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Amesbury

Thu, Nov 22, 2007 10:00 AM @ Newburyport
Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Amesbury 7 10 0 0 17
Newburyport 6 0 6 0 12

Amesbury deserves the CAL Small title

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Amesbury 17 Newburyport 12 » Ben Laing, Staff PhotographerMore photos

Thursday, November, 22 By Dan Guttenplan
Sports editor

NEWBURYPORT | The "What if..." debate surfaced for the first time yesterday with 6:45 remaining in the first quarter.

Newburyport's quarterback-for-a-game Ashlyn Calcagni fumbled in the pocket at the Amesbury 42, and Indians junior Steve Serwon scooped up the loose ball and ran 58 yards for his second defensive Turkey-Day touchdown in as many years.

7-0, Amesbury.

The common sentiment through the packed World War Memorial Stadium bleachers was, "What if Joe Clancy had been playing quarterback rather than serving a one-game suspension on the Clippers' sideline?"

That question returned to the forefront countless times during a 17-12 Amesbury shocker that put the Indians in the postseason for the first time in school history.

The "What ifs" were inevitable when you consider Newburyport's suspended quarterback had a 17:4 touchdown to interception ratio on the season, and when his replacements | Calcagni and sophomore Kyle LeBlanc | combined for three interceptions and zero passing touchdowns yesterday. But the absence of Clancy should take nothing away from Amesbury's achievement.

The Indians entered the season with, quite possibly, the highest expectations in their program's long history. Almost all of the key players returned from last season's squad | a unit that clinched a .500 record (5-5) by beating Newburyport, 20-0, on Thanksgiving.

But the Amesbury program that has found itself in the middle to lower portion of the Cape Ann League Small standings year after year stumbled out of the gate. Three losses in its first three games. A 2-5 record through seven.

"Nobody believed is us at that point," Serwon said. "We wanted to prove everybody wrong. But we needed to start winning some games to do it."

Nobody would've flinched if Amesbury did just the opposite, continuing to lose and falling short of its expectations. After all, archrival Newburyport appeared to be a lock to win the CAL Small with the Clippers cruising through their league schedule.

A young Amesbury team could once again fall back on the excuse, "There's always next year."

But that excuse was getting old.

"We always looked ahead to the Thanksgiving game, knowing it'd be for a CAL title," Amesbury senior Nick Eaton said yesterday with his uniform covered in mud and eye black dripping down his face. "We expected to come in here and win. That was the only thing we'd settle for."

Amesbury's back-to-back 35 point weeks against North Reading and Ipswich made the Thanksgiving more meaningful than it had been in years. Clancy's suspension made an Amesbury upset seem all the more realistic.

But, truth be told, Newburyport had every opportunity to win yesterday. Three Clipper interceptions, two lost fumbles and four penalties make it awfully difficult to win against a good team.

And that's exactly what Amesbury was yesterday. The Indians were the aggressors from the jump, putting constant pressure on Newburyport's inexperienced quarterbacks.

Indians coach Thom Connors seemed to have the perfect game-plan, winning without an effective running or passing game, and allowing twice as many total yards.

"We wanted to jump on them early," Connors said. "We thought we could take their crowd out of the game and crush their confidence. Now we have the first playoff appearance in program history, and it feels terrific."

I'm sure it feels just the opposite for Newburyport. But Clippers coach Ed Gaudiano wasn't making excuses afterward.

"We gave them the ball with turnovers, and they made the most of them," Gaudiano said. "Turnovers, mistakes, penalties | you can't win games like that."

If the buzz throughout the packed stadium was any indication, fans will be debating whether Clancy's absence made a difference for some time.

It really doesn't matter.

The Clippers could've won without him. They didn't.

Give Amesbury all the credit.

Dan Guttenplan is the sports editor at The Daily News. E-mail him at dguttenplan@ecnnews.com.

46 Story Comments

2         porker1823

AMESBURY!!! champs

Report! #1 11/22/2007 03:04 PM

-1         Seawall77

No give Tom Connors all the credit for paying 54 from Lynnfield to take out Clancy for thanksgiving and actually giving his team a chance. Theres no explanation to why a Sr. Captain would attack another player and get himself kicked out for thanksgiving day game. And the coach from Lynnfield, also the AD could have revoked the ejection so that his Captain could play on thanksgiving but he didnt....hmm i wonder why $$$?

