FOXBORO, Mass. – Foxboro’s offense has been clicking from the first week of the season, but on Friday night at Jack Martinelli Stadium, the Warriors found another gear. After scoring 66 points in the opening two weeks, Foxboro looked capable of putting up at least that many in week three.
Dylan Gordon rushed for 287 yards and scored four touchdowns and Tom Marcucella threw for three other scores, two of those to Rashaad Way, as the Warriors rolled to a 51-14 demolition of previously unbeaten Plymouth South. Only two Foxboro drives didn’t end up in the end zone, the final possession of the first half (where a penalty wiped out a huge gain) and the last possession of the game, when the starters were busy celebrating on the sidelines.
“In as long as I can remember,” said Foxboro’s longtime coach Jack Martinelli, when asked the last time he had an offense as dynamic and balanced as this year’s group. “We have some special kids and, when you have special kids, everything you run makes it look like we knew what we were doing. Gordon, he’s super.”
The only blemishes in what was a dominant performance on both sides of the ball were a pair of long touchdown runs by Plymouth South’s Casious Johnson (15 carries, 206 yards). He broke free for a 76-yard score in the second quarter that made it 30-7 and added an 80-yard counter in the third that cut the lead to 44-14. Martinelli praised the young running back and, referencing Johnson only being a sophomore, joked, “The kid’s going to be really good. So, we may not play them next year, you know?”
Foxboro knocked the Panthers on their heels right from the opening kick. Tommy Sharkey (five catches, 60 yards) returned the opening kick out to the 37. Gordon got the Warriors into Plymouth South territory and then broke a 25-yard carry into the red zone. Marcucella (9-for-13, 134 yards) hit Sharkey on an 18-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.
After forcing a three-and-out, Foxboro was gifted two more points. The snap sailed over the head of Plymouth South punter Jesse Hayes, who retreated all the way back to the goal line to recover the loose ball. He tried looking up field and threw the ball forward attempting to avoid a safety, but was penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone. By rule, Foxboro got the safety and a 9-0 lead.
Joe Gonzalez had a good return on the short kick, giving Foxboro the ball at its own 49. It took only two plays for the Warriors to put another seven on the scoreboard. Gordon bounced a run to the right for 37 yards down to the 11. On the next play, Gordon went to the left and found the end zone for the first time.
Sam Carpenter made the extra point. He would go a perfect 7-for-7 in the game and all but one of his kick offs ended up as touchbacks, which his coach recognized as a big advantage.
“I could probably be on the kick-off team with him kicking because it’s always going to go in the end zone,” Martinelli quipped.
Foxboro’s defense had a torrid time in the opening week against Milford, which has the league’s top offense through three weeks (four points better than Foxboro). After a shutout against Whitman-Hanson last week, the Warriors were locked in defensively again on Friday. Aidan Hughes stuffed Johnson for a short gain and then Dylan Kerrigan added a tackle for a loss to force a second straight punt.
While the Panthers got their second punt away, it only traveled four yards, so Foxboro started at the Plymouth South 31. On third and eight from the 16, Marcucella hit Way on a slant and the receiver weaved through the secondary untouched for the score. It was 23-0 and there were still two minutes left in the first.
After allowing a first down, the Foxboro defense shut down the Panthers. Sharkey nearly made a one-handed interception and then stepped up to stop a jet sweep for a loss of a yard on third and 11, Lincoln Moore jumped into the backfield to stuff the play for a loss of 10.
“We kind of clicked on all cylinders tonight,” Martinelli explained. “Defensively Dylan Kerrigan spearheaded a pretty good defensive effort.” When asked if the team had learned anything from the opening week (a 49-28 loss to Milford) after giving up only 14 points combined the last two games, Martinelli said, “I honestly think we learned more about having to be really ready to go. We weren’t ready to go from square one on that double pass (against Milford) and it was kind of indicative of how that game was.”
The Warriors would take over at their own 20. It took all of eight plays to drive right back down the field. Gordon started the drive with two carries for 26 yards and then ran over a few Panthers for 22 yards down to the Plymouth South 19. Two plays later, Gordon got the call again and, with a lot of help from his friends, was able to push into the end zone from 12 yards out.
Johnson answered for the visitors, breaking the first of his two touchdown runs, but the momentum lasted less than two minutes before the home crowd was cheering once again. The big play was a 41-yard bomb from Marcucella to Way that got Foxboro inside the 10. Gordon made it look easy on a five-yard run and it was 37-7 at the break.
Foxboro came up with a turnover on the opening drive of the third quarter. Ja’Syia Garcia-Cameron jumped on a Johnson fumble at the 45. The Warriors made the good field position count again. On third and 10 from the 19, Marcucella hit Way on a receiver screen, which was executed perfectly, and he broke loose for his second touchdown.
Although Johnson would find pay dirt just 16 seconds later after an 80-yard run and the Warriors were pushed back to their own seven by penalties, nothing was slowing Foxboro down. Only four plays later, the lead was extended. Gordon turned on the jets, breaking free on a 59-yard run to cap his incredible night.
“This was a good win for us,” Martinelli said, “and a chance to get all the seniors on the field and that doesn’t always happen.”
Foxboro (2-1) will try to make it three wins in a row to close out its non-league schedule when it hosts Hopkinton next Friday.
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