Everett tops Lynn Classical, captures another GBL championship

EVERETT – Down a few starters, Everett had to regroup in the second half to claim its 26th Greater Boston League title in 31 seasons.

Thanks to short field positions and a couple timely turnovers, the Crimson Tide outscored Lynn Classical 34-6 in the second half en route to a 43-12 victory over the Rams at Everett Memorial Stadium on Friday night.

“We played together,” said Everett coach Justin Flores about the strong second half. “The defense played well all game and the offense finally started to play well together.”

To start the third, both offenses were stuck in a rut. With Lynn Classical (5-3) backed up in their own end zone, Everett (7-1) forced a short punt to start their second drive of the half at the Rams’ 12.

Three plays later, Boston College-commit Christian Zamor rushed it in from two yards out to make it a 16-6 Crimson Tide lead.

“I looked at him in the eyes and I told him that we are going to get on his back a little bit,” Flores said about what he said to Zamor at the half. “He delivered as he always does.”

The defense forced a fourth-down turnover and the offense once again got on the board. Two plays later junior Carlos Rodrigues hit senior Domenic Papa for a 49-yard catch-and-score as Everett made it 23-6 after three.

After a Javon Clayborn 2-yard rushing score cut the deficit to 23-12, Zamor got in on the action again as he took it 31 yards to the house after a pick for sophomore Joao Barreiros to make it a 30-12 contest.

Zamor added a 20-yard pick-six with just over three minutes left to put the game away 43-12.

“We started off slow (in the) first half and we came out in the second half and started to play as a team,” said Zamor about the three picks as a team. “I am only able to make those plays when my guys are in their positions to make their plays. We came out and did what we had to do.”

In the first half, Everett opened up with a fury as just three plays in and with 1:13 taken off the clock junior Manny Santiago put the Crimson Tide up 7-0 with a rushing score from one yard. He also added a rushing score from eight yards out in the fourth to make it 37-12. He finished with 13 carries for 52 yards and two scores as the starting back.

Lynn Classical responded with an 11-play, 80-yard drive as Brian Vaughan kept it from a one-yard score. The two-point rush was no good so the Rams trailed 7-6 after one.

The defenses for both teams took it from there in the second as Everett senior Jayden Prophete had a pick on the next Rams’ drive. Everett then turned the ball over on downs on the ensuing drive at the Lynn Classical 2.

The Rams three plays later were called for an intentional grounding in the end zone, which gave Everett a safety to make it a 9-6 lead for the Crimson Tide.

Lynn Classical got the ball back after a defensive stop and drove it into the Everett red zone before a holding penalty and a sack for Zamor eventually forced a turnover on downs to basically end the half.