McCann Wins Flag-Filled Meeting of League Leaders
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- Conventional wisdom will tell you there is no such thing as an ugly win.
This one was the exception that prove the rule.
The McCann Tech football team improved to 4-0 on the season on Saturday with a 20-0 win over Pathfinder.
It is a fair bet that none of the Hornets are looking forward to reviewing the game film.
The two teams combined for just 275 yards of offense but amassed 219 yards in penalties. McCann's best offensive play of the day, a 60-yard screen pass for a touchdown, was erased by a chop block in the offensive backfield.
The Hornets were flagged six times for 15-yard penalties. Not to be outdone, Pathfinder (3-1) picked up a 10-yarder and a 15-yarder on the same play late in the fourth quarter.
"That we can't have," McCann coach Bob LeClair said of the rash of penalties. "That was ugly, to have penalties like we had today.
"There are good penalties at times, but today they were bad, really bad -- two chop blocks and unsportsmanlike conduct, you can't have that kind of thing. You can't have that and expect to play at a championship level."
LeClair, who was honored after the game with a cake celebrating the 100th career win he picked up last Friday night at Ware, was in no mood to be celebrating after this one.
"[The penalties] I didn't like," he said. "That was addressed and will be addressed some more."
One thing LeClair had to like was the performance of his defense, which allowed just 26 yards rushing on the day. In fact, the Pioneers had just 29 yards of total offense going into their final possession.
Taking over at his 36 with 5 minutes, 20 seconds on the clock, Andrew Roman completed three passes for 78 yards to set up a 45-yard field goal try with 5 seconds left.
Roman's kick had the distance but went wide, and McCann's first shutout win of the season was secured.
McCann's offense had just one first down on its first three possessions.
Finally, midway through the second quarter, Hornets QB Mike Ferrara directed a six-play, 51-yard drive. Dakota Bolte capped the drive with a 15-yard carry down the left sideline in which he fought through a couple of tackles on his way to the end zone.
Nick Lincoln ran in the conversion, and McCann had an 8-0 lead.
It was 14-0 before McCann's offense took the field again thanks to a 41-yard interception return by Adam Dufur, who picked off a pass in the left flat and went the distance.
A different kind of return -- a 56-yarder by Steve Stodja on the second half kickoff -- helped set up the final McCann TD.
Although the Hornets' opening drive stalled with a fumble on second-and-goal, the defense held Pioneer deep in its end. And after a short punt gave the Hornets the ball on the plus-36, Lincoln scored from the 7 to cap a six-play drive.
Saturday's win keeps McCann in first place in the Tri-County. Franklin Tech also is unbeaten in the league, at 3-0 (3-1 overall).
The Hornets play their independent game next Saturday at home against Mount Greylock. A potential showdown with Franklin Tech comes on Oct. 24 in the Hornets Nest.