Amesbury needed this spot.
Already a smaller program to begin with, and with injuries piling up over the first six games of the season, the Redhawks needed a week where they could handle business early, and escape unscathed. On Friday night, DJ DiCarlo made sure that was the case.
The senior captain rushed for 106 yards and four touchdowns, leading Amesbury to a comfortable win over visiting Ipswich, 36-0. DiCarlo already came into the game as the Daily News area’s leading scorer with 10 TDs and 10 two-point conversions, and only widened his lead with four more trips to the endzone.
And it turned out to be the quick start that Amesbury (5-2) needed.
DiCarlo rolled into the endzone from 8 yards out to cap the team’s opening drive, then broke away for a 16-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. Connor Scialdone would add a 10-yard TD later in the quarter, then the sophomore strolled in for the conversion to make it 28-0 at halftime after a 10-yard TD from DiCarlo near the buzzer. DiCarlo would then end his night with another 10-yard score in the fourth quarter, capped by a successful conversion run from Ben Wood.
Now winners of three in a row, and currently ranked No. 9 in Division 7, Amesbury will look to keep it rolling when it hosts Essex Tech next week.
Pentucket stifled by North Reading
It would have been quite the upset if it happened.
The Pentucket football team needed a statement win to keep its slim Division 6 playoff hopes alive, but it wasn’t meant to be following a 31-12 loss to North Reading on Friday night. The Hornets (6-1) came in with a high-powered offense averaging 30.7 points per game, and were able to keep it rolling on the road.
Thanks to QB Steven Harper and top weapons Jackson Miller, Nick Carrion and Aaron Ketschke, the Panthers (2-5) had been averaging 33.0 points over their last four games. That of course included last week’s miraculous comeback against Essex Tech, where the Panthers trailed 28-0 with two mintues left in the first half before pulling off the 29-28 victory.
But Friday night, the offense dried up.
And for Pentucket, it’ll try to end its regular season on a high note when it hosts Ipswich this week. Then, it’ll almost assuredly be a pair of non-playoff opponents before the Panthers travel to face holiday rival Triton on Thanksgiving Day.
Amesbury 36, Ipswich 0
Ipswich (1-6): 0 0 0 0 — 0
Amesbury (5-2): 6 22 0 8 — 36
First Quarter
A — DJ DiCarlo 8 run (run failed)
Second Quarter
A — DiCarlo 16 run (Joe Puleo run)
A — Connor Scialdone 10 run (run failed)
A — DiCarlo 10 run (Scialdone run)
Fourth Quarter
A — DiCarlo 10 run (Ben Wood run)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: AMESBURY (39-245): DJ DiCarlo 14-106, Joe Puleo 13-76, Connor Scialdone 7-33, Justin Dube 3-16, Ben Berg 1-9, Connor Mazzaglia 1-4
PASSING: A — Dube 2-3-0-0, 50
RECEIVING: A — Ollie Peters 1-31, Ethan Kirby 1-19