A look at some of the under-the-radar performers from last weekend’s football games:
JOHN SCHIEFFER
Marblehead Junior
Middle linebacker
Danvers High’s short splits on the offensive line can turn a football game into a fight in a phone booth … and with their Superman middle linebacker Bodie Smith sidelined by an injury, Marblehead’s faithful might have been a little nervous going into Friday’s game.
Cue junior John Schieffer, who donned the cape and proved to the Kryptonite for the Falcons in a 34-7 win that secured yet another Northeastern Conference Dunn title for the Magicians.
Playing one of two middle spots in Marblehead’s stack defense, Schieffer read the field well and both fought through and shed blockers all night. Displaying a knack for finding tackling lanes and staying square without buying fakes, he had a stop on the first drive of the game, forcing a Danvers punt, and was in a recovered fumble on Danvers’ second drive as Marblehead raced out to a 14-0 lead. Schieffer and the Magicians also pitched a second half shutout, forcing three turnovers (with one coming in the end zone and another going for an MHS touchdown) to blow open a close game.
Shieffer’s emergence adds another weapon to a Magician defense that has held six consecutive opponents to one touchdown or fewer and allows 6.33 points per game during their current six game win streak. They’ll look to continue that run of strong play when they welcome Norwood to Piper Field for a Division 4 quarterfinal Friday night (7 p.m.).
MATTY MASTROCOLA
Peabody Senior
Defensive tackle
Trying to run between the tackles against the Peabody High defense is akin to sticking your head inside a lion’s mouth — you can do it, but it’s not advisable. Matt Mastrocola demonstrated why Saturday morning at Hurd Stadium in Beverly.
The host Panthers were hoping to pull off an upset win and snap a six-game losing streak against the Northeastern Conference rivals, and twice in the first half they got the ball with 1st-and-goal inside the Peabody 7-yard-line. With eight cracks at getting into the end zone, Beverly came up empty against a Tanners’ front four that boasts elite run stoppers and gap-fillers. Mastrocola was in the middle of that action, twice stepping up on Wildcat runs by the Panthers to plug a hole on both third and fourth down from the 1-yard line.
A 6-foot-3, 310-pound behemoth who’s surprisingly agile in the trenches, Mastrocola and his mates gave up a scant 27 rushing yards on the day, limiting Beverly to just 1.12 yards per attempt. Thanks to their fine work on defense, Peabody’s offense to get untracked in the second half and scored twice, including the game-winning score with 32.5 seconds remaining, to pull out a 14-7 victory and snap their own three-game skid.
Mastrocola and the Tanners now begin the Division 2 playoffs on the road at Winchester Friday night, a team they’ve already defeated once this season.
LIAM TIMPONE
Beverly Senior
Wide receiver
Dialed in from the start of Saturday morning’s tilt against rival Peabody High, Liam Timpone did all he could to help the Orange-and-Black secure their first victory since opening day. Although the Panthers’ effort ultimately came up short, Timpone’s contributions did not go unnoticed.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound wideout was targeted early and often, snaring a career high seven catches for 79 yards and a touchdown, his first of the season. Running curls, out routes and slants, he often beat his man off the ball and got open in time for quarterback Danny Pierce to find him in space. He made three grabs on one first quarter drive, the third a quick hitter down the left side that went for 20 yards and put the ball at the Peabody 7-yard line.
He caught two more passes early in the second quarter — one a 12-yarder coming on 4th-and-9 from the Peabody 15 — before hauling in a 9-yard scoring pass with a fingertip catch inside the right pylon. He later pulled in a 10-yard catch as the Panthers dramatically tried to rally in the last half-minute, and a last-gasp pass towards him in the end zone was batted away.
All told, six of Timpone’s seven catches went for first downs. His 22 catches on the season lead Beverly’s receiving corps.