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NORTH READING — It didn’t end on a high note, but that can’t diminish North Reading’s season. Yesterday’s 28-10 loss to Thanksgiving rival Lynnfield dropped North Reading to 8-3 for the year. “This was a great season,” said coach Jeff Wall, whose club beat Ipswich in the Division 4 North playoffs before being ousted in the North semis by Watertown. “After losing to Watertown, we asked them to reflect on it and asked them if they were going to continue and play and they have.”  Yesterday began like much of the season — with North Reading hanging tough against a much larger opponent.  The Hornets spotted Lynnfield a long opening-game drive that netted an 8-0 lead, but responded with a 16-play drive of their own. The possession included a pair of third-down conversions and one on fourth down. It took 9:52 off the clock before wrapping up on a 3-yard run by Kyle Bythrow.  “It was the seniors’ last game and they wanted to look back on it and know we left everything we had on the field,” junior running back Matt McCarthy said. “I definitely think we did that. This is the hardest I’ve ever worked with a team. It started in the summer, and it lasted the entire season. There wasn’t a single person who didn’t want (success), and I think our record reflects on that.”  North Reading grabbed a 10-8 lead moments after its touchdown on Angelo Disanto’s third field goal of the year, a 32-yarder. It was set up by Brian Cotter’s fumble recovery at the Pioneer 14.  But Lynnfield (8-3) used its size advantage — lines that included three players at least 6-foot-1 and each weighing closer to 300 than 200 — to wear down the Hornets after intermission. The Pioneers scored the game’s final 20 points, including 14 in the decisive third quarter, to seal the victory.  “The seniors (who have gone 19-14 the past three years) played a huge role in establishing this program,” said coach Wall.  McCarthy was held in check with 20 carries for 59 yards. He still finished the season with area highs in touchdowns (22, tied for first) and rushing yards (1,546). He’ll be back as will sophomore quarterback Bythrow and four of their five offensive linemen. “We’re bringing a lot of kids back,” Wall said. “We’re very excited for next year. I believe we’re bringing back eight on defense and the same on offense, so the future looks bright.”

NORTH READING — North Reading head coach Jeff Wall said the Hornets knew what Watertown would do, and they were prepared for it. But quarterback Deon Smith just proved too much to handle last night for the Hornets, who fell 31-7 in the Division 4 North semifinals. 

NORTH READING — Matt McCarthy and the North Reading Hornets didn't waste any time getting on the scoreboard in Saturday's matchup with Ipswich.

On what was the fourth play of the game, junior standout Matt McCarthy returned a punt 51 yards to the house to a chorus of cheers from the North Reading faithful.   

NORTH READING - North Reading running back Matt McCarthy had another big day, burning Newburyport's defense for 113 first-half yards and three touchdowns on the ground en route to a 41-8 win. North Reading (6-1) scored on its first five possessions, pulling ahead by four touchdowns before halftime. The Hornets started by handing the ball to McCarthy four consecutive times, leading to a 31-yard field goal by Angelo Disanto. Then, North Reading put together a four-play, 91-yard drive which was capped off by a 2-yard McCarthy touchdown run. "Matty (McCarthy) is phenomenal," said North Reading head coach Jeff Wall. "He's just a tremendous athlete and we are blessed to have him and David (Smith) as a 1-2 punch. It's not always coming down to us calling the right plays, Matt just makes things happen and he makes everyone around him better on both offense and defense." The next three scoring drives by the Hornets were two more TD runs by McCarthy of 4 and 9 yards, respectively, before Smith ran one in from 5-yards out to put his team up 31-0 just before the break. Disanto would add another 27-yard field goal before Ryan Edison plowed into the endzone for a 12-yard TD run to conclude the scoring.

NORTH READING — Matt McCarthy rushed for two second half touchdowns to help North Reading come back to beat Triton 14-7 on Friday night, scoring the game-winner with less than two minutes to play.

WEST NEWBURY — With the ball hurdling at him on a line, and a pair of defenders closing in fast, Kiernan Haley could have let the ball bounce, or called a fair catch.

Instead, the Pentucket senior fearlessly caught the ball, shook the defenders, and 65 yards later the Sachems were on the way to making a statement.

NORTH READING — Matt McCarthy scored on runs of 75 and 34 yards and Masconomet missed a game-tying PAT in the waning seconds as North Reading pulled off the shocker, 14-13.

McCarthy had scored go-ahead with 1:25 left but there was still a lot of football to play. Paul Baker made things interesting on his late 10-yard TD run.

The North Reading football team continued its hot start on Friday, beating Somerville 34-13 to improve to 3-0 on the season. Matt McCarthy had a monster game, scoring four touchdowns for the Hornets. His first came on an 8-yard run in the first quarter to give North Reading the lead, and after Somerville tied the game at 6-6 in the second, McCarthy burst free for an 80-yard score. Somerville tied the game again thanks to a 30-yard touchdown pass from Elijah Jeffreys to Shaquille Joseph, but North Reading took the lead for good shortly after when McCarthy scored on a 21-yard rush. He added a 33-yard touchdown in the fourth, and then Bob O'Donnell finished out the scoring with a 49-yard fumble return touchdown. North Reading is hosts Masconomet Friday at 7 p.m.

The North Reading offense was rolling on Friday, as the Hornets shut out Hamilton-Wenham 42-0.

The Hornets (2-0) took an early lead in the first quarter when John Merullo rushed for an 8-yard touchdown, and then in the second quarter North Reading hung 21 unanswered points on the Generals (0-2) to break the game wide open.

Matt McCarthy had a career day for North Reading, rushing for 236 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Hornets past Ipswich 27-14. McCarthy gave North Reading the lead with a 16-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and then added to that with a pair of big touchdown runs for 35 and 66 yards in the second to put the Hornets up 20-0 going into halftime. David Smith rounded out the scoring for North Reading with a 77-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third. Ipswich scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns by virtue of a 56-yard fumble recovery by Jake Long and a 70-yard touchdown pass from Shane Grady to Alex Morris, but by then the game was well in hand for the Hornets. North Reading will host Hamilton-Wenham Friday at 7 p.m.