LEXINGTON HANDS WINCHESTER FIRST LOSS 42-28
By James Baldwin
Winchester, MA. 9/28/18. With quarterback Tony Bianchi, receiver Mesay Merseth and running back Mason Hatfield igniting the offense, the Lexington High football team exploded for three touchdowns in ten minutes of the second half to run away from host and previously undefeated Winchester 42-28 Friday night.
Bianchi recovered from his turnover-plagued performance at Reading last week with a huge night. The senior co-captain ran for three touchdowns, passed for three more and accounted for just over 300 yards of total offense.
His senior wide-out Merseth caught two bombs both on contested balls and both for touchdowns, one for 40 yards, the second for 58.
And Hatfield, just a sophomore, continued his resourceful and versatile play flashing speed and elusiveness on 13 carries for 90 yards, three receptions for 36 yards and one catch for a two point conversion.
The Minutemen were actually behind with 7:36 left in the first half after a hot Sachem quarterback senior Tony Fiorentino, who completed his first seven passes, connected with junior Tommy Degnan for the touchdown and the lead that would be 14-8 after Fiorentino’s extra point.
But Lexington answered with a quick, five play, 63-yard drive in under two minutes with Bianchi scoring from the 1. A pass in the flat from Bianchi to Hatfield for the two-point conversion gave the Minutemen a 16 – 14 lead, a lead they would never relinquish. Hatfield had the key play on the drive with a field reversing 32 yard run dodging countless Sachem tacklers along the way.
They would go on to score three more unanswered touchdowns stretching the lead to 36-14 with 8:43 left in the game.
Sensing the end, the Lexington defense seemed to relax while Winchester would not go quietly. The Sachems launched a 12-play 75-yard drive behind six Fiorentino completions, the last of which a short shovel pass to senior co-captain Matt Romagna for the touchdown.
Still, with a 36 – 21 lead and just 5:20 left in the contest, all Lexington had to do was kill the clock and get on the bus back home.
But this is high school football, and, of course, Stranger Things happened.
After Lexington took over on downs at the Winchester 38, Bianchi was forced to scramble as he rolled right. Hemmed in at the sideline, he saw a receiver open a few yards ahead and, improvising, softly lobbed a short pass. Degnan, playing linebacker on defense, plucked the floating pass in mid-air and cruised untouched 58 yards down the sideline for what may well be the most surprising touchdown of the season. After Fiorentino’s conversion, what was a rout had suddenly become a one score game 36 – 28 with 2:51 left.
“We never make it easy,” Lexington coach George Peterson said adding, “but Winchester never quits. Every time we come here, we know what to expect.”
Lexington covered Winchester’s ensuing onsides kick at their own 45 and an incensed Bianchi returned to the action leaving nothing to chance. Running behind huge swaths of space opened by an angry offensive line, Bianchi covered 43 yards on three consecutive keepers to the Winchester 12.
A personal foul flag moved the Minutemen back to the 27, but it didn’t matter. On the next play Bianchi hit Hatfield over the middle with a laser at the 2 yard line, then followed an offensive line that pushed Winchester two yards deep into the end zone to finish the drive for a 42-28 lead and an exclamation point on the evening.
“I was ready to kill him (after the interception),” Peterson laughed. “Then he came right back out and put it away. That’s him. He’s a big, tough kid, and he’s not gonna back down. All of our kids made it happen tonight. They really wanted this game.”
Winchester’s Fiorentino shredded the Minuteman defense in the first half completing 9 of 12 passes five of which were caught by sophomore receiver Henry Kraft. But Lexington held him to 9 of 25 in the second, and Kraft to just two receptions and ended the game on senior cornerback Ben Burnham’s interception.
Peterson commented, “Fiorentino’s a good QB. He throws very well, but we made some adjustments at halftime and finally made some plays on third down in the second half.”
Bianchi completed 11 of 17 throws for 175 yards and ran 19 times for 137 yards.
Senior wide out Gabe Van Emon scored Lexington’s fourth touchdown on a 24 yard crossing route with Bianchi hitting him on the numbers. Van Emon also had a two-point conversion reception.
Now 2-2 on the season, the Minutemen visit Arlington next Friday night at 7.