At this point, you can set your clocks to it.
Whenever Amesbury and North Reading have met on the football field this decade, they’ve produced fireworks. And Friday night at Landry Memorial Stadium, we’ll most like have another classic on our hands when the Redhawks (5-0) welcome in the Hornets (5-0) for a battle of undefeated CAL juggernauts.
Over the past handful of years, this game has basically been for the CAL title.
A fact that will probably prove true once again.
But now, we have the added layer of the MIAA rankings.
When both sets of captains walk out to midfield for the coin toss tonight, Amesbury will do so as the No. 1-ranked team in Division 7, while North Reading comes in at No. 5 in Division 5. The Hornets would love nothing more than to pay back some of the losses of year’s past in this game, while the Redhawks could really put some distance between themselves and the rest of the Div. 7 field with what would be an excellent win.
But just look at how high-quality of a matchup this has been in the 2020s:
2020 (Fall 2): Both team’s entered this one with 2-1 records, but it would be Amesbury putting together a brilliant defensive effort in a 20-0 shutout. Kyle Donovan rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Drew MacDonald had Amesbury’s other score.
2021: One loss Amesbury (3-1) welcomed in undefeated North Reading (5-0) to Landry and pulled off the 30-28 stunner. Henry O’Neill caught a 33-yard TD pass from Drew MacDonald with four minutes left, and Andrew Baker would recover a fumble in the endzone for the conversion. The Hornets — who would make the Division 5 Super Bowl this year but fall to Swampscott — would get a Will Batten rushing TD with two minutes left to make it 30-28, but Aaron Beruti knocked down the tying conversion pass to clinch Amesbury’s win.
2022: Both teams entered this game 5-0, and North Reading would go on to make it back to the Division 5 Super Bowl and win it this time, 44-28 over Shawsheen Tech. But on this Friday night down on Park Street, Amesbury once again pulled off the thrilling 30-27 win. Nick Marden rushed for 102 yards and three TDs for the winners, and Luke Arsenault provided the dagger with a 4-yard TD run late in the fourth.
2023: The two programs ripped the band-aid off early, with this game taking place in Week 1. And thanks to lightning and torrential rain postponing the game, Amesbury had to wait until Saturday afternoon to finish off its 40-38 overtime thriller. Robby Dalton stuffed North Reading’s conversion run after it scored in OT, and Amesbury’s Max Sanchez would compete the OT octopus (TD and conversion himself) to lift the Redhawks to victory. Sanchez would finish with 115 yards and three TDs, while twin brother Michael had 133 yards and a score. Amesbury would go on to make the Division 7 Super Bowl, but lose to Uxbridge.
2024: Undefeated North Reading (5-0) welcomed in Amesbury (3-2) this year, but still wasn’t able to lift its “Redhawks Curse.” Both DJ DiCarlo and Joe Puleo rushed in TDs, and Ethan Kirby caught a 6-yard score from Justin Dube in Amesburys 20-16 victory.
So it’s been five straight classics … that Amesbury has never lost.
Will that change tonight?
FRIDAY’S GAMES Newburyport (0-5) at Lynnfield (1-4), 6 p.m.
This is probably Newburyport’s best chance to get a win before the regular season ends. Besides a 34-point outing in its lone win over Ipswich this year, a struggling Lynnfield offense hasn’t scored more than 14 (with other games of 6, 0 and 8).
For Newburyport, we knew it was facing an uphill battle last Friday.
But the Clippers didn’t even give themselves a chance with too many mental mistakes against Pentucket, which I expect John Webber and his experienced coaching staff will have corrected in practice this week. Between Jack Miller, Braydon Fowler, Owen Mongeau, Paul Suozzo, Henry Thurston and Ben Buchmayr, the Clippers have the firepower to put up points here.
Just play clean, disciplined, mistake-free football, and that should be enough.
PREDICTION: Newburyport 21, Lynnfield 13.
Essex Tech (2-3) at Pentucket (4-1), 6 p.m.
For Pentucket, it’s the same story for the third straight week.
