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Rothwell's huge game leads Pentucket

Saturday, September, 29 By Matt Jenkins
Staff writer

IPSWICH — Ipswich knew they were facing a daunting task in defending budding Pentucket star Cody Rothwell.

For 21 minutes, the Sachems struggled to break through, but it only took one play from Rothwell to change the game.

The senior running back broke a 70-yard touchdown run with less than a minute to play in the first half to finally set the tone, and Pentucket added another score in the fourth to complete an exhausting 14-0 win over the Tigers.

“I’ve watched (Rothwell) on tape and scouted them a couple times and he’s extremely difficult to tackle. He’s very competitive and instinctual,” said Ipswich coach Ted Flaherty said. “You can’t get your arms around him. He’s a very tough runner, one of the better players in the league.”

Rothwell finished with 132 yards rushing on 16 carries and both of Pentucket’s touchdowns, adding a 2-yard TD run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Defensively, he was also a menace for the Tigers, picking off a pair of passes to prevent a comeback.

“He had an awesome game,” Pentucket coach Steve Hayden said. “Two touchdowns, two interceptions and a couple knockdowns, it was great play by him.”

Hayden also understood the importance of scoring just before the half to break a scoreless tie.

“It was big. It was a dog fight as it was,” Hayden said. “I told the kids that they were good. We’re tiny, smaller than them and they were a physical team.”

Ipswich never got into the red zone, and their deepest penetration was to the Pentucket 31-yard line.