One doesn't normally think of Hamilton's Pingree School as a football powerhouse. But the private institution located on a former estate may be one of the only North Shore schools to bring home a title this fall, having secured the New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference's Clark-Francis Bowl with a win over North Andover's Brooks School last Saturday.
The Highlanders finished with an 8-1 record as a result of its thrilling 7-6 win in a game played at Endicott College in Beverly.
After a lackluster first half, Pingree came alive in the final quarter. A fumble recovery by safety John St. Pierre (one of six forced by the Highlanders' defense) led to quarterback Brendan Oliver's winning touchdown pass to wide recdeiver Kyle Jamieson with less than a minute remaining in the game.
Pingree doesn't enjoy the historic Thanksgiving Day rivalry that will draw thousands to games in the region tomorrow regardless of the teams' records. Nor does it have the tradition of longtime gridiron powers like a St. John's Prep, Peabody or Swampscott.
"But putting a championship up there, now I think people will notice," Pingree coach Chris Powers said after the game. We think he's right.
