Red Raiders Escape Tough Eagles' Attack

Never underestimate an opponent.

Facing the Plymouth North Eagles on the road has never promised to be an easy effort for the Barnstable High School Red Raiders, but the Red & White apparently did not expect the relentlessness and ability to control the game clock from its hosts as the Eagles (now 2-7) made a tough go of things.

Still, Barnstable (6-4) ended up on top, 20-10, as the Old Colony League champions prepare first for Falmouth (2-7) on Thanksgiving Day, and then onto the playoffs to face Dual County League Large champion Lincoln-Subdury (9-1) in the playoffs.

Plymouth North executed the vast majority of its offensive plays with exceptional precision while Barnstable seemed to vacillate back and forth between its usual offensive prowess and a mix of broken plays and a lack of rhythm. It very well might have been the Red Raiders' consistent flip-flop with its quarterbacking "corps" consisting of starting quarterback Nick Peabody, senior quarterback D.J. Crook and sophomore quarterback/running back/wide receiver Hayden Murphy.

While it was Crook who scored Barnstable's first touchdown on a 7-yard run at the 10:13 mark of the second quarter to put the Red Raiders up 6-3 (Tom Mullen's PAT kick made it 7-3), it was just the second time in six weeks the senior tri-captain made a return to the playing field since fracturing his throwing hand thumb versus New Bedford (Oct. 7). In contrast to other published reports, Crook played in the Oct. 21 BHS victory over Taunton on the road. Yesterday was, however, the first time Crook returned to the QB spot in 45 days.

He went 1-3 passing (60 yds.) in yesterday's effort and ran the ball four times for 27 yards and a touchdown. His sole completion was a 60-yard flare pass to Theo France. But it was Peabody who steered the Red Raiders most of the way, going 6-11 passing for 105 yards and one touchdown pass.

But it was Peabody who steered the Red Raiders most of the way, going 7-12 passing for 152 yards and two touchdown passes, one to Theo France (4 receptions, 104 yards, TD) and one to Dylan Morris in the 4th quarter to make it 20-3. Murphy was the third most productive weapon in the Red Raiders' offensive arsenal, running the ball five times for 52 yards, including a 48-yard run, but more than a handful of BHS rushing attempts ended up in negative yardage as Plymouth North's defensive pressure into the Barnstable backfield was incessant, to say the least.

All totalled, Barnstable ran just 40 plays on offense in sharp contrast to the 93 plays it ran, for example, against top-ranked Everett earlier in the season.

Barnstable may have quickly regretted winning the pre-game coin flip, then opting to defer ball control to the second half as Plymouth North marched down the field and chewed up the play clock to put the game's first points on the board with a 27-yard Vinny Tavernelli field goal at 1:51 of the first quarter. Down 3-0, Barnstable stormed back fairly quickly, marching to Peabody's cadence before Crook came in at quarterback and called his own number on a keeper right for a 7-yard touchdown score to make it 6-3. Mullen's PAT kick was his 36th of the season (36-37).

Barnstable would soon strike again as senior defensive lineman Bob Silva sacked Plymouth North quarterback Jamie Dougherty for a four-yard loss on 3rd and 6 to force an Eagles' punt.

At his own 40-yard line, Peabody floated a short pass to Theo France who took off down the sideline unscathed to make it 13-3 and Mullen hit PAT number 37 of the season to make it 14-3.

Both teams threatened to score numerous times from that point on but nothing could get through until Peabody found Dylan Morris cutting across the middle for a 12-yard touchdown with 7:32 left in the game. Plymouth North would counter that effort with a Dougherty to John Reardon touchdown pass with 0:16 left in the game. Tavernelli's boot made it 20-10 but the damage had been done.

Dougherty went 11-18 passing for 114 yards and one touchdown pass, as well as one interception by linebacker Andrew Ellis, his first of the 2011 season. The senior QB also had 59 yards rushing on 15 carries. Bob Silva played exceptionally well for Barnstable on the defensive line with 7.5 tackles and one sack.