With a pair of studs like Jesse Shaughnessy and Moses Acloque lined up next to each other on the defensive line, opponents of the Norwood High football team would probably be better served running the other way.
As Needham found out on Friday night, there’s no room over there either.
Behind an impenetrable rush defense anchored by the guys up front, the Mustangs dominated the previously unbeaten Rockets 17-0 at Memorial Field to improve to 4-1 and make a statement in the Bay State Conference heading into their showdown with Walpole in two weeks.
“Our defensive front seven is as good as anybody in this league,” said Norwood coach Joe Curran. “We’ve just done it. We’ve stifled the other team’s run game. Moses (Acloque), Shaughnessy, (Chris) Foley, Matt Murphy – they work hard. To shut that team out says a lot. Needham never gets blown out. Our defensive line is as good as it gets.”
Factoring in yardage lost on sacks, the Norwood defense held Needham to -5 yards rushing for the entire game. The Rockets’ top runner, Jean Baptiste, carried just six times for 15 yards. The lack of a ground game forced Needham quarterback Eric Bertino to go to the air and the junior was 20-for-35 passing for 182 yards and an interception.
“We had a good week of practice and I have to credit our sophomores for wearing No. 5 (Baptiste), we had a pretty intense Tuesday and Wednesday of practice,” said Curran. “Could I guarantee you that we were going to stop (Needham’s running game)? No. But the way these kids come in to play every day it didn’t surprise me that we did.”
The Rockets also repeatedly shot themselves in the foot. They reached the Norwood red zone on three separate occasions, including driving down to the Mustang 1-yard line, and didn’t come away with any points. They also had eight penalties, including six false starts.
After Needham went three-and-out and was forced to punt to start the game, Norwood jumped on top on just its third play from scrimmage. Senior quarterback Pat Cavanaugh completed his only pass of the game when he found senior Stephen Cottens wide open down the left sideline for a 45-yard scoring strike for a 7-0 lead with 9:55 left in the first quarter.
Later in the first, Bertino completed three long passes on one drive as the Rockets got to the Norwood 20. But the Mustang defense stiffened and corralled Baptiste on a fourth-and-3 to take possession.
On the ensuing possession Norwood was unable to pick up a first down and a short punt gave Needham the ball at the Norwood 23 early in the second quarter. A pair of completions to Baptiste and Kevin Cray gave the Rockets the ball first-and-goal at the Norwood 1. Two false starts brought the ball back to the 11 and on third down from the 12, Shaughnessy broke through, sacked Bertino and forced a fumble and then picked up the loose ball himself to end Needham’s best scoring chance.
Norwood responded with and impressive nine-play, 76-yard march down the field behind Jhorgy Antoine (22 carries, 160 yards) as the junior running back capped the drive with a 5-yard plunge up the middle for a 14-0 lead with 2:27 to go in the first half.
The Mustangs opened the second half with a three-and-out and the Rockets made one final attempt to get back in the game when they drove inside the red zone, only to turn the ball over on downs after a Shaughnessy sack and a pair of incomplete passes by Bertino.
Antoine again spearheaded the Norwood ground attack on an 11-play, 69-yard drive that stalled at the Needham 8. Cavanaugh booted a 25-yard field goal to give the Mustangs a 17-0 lead with nine seconds left in the third quarter.
Junior Silqwan Russell intercepted Bertino on the first play of the fourth quarter and Norwood marched down to the Needham 5-yard line but Cavanaugh missed a short field goal wide right. The Mustangs then withstood an onslaught of Bertino throws the rest of the way to preserve the win.
The Bay State Conference has a bye week upcoming, so Norwood has two full weeks to prepare for unbeaten Walpole (5-0) on Oct. 18.
“I’m glad they’re coming to our house. It should be a fun game,” said Curran. “The town will be jumping. Walpole will be jumping. It should be some fun. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
