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Lambert, Londonderry fly to win

Saturday, September, 19 By Bill O'Connor
Staff writer

LONDONDERRY — Londonderry’s Alex Lambert lined up on Concord’s 3-yard line with just over five minutes to play in the first half.

After taking the snap, the senior halfback took two giant steps forward and leapt — his body completely parallel with the ground — colliding with defenders in mid-air. When he landed, his outstretched arms were just over the goalline, adding to the Lancers’ lead

That was the most impressive of Lambert’s three rushing touchdowns on a night, as he tallied 153 yards rushing on 25 carries to lead Londonderry to a 39-13 victory over Chelmsford.

“I was just running for my life,” said Lambert, listed at 5-foot-8, 150-pounds.

The Lancers dominated the contest from the outset, finding the end zone on each of their first three drives —  first on a 9-yard Lambert run, then on a 60-yard burner from freshman Alex Dreschel to start the second quarter. Lambert capped it with his diving score.

Concord finally responded, but the Lancers had a trick up their sleeve. Quarterback Ross Johnston connect with wideout Nick Martinez for a 10-yard gain. Martinez then lateraled the ball to Dreschel, who went 40 more yards for a touchdown to make it 26-7 at the half.

The Lancers received the kick to start the second half, and proceeded to call 14 straight running plays on its first possession, driving 79 yards downfield and scoring on a 3-yard Lambert run with 4:25 left in the third quarter. Two possessions later, Johnston connected with tight end Jake Finnegan on a 69-yard touchdown pass, making it 39-7 Londonderry.

“This means a lot, it’s good to get the monkey off our back,” said Lancers coach Jon Rich, whose team was off to an 0-2 start. “The kids deserve it, they’ve been working hard all off season, hitting the weight room, and it was just a well deserved win.”