Report! #2 11/22/2007 05:03 PM

-3         yeat123

the headline of this article is horrible. amesbury does not deserve the cal small at all. Yes the indians played a good game today but did the clippers play a game to their best potential, no. The indians scored on mistakes by newburyport and the one touchdown was bad coverage. In my book newburyport is still the team that deserves it. they are a better team. Amesbury vast in your glory but remember you did not beat the newburyport team (clancy).

Report! #3 11/22/2007 06:45 PM

4         badhips535

hey buddy you can stop crying games over Amesbury won. You can use that towel to dry your tears

Report! #4 11/22/2007 07:05 PM

1         IndianFan26

Hey everyone, touchdown number one happened because sophomore Jesse Burrell puched the ball out of Calcagny's hands for Serwon to pick up & score; and noone could catch Serwon, just like last year.. Touchdown number 2 was a 25 yard pass from Flanagan to Jesse Burrell in the end zone. Neither of those plays had anything to do with anything but subperb playing by Amesbury. And in case you are all forgetting, Amesbury has had quarterback issues also. Flanagan has always been a halfback; since he was nine years old.....until 5 games ago. So stop crying about Clancy, and accept it.

Report! #5 11/22/2007 07:21 PM

0         IndianFan26

Attention Seawall77, go to the MIAA website and read all about how an ejection by an official for an altercation between 2 players resulting in physical contact is "final and binding", and how there is NO appeal allowed for suspension from the next game for an ejection, EVER, in any Massachusetts high school sport. Great reading.

Report! #6 11/22/2007 07:24 PM

0         jjkj23

you amesbury fans make me sick. Someone obviously payed #54, you didnt stand a chance and thats your way of doing things. When your not throwing golf balls your paying players. What is wrong with you people!

Report! #7 11/22/2007 07:57 PM

-2         thunderhorse43

amsebury doesn't deserve what they cheated to attain. word on the street is wilder received 3 failing grades on his quarterly report card rendering him ineligible for the game that he partook in. therefore, forfeiting amsebury undeserving victory, and their cal small title, and playoff berth. this breaking news will no doubt be investigated.

Report! #8 11/22/2007 08:17 PM

1         thunderhorse43

Oh by the way, ashlyn DID have a passing touchdown though, to tight end Derek Freeman. get your facts straight Guttenplan

Report! #9 11/22/2007 08:20 PM

2         IndianFan26

First of All, Wilder did not "fail" anything; he is living in a life that is not his choice; Thunderhorse....do you have parents? Well, you're lucky. Wilder has had to take an incomplete for some sophomore classes due to a situation that is beyond his control....adults have to make his choices for him, and he was unable to finish the year, NOT because of poor grades, but for other reasons that, hopefully, YOU will NEVER have to endure. His GPA was fine, until he had to have leave of absence for unfortunate reasons. And, his grades are great to date. Another Newburyport fan on here thought he was a 19 year old freshman; when in fact he is a 17 year old (birthday last week) sophomore. yOU LOSERS WILL GRASP AT anything TO NOT HAVE TO SAY YOU HAD A BAD GAME. Very sad. Stop blaming everyone except for yourself, and the quarteback who broke the rules and SCREWED you!

Report! #10 11/22/2007 08:34 PM

-2         yeat123

clancy did not screw us. all you amesbury people enjoy it while you listen to your tupac cd's in your house. your all white seriously who wears earrings during a football game. O and you can just say wilders unfourtunate reason is he has a child. is he failing cuz the baby was up crying all night and he couldnt do his hw. or is it that hes out at the bars drinking cuz hes old enough for that. o and flanigan wasnt a halfback hes been a quarterback since 2 years ago.

Report! #11 11/22/2007 08:42 PM

1         IndianFan26

Yeat, You may be thinking of his older brother EJ Flanagan; quarterback from 2002-2005. Jared has been a halfback since he started youth football, and he quarterbacked his first game just before mid-season, THIS year. After EJ, was Joe Klufts for 2006; and, David Smith was the quarterback for the beginning of this season. You are mistaken. You are obviously hurting, quite badly I'd say. And, understandably so. But, making up crazy stories as you go along here will not change anything. You are making a fool of yourself. Go to sleep, you are obviously very tired.

