Merrimack hangs tough with Dover

Thursday, October 22, 2009

By GEORGE SCIONE

Staff Writer

MERRIMACK – Despite allowing Dover High School’s backfield to rush for 212 yards, Merrimack High School found itself in the thick of things midway through the fourth quarter. Had a couple misfires hit the bulls eye, the Tomahawks may not have ended up on the short end of a 21-7 final at Student Memorial Field.

“We shot ourselves in the foot today,” Merrimack head coach Joe Battista said. “We were definitely able to move the ball, but turnovers and penalties killed us.”

Merrimack fumbled the ball twice on big drives. The first was coughed up following a 9-yard gain by Mike Giampietro as he fought for a few extra yards.

That turnover came three minutes after Dover’s first touchdown in the first quarter – a 13-yard pass play from Colin Carville to Ricardo Taveras – as Merrimack was driving deep into Dover territory.

The second fumble by Giampietro came on Dover’s 32, following a 28-yard pass play from Tomahawks quarterback Zach Harris to receiver Jon Jimenez that had Merrimack moving in the right direction.

At that early point in the third quarter it was Dover holding a 14-7 lead, as both teams scored before halftime – Dover on a 24-yard run by Christian Boucher and Merrimack on a 2-yard Harris sneak – and the Tomahawks appeared headed toward the tying score.

Instead, both teams traded four-and-out sessions that eventually gave way to the Green Wave’s and game’s final touchdown. Dover put together a seven-play, 66-yard drive that culminated in Boucher’s second score of the day, this one from 7 yards out.

“Early on our defense had some breakdowns,” said Battista, whose Tomahawks were flagged five times for 35 yards. “I think in the second half we made the adjustments we needed to make. But those turnovers and penalties were just too much to overcome.”

Harris’ 2-yard touchdown plunge wasn’t the only highlight for Merrimack. The biggest play of the day came midway through the nine-play, 69-yard scoring drive.

Harris got the ball to Chris Smith, who came through the backfield on what appeared to be a reverse run.

It was instead a reverse option play, with Smith faking the run and then pulling up and delivering the ball down the right sideline to Chase Distasio for 45 yards down to the Dover 11.

A Jackson King run of 3 yards sandwiched between two Giampietro rushes totaling 6 yards and Harris only had the 2 yards left to pound his way into the end zone.

“This was a tight game,” Battista said. “In the past we weren’t able to play those types of teams. In the past, that would have turned into a blowout.

“Not today. We have proven we can play with the teams in this division.”