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Shock and awe! Raiders put up 24 in 2:01 to cook Chelmsford

Friday, October, 30 By Hector Longo

CHELMSFORD - If you took the time to slather some relish and mustard on your hot dog between quarters 1 and 2, you probably missed it.

Central Catholic's second quarter eruption was that quick and twice as lethal.

Down 7-0 to Chelmsford - without a first down yet - the Raiders put 24 points up on the scoreboard in the first 2:01 of the period, stunning the upset-minded Lions and rolling to the 24-14 victory before about 400 fans last night.

Zack Lattrell kick-started the conflagration with a 62-yard TD dash, virtually untouched.

"We make plays, that's how our season has been," said Lattrell. "It's not a good habit to have, but we're used to coming from behind. "We love playing from behind. We love being the underdog. We always come back with a vengeance."

The ensuing events were a blur for Chelmsford. A wild, spiralling effect began when Raider halfback/kicker Cam Walsh limped off the field with a leg injury.

Unable to boot the PAT, Walsh limped back out there to play decoy for Andrew Ouellette's fake and two-point pass to Jaycob Morales.

Lattrell, who kicked as a freshman, misfired on the kickoff - the shank was the perfect excuse-me onside kick - and Raider Dylan Smith recovered it.

Ouellette bolted 37 yards to the 2, and Lattrell bowled over a couple Lions for a two-yard TD. Forced to go for two, Ouellette made it 16-7 on a quarterback draw.

Lattrell got into the next kickoff and followed it downfield, pouncing on a Lions fumble at the 29.

Ouellette clicked with Smith, tiptoeing on the sideline for 28 yards to the 1. Trae Musumarra finished the job with the off-tackle TD, and another Ouellette to Morales two-pointer closed out the wildest of sequences.

Just like that, with 8:59 left before halftime, Chelmsford was cooked.

The Raiders, now 7-1 overall and perfect in league play, played sound - not to mention opportunistic - defense, sprinkling in just enough ball control to never really face a serious Chelmsford challenge.

The home team scored its second TD in the final minute to make it appear a tad closer than things were.

"I don't know what our (turnover) plus-minus stat is, but we're way up on the plus side," said Adamopoulos, whose team didn't turn the ball over. "We're in the hunt with three games to go. I guess that's all we can ask."

Lattrell turned in his basic 15-tackle performance at linebacker, while Ouellette added 90 rushing yards and an interception from his safety spot. Junior Zach Bardwell also had a pick.

The Raiders face Methuen Friday before a potential MVC large winner-take-all showdown with Billerica and the Thanksgiving clash with Andover.