The Chelsea High football team entered last Friday night’s matchup against undefeated Lynnfield aware that an excellent performance would be necessary to secure a win. What the Red Devils failed to anticipate was the impact of wind and rain, which effectively shut down their passing game and created conditions where turnovers would largely determine the outcome. When the final whistle sounded, Lynnfield’s visitors from Route 1 North had posted a 28-0 victory. “We had hoped that the weather conditions might affect them more than us,” said CHS head coach Mike Stellato. “But our passing game, which has been a key for us all season, was non existent and we simply could never get anything going offensively.” The Red Devils managed to record only four first downs and committed several turnovers that gave Lynnfield straightforward scoring chances.
After Lynnfield received the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards for a touchdown to take a 6-0 lead, Chelsea’s first significant mistake came on their opening play from scrimmage when a ballcarrier fumbled, positioning Lynnfield at the Chelsea 10-yard line. Three plays later, the Red Devils found themselves trailing 14-0. Though the CHS defense performed solidly thereafter, recording two fumble recoveries and an interception, the Chelsea offense could not establish any rhythm. Lynnfield sealed the victory in the third quarter when a Chelsea punt snap went awry, giving Lynnfield possession at the Red Devil 10 and pushing the lead to 22-0. A 55-yard drive in the fourth quarter produced the final 28-0 score. “Overall I was pleased with how our defense played,” said Stellato. “We made four stops on fourth down and basically clamped down on them after their first long drive.”
Stellato specifically praised defensive lineman Kevin DeJesus (five tackles, three assists, and a fumble recovery), defensive back Troy Crossley (four tackles, four assists, a fumble recovery, and an interception), and defensive back Hector Rivera (four tackles, one assist) for their performances. With a 2-4 record on the season, Stellato’s team will attempt to return to winning form Saturday when they travel to Minuteman Tech of Lexington, a Commonwealth Athletic Conference’s Small Division rival. The kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 noon.