HAMILTON — There has always been a bit of a stigma surrounding Hamilton-Wenham football.
A small school playing in a small league and zero trips to the MIAA postseason have the Generals facing a yearly up-hill fight for respect from football fans around the North Shore. And when you look at this year's team, big wins over Pentucket and Newburyport countered with a smaller win over Georgetown and a loss to Bishop Fenwick had many thinking the Blue and White were merely a team of opportunity, rather than destiny.
But after Saturday's 16-15 win over Lynnfield (8-2), coach Andrew Morency doesn't really care what people are saying about his boys, just as long as they call them Cape Ann League Small champions.
That's right, for the first time in its 50-year history the Hamilton-Wenham football team, now 7-2 overall and 5-0 in the league, will represent the CAL in the postseason.
Trailing 15-13 with 3:13 to play, senior quarterback Dylan Keith brought his Generals up to their own 19-yard line with time left for one final drive. Up to that point the Pioneers had held the signal caller to 41 yards on just 3 of 11 passing and, other than the inside counter game, the Generals were really struggling to get a push. But the senior elevated his game, connecting on 5 of 7 passes for 42 yards and rushing for 11 more to bring the Generals all the way down to the 7-yard line with a chance to win it with a field goal as just under 30 seconds remained on the clock. Senior captain James Brao, an offensive and defensive lineman, then calmly booted a 25-yarder to send the Generals into the playoffs.
"Dylan has been running the two-minute offense for three years now, so it (the final drive) was no accident, we had it in our hip pocket," said Morency, who also highlighted the play of seniors Jimmy Love and Jake Prince on the drive. Prince caught a team-high four balls and was fearless over the middle while recording a sack on defense.
"This is a senior laden group, a veteran bunch and it took a whole team effort. And James Brao, talk about a cool cucumber," added Morency.
Brao, who took over the kicking duties after Tucker White went down early in the season, showed nerves of steel on a kick from just inside the left hash mark.
"It's pretty awesome, not many words can describe how it feels to win the Cape Anne League (small) championship," said Brao. "I had confidence up to 40 (yards), so I felt pretty sure I could kick it."
Brao also talked about the mood in the huddle heading into the final drive.
"I don't think coach needed to say anything to us," said Brao. "We have a lot of people who are committed and have been committed. The seniors, we were determined."
That determination was evident from the opening kickoff as the Generals were playing with a definite chip on their shoulder pads and despite a failed, clock control game plan, the H-W defense held the potent Pioneer offense and signal caller Gino Cohee in check. Lynnfield only managed a 28-yard field goal from Steve Ullian in the first half.
Hamilton-Wenham followed with a very promising drive in which Morency utilized the counter-trap game and the speedy Trevor Lyons to slice through the Lynnfield defense. The drive culminated on a third and goal from the eight (following a Generals false start) when Keith faked a handoff, started rolling to his right, then turned to throw back to his left to an open Jake Prince who used a few solid blocks and his brute strength to power into the end zone. The Generals led at the half, 7-3.
"It was a slugfest, we knew we'd have our hands full and we just wanted to contain their offense," explained Morency. "And maybe our offense would have a chance."
When the second half began it appeared Hamilton-Wenham may have burnt itself out intensity wise, as the very first Lynnfield play from scrimmage, a jet sweep to Rick Berardino, went 69 yards for a touchdown. Just like that H-W was playing from behind. However a holding call on the extra point (which was made) forced Ullian to have to kick from 10 yards back, and the result was a kick that sailed wide left. Ullian would miss his second PAT of the game later, and those two points proved to be the difference.
"It was a good, hard fought game. They did a good job on the two minute drill," explained Lynnfield coach Neil Weidman. "Not converting those extra points killed us."
Lynnfield took an eight point lead on a 15-yard pass from Cohee to Barardino and was driving at the end of the third quarter when Hamilton-Wenham's Kevin Anthony ripped the ball out of Pioneer running back Jeff Gannon's hands and the Generals recovered. Seven plays (all rushing) later Trevor Lyons, who finished with a team-high 79 yards rushing on 10 carries, scampered into the end zone from four yards out. The two-point conversion failed however, and they still trailed 15-13.
"We hung tough at key moments," said Morency. "Going to the playoffs for the first time in school history, I couldn't be happier or more proud. A lot of guys have come and gone in this program (without making the playoffs), so it's pretty special."
