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Pinkerton climbs back over .500

Friday, October, 18 By Jeff Hamrick

DERRY – With injuries mounting by the week, Pinkerton has been forced to juggle its lineup with each game.

Friday night, the Astros got one big piece back at quarterback, but it was a fullback who played the biggest role in Pinkerton climbing back above the .500 mark while remaining alive for a playoff spot.

Evan Wilson scored a couple touchdowns and ran for a career-high 101 yards as Pinkerton took a convincing 27-6 victory over Concord. The Astros improved to 4-3 with two weeks left and will need help to advance in addition to a couple wins.

“It’s always next man up,” said Wilson, a fullback who had 10 rushes and caught a pair of passes for 89 yards. “We preach that in practice. You never know what’s going to happen. We have like 10 starters out, but it’s next man up. We don’t worry about anything but winning the football game. We have to focus on us and winning.”

Senior Jeff Potvin returned behind center after missing the previous two games and wasted little time before completing a long pass to Wilson on the second play, netting 59 yards. Five plays later, Jacob Albert scored from 2 yards out on a fourth-down play. Albert came up big with 91 yards – two shy of his season high – on only seven attempts.

Brandon Roy kicked the extra point then supplied the ensuing six points with field goals of 40 and 33 yards – doubling his season total entering the game.

Wilson capped the 20-point first half with a dazzling 60-yard burst with 1:08 remaining.

“I was just trying to get to the end zone, of course,” said Wilson, who has gained 200 of his 273 season rushing yards the past two weeks. “I wanted to run as fast as I could and not let anyone get in my way or let anybody stop me.”

Concord cut the lead to 20-7 with a three-yard scoring pass from Ronan McGonigle to Guy Kabate. On the drive, Kabate had a 55-yard run which accounted for more than half of the Crimson Tide’s 99 rushing yards. Concord had only 178 total yards.

Pinkerton (4-3) capped the scoring with a 30-yard pass from Potvin to Wilson that was identical to the long completion on the game’s first possession.

“I just dive backside then head to the corner of the end zone,” said Wilson, who entered with two receptions for 29 yards on the season. “Jeff put it on the spot each time. I caught them and made the plays.”

Without captains Jake MacInnis, the leading rusher who said he will return next week after missing two games with a leg injury, and center Thomas Macdonald, the Astros still managed to compile 245 yards – the team’s most in four weeks.

“Having (tackle) Brady Durazzano back (after missing two games) last week, so that’s helped a lot,” O’Reilly said. “We’re shoring up the line as best we can. It was also nice having (Potvin) back after two weeks also. Jeff’s a smart quarterback, a good quarterback and we need him.”