Big plays cost Pingree football in loss

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October 15, 2012

Big plays cost Pingree football in loss

By Dan Harrison Correspondent The Salem News Mon Oct 15, 2012, 12:12 PM EDT

HAMILTON — The Pingree football team has a very dangerous offense capable of scoring anytime from anywhere. Saturday against

Holderness, the Highlanders learned they’re not the only quick-strike kids in the New England Prep School Athletic Conference.

Pingree gave up three long touchdown runs in the second half in a 35-34 home loss to the Bulls.

Seery Doonan rushed for 290 yards, including touchdown runs of 11, 70, 31 and 57 before Jesus Sanchez rushed in the game-tying

touchdown from four yards out and the ensuing, game-winning two-point conversion.

Pingree led 12-6 at the half before Doonan scored on the first play of the second half as the two teams traded touchdowns

until the end.

“I think we just kind of wore them down a little bit. I think they got tired in the second half,” said Holderness (3-1) coach

Richard Eccleston.

Pingree head coach Chris Powers had a different take.

“We didn’t wrap up. We didn’t tackle well the whole game, let alone the second half,” Powers said. “If you don’t make good

plays against a good running back, they’re going to kill you.”

Things started off great for Pingree when Johnny Spears took an option pitch 68 yards for the touchdown on the very first

play of the game. Spears added a nine-yard touchdown run and a 92-yard touchdown catch that put Pingree ahead 34-27 in the

fourth quarter. He finished with 101 yards rushing, 154 yards receiving, three touchdowns, an interception and a fumble recovery.

“He is a playmaker. He’s all over the field. He is electric. What else can you say about him? Whenever he touches the ball,

something good seems to happen,” Powers explained. “We love it that he is going to be back for one more year.”

Pingree signal caller Jerome Cappadona had a 13-yard touchdown run in the second quarter but hurt his ankle on the play and

had to sit out on defense the rest of the way. He was never able to get into any sort of rhythm either once he got hurt, as

he finished with two interceptions and a 40 percent completion rate.

After Cappadona’s touchdown pass to Spears, the latter recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, giving Pingree a chance

to ice it with just over six minutes remaining. But Sal Fazio, who had run extremely well throughout the contest, fumbled

the ball and the Bulls recovered.

The Highlanders put the ball on the ground too many times over the course of the game.

Pingree’s Nick Antenucci recorded 94 rushing yards on 11 carries and had one 8-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.