Postgame Blog: Marshfield Handles Dennis-Yarmouth

Adam McNamara (10) and Chris Lunn (35) were two of five Rams to score rushing touchdowns Friday.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Here is your reminder that this blog is not a complete recap of the game, it is simply my wandering thoughts. If you'd like a full recap, plus my video highlights and some postgame comments from the player of the game, head to ESPN Boston High Schools.

Now, onward and upwards.

Battering Rams

Look, Marshfield won 38-6, so you could have been impressed with every aspect of its game, but I came away wondering just how many kids in that town can run the football. A bunch, apparently.

While Adam McNamara was the game's MVP, he was just one of five different Rams to rush for a score. Running backs, wing backs and split ends all got in on the action, and quarterback Jack Masterson again showed he's capable on his feet, breaking off a long run on Marshfield's first drive to set up a score.

Basically, if it gets into a slugfest, Marshfield has enough different guys that can run the ball to beat you.

Trench Warfare

So much has been made of Masterson and Penn State-bound tight end Danny Dalton on offense, that we often forget just how great this Marshfield offensive line is. Somebody had to pave the way for all those different rushers, after all. Led by Boston College commit Shane Leonard, the Rams line boasts both strength and athleticism.

The unit's collective ability to drive block was impressive, but so were several counter and trap blocks that sprung players like McNamara for big gains and touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, man were the Rams dominant as a defensive front. Dalton only had a few catches (Marshfield didn't throw it because they were up so much), but he did grab himself a pair of sacks, another tackle for loss, a batted ball and fumble recovery, all while facing double teams from his defensive end/outside linebacker spot.

Sean Burger was disruptive from the other end, causing the fumble Dalton recovered on his sack, and middle linebacker Fred Allen has great instincts, leadership and a mean streak that make him a natural for the position.

I came into the game expecting to see aerial fireworks and "high-tech" schemes that used misdirection to slip Marshfield's runners into space. I got a bit of the latter, but not much of the former, as the Rams instead simply physically dominated the Dolphins.

Dennis-Yarmouth's Silver Lining

If there is something Dennis-Yarmouth can take out of this game, it's that the Dolphins never quit. Three different times they held Marshfield on 4th and short, and leaders like athlete Andrew Jamiel showed fight the entire time they were on the field.

They just didn't have the horses tonight. Nothing to be ashamed of there, not many teams in the state will be able to play with Marshfield this season, as the Rams feature four potential Division 1 seniors.

The Dolphins' main problem was consistency on offense, but if they can find a steady hand at quarterback (D-Y used both junior Ryan Downs and sophomore Jacob McCarthy Friday), they have some play makers with a ton of fight in them. Don't dismiss the Dolphins in Division 4 at all.