MARBLEHEAD — Games like this usually play out only on movie screens and in your dreams.
But there was no need for contrived drama yesterday when Marblehead High played Swampscott for the Northeastern Conference Small championship and a postseason berth. This was about pure athletic skill, raw emotion and the ability of both teams to make big play after big play for an entire contest.
In a contest that should remain etched in the minds of players, coaches and every fan in the overflow crowd of 4,500, Marblehead's Alex Haigis caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from the redoubtable Hayes Richardson with 56.9 seconds remaining. From there, the Magicians had to hang on until the last play of the game when defensive end Nick Broughton pressured Swampscott's Matt Barbuzzi into an incomplete pass, finally securing a remarkable 32-27 win.
"I didn't see (Barbuzzi) release the ball," Broughton said. "The enormous roar from the crowd told me (it was incomplete)."
For the Magicians (9-2), it was a victory that must seem larger than life: it's their first championship since 1973. They'll play Rockland Tuesday in the Division 3 playoffs (site and time to be announced today).
"This shows that Marblehead football is back on the map," said Evan Comeau, who was, as usual, rock solid on both sides of the ball. "Now we just want to keep this up."
Richardson, who threw for three touchdowns and 262 yards and added a 56-yard scoring run after a brilliant fake to free himself, is seldom at a loss for words, but had trouble analyzing this one. Like his teammates, he was an emotional wreck — in a good way.
"It's the best feeling I've ever had," Richardson said. "I really can't describe it.
"Absolutely, this win (is for all the Marblehead teams in the last 36 years), but I've played with these kids for the last few years and I couldn't choose a better group to be with. And we're going to the playoffs."
They almost didn't make it despite having leads of 18-0 and 26-7 as Richardson passed the Big Blue silly. He was abetted by the sturdy, dependable running of Marcell Hardmon, who picked up 80 yards on 15 carries, including a 25-yard scoring run in the second quarter that made it 18-zip.
Typical of Steve Dembowski's teams, Swampscott (7-4) came charging back. Kyle Shonio's 5-yard TD run in the third quarter made it 26-14, and Shonio's 1-yard plunge with 9:57 to play cut it to 26-20.
It got worse for the Magicians when Swampscott executed a successful onside kick, with Brian Sullivan recovering the ball just 46 yards from paydirt and the Big Blue's first lead of the game.
Led by Barbuzzi (16 for 23, 218 yards passing), Swampscott turned up the heat with an eight-play scoring drive. Barbuzzi took it the last three yards for the touchdown and drilled the extra point for a 27-26 lead with 6:32 left.
"We had the early 18-0 lead and all that, but we talked about it at halftime," said Marblehead coach Jim Rudloff. "They have one the best coaching staffs in the Northeastern Conference over there and we knew Swampscott was going to come up with something. No way was it going to continue (to be a Marblehead blowout); they were going to cook up something.
"We had a hard time defending them in the second half. If Swampscott had another minute, they might have won. It came down to the clock running out."
For Marblehead, it boiled down to a marvelously executed eight-play, 94-yard drive in the waning minutes. Haigis (8 receptions, 165 yards) was instrumental with a 30-yard reception from Richardson for a first down. Then, with the ball resting on the Swampscott 13, Haigis eluded the defense in the corner of the end zone and Richardson lofted a perfect pass to make it 32-27.
"That," said Comeau, "was an awesome drive."
Said Richardson, "It doesn't get any more intense than that situation. But when I got in the huddle and saw the eyes of my teammates, I knew we were not going to lose this game."
With only 56.9 seconds left to win it, the Big Blue pushed the ball from its own 40 to the Marblehead 15. However, a sack by Marblehead's Matt Perlow and an untimely five-yard penalty moved the ball back to the 25 with 2.9 seconds remaining. Barbuzzi set up for another pass, but Broughton broke through and had the Swampscott quarterback in his grasp, swallowing up the potential game-winning play.
"It was a winnable game," said Swampscott coach Steve Dembowski. "Our turnovers (three overall) hurt us and spotting them an 18-0 lead hurt us.
"I mean, Marblehead is a good team. Richardson made some nice plays in the passing game to get them up by 18. I give credit to my kids because they kept coming back. But we couldn't make the last play. They made the championship plays — and we didn't make enough of them."
Swampscott was immense in coming back. Marblehead was immense in its torrid start and on its 94-yard winning drive.
The fans? They'll just remember it as an all-time classic.
Marblehead 32, Swampscott 27
at Piper Field, Marblehead
Swampscott07713 — 27
Marblehead61286 — 32
M-Alex Haigis 27 pass from Hayes Richardson (kick failed)
M-Will Quigley 20 pass from Richardson (rush failed)
M-Marcell Hardmon 25 run (kick failed)
S-Kyle Shonio 8 pass from Matt Barbuzzi (Barbuzzi kick)
M-Richardson 56 run (Richardson rush)
S-Shonio 5 run (Barbuzzi kick)
S-Shonio 1 run (kick failed)
S-Barbuzzi 3 run (Barbuzzi kick)
M-Haigis 13 pass from Richardson (pass failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Swampscott — Kyle Shonio 14-68, Matt Barbuzzi 12-27 ; Marblehead — Marcell Hardmon 16-122, Hayes Richardson 7-80, Evan Comeau 4-23.
PASSING: Swampscott — Barbuzzi 16-23-218-1-2, Shonio 1-1-56; Marblehead — Richardson 14-25-244-3-0.
RECEIVING: Swampscott — Patrick Costin 4-98, A.J. Baker 3-71, Randall Kelleher 4-50, Peter Yasi 2-37, Shonio 4-18; Marblehead — Alex Haigis 8-165, Hardmon 3-27, Matt Perlow 2-32, Will Quigley 1-20.