Following their one-point loss at Amesbury, the Panthers have responded with consecutive beatdowns of Hamilton-Wenham and Newburyport by a combined score of 98-19. The Hawks should provide a little more resistance tonight, but it’s another game where the Panthers just need to not mess around and take care of a weaker opponent.
Especially if they want to maintain their current No. 3 ranking in Division 6.
Tedy Cloutier, Liam Hammond, Jacob Follis, Jesse Wirwicz and Max Cloutier have gelled on the offensive line, and defensively Chase Dowling, Wirwicz, Jacob LeBel, Hammond and the Cloutier twins have been excellent in the front-7. Then, of course, we all know the “Big 3” of Steven Harper (925 passing yards, 12 TDs), Nick Carrion (20 rec., 477 yds, 10 total TDs) and Jackson Miller (411 rush yards, 303 rec. yards, 6 total TDs). Throw in the emerging Quinn Vuylsteke and Cooper Zaneski, and the Panthers have no shortage of firepower.
Don’t slip up here.
PREDICTION: Pentucket 45, Essex Tech 20.
Ipswich (1-4) at Triton (2-3), 6:30 p.m.
It would honestly be shocking if Carl Lucy didn’t have over 1,000 rushing yards for the season following this one.
And he’s coming in with 864.
But Triton absolutely can’t afford to let go of the rope.
The Vikings got through the tougher part of their schedule already, and erased a three-game losing skid with a 37-14 victory over Lynnfield last week. The Tigers lost to the same Pioneers team earlier in the year (34-14), and in fact, they’ve dropped their three CAL games by a combined score of 102-34.
What more, the Vikings come into this one ranked No. 13 in Division 6.
So to continue being on the right side of that playoff bubble, the Vikings need to take care of business here. Athan Eggleston, Jake Conroy, Sam Harding and Everett Romano have all proven to be weapons with the ball in their hands.
But just feed Lucy (106 car., 864 yds, 15 total TDs).
PREDICTION: Triton 38, Ipswich 12.
North Reading (5-0) at Amesbury (5-0), 6:30 p.m.
Finally, we’ve reached the main event.
And I’ll just come out and spoil it right away … there’s no way I’m picking against Amesbury based on recent history this decade.
You (hopefully) read the intro to this article, right?
While these two programs have put on five straight classics during the 2020s, Amesbury has won each time. It’s clashing styles that North Reading has yet to figure out, as the Hornets want to run and gun down the field with their spread offense, while the Redhawks are more than happy eating entire quarters with their long, ground-and-pound drives.
Make no mistake, the Hornets are incredibly dangerous.
Senior QB Jason Berry is in his third year as the team’s starter, and he’s got two big receivers between Gavin Brady and Ian Baker. Then out of the backfield, fellow senior Otto Indelicato is a bowling ball in his second year as the team’s bell cow.
But I’ve just seen this story before.
Amesbury will control the line of scrimmage with Gino DiLorenzo, Braden Delisle, Stacy Peck Jr., Evan Murphy, Dylan Palen and Ollie Peters, and most likely dominate time of possession. Then any one of Joe Puleo (43-379-6), Joe Celia (29-281-6), Connor Scialdone (35-191-2) or Justin Dube (32-160-5) can hurt you out of the triple-option.
I’m more than willing to be wrong.
But I just can’t go against recent history.
PREDICTION: Amesbury 32, North Reading 28.
SATURDAY’S GAME Thayer Academy (2-2) at Governor’s Academy (0-4), 3 p.m.
This has generally been a good matchup for Governor’s Academy, which has won the last three meetings between these two programs over the last three years.
2024: 30-18 (G).
2023: 38-21 (G).
2022: 36-8 (G).
Thayer Academy comes into this one with the better record, but I think the Luke Boria era gets its first win at home this weekend. Porter LaLime has been a monster on the ground with 385 yards on 54 carries. But if the Govs wants to get on track here, they’ll need Aiden Bly and Seven Pridgen to open up the passing game.
Which I think will happen.
PREDICTION: Governor’s Academy 24, Thayer Academy 20.
LAST WEEK: 4-0.
OVERALL SEASON RECORD: 17-4.