting a big, fast and aggressive defense, the Rams forced the Fishermen to play ball control as the two teams combined for just five possessions in the first half.

The second half, on the other hand, mirrored the Fishermen's game against Masconomet earlier this season as the Fishermen nearly squandered a three-touchdown lead and were hampered by several untimely penalties.

Ahead 13-0, Gloucester's offense came out flying in the second half as junior wingback Brandon Cusamano made it 19-0 when he scored on a 38-yard pass from Cahill. The Rams defense bit on Cahill's play fake which left Cusamano wide open and untouched for the score.

The Rams needed a score on their next possession to stay in the game and they got just that. Classical changed their offensive philosophy from run happy to spread and marched 80 yards on 12 plays culminating with a seven-yard run from Kashawn Avery to make it 21-7 early in the fourth quarter.

Classical stopped the Fishermen on their ensuing drive and got the ball back halfway through the fourth quarter. The Fishermen appeared to stop the Rams on fourth and 11 but were flagged for defensive holding giving the Rams new life. Two plays later, quarterback Nick Grassa hooked up with his brother Jasper Grassa to the Gloucester 15-yard line. Casey Johnson scored three plays later to make it 21-14 with less than two minutes to play in the game.

The Rams were not done yet as they yet again stopped the Fishermen on their next possession and got the ball back with a chance to tie and just over a minute to play. A Nick Grassa run and a Johnson catch helped the Rams drive deep into Gloucester territory at the 15-yard line with 48 seconds to play. But that was as close as they would get as the Fishermen stopped the Rams just shy of tying the score.

With the Rams defense keying in on team leading rusher Conor Ressel, his teammates were there to pick up the slack including junior fullback Jordan Shairs, who got the job done with the ball and with his blocking, and senior quarterback Brett Cahill, 5-for-5 passing for 109 yards and a touchdown.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Fishermen took the lead with 7:32 to play in the second on a one-yard run from Shairs, Sal Favaloro added the extra point to make it 7-0. The Fishermen were aided by a pass interference call against the Rams on a third down. The touchdown was set up by a 17-yard run from Ressel.

After trading three-and-outs, Shairs picked off Rams quarterback Nick Grassa and returned it deep into Rams territory. The Fishermen got a little more help when Classical was flagged for a personal foul at the end of the play. Shairs then started off the Fishermen's drive with a 22-yard run inside the Rams 20.

After converting on fourth and short, Ressel gave the Fishermen another score on a quick pitch with nine seconds remaining in the half to make it 13-0. Ressel was aided by Shairs, who sprung the senior running back loose with a crushing lead block.

The Fishermen defense was up to their usual antics in the first half holding the Rams to just one first down.