Report! #12 11/22/2007 08:58 PM

1         IndianFan26

Oh, you can see a couple of highlights from today's game on channel 7 news tonight at 11:00. You will see Jesse Burrell's end zone catch; they showed it at six! I hope all you Cape Ann fans will be at the playoff game to cheer on your leage champs; that means you too Newburyport!!

Report! #13 11/22/2007 09:05 PM

1         porker1823

Okay Newburyport fans, you dont have to make excusses we won last year...we won this year...and there is no way you can compete with next years senior class. Bring Clancey on th field next year and watch him get ruined by Amesbury. The game is over and were goin to the playoffs, get over it.

Report! #14 11/22/2007 09:30 PM

1         porker1823

stop wineing about the golf balls. you losed your chance at playoffs AMESBURY champs going all the way boys. I HAD A GREAT THANKSGIVING i deout you did clancey. by the way where you at todays game??

Report! #15 11/22/2007 09:36 PM

2         bruinsgirl1

This comment was inappropriate and has been removed.

Report! #16 11/22/2007 09:57 PM

RallyNorth

Please everyone watch your language. This is not a place to talk about each other. Let's keep the topic about football and on the game.

#17 11/22/2007 10:14 PM

0         wingman

its obious most nbpt ppl commenting are players that keep contradicting themselves by saying thatamesbury doesnt deserve it then saying nbpt made mistakes. thats what a good team does is capitalize on mistakes. props to amesbury and good luck in the tourny. this is wats wrong with giving the small a playoff birth though nbpt went 7-4 and amesburywent 5-5 but they make the post season. whether the kid from lynnfield was payed or not that doesnt excuse clancy from his actions a good qb would have of kept his cool. and wilder i understand he has had a rough life but most of us ppl from nbpt wouldnt know wat its like to come from wat he has, i give the kid props that he still goes to practice everyday despite his peronal things.

Report! #18 11/22/2007 11:07 PM

-1         Seawall77

Alright wingman just get your story straight. Clancy did not fight that kid from Lynnfield. The play was dead it was a passing play, and 54 was in clancy's face. The kid then pushed clancy and threw punches, clancy put his hands up in order to keep the kid off him, he didnt throw one punch at all, ive seen the tape from the game many times. He did keep his cool, but the fact is, when you get kicked out of a game for something you didnt do, then its hard to keep ur cool

Report! #19 11/22/2007 11:20 PM

-1         cb27

alright, you guys lost fair and square, you can blame clancy, cuz from what i heard he was throwin shots the whole game, elbowed 54 if the throat and he was the kid who snapped on him, if u ask me clancy deserved it.

Report! #20 11/22/2007 11:31 PM

0         ntrop00mach1

Ok, seawall, your boy Clancy is a dirty player, and doesn't shut his trap. I tackled him twice before that and he flipped out like a three year old swearing and flipping out and slapping me like some little girl. So basically he made me lose my temper, i wasn't paid u retard, this isn' tsome denzel washington movie. I m a high school football player, Clancy has no class as a player and nor do i apologize for what i did. Your boy Clancy elbowed me its ont he film you moron. But anyways i wasnt payed th coach and clancy got no class burning my name cause there pissed off. I m a Lynnfield football player its football stuff happens, its not a conspiriacy. Finally way to go Amesbury.

Report! #21 11/22/2007 11:32 PM

0         cb27

and btw i was at the game clancy elbowed him in the throat for no reason and 54 hit him, the elbow was caught on film and clancy backed down when he was challenged by 54 ADMIT IT you LOST

Report! #22 11/22/2007 11:33 PM

-1         ntrop00mach1

cb27 thanks man

Report! #23 11/22/2007 11:35 PM

1         cb27

paying off players and coaches in D3 HS sports... whats wrong with you people?

Report! #24 11/22/2007 11:48 PM

-1         Indian101

This comment was inappropriate and has been removed.

Report! #25 11/22/2007 11:56 PM

1         jburl34

i take no offense to porkers at all, and it is just dumb that amesbury uses that as an insult. stop saying it for your sake cause you sound like an idiot and you arent insulting anyone.

