RallyNorth.net

Trailing 7-0 to Newburyport, Lawrence faced one of those points that determine a season.

The Lancers had nearly turned Newburyport away | which would have been a giant moral victory | but faced one more down, fourth-and-goal from the 12.

For the younger Newburyport football players, this is uncharted territory.

Fresh off a 4-7 season that ended with a 20-0 loss to rival Amesbury, the Clippers have turned things around in a hurry. Newburyport (3-2) is one win shy of matching last year's win total with six games to play.

NEWBURYPORT | The balance of power shifted in the Cape Ann Small last night with Newburyport emerging as the team to beat.

The Clippers (3-2) beat a Hamilton-Wenham team many believed to be the CAL Small front-runner in convincing fashion | 34-13 | at World War Memorial Stadium. Clippers tailback Justin Burl was the workhorse, carrying the ball 31 times for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

Five seconds last week was all that stood between Newburyport and a brilliant 3-1 start to the 2007 campaign. Unfortunately for the Clippers a lot can happen in those precious last few seconds, especially when your opponent is on your 6-yard line. That was all the time Jordan Silva needed to find Justin Bolla for Pentucket's game winning touchdown pass.

WEST NEWBURY | Justin Bolla wanted one shot at redemption and his teammates had enough confidence to give it to him.

"I came back to the huddle and said 'sorry guys, my bad,' but I kept my head up and stayed focus," said Bolla moments after he dropped a certain game-winning, six-yard TD pass with five seconds remaining.

Historically, the Newburyport football team's offense has been fairly predictable.

The offensive players' roles are as follows: *The quarterback needs to be able to take the snap from center, turn, and hand the ball to the running back.

Sharing time with great local athletes isn’t new to Newburyport High sophomore Kyle LeBlanc.

The two-year starter at tailback and linebacker in football also lettered in indoor track and baseball as a freshman after winning battles for playing time in the fall and spring.

BYFIELD | Newburyport's Joe Clancy is quickly making a name for himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the Cape Ann League.

The junior field general delivered his third consecutive 100-plus yard, multiple passing touchdown performance last night, leading the Clippers to a 26-0 victory at Triton. Clancy completed 8 of 12 passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 460 passing yards and eight touchdown passes through three games.

NEWBURYPORT | From the very first drive, Wilmington's ground and pound operation had Newburyport's defense staring at the back of Ernest Mello's blue and white No. 21 jersey for much of the game.

It wasn't a good look for Newburyport as Mello compiled 205 yards on 21 carries, sparking a 27-17 Wilmington victory at World War Memorial Stadium.

For Newburyport quarterback Joe Clancy, there is no avoiding football talk on Thanksgiving.

Not with a family that eats, breaths and sleeps Newburyport football 365 days a year.

The Clancy Thanksgiving Day guest list reads like a who's-who of Newburyport football lore.