Eighty-one yards from the end zone. Ninety seconds remaining. No timeouts. Trailing by six points.
That was the uphill task the Winthrop High football team faced against an undefeated Salem High team on Senior Night at Miller Field.
Head coach Jon Cadigan said that offensive coordinator Mark D’Ambrosio called for a wheel route on second down following a one-yard loss on the previous play.
Quarterback Matt Noonan, running back Nick Cappuccio, wide receiver Ace Daigneault, and the Vikings executed the play to perfection in a no-huddle look that seemed to catch Salem off guard. The result: a Noonan-to-Cappuccio 82-yard TD pass that tied the game at 19-19. George Galuris kicked the all-important PAT and the Vikings went on to beat Salem, 20-19, in an instant classic, bolstering their ranking in the division and keeping their NEC title hopes alive. Winthrop can gain a share of the crown if Salem beats Peabody and Winthrop defeats Saugus.
The success of the wheel route brought jubilation to the Winthrop home crowd, especially the wonderful student body section that has been so supportive at each game.
Daigneault “did his job” and drew two defenders toward the middle of the field. The fleet footed Cappuccio outran the linebacker and Noonan coolly delivered a strike to Cappuccio, who raced to the end zone.
“That was a great pass by Matt and a great route by Ace who took away the corner,” said Cappuccio, who also had a game-tying (13-13) 53-yard touchdown run on the second play of the half. “This was a great game for everyone. Robert [Rich] (who had a 51-yard touchdown run for Winthrop’s first score) played great. The blocking was there. The defense was good. We were down but we came back.”
Noonan said the defense deserves credit for making the key stops that provided Winthrop with a shot at victory.
“We got that stop on fourth down and that gave us a chance to win it,” said Noonan. “I saw [Cappuccio] wide open and I hit it. Our offensive line blocked perfectly, and I had all the time in the world.”
Asked if he thought the Salem linebacker might catch Cappuccio and make the tackle, Noonan replied, “Nick never gets caught. He’s too fast.”
Coach Jon Cadigan agreed with that assessment, stating, “Nick’s going to win that matchup versus the outside linebacker 10 out of 10 times.”
Salem had been in position to put the game away, needing just two yards for a first down and the ensuing victory formation (with Winthrop out of timeouts).
When Salem QB Corey Grimes took a low snap on third down, Alessio Marcoccio made the key tackle.
On the crucial fourth-down-and-2 play, Demetri Koutsouflakis and Donovan Cassidy made the tackle for a loss (TFL) in the backfield.
“Obviously, if they pick up the first down,” the game’s over,” said Cadigan. “Those were huge plays.”
Seth Sacco made a key tackle on the kickoff after Winthrop’s go-ahead touchdown and PAT before the Vikings stopped Salem on downs to lock up the victory.
Vasili Tsiotos led a strong effort by the Winthrop offensive line.
Winthrop (4-3) is at No. 9 in the Division 6 Power Rankings and would need to move up at least one spot to earn a home game in the MIAA playoffs.
“We still have to take care of business and beat Saugus,” said Cadigan.
Boncore’s Block of a PAT Was a Difference Maker
It was another big night for Phil Boncore. The junior linebacker blocked a Salem PAT, which as it turns out, was the difference on the scoreboard.
“Phil was all over the field defensively for us,” said Coach Cadigan. “He’s really developed into an All-Star-caliber linebacker.”
Boncore earned the Vikings’ Black Shirt “Defensive Player of the Game” honor. Salem had scored 48 points a week earlier against Classical. Winthrop held Salem’s offense to two touchdowns.
“That was the best offense we’ve faced so far,” said Cadigan. “I just thought we were spectacular on defense.”
Galuris Delivers the Winning Point
The game-winning PAT was George Galuris’ biggest point since he banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer to help the Winthrop High basketball beat Danvers in the finals of the Salem Tournament last winter.
“A lot of stuff gets overlooked in a game like that [versus Salem],” said Jon Cadigan. “Matt’s pass to Nick is obviously one of the biggest plays in the game, but if you miss that extra point, things are different. I thought the execution was great on the PAT. Nick [Cappuccio] was the long snapper, Matt Noonan on the hold, and George on the kick. And our guys were locked in on their blocking assignments. It was really good execution by our line up front.”
Similarities to Another Winthrop Victory
The victory over Salem rekindled memories of another special win over an undefeated opponent at Miller Field. In the 1991 season, fresh off a Super Bowl appearance in 1990, Lynn English came to Miller Field with a 6-0 record and hopes of winning the NEC title for the second year in a row. The Bulldogs unveiled brand new all-red uniforms on that day and looked like a small-college team with its huge offensive line. But Tony Fucillo’s determined Vikings upset English, with Freddie Long making a huge shoe-string tackle late in the fourth quarter inside the 10-yard line to save the day.
English would lose their next four games and finish 6-4 after having their aura of invincibility and their two-year regular season winning streak shattered by the Vikings. Winthrop would go on to win back-to-back NEC titles in 1992 and 1993 and host two Super Bowls at Miller Field versus Mansfield and Westford Academy.
Salem came to Miller Field last Friday night with a 6-0 record, but on Senior Night, Coach John Cadigan’s contingent handed the Witches their first loss of the season.