RallyNorth.net

METHUEN — It wasn’t exactly the ideal way Methuen and first-year head coach Tom Tone wanted to start the season.

First off, standout running back Ryan Savastano was forced to the sidelines by injury. Then Plymouth North, after enduring a grueling bus trip to Methuen that delayed the start of the game by 45 minutes, rattled off a convincing eight-minute first drive to take an early lead. And just 1 1/2 minutes later, the Rangers turned the ball over on a pass interception.

BRAINTREE — Plymouth North in the opposite dugout, Mike Weisman on the hill, a shot at the state Division 2 baseball title hanging in the balance ... it looked all too familiar to North Andover High baseball fans.

PLYMOUTH — Keeping Methuen's offense under control, Plymouth North rode out an early fourth-quarter touchdown to take a tight 13-7 opening-night decision yesterday.

Matty Walsh broke free for a 77-yard touchdown jaunt for the deciding points with about nine minutes left in the contest.

LOWELL – Forget the eight losses on their slate, Plymouth North is a Division 2 baseball monster.

The defending state champions, once floundering in early May at 7-6, made North Andover victim No. 11 in the last 13, dousing the Knights, 8-0, in the Eastern Mass. Championship game before about 800 fans here at Alumni Field.

BRAINTREE | It was a combination of patience and aggression, business and pleasure, skill and luck.

Plymouth North had it going 100 percent all the time in last night's Division 2 state semifinal at Braintree High.

BRAINTREE | The smart money held that if a team was going to use a relentless, mashing offense and clutch hitting to win last night's Division 2 state semifinal between Masconomet and Plymouth North, it would be the Chieftains.