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Pizzuto rewrites record books in tight Reggie win

Saturday, October, 10 By Chuck Frye
Staff writer

ANDOVER — North Shore knew that Joe Pizzuto was going to get the ball a lot. Greater Lawrence Tech’s offensive line made Pizzuto virtually impossible to touch.
Getting the ball on 87-percent of the Reggies’ plays, the 150-pound junior had a record-breaking day with 396 yards rushing and five touchdowns in a 36-28 slugfest victory yesterday at Gleason Field.
The effort topped the school record set by 1995 graduate and two-time Eastern Mass. Division 5 scoring champ Ray Marshall of 376 yards, according to head coach Tony Sarkis. Also, Pizzuto easily topped the Eagle-Tribune’s best-ever game since records were kept starting in 1998 (Derek Furey of Timberlane, 340 yards last season).
“Like I’ve been saying all year, we have the best line in the (Commonwealth Conference),” Pizzuto said. “They’re nice to run behind.”
Greater Lawrence’s system was simple and effective: 211-pound senior center Randall Gigliotti and 260-pound right guard Miguel Baez blew open holes at the point of attack, and 260-pound senior left guard Juan Olivo (who also contributed an interception defensively) roamed far downfield to shield the ball carrier from the secondary.
Simply put, the Reggies beat up the Bulldogs, sending starting linebacker Ben Huntley (ankle) to the bench, slowing down middle linebacker Juan Juan (leg) and generally taking the steam out of the entire defense. As a result, Pizzuto got 225 of his yards in the final 22 minutes of play.
“Our line is so big, we knew we were going to come at them,” Sarkis said. “The physical game really helped us at the end.”
After trailing 14-7 at halftime, Gr. Lawrence scored on its first three possessions of the second half to take charge at 29-14 with 2:10 left in the third quarter.
However, North Shore was able to hover close due to the efforts of strong-arm quarterback David St. Pierre (22 of 44, 378 yards, 4 TDs) and receiver Jordan Smith (13 catches, 268 yards, 3 TDs). Their 80-yard hookup right after Pizzuto’s fourth touchdown kept the game within reach at 29-22.
But Gr. Lawrence locked up the victory on a gutsy fourth-down call from its own 38-yard line with 6:28 left to play. Needing two yards, Pizzuto ran a stretch play to the right, followed Olivo down the sideline and didn’t stop until he reached the end zone.
“We just crashed the line down inside and got Juan out in space,” Sarkis said of the game-clinching play. “(Line coach and offensive coordinator) Danny Thompson did a fine job (yesterday).”
“That was the play after the injury (to Huntley),” said Bulldog head coach Paul Worth. “That was a killer play.”
And after 2 3/4 hours of two-way football, Pizzuto almost seemed ready for more.
“I feel good, I feel good,” he said. “I have so much confidence in all my teammates. I want us to win every single game and go to the Super Bowl.”

No Ordinary Joe
Complete Eagle-Tribune single-game rushing records go back through the 1998 season, in that span no local back has equalled Joe Pizzuto’s performance yesterday.
Yards%Player%Team%Year
396%Joe Pizzuto%Gr. Lawrence%2009
340%Derek Furey%Timberlane%2008
340%Alex Theodhosi%Londonderry%2007
337%Nate Adames%Gr. Lawrence Tech%2007
332%Theodhosi%Londonderry%2007
331%Zac Iovanella%North Andover%2007
331%Max Jacques%Salem%2009