Report! #26 11/23/2007 12:59 AM

-2         Indian101

ya know ya got something there, but yeat, i mean come on. Nice job running all over us by the way haha....good call

Report! #27 11/23/2007 01:39 AM

0         ptr37

clancy would have shredded your defense, oh and the cal small is bull, shamers should have never been in the position to win that title, 5-5 overall, seriously

Report! #28 11/23/2007 06:38 AM

0         badhips535

Hey back of Tropeono, Clancy had it coming. I was a the game and Clancy was whining like a 4 year old girl the whole game. About time that kid gets smacked.

Report! #29 11/23/2007 07:26 AM

2         yeat123

back to tropeano admitting it. So tropeano heres what i think. you were terrible that day. you played horribly and when u tried to punch clancy i wasnt mad i was laughing at how you made yourself look like an idiot. you call him a whining baby and u coulnd tlay one punch on this baby. id love to find you and show you how to lay a punch. your the little baby who has no sportsmanship because you lost. o and i have one question how was you last game as a senior captain sitting on the sidelines where you belong? in my books you play like a jv player you never had the capability of a varsity player.

Report! #30 11/23/2007 10:10 AM

-1         marioncantspell

This comment was inappropriate and has been removed.

Report! #31 11/23/2007 10:27 AM

1         Burl Was Nothing

I love the fact that because Newburyport feels that they are better than everyone who ever lived that they have the right to try to deter us of the CAL Small Championship. Trying to say that a Lynnfield high football player was paid off by our coach is ridiculous, you're just trying to say something to make it seem like a conspiracy so that you guys can talk about it for years saying how it was a rip off and how you should have won. But my boy Guttenplan made a good point, you guys had chances, and you blew them, just like a weak team would. Amesbury capitalized on you're JV mistakes and won the football game. I'm sure Clancy and you're passing game would've helped you too considering we picked the ball off three times and the running game wasn't exactly as easy as you expected ethier. The one play you made the whole game was that screen pass that went for many yards. That was really the only decent play you guys got on us all day. Too bad 43 couldn't run the ball on us huh? Yeah 43, I think we showed you more than anyone else that we are not dead Indians.

Report! #32 11/23/2007 10:28 AM

1         IndianFan26

The first thing I noticed about Clancy yesterday was the tobacco in his mouth. State law prohibits tobacco on school grounds. Hope that's on film.....should he be able to play in his next contest? Amesbury proved, yesterday, what the game of football is all about. Any football movie ever made has been about teams coming from behind as the underdog & making it. Any book ever written, etc. etc. These are the stories that make us all love football. Think about that. The jealousy is totally out of control here. Newburyport, a big city, was beaten by the small-town underdogs. So what, not the first time. What do you all have to say about last year's game? Additionally, the stadium that we were forced to endure, yesterday, with its crumbling seating, etc. etc....a complete DISGRACE to the town, and, the league. My family donated money for the restoration, and we are from Amesbury. It is CLASS that the Newburyport players and/or fans (on this website anyway) seem to lack; dedicated athletes do not stay angry for this long, and they cheer on their league champs for the remainder of the season. The NBPT team has not been taught by its coaches, how to keep its composure (evident in Lynnfield as well as at yesterday's game). That is a shame. The NBPT team had SEVERAL opportunites to win; I can vouch for this because there were some very tense & scary moments for the Amesbury fans throughout the game; especially toward the end. Mental errors were quite evident at the start of the second half.......Nbpt allowed them selves to lose their composure...........which will OFTEN lose a game for a team.

Report! #33 11/23/2007 11:00 AM

1         IndianFan26

And hey, you know what Newburyport fans; the posts you are writing here are being read by all of the newspaper sportswriters who will be covering all of your games in the future. They are seeing what kind of kids, and what type of program you REALLY are; you sound silly, like poor sports, and are really making fools of yourselves.

Report! #34 11/23/2007 11:04 AM

1         OSheehan 16

Are you guys serious? Its Massachusetts Div 3-A football. Do you really think Amesbury PAID the Lynnfield kid? Watch the game tape, Clancy is as much to blame as #54. If you really think that Clancy is that good of a player that you lose soley because he wasnt in the game you deserve to lose. For those who say Amesbury dosent have a single standout player, we dont need one. Amesbury plays as a team we win when we need to. Newburyport played a sloppy game and are now blaming anything they can think of for losing except themselves. Looks like your "We Beat Amesbury" shirts from baseball season have to be put back in storage again.

