Quick Links
 Subscribe |
11/9/2014 Great rivalries beget great games – and today's contest against the Lions of St. Mark’s (the two schools’ 125th meeting on the gridiron) was, by any measure, a truly great game. With the lead changing hands no fewer than seven times during the course of the game, and with a total of thirteen touchdowns scored before the final whistle, this legendary matchup provided its lucky spectators with about as much excitement as a football game can possibly generate. Wasting no time during the game’s first offensive possession, the Zebras staged a crisp 5-play, 68-yard drive in the opening two minutes that culminated in a nifty 33-yard touchdown run by senior halfback Will Richardson. John Beatty’s successful run for the 2-point conversion gave Groton an early 8-0 lead. But the Lions’ potent offense responded promptly during their first possession by scoring a rushing touchdown with five minutes left in the opening quarter. These early touchdowns by both teams set the feverish pace and tone for the entire game. A Groton fumble during their next possession set the stage for another successful St. Mark’s scoring drive that featured the running prowess of halfback Ethan Grenier and the strong arm of quarterback Logan Lee. So, with just 90 seconds left in the first quarter, St. Mark’s took a 14-8 lead. But, much to the home fans’ delight, this lead vanished quickly when John Beatty ran back the subsequent kickoff for a spectacular 75-yard dash into the end zone, tying the game at 14-14 until Will Richardson added 2 additional points on a key PAT rushing effort. With the score 16-14 after the first quarter, it was clear to everyone present that this was going to continue to be a fast-paced, physical, thrill-intensive game. St. Mark's scored again during their next possession, giving them a 20-16 lead early in the second quarter. But Groton’s multi-faceted running game (featuring strong carries by halfbacks Richardson and Beatty, fullback Taggart Eymer, and quarterback Arthur Jelin) kept finding holes in the Lions’ defense, and with 4 minutes left in the second quarter, Beatty found the end zone again, this time on an 8-yard run. Both teams’ defensive units played well during the next three possessions, forcing each other to relinquish control of the ball. Then, with just thirty seconds left in the second quarter, on a first-and-ten opportunity from the St. Mark’s 29 yard line, Beatty exploded out of the backfield all the way to the Lions’ 1 yard line; this enabled Jelin, on the next play, to rush the ball in for a touchdown behind a strong surge from his offensive line. A failed 2-point run attempt on the next play meant that Groton led 28-20 with just 18 seconds left to play before halftime. In retrospect, should anyone have been surprised by what happened next? After a solid kickoff by Frank Bruni that gave St. Mark’s the ball on their own 27 yard line, quarterback Logan Lee completed a pass to wide receiver Aaron McLean who then sprinted all the way into the Groton end zone for a 73 yard score that ate up the final 8 seconds of first half time. A failed St. Mark’s conversion prevented the Lions from tying the game. So, at the whistle ending the second quarter, the score was a tight 28-26. Surprisingly, neither team scored during the third quarter, probably because both teams made effective defensive adjustments during the halftime break. Groton’s defense certainly showed signs of real toughness in the third quarter, most notably when senior co-captain John Lamont (playing defensive end) mauled the St. Mark’s quarterback on a third-and-goal play that began at the Groton 9 yard line; this huge tackle caused a 16-yard loss on the play that turned out to be one of the game’s pivotal moments. Thanks to improved pass coverage by the Groton secondary, St. Mark’s punted the ball on the third play of the fourth quarter; this gave the Zebras possession on the St. Mark’s 29 yard line. And on the third play of this drive, Richardson rushed for his second touchdown of the afternoon, this time on a superb 22-yard run. Beatty’s successful 2-point conversion run gave the Zebras a 36-26 lead with 10 minutes left in the game. St. Mark’s answered during their next offensive possession: again, Logan Lee threw the ball to McLean for a 30-yard touchdown completion. Will Richardson’s interception of the Lions’ 2-point conversion attempt made it a 36-32 score with 8 minutes remaining. And what a wild final 8 minutes this ended up being. By no means did a 4-point lead with 8 minutes left feel totally secure, but when Groton proceeded to march confidently down the field during their next possession, eating up both yards and time, it looked like another Zebra touchdown was in the offing, one that just might promise the home team the coveted victory. Starting this drive on their own 30 yard line, Groton’s diversified running attack again led the charge: Richardson, Eymer, Beatty, and Jelin all contributed to 40 yards of rushing on seven plays, bringing the Zebras to their opponent’s 34 yard line. But on the next play, something crazy happened: after Beatty ran the ball for another solid gain that would give Groton yet another first down, Aaron McLean stripped the pigskin away before Groton’s leading rusher was brought down – and even more soul-crushing was the way McLean then proceeded to sprint 65 yards toward the end zone for the Lions’ sixth touchdown of the game, giving the feisty visitors from Southborough a 38-36 lead with a mere three and half minutes left in the game. Again, it was Groton’s defense that helped save the day. After St. Mark’s returned Frank Bruni’s kickoff all the way to the Groton 39 yard line, the Zebra defense successfully thwarted the Lions’ balanced offensive attack, forcing St. Mark’s to surrender the football after an incomplete fourth down pass attempt at the Groton 35 yard line. On the very next play, Jelin threw a perfectly aimed screen pass to Beatty who, in indescribably quick cutbacks, uncanny balance, and sheer desire, somehow found a way to run 65 yards for yet another thrilling touchdown with just over two minutes left in the game. A 42-38 lead never felt so fabulous – or, in this case, more precarious, despite the fact that only a little over two minutes were left on the clock. Precarious, indeed: the Lions’ stellar McLean (who seemed to be everywhere on the field, at all times) returned the following kickoff all the way to the Groton 25 yard line – disheartening to the extreme for all those present who thought that the Zebras had finally found the way to win the game. And then when the Lions’ Logan Lee, on first down, completed an 18-yard pass to McLean that brought the relentless St. Mark’s squad to the 7 yard line, it really looked like there was no possible way Groton could cling to their 4-point advantage. But those who were paying close attention may not have remembered that Arthur Jelin was still on the field – this time as a defensive back where he had played smart, poised football throughout the game. On second down and goal to go, Jelin intercepted a Logan Lee pass and returned it—in spectacular fashion—nearly the entire length of the field; he was eventually tackled at the St. Mark’s 10 yard line. Two plays later, Taggart Eymer scored the final touchdown of the game on a hard-nosed 5-yard run up the middle. So many members of Groton’s team made big plays today (including Jelin, Richardson, Lamont, Eymer, Bruni and Fourth Former Joe Collett), but it’s hard not to acknowledge Beatty as the single player who made the biggest contribution to today’s stunning victory. This fifth former’s 329 yards of total offensive production (including 189 yards on 15 carries) was quite an achievement. It’s hard to imagine how this game could have been any more exciting or less unpredictable. And though this writer is familiar with only a fraction of the 125 football games that these two schools have played against each other, he can’t help but believe that 2014’s version will likely go down in the Circle’s annals as one of the all-time great games in this storied rivalry. What a joy it was to be part of this magnificent victory. |
