First and foremost, all coaches should watch the final five minutes of the Lawrence-Newburyport game last night.
Not for classic play, or crazy schemes. Simply, it’s to watch a coach win with class.
This corner submits the Port’s Ed Gaudiano as a coach who gets it.
Up 28-0 on the struggling Lancers, Gaudiano’s first team … what’s left of it with the rash of injuries, he’s endured … were driving for the punishing fifth score.
Gaudiano and his 1′s did the job, eating up the clock in the fourth quarter. And when they got inside the Lancer 10, the coach pulled his starters, got them a well-deserved standing O from his crowd and didn’t rub it in, as the JVs stalled.
Of course, the Lancers went and threw a pick that was returned for a scored, but that didn’t matter.
What mattered is that Gaudiano, a clas guy, is teaching his team to win like a champion.
So many coaches overlook that, in lieu of getting their star one more score.
Memo to the CAL coaches, give the Port kids the benefit of the doubt when it comes to all-league voting. Maybe their numbers aren’t giant, but it is because of Gaudiano’s quick, classy hook.
A couple other notes from that one last night.
Apologies go out to Clipper Derek Freeman, who was not credited for a sweet TD catch in the Daily News early story Saturday. Sorry big guy. Heck of a catch, though.
On the receiving end, Clipper Ashlyn Calcagni had a couple great grabs from QB joe Clancy.
Yeah boy, we caught the lick Clipper Justin Burl laid on Lancer Harvey Blanco when the latter caught a pass over the middle. It was reminiscent of the Bryan Cox lick on Jerome Pathon that kick-started the Pats dynasty in 2001.
The only difference? Blanco, a sophomore bulldog, held the football, bounced back up and had a big night with 10 tackles and several solid kick returns.
If Lawrence ever has a chance to return to significance in football and baseball, it will be around sophomores Devin Montanez, Mike Calzetta and Blanco.
Elsewhere around the region ….
Playoff football is supposed to start the second weekend in November in Division 1 New Hampshire.
Don’t tell that to the Salem Blue Devils, whose playoff ladder begins this week.
Salem, 3-2 in D1 play, closes out the year with South, Central and West.
Any loss could mean the two-time state finalists, highly favored in the preseason to dethrone Pinkerton, would take in the playoffs as spectators. That, my friends, would be a shocker.
Even with the struggles endured by Jack Gati’s club lately, it says here Salem runs the table and garners a reservation in the final four. …
Kudos to Tewksbury righty pitcher Scott Oberg for landing a substantial scholarship package to pitch at Uconn. …
