MANSFIELD — If this was a fantasy football game, everyone would have gone home happy.
Marshfield outlasted Mansfield, 41-35, in a barnburner that saw both teams combine for 64 second-half points as they traded big plays and razzle-dazzle touchdowns in the first round of the Division 1A playoffs.
Marshfield’s Neal Parry had a party in the second half with a touchdown pass on a halfback option and a 75-yard interception return for a TD. Jack McNeil chipped in with two touchdown runs along with a 4-yard TD reception to lead the Rams, who now face top-seeded King Philip.
“Coming into this season I said we were going to surprise a lot of teams and we had some kids step up,” said Parry. “We were talking about how big the (Mansfield) linemen were and how we had to play tough. We know we are not the biggest, but we just had to stay low and clog up gaps.”
The Marshfield defense allowed only 3 first-half rushing yards and took a 12-0 lead into the locker rooms.
In the second half, the Mansfield combination of quarterback Anthony DeGirolamo and wide receiver Hunter Ferreira (11 catches, 155 yards) heated up.
The tandem hooked up on a 28-yard fade jump ball to the corner of the end zone to cut the deficit to 12-7 with 4:51 left in the third.
But McNeil answered with a 62-yard run to the goal line to give the Rams back the two-score cushion, 20-7.
Mansfield again cut the lead on the first of two Nick Graham touchdown runs only to have Marshfield deliver a key blow. Parry took the ball on a pitch right and found Mike Catanoso down the right sideline for the touchdown.
“We just couldn’t get enough stops when we had the momentum,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding.
But DeGirolamo then found Khristian Conner for a 32-yard touchdown and connected with Ferreira again late in the fourth. DeGirolamo finished 21-of-32 for 354 yards and three touchdowns but the senior signal-caller wanted one pass back.
Rolling to his left with a chance to get Mansfield within one score, Marshfield’s Brody Reynolds hit DeGirolamo just as he released a pass. Parry corralled it and scampered 75 yards untouched to give Marshfield a 41-21 lead with 2:56 left.
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