McCann Football Team Survives Wild Semi-Final
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- McCann Tech held on despite five total turnovers to beat visiting Franklin Tech 13-6 to advance to the D6 Western Mass Final on Saturday.
After forcing the visiting Franklin Tech Eagles into a three and out on their opening drive of the game, McCann Tech took over on their own 45-yard line and four plays later they were into the end zone for the first score of the afternoon, making it 7-0 Hornets just three minutes into the game.
On the Eagles' next possession, McCann stuffed them on fourth down and one to get the ball back and proceeded to drive down to the Franklin 20-yard line with the help of a 43-yard run by junior Eathan Heller. It looked as though the Hornets were on their way to one of their signature blowout victories but that's when the turnovers started.
One play after Heller's 43-yard run, McCann put the ball on the ground and Franklin recovered on their own 14. From that point forward, McCann turned it over another four times for a total of five turnovers and struggled the rest of the day to move the ball against a stout Eagle defense.
"Every time we play [Franklin] it's like this. The two of us just slug it out and it's whoever is standing at the end," said McCann coach Bob LeClair. "They just came out and played a super ball game. They had a great game plan. Showed us different stuff. They really brought it to us."
Holding onto their 7-0 lead, the Hornets came out of halftime and started to put together some plays. Two completions from quarterback Nick Lincoln to Levi Lawson helped move the Hornets down to the Franklin 24-yard line but then another turnover, this one an interception, gave the ball back to the Eagles.
Franklin was forced to punt after one first down but another turnover by McCann, a muffed punt by the Hornet returner, gave the Eagles the ball back on the McCann 37. Again, they couldn't capitalize but their punt pinned the Hornets deep down inside their own 10-yard line and this time the Eagles were able to take advantage.
McCann punted and Franklin got a good return on it to set their drive up at the Hornet 18. Two plays later, quarterback Cj Daignault kept the ball on a sweep around the right side from seven yards out to get the Eagles on the board. A failed two-point conversion attempt put the score at 7-6 with 8:28 left in the 3rd quarter.
That's when the madness commenced, as both teams would combine for three fumbles on the next three possessions of the game. But before the turnovers started, perhaps one of the wackiest plays of this high school football season happened on the Hornets ensuing drive.
Heller took the handoff and fumbled, the ball bounced around behind the line of scrimmage before Lincoln was able to scoop it up and start to run. As he moved forward he was met by a large group of Franklin defenders who surrounded him and started to drive him back, as Lincoln was falling to the ground he lateraled the ball to teammate Rahmer Vincent who sprinted 25 yards up the left sideline and was tackled by the back of his shoulder pads. The Eagle defender was flagged for a horse collar tackle and the referees added on another 15 yards to the play, moving McCann from their own 24 all the way up to Franklin's 36.
Momentum seemed to have swung to the Hornets side but not for long as they fumbled the ball one play later with the Eagle's recovering. On the next play, Franklin gave it right back when their running back mishandled the hand off. McCann decided to air it on their next play and Lincoln connected with Vincent deep down the left sideline for a 24-yard gain but again one they gave it right back to Franklin on another fumble.
The Eagles took over with just under seven minutes left to play and on their first play Daignault ripped off a 13-yard run but McCann held tough and three plays later Franklin turned the ball over on downs giving the Hornets great field position on the Franklin 34.
This time McCann would not be denied. Senior Brett Pecor ripped off a 14-yard run, followed by a six-yard run from Heller, a six-yard run by Lincoln and another four yards from Heller before Pecor took over again and blasted in from four yards out for the Hornets' second touchdown of the game.
The two-point conversion was unsuccessful but McCann took the lead at 13-6. The Hornets scored their first touchdown just three minutes into the game and their second didn't come until their was just three minutes left. Five total turnovers ruined drive after drive but LeClair's team didn't quit.
"It's a pain," said Lawson about losing the ball so many times. "But you got to keep a positive attitude. Remember there is still time on the clock and never give up."
Along with the multiple turnovers throughout the game, one of the biggest losses for the Hornets was when senior captain Gustavo Montoya went down early in the first half with a knee injury and came back to the sideline after half-time on crutches. Montoya is a huge part of what the Hornet's do to control the line of scrimmage.
"We got punched in the gut so many times," LeClair said. "With mistakes and injuries but we didn't get down on ourselves. We were stressing to the kids that there is going to be adversity. You've got to overcome it and we did it today. I think we showed true character today in how we played. So many kids had to be called into service today that normally don't have to do things and boy did they step up."
Leading by just seven, McCann squibbed the ensuing kick off and finally the turnovers turned in their favor as Franklin was unable to corral the ball and the Hornets came up with it. A few plays later they kneeled out the clock to secure the win.
With the 13-6 win, McCann advances to the D6 Western Mass Superbowl game in which they will host fellow undefeated team Turners Falls next Saturday, November 15th at 1p.m. at the Hornets Nest.
"We've seen them four times and we will now start talking about them. We didn't talk about them at any other time and we all have our ideas but they are a very good ball club," said LeClair about Turners Falls. "Well coached and good athletes. So we will have our hands full."
"Hard work, keep it up and play as a team," said Lawson about this upcoming week of practice heading into the championship game.
"We just need to get our head in it. We just need to stay focused all week. Not think about anything else just football. Western Mass. Really bring this one home," added senior captain Adam LeClair.