Still-Learning Lexington Falls to Concord-Carlisle

Lexington High’s offense showed flashes of brilliance on a couple plays against the Concord-Carlisle Patriots. Unfortunately, most football games are won and lost on many more than that.

The Minutemen – a MIAA Division 2 team playing one from the lower Div. 2A – couldn’t cap drives and suffered three costly turnovers. And they couldn’t make it seven straight wins over C-C, as home team won 40-14 on its Memorial Field.

Lexington had won each meeting since 2005 in this matchup of towns that are forever linked (see, American Revolution). But, under a new coach with a new system, the Minutemen showed they are still getting their feet under themselves in the early part of this 2011 season.

“There’s a huge learning curve for the kids (and) there’s a huge learning curve for the coaching staff,” first-year coach George Peterson said on the field after the game. “It’s a growing process and we’re learning every single day we step on the field how to deal with the kids and push them and help them do the right things.”

C-C’s defense forced three turnovers in the game, an interception each for senior Henry Bumpus and freshman Will Blumenberg and a fumble recovery for senior Thomas Kleyn, which he returned 25 yards for a touchdown. He had another on offense as well.

The Minuteman offense turned the ball over on downs five times, not including the last series of the night.

“We’re seeing more and more spread teams, so it was great to be able to cage a quarterback,” C-C coach Mike Robichaud said, “and, for the most part, contain him. It was a big challenge and I’m glad we could step up to it.”

Concord-Carlisle, which played in the 2010 MIAA Div. 2A Super Bowl, scored three times in the opening quarter on touchdown runs of 10 and 30 yards by George Craan and Tim Badgley, respectively, and an offensive fumble recovery that Thomas Kleyn carried 65 yards to the end zone. The Patriots led 20-0 after one.

The same success wasn’t shared by the Minutemen. They had a drive sputter at the C-C 25-yard line and punted in the first quarter.

But it was the second quarter that Lexington really had its shots. It opened with a 12-play drive that advanced to the Patriots’ 16 for third-and-11.

An incomplete pass and an offside call on C-C made it fourth-and-6 at the 11-yard line. Unable to find an open receiver, senior quarterback Connor Murray (13-for-30 passing, 111 yards) scrambled to the left but only picked up four yards before he was pushed out of bounds.

Earlier on the drive, Blumenberg saved a touchdown for C-C by knocking the ball out of the hands of LHS receiver Shane Foley (four catches, 61 yards) in the end zone.

“We just haven’t been able to get the breaks and take advantage of the opportunities,” Peterson said. “We’ll get there. The kids are giving a great effort, they’re playing hard and doing the things we’re asking them to. We just have to take advantage of those opportunities.”

Chances for the Minutemen wouldn’t end there. Craan fumbled on the ensuing possession and Lexington’s Keith Young recovered it to give his team the ball back on C-C’s 9-yard line.

On first-and-goal senior Nick Murray carried for no gain. Second-and-goal was an incomplete pass and a 12-man penalty pushed the Minutemen back to the 14-yard line on third-and-goal. A pass to senior Samir Pathan (three catches, 15 yards) and then a muffed shotgun snap on fourth-and-goal back at the 9 squandered another opportunity.

“We’ve got the athletes, there’s no question about it,” Peterson said. “This is the right type of offense for athletes that we have. We just have to put it all together. When you allow 40 points, offense isn’t the problem.”

Lexington finally broke through on the first drive of the second half with play for the ages that the Murray twins connected on. Under pressure, Connor scrambled to the right into a wall of Patriot defenders, but somehow flipped a pass to brother Nick. He cut across the field and ran the rest of the 32 yards to put the Minutemen on the scoreboard.

The two-point attempt failed, making it 20-6 Patriots with just 2 minutes gone in the third quarter.

However, next time down was the back-breaker for Concord-Carlisle. It started on Lexington’s 44-yard line and turned in another nice drive that ended in a touchdown, the second of the night for Badgley (eight carries, 68 yards).

Only then did Robichaud breath a little easier, he said.

“It was big,” Robichaud said of Badgley’s second touchdown. “(Lexington) was tenacious and they continued to make plays. We had stalled a few times on offense and got in our own way with penalties.”

C-C added two more scores to salt the game away in the third quarter: a 21-yard run by Craan and Kleyn’s defensive fumble recovery. Tom Crowley sacked Connor Murray to pop the ball loose for Kleyn.

Lexington added its second touchdown of the game on a 58-yard run by Nick Murray early in the fourth quarter.

Concord-Carlisle will continue its non-league slate at the Dual County League Large Division’s Waltham High next Friday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Lexington will also play a DCL Large school, as it will travel to Acton-Boxborough on Friday.