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Gloucester clinches playoff spot with win over Bulldogs

Friday, November, 07 By By Matt Langone and Nick Curcuru

GLOUCESTER - The Gloucester football team is in a pretty familiar situation after last night's victory over Lynn English.

The Fishermen have clinched a share of the Northeastern Conference Large, and more importantly, their second straight trip to Division 2A playoffs after a 35-7 dismantling of the Bulldogs at Newell Stadium. Gloucester will begin their quest for a second straight Division 2A Super Bowl when they meet the winner of the Cape Ann League in the semi finals.

The Fishermen (8-1) put the Bulldogs away early thanks to a 21-0 half-time lead.

Ross Carlson gave the Fishermen an early spark by blocking a punt midway through the first quarter that set the Gloucester offense up at the English 27-yard line. Two plays later Carlson finished the job,  scoring from 19 yards out. A Giacamo Romeo extra point would make it 7-0 Fishermen, where it would stand after one quarter.

Lynn English looked to be getting some momentum when a punt pinned the Fishermen inside their own 5-yard line. Gloucester, however, needed just two plays to drive 98 yards. After a 16-yard scamper from Carlson, wing back Taylor Burbine took a reverse 82 yards to the end zone. Burbine picked up a big block from Carlson at the Bulldogs 20-yard line. Carlson ran from the opposite end of the field to chip a Lynn English defender and spring Burbine into the end zone for a 14-0 Gloucester lead.

Burbine would add another score on a reverse late in the second quarter, this time from 14 yards out. Burbine took a reverse into the end zone on the previous play from nine yards out, but a holding penalty wiped out the score. Gloucester head coach Paul Ingram then called the exact same play, which lead to Burbine's second score, and a 21-0 half-time lead.

Burbine led the Fishermen offense with 114 yards rushing and 23 receiving in the first half. Carlson added 50 yards rushing. As a team the Fishermen put up 208 yards of total offense in the first half, 185 of them on the ground.

The Fishermen defense was just as dominant as the high scoring offense, holding the Bulldogs to just 49 yards of total offense in the first half. Gloucester kept their foes spread offense at bay with an aggressive blitz scheme that lead to four first half sacks. Chris Unis lead the way for the Fishermen pass rush with 1.5 sacks, Dylan Morissey and Brett Cahill had one each.

The Fishermen built their lead in the second half with two straight fourth quarter scores.

Burbine added his third score of the game with eight minutes to go on a two yard plunge. On the Fishermen's ensuing drive Conor Ressel broke a 41-yard run to give Gloucester a 35-0 lead.

The Bulldogs finally got on the board with 3:30 to go when quarterback Jesse Fowler hooked up with Justin Young for a 43-yard touchdown to make it 35-7.

Matt Langone can be reached at mlangone@gloucestertimes.com and Nick Curcuru can be reached at ncurcuru@gloucestertimes.com.