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Reggies top Lynn Tech for second straight win

Saturday, November, 01 By Chris Helms
Staff writer

ANDOVER – Greater Lawrence head coach Tony Sarkis was calling for his field goal kicker to stretch out on the sidelines with the Reggies on Lynn Tech’s 21-yard line and 40 ticks remaining in the second quarter.

Turns out brothers Juan Carlos (3-of-6 passing, 75 yards) and Wadscar Gomez (109 yards on 28 carries) were planning on making sure the sure-footed Paul Menjivar’s services were not required in yesterday’s 28-8 victory.

On fourth-and-inches, Wadscar rushed to the inside and lunged forward for the first down. Not to be outdone, Juan Carlos found a wide open Eric Note-boom down the middle for a 19-yard strike that put the Reggies on the 2-yard line with just under 30 seconds to play in the first half. From there, Wadscar cruised into the end zone for the game’s first score.

“That was a huge pass,” said Sarkis. “Juan Carlos is still learning, too, as a sophomore. He’s just getting better and better, so it was great to see him do that.”

Despite that huge second quarter drive, both teams had trouble moving the ball in the first half, resulting in three Reggies punts and two punts and two fourth-down turnovers by the Tigers.

“In the beginning, they were doing a little stunting on the inside and we just had to adjust our guards. We also told Wadscar to make some adjustments and read the guards, and once that happened, we were able to move the ball,” Sarkis said.

Move the ball they did. Greater Lawrence exploded onto the scene in the second half thanks to a huge kickoff return by Dayram Berguellch that put the Reggies at midfield. Seven plays and 52 yards later, Wadscar scored his second touchdown of the game to put Greater Lawrence up 14-0.

“We just needed to execute,” Wadscar said. “We had to get that momentum going.”

Speaking of momentum, the Reggies didn’t seem to lose any, even when the Tigers finally got on the board in the fourth quarter on a fluke fumble recovery that went for a touchdown. The Tigers fumbled the ball on the snap, and after a good deal of confusion, Ryan Murphy retrieved the tumbling ball and took it to the house.

“Man, I thought our team had it, but I guess their kid just picked it up and ran it back. We were more concerned with getting the win, but the shutout would have been nice,” said Wadscar.

Defensively, the Reggies could not have asked for more from hard-hitting tackle Juan Olivo, who recorded five solo tackles, including three for a loss.

“He’s an outstanding player,” Wadscar said. “If you need a tackle, he’s there.”

Yesterday’s victory gives Greater Lawrence back-to-back wins for the first time this year.

“We’re playing as a team. Like I told the kids, once we have that team concept down – everybody backs each other up – we can’t lose,” said Sarkis. “Once they believe it in their minds, it starts to show in their physical ability, and that’s what I’m proud of most as a coach.”