Costly Loss for Crusader Football

The hope for GD was to beat Westborough, end up 5-3, 3-3 in the league and not have to play No.2 Hudson (7-0, 4-0)  at the Morgan Bowl, Friday 11/1 at 7:00 p.m. in the MIAA sectional tournament. But the Groton-Dunstable loss, coupled with the Rangers being winless prior to the game against the Crusaders, did not favor a good draw.

Westborough quarterback Dan Orlando threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth to lead the Rangers past Groton-Dunstable, 31-14 Mid-Wach B league action. Despite having a losing record, Westborough (1-6, 1-3) and many other teams qualified for the postseason in the new MIAA playoff format.

The Crusaders (4-3, 2-3), trailed 14-0 at the break but junior Evan Lexo returned the second-half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to make it a one possession game.

Orlando ran it in from the 14 and on the Rangers' next possession, he threw a strike to Scott Erickson and the tight end raced in for a 62 yard TD. Westborough's Jack Chuma made all the PATs and a 24 yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

GD senior Tristan Lynch scored from the four yard-line in the fourth. EricYanchenko PAT was good, making the score 28-14 before Chuma's field goal.

Orlando was 6 of 9 for 140 yards and Mike Hemmernan had 16 carries for 84 yards.  Groton-Dunstable sophomore quarterback Corey Romich was 8 of 18 for 117 yards and ran the ball nine times times for 25 yards.

Below are the Division 4 MIAA seedings with the Power Ratings (in parenthesis) determined by formulas created by the MIAA Football Committee.

Bracket Notes: 

1. Shepherd Hill (14.71)

2. Hudson (14.29)

3. Doherty (14.14)

4. St. Peter-Marian (13.43)

5. Tantasqua (13.00)

6. Quabbin (11.14)

7. Groton-Dunstable (10.57)

8. Nipmuc (8.14)

No.2 Hudson (7-0) will host No. 7 Groton-Dunstable in a MIAA First Round game played at the Morgan Bowl at 7:00pm, Friday, 11/1. Other match-ups: Shepherd Hill vs Nipmuc, Doherty vs Quabbin, St. Peter-Marian vs Tantasqua.