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Wilmington topples Pentucket

Saturday, November, 10 By Chuck Frye
Staff writer

WILMINGTON | This game was worthy of determining the Cape Ann League's best as the 1,500 in attendance would attest.

After a shocking upset of Masconomet last week opened the door, Pentucket struggled as fullback Nate Bunnell became a marked man as did second option Chris Modlish. The Sachems also suffered a pair of turnovers, but their defense did more than its share to keep things close.

Behind quarterback Jordan Silva's exploits, Pentucket tied the game midway through the fourth quarter. But Wilmington responded like a champion on its next possession. Unheralded signal-caller Kyle Moon and fullback Corey Groves set the stage over five tense minutes for standout halfback Ernie Mello's game-winning 1-yard run with 1:58 left to play, delivering Wilmington a 17-10 victory and at least a share of the CAL Large title.

The Wildcats (4-1 in the league, 9-1 overall) have a non-league Thanksgiving game with Tewksbury remaining while contenders Masconomet and North Andover (both 3-1 in the league) face off on Turkey Day.

Ryan Durkin's 30-yard field goal was bookended by a 21-yard 3-pointer from Stephen Stewart and a 2-yard Mello run as Wilmington led 10-3. Pentucket found itself near midfield late in third quarter and looking for answers. Bunnell (18 carries, 60 yards) and Modlish (46 yards) were targeted effectively and Silva struggled throwing the ball on the chilly evening.

But the junior QB came to life, converting a long third-down play with a nice 13-yard run while moving the chains two other times on bullet throws to senior end Liam Crawford.

Pushing to the Wildcat 1, Silva crept in for the TD with 6:58 remaining, with Durkin's PAT knotting the score.

"I thought we just played a little tougher in the second half than in the first," Sachems head coach Steve Hayden said. "But give Wilmington credit, they came back."

The Sachem defense rode the momentum when Bunnell sacked Moon for a 10-yard loss on Wilmington's first play, but the senior turned the tide with a clutch 17-yard toss to Stewart on third-and-11.

He later connected with Groves (86 yards rushing, 45 yards receiving) for a 12-yard gain, then handed off to the burly senior twice for 18 yards to the Sachem 1. With the frenzied Wildcat crowd smelling blood, Mello (103 yards on 22 carries) dove over the right side of his line for the eventual game-winner.