Crusaders Come Up Short
Quarterback John Boutwell ran for a pair of touchdowns and completed a 45 yard TD pass to wide receiver Ryan McDonald to lead North Middlesex to a 21-20 squeaker over Groton-Dunstable.
Ryan McDonald ran the opening kick-off back to the GD 44. Boutwell moved the Patriots downfield and, aided by a penalty, set up a first and goal at the two yard line. The talented QB followed his left tackle into the end zone and McDonald tacked on the PAT to put NM up 7-0 with 6:24 remaining in the quarter.
GD went three and out on the next series but when Shane Dawson recovered a Patriots' fumble on the ensuing kick-off, the Crusaders were back on offense.
GD scored its first TD early in the second quarter. Two big plays in the drive, a 22 yard pass completion from sophomore QB Nate Forbes to classmate Logan Higgins, and Forbes on a keeper found a seam off right tackle and raced 28 yards for the score. The PAT was missed leaving the Crusaders down 7-6.
This was a physical, hard hitting football game with junior John Thorburn, PJ Kendall, Shane Dawson making big defensive stops. Thorborn recovered a fumble halting a Patriots drive.
With less than two minutes remaining in the half, the Crusaders, behind tough yardage gains by fullback Joey Orlando and Dawson, drove to the Patriots one yard line. But this Sandy Ruggles coached team held and Dawson was stopped just short of the goal line.
On the kick-off opening the third quarter, North Middlesex recovered a fumble on the GD nine yard line, and Boutwell complied, running it in from the five. McDonald kicked the PAT and GD trailed 14-6.
A solid ground gain featuring Orlando, Dawson and a six yard TD scamper by Forbes got the Crusaders their second TD but still trailed14-12. No hesitation from Coach Asadoorian who was going for the two-point conversion. The play was one that you might draw up in the school-yard but it worked. Wide receiver Drew Moore, running right to left in the backfield, took a Forbes handoff. Moore whirled and fired a strike to the QB who had drifted into the end zone to knot the score at 14 each with 2:07 remaining.
In the fourth quarter, Boutwell and Ryan McDonald hooked up on two pass completions, 40 and 45 yards respectively, scoring the go-ahead TD and with the McDonald PAT, led 21- 14 with 1:29 remaining.
No quit in this Crusaders team. With 26 seconds left, Forbes, playing like a seasoned veteran, found Drew Moore racing down the right sideline on a 23 yard pass completion.
GD lineman Ronnie Peck lined up as an eligible tight end and caught a 7-yard TD pass from Shane Dawson and GD trailed 21-20. Coach Asadoorian wanted the "W" but the Patriots stopped the Crusaders two-point conversion.
