L-S Warriors Stage Incredible Comeback Win Over Barnstable Red Raiders

The first half belonged to Barnstable, but the second half belonged to Lincoln-Sudbury.

The never-say-die Warriors (11-1) came from behind earlier this evening to stage a 14-13 Division 1A high school football playoff victory over Barnstable (7-5) at Taunton High School in front of about 1,000 fans and in so doing garnered a vaunted spot in the MIAA Super Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 3. It had been eight years since Barnstable last visited the postseason and it's been 12 years since the Red Raiders have gone to a Super Bowl. They finish the season at 7-5.

The game was won in the fourth quarter on the back of a gutsy performance by senior captain and quarterback Matt Cahill who threw an unlikely but brilliant cross-field touchdown pass with his team on the 7-yard-line and just 8:58 left in the game. The completed touchdown pass was made equally possible by its receiver, Jack Harris who, under heavy coverage, brought the ball in, eluded one tackle and scored to narrow the margin to 13-6. William Twyman's PAT kick made it 13-7.

It was the Cahill-to-Harris connection again with just 2:19 left in the game, this time a 13-yard pass that tied it at 13-13 and it was Twyman's ensuing, successful PAT kick that counted as the game-winner. Cahill went 17-29 in the air for 180 yards and two touchdown passes (both to Harris), but it was his three first half interceptions that had Barnstable envisioning its first Super Bowl visit since 1999.

Perhaps the Red Raiders envisioned that possibility too soon, but it was in the first half that the Red Raiders clearly dominated.

Senior tri-captain D.J. Crook, who ran in the game's first tally, went 11-15 passing in the first half and threw one touchdown pass (to junior James Burke). 

Crook scored the game's first points on a 23-yard run with 2:39 left in the first quarter, thanks in large part to a vicious downfield block by Nick Peabody. Tom Mullen's PAT kick was blocked, leaving the score at 6-0. Crook then found James Burke wide open in the end zone at the 9:52 mark of the second quarter to make it 12-0 and Mullen's PAT kick was good, making it 13-0. (Mullen finished the season 42-44 on PAT kicks.) Cahill hit Harris for a miraculous 7-yard, cross-field strike with 8:58 left in the fourth to make it 13-6 and Twyman's PAT kick was good to make it 13-7. Cahill found Harris again with just 2:19 left in the game, this time for a 13-yard TD pass, and Twyman's kick made it 14-13.

All totalled, Crook went 16-24 in the game for 169 yards, one touchdown scored and one thrown, and two interceptions. He also ran the ball the most times for BHS, carrying the ball 13 times for 45 yards.

Even though his first pass of the game was picked off by the Warriors' Twyman's (who had two interceptions on the night), Crook settled and paced the quick-moving, no huddle offense to a halftime lead of 13-0. But much credit belongs to a reinvigorated Red Raider defensive unit that in the first half talled three interceptions (Derek Estes, Kevin Hardy and Terrence Mudie) and for all intents and purposes did not appear to look like it would relent.

But relent it did as Lincoln-Sudbury wore down the Raider "D," by chewing up almost all of the third quarter clock and much of the fourth. Barnstable ran just three offensive plays in the third quarter alone, compared to the Warriors' 19 plays.

"This is something you will remember for the rest of your lives," Lincoln-Sudbury head coach Tom Lopez said after the victory. "Twenty years from now, you'll tell your kids about this."

Lopez was generally low key after the impressive, comeback win, but made sure to insist of his players that they "behave tonight" and "be in school tomorrow."

"You did a great job today," he said.

Barnstable's defensive front line saw the return of junior defensive tackle Jason Frieh who had been out since the B-R game. Frieh, Josiah Dulak, Bob Silva and Andrew Ellis, along with Bryan Hardy and Derek Estes were defensive standouts throughout the game. Kevin Hardy also performed notably.

Chris Giorgio, Greg Roder and Tim Krumsiek performed exceptionally well on defense for the Warriors, as did Twyman.