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Pentucket battles back, but falls to Masconomet

Thursday, October, 20 By Dan Harrison

WEST NEWBURY — Halftime adjustments and a couple of big plays helped Pentucket rally from a two-score, halftime deficit to tie Masconomet in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s Cape Ann League clash.

But, with the money on the table and the game on the line, it was the Chieftains who cashed in big.

With the game tied and just over two minutes remaining on the clock, Masconomet drove 78 yards capped by a 24-yard touchdown run by Tim Beliveau that gave the Chieftains the 21-14 win over the Sachems.

After Beliveau’s TD with just 46 ticks left on the game clock. Pentucket would get a Hail Mary at the end of the game, and Finn Graham threw about a good a jump ball a high school quarterback can throw, but the Masco secondary batted the ball down.

Pentucket got on the scoreboard in the third quarter when Finn Graham connected with Robert Porter for a 51-yard score after a pair of Masconomet defenders went to hit Porter as he made the catch, but ended up knocking each other out of the play.

Porter (113 yards from scrimmage) and Graham hooked up for another big gain in the fourth quarter setting up Sheehy’s score. 

”I definitely felt them, I just kind of got around and was lucky enough that there was no one else there to make the tackle, and I broke free,” Porter said of his scoring catch before touching on the second half surge his team showed.

The defense also rebounded quite nicely in the final two quarters, especially in the run game. Outside of Beliveau’s game-winning score, the hosts allowed just 21 yards rushing after intermission.

Graham’s numbers weren’t eye-popping as he completed 7 of 14 for 148 yards, but the senior signal caller played with poise and did complete three straight passes on the final drive to set up the desperation heave. 

Defensively, Sheehy he had a pair of interceptions in the second half to give his team life, Chris Muollo made some big tackles and Jacob Luke was a force on the defensive line in the second half with a sack, a tackle for a loss and another stuff just inches past the line of scrimmage.

Masconomet 21, Pentucket 14

Masconomet (4-2): 6 8 0 7 — 21

Pentucket (2-4): 0 0 7 7 — 14

First Quarter

M — Tim Beliveau 1 run (kick failed)

Second Quarter

M — Dan Monagle 25 pass from Declan Judge (Peter Kitsakos rush)

Third Quarter

P — Robert Porter 51 pass from Finn Graham (Stevie Johanson kick)

Fourth Quarter

P — Liam Sheehy 3 run (Johanson kick)

M — Beliveau 24 run (William Garten kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Masconomet — Tim Beliveau 14-71, Peter Kitsakos 6-65, Declan Judge 1-(-7); Pentucket — Liam Sheehy 13-33, Robert Porter 8-18, Finn Graham 4-15, Chris Muollo 2-(-1), Brandon Wilbur 1-(-2).

PASSING: Masconomet — Judge 11-21-2, 154; Pentucket — Graham 7-14-0, 148

RECEIVING: Masconomet — Paul Baker 6-100, Dan Monagle 2-29, Kitsakos 1-18, Colby Jacques 1-7, Beliveau 1-0; Pentucket — Porter 3-95, Nathan McGrail 3-38, Stevie Johanson 1-15.