LYNNFIELD — Just call them the cardiac kids.
For a second straight week, the Lynnfield football team (6-1) came from behind with a late fourth-quarter rally to break an opponent’s heart.
The Pioneers’ latest victim was Hamilton-Wenham Friday on Lynnfield Senior Night, who went down 27-26 at Pioneer Stadium in a wild affair that wasn’t decided until the Generals missed what was shaping up to be a game-winning 30-yard field goal with under a minute to play.
Trailing 26-21 with 6:39 to play, Lynnfield quarterback Clay Marengi (19-of-28, 310 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INT) drove the Pioneers 66 yards in five plays in a little over a minute, the final play being a 10-yard scamper, virtually untouched, into the end zone by Marengi.
The win clinched at least a share of the Cape Ann League title for the Pioneers (3-0 CAL) and guaranteed a home game for next weekend’s opening round of the Division 5 North playoffs.
“We wanted to win this game and win the league, which we did, and now we have to wait until Sunday and prepare for what’s next,” said Lynnfield coach Pat Lamusta. “I’m happy for the seniors because they went through a lot last year as juniors.
“The team’s mental toughness, never seen this collective toughness. They have that next-play mentality and they have been doing since they were freshmen. We are lucky to have this group of seniors and to get this win the way we did on Senior Night is phenomenal.”
Lynnfield took the opening kickoff and drove 71 yards on 11 plays to grab a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Marengi to Jack Ford (7 catches, 106 yards, 2 TDs) and point after from Spenser Riley.
The Pioneer defense forced a punt on the Generals first possession, but the punt was fumbled away. Hamilton-Wenham needed only one play to cash in and tie the game.
Lynnfield regained the lead (13-7) on a 1-yard completion from Marengi to John Lee with two seconds to go in the opening quarter.
In the second quarter, the Pioneer defense forced a turnover on downs on the Generals next drive with Lynnfield taking over on its 26. Five plays later, Marengi hit Ford from 31 yards out to make it 19-7. Lee added the two-point conversion and it was 21-7, Lynnfield.
The Generals started the second half with a bang, pulling to within seven on a 27-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ian Coffey. On the Generals’ next drive, Coffey hit Tristan McCarthy from 23 yards out to make it 21-20.
For the third time in the game, the Generals converted Pioneer turnovers into points, this one following Marengi’s second interception. Coffey needed only two plays to hit Ryan Monahan from 76 yards out to give the Generals their first lead, 26-21.
Blake Peters (5 catches, 65 yards), back in action after missing two games with an injury, came up big on the Pioneers’s game-winning drive, with a huge 40-yard grab (and three catches) to set the Pioneers up at the Generals’ 19.
The Pioneers rewarded Lamusta with an ice bath following the exciting outcome.
“Man, it was cold, but, overall it was a great feeling,” he said. “They got me on that one. I wasn’t expecting it. I have work on preparedness.
“As it worked out we were able to play well enough defensively and we scored just enough points to win.”
The postseason pairings will be announced Sunday.