Report! #35 11/23/2007 11:11 AM

2         monkeyhouse55

I was at the game directly behind the Newburyport bench and Clancy would not shut up. You would think that at least one coach or parent would tell him to stop motivating Amesbury not that they need much against the porkers from fishtown. Sorry folks but the people across the river generally do have a certain arrogance for what I have no idea. I do commend the Newburyport players who played hard especially their two QBs. Not their fault.

Report! #36 11/23/2007 11:41 AM

0         Indian101

hey marioncantspell, first of all who corrects someone about the proper term for chewing tobacco? Second of all, you're in deep for that screenname my friend. Thirdly, Newburyport lost to the better team. AMESBURYS IN THE PLAYOFFS!

Report! #37 11/23/2007 11:44 AM

0         marioncantspell

This comment was inappropriate and has been removed.

Report! #38 11/23/2007 12:17 PM

RallyNorth

This is the final warning. Please everyone watch your language. This is not a place to talk about each other. The topic that should be discussed is the game. If you do not follow the rules of the site your account will be suspended.

#39 11/23/2007 12:32 PM

-1         IndianFan26

Wait a minute.....DEJA VOUS! Wasn't that supposed to happen to Amesbury yesterday? LOL Yesterday proves that anything can happen. You can rest assured that Amesbury won't be crying like Newburyport if they are beaten; nor will they be making up silly stories about paying players, etc. . Amesbury plays as an inseperable unit, unlike Newburyport; they will win or lose with dignity......have you seen any Amesbury players boasting about themselves on this website as Burl has done? Burl must feel very foolish today after telling the world that he was going to "run all over Amesbury". This is not an athlete by definition, by any stretch of the imagination.; this is not a team player; neither was Clacny when he lost his cool and let his teammates down. Amesbury made history yesterday, and that can never be erased (never in the 85 year rivalry had these 2 teams ended up playing for a berth). and with such a YOUNG team as it is (Amesbury), that is awesome. I am certain that this team ate and slept very well yesterday, knowing that the competition is going to get tougher this week, and that they will play respectfully, and their very best.

Report! #40 11/23/2007 12:32 PM

-1         PaulR29

This comment was inappropriate and has been removed.

Report! #41 11/23/2007 12:51 PM

0         porker1823

O come on you poor sports starting a petition. Lets just start a petition about everything then. You guys think your the Cats Ass over there. Just face it you lost. It doesnt matter that we were 5-5 (4-1) in the Small and we won the tie breaker. Stop crying. Good job 31 crying and not shaking anyones hand. And Clancy can go smoke some more cigs downtown like a badass.

Report! #42 11/23/2007 01:13 PM

2         jfahey

Everyone, honestly. These accusations are becoming more and more unfounded and offensive to both the Amesbury faithful and the inhabitants of Newburyport. To those who find it entertaining to chide Burl for failing to run over the Indians, you're only making yourself look more unintelligent: Burl quite nearly ran us over and nearly won the game for Newburyport. So Newburyport, I would give some advice to you. Accept the fact that you were defeated, however, you can still debate that you are a better team: you did, in fact, have a back up quarterback on the field for the entire game. However, you are only making yourselves look whiney, disrespectful, and are displaying a serious lack of class when you take personal shots at Marion Wilder and more vague shots at the entire Amesbury football game (paying off players? As stated before, this is Division 3 High School Football.) This is also apropos to the Amesbury fans on this website: be wary of calling the entire Newburyport team 'Porkers', 'Arrogant', or any number of other insults, it merely gives them a chance to demean you for your child like cat calling. I'm sure we're all capable of handling ourselves like civilized individuals here.

Report! #43 11/23/2007 01:19 PM

-1         porker1823

amesbury won get over it remember that could have been you guys and amesbury stole it from you stop crying. amesbury will win the superbowl and newburyport will win notthing this whole year. “Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future.”

Report! #44 11/23/2007 01:36 PM

-2         IndianFan26

Hey Guys, just got the word....we play in Arlington on Tuesday.

Report! #45 11/23/2007 02:30 PM

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#46 11/23/2007 05:16 PM