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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.

Desperation affects football teams in strange ways. Last night, it brought out the best in Wilmington, which was just minutes from being all but ousted from the Cape Ann League race.

Instead, the frenzied Wildcats escaped a 7-0 hole in the final minutes, pinning an excruciating 10-7 loss on North Andover High.

Alex Lampropoulos caught a pair of touchdown passes from Zach Gorrell, but winless Ipswich (0-8) couldn't keep up with one of the Cape Ann League's best teams last night. "We moved the ball pretty well," said Ipswich coach Ted Flaherty. "We had a 91-yard touchdown drive and we saw some good things on offense. But, defensively, they were too much for us. They were quick and we had no answer for the things they did."

They say football is a game of inches, and last night one-win Triton was 36 inches away from knocking off one-loss Wilmington. A fourth quarter touchdown by the Wildcat's all-league running back Ernest Mellow, the only TD of the game, gave Wilmington a 7-3 victory.

HAMILTON | No one has to tell coach Andrew Morency and his Hamilton-Wenham football team that this is the most arduous part of the season.

The Generals were feeling it physically and mentally here Saturday after Cape Ann League power Wilmington dominated them in every phase of the game in a 31-7 thumping.

TOPSFIELD -- Masconomet football coach Jim Pugh didn't have a pep talk prepared for halftime. Even if he did, his team never would have allowed him the time to deliver it.

The Chieftains took it upon themselves to turn things around after getting overpowered by Wilmington in the first half last night. Masco took control in the trenches, and erased a seven-point halftime deficit for a 17-14 win.

An Amesbury football team that opened the season just over two weeks ago with high hopes now finds itself in desperate need of a victory.

The Indians dropped to 0-3 last night with a 34-13 loss to Wilmington. Wildcats quarterback Kyle Moon was 8 for 11 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Ernie Mello returned after his seven-touchdown effort against Lawrence last week and added two more and 93 yards on the ground. He now had 16 touchdowns on the season.

NEWBURYPORT | From the very first drive, Wilmington's ground and pound operation had Newburyport's defense staring at the back of Ernest Mello's blue and white No. 21 jersey for much of the game.

It wasn't a good look for Newburyport as Mello compiled 205 yards on 21 carries, sparking a 27-17 Wilmington victory at World War Memorial Stadium.