DIVISION 2A ROUNDUP

Revere can't stop Winthrop

By Jack McCluskey, Globe Correspondent | November 24, 2006

The Winthrop Vikings capped an undefeated season by defeating Northeastern Conference rival Revere , 38-0, behind a solid defense and a trio of talented tailbacks.

Though the 75th annual Winthrop-Revere Thanksgiving game turned out to be as one-sided as the teams' records suggested it would be -- Winthrop came in at 10-0, Revere at 0-9 -- Winthrop coach Tony Fucillo said the rivalry was as strong as ever.

"You know, Thanksgiving is still Thanksgiving," Fucillo said. "It's still very important to Winthrop and I'm sure it's still really important to Revere . We definitely weren't looking ahead to the playoffs."

"It's always a big game," Revere coach Lou Cicatelli agreed. "There is nothing like Winthrop-Revere."

And, as it turns out, there is nothing like Winthrop 's three running backs: Joe McDermott, Jason Griffin, and Matt Murray, who helped the Vikings pile up more than 3,000 rushing yards and 400 points this season.

That three-pronged attack was the big difference yesterday, as Griffin , McDermott, and Murray combined to carry 24 times for 157 yards and three touchdowns.

"I think all three bring different talents to the table," Fucillo said. "One is a slasher, one has the moves, and then the other one is sort of that power back."

It was Griffin , a senior, who got the Vikings on the scoreboard first, taking a toss from quarterback James Fucillo 15 yards to paydirt with just more than two minutes left in the first quarter. Junior kicker Nick Leonard added the extra point, his first of four, putting the Vikings up, 7-0.

Leonard's kickoff forced the Patriots to start their second drive from their 13-yard line. The Viking linebackers, whom Fucillo called "the heart and soul of our defense," stuffed Revere on its first two plays before the first of several weather-related Revere miscues added to the Viking lead.

Needing 10 yards for a fresh set of downs, Revere quarterback Steven Ennamorati dropped into the shotgun. But the wet conditions caused the snap to sail high over Ennamorati and into the end zone, where it was downed for a safety.

Griffin returned the ensuing kickoff to the Vikings' 44 to set up Winthrop 's next score one play later. Faking the handoff to Griffin , Fucillo connected with Anthony Giuliano on a 44-yard strike to run Winthrop 's lead to 16-0. An interception and a punt on Revere 's next two drives, and subsequent scores by the Vikings, put Winthrop up, 30-0, and essentially ended the game at the halfway mark.

Cicatelli said the rain threw off the Patriots' passing game, forcing them to run the ball right into the heart of the Vikings' strong front seven.

"As good as they are on offense, they are unbelievable on defense," Cicatelli said. "I really believe this could be Winthrop 's year."

Cape Ann :
Triton 26, Pentucket 20 -- Ben Ferrara ran in three touchdowns for the Vikings, one in each of the two overtimes, and had a game-ending interception in the end zone.

Northeastern:
Lynn Classical 26, Lynn English 0 -- The Rams had scores from Quivari Jackson , Chad Quintana, and Rich Dellazoppa.

Beverly 28, Salem 7 -- Pat Bailey scored two touchdowns and ran for 243 yards for the Panthers. Bailey finished with more than 1,400 yards for the season.

Marblehead 6, Swampscott 0 -- Sam Perlow snagged an interception and ran 44 yards for the deciding score.

Gloucester 25, Danvers 13 -- Andrew Fulford ran for three touchdowns for a total of 22 for the season, a school record.

Patriot:
Rockland 30, Randolph 0 -- Armando Oliveira ran for 186 yards and three touchdowns.

Silver Lake 6, Pembroke 0 -- Laker Scott Cameron ran in the deciding score.

South Coast :
Apponequet 27, Old Rochester 6 -- Trevor Hinkle scored three touchdowns to lead the Lakers.

Nonleague:
Norwell 31, Hanover 16 -- James Wheeler was the only bright spot for Hanover , running for a 37-yard score and running back a 73-yard kickoff return.

Wilmington 20, Tewksbury 7 -- Wildcats senior Rich Barry ran for three touchdowns (3, 49, and 47 yards) and had more than 200 rushing yards.

Saugus 13, Peabody 0 -- Michael Dean ran in a 15-yard score in the first quarter, and complemented it with a 16-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown reception.

Greater New Bedford 36, Diman 8 -- Tyler Andrade ran for 114 yards and two touchdowns.