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Rosano, Hornets come back for first victory

Saturday, November, 06 By Chuck Frye
Staff writer

GEORGETOWN — In a game of big plays, North Reading saved its best for the end.

Spearheaded by the resilient leadership of quarterback/defensive back Nick Rosano, the Hornets shook off a sloppy field and an early Georgetown lead to score twice in the fourth quarter and prevail, 14-7, for its first win of the season.

Neither team was able to generate any consistent offense for long stretches of the game as wall-to-wall mud did its part to slow both teams down.

Rosano (five tackles, one stuffing a Royal fourth-down running try, two defended passes), James Mantho (five tackles, one for loss) and Michael Moscaritolo (five tackles, QB pressure) were defensive standouts for the Hornets (1-7). Tim Dillon (10 tackles) and Eric Gesualdi (six tackles), Thomas Zargaj (interception) and Derek Depasquale (five tackles, two for losses) were impressive for Georgetown (1-7). In all, there were 11 punts and four drives that were stuffed on downs.

On the first offensive play of the second quarter, Georgetown finally broke loose. Quarterback Tyler Wade rolled out at his own 30-yard line and found Derek Depasquale in the left flat. Breaking out of the crowd and down the sideline, Depasquale (four catches for 131 yards) showed his speed by outrunning the Hornet secondary to the end zone.

With North Reading's offense struggling, it looked like the 7-0 lead would stand up, but Rosano would have none of that.

Carrying the offense on his back, Rosano almost single-handedly turned the tide starting with a late first-half drive of 10 plays and 46 yards. Despite ending on a Zargaj interception, the Hornets built confidence.

Huge red-zone stops by Lipani and Mantho led to an early fourth-quarter missed field goal by Georgetown, and Rosano wasted little time rewarding the stop.

The next play saw the senior (173 yards rushing, 70 yards passing) blast through left tackle and rumble the 80-yard distance. A two-point conversion try failed, but the Hornets had momentum.

"I got a great lead block from Mantho," Rosano said. "The hole was huge and I was off." 

After a pair of Royal three-and-outs, Rosano went to work from his own 16, ripping off a 28-yard run down the right sideline behind Mike O'Brien and Eric Popp's blocking then unleashing a well-timed laser to Popp that turned into a 50-yard pitch-and-catch to the Georgetown 10.

From there, Rosano capped the comeback. Sweeping around right end, Popp and Mantho cleared the path and Rosano got to the promised land with 2:26 left to play.

"Once again, (Mantho) led me in," Rosano said. "We knew no one was going to give up. There was no doubt in my mind."

Georgetown mustered a mind threat behind a 17-yard Wade-to-Max Mangano connection, but the drive died on downs at the Hornet 45 with 1:11 left.

"A number of people stepped up and did a good job," Royal head coach Matt Bouchard said. "It was not enough at the end, but I think we can build on it. We had the type of effort you need to win."

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• Rosano, Hornets come back for first victory