FALMOUTH — In many respects, a 120-mile road trip for a game can be long and arduous. Yet, it can be memorable if all goes right.
For Joseph Allen, Saturday’s journey to the Cape was one he will never forget. The senior captain racked up 19 carries for 103 yards rushing, finishing with four touchdowns as Gloucester registered a convincing 42-20 romp of Falmouth.
“It definitely does (feel great),” Allen said afterward. “Far trip, rough trip, but we came up here, and played out.”
As expected, Gloucester (2-0) opted to turn to the ground-and-pound game early, running on 12 consecutive plays during the game’s opening possession. Allen punctuated the drive with a 6-yard touchdown scamper, as the Fishermen seized a 7-0 lead.
Seconds later, Falmouth fumbled on its first offensive play, setting the Fishermen up with a golden opportunity in the red zone. Allen made the Clippers pay, punching in a second consecutive 6-yard touchdown rush. With 4:23 to play in the opening frame, it appeared Gloucester was about to pull away with a commanding 13-0 advantage.
However, Falmouth staged a rally behind some clutch play from quarterback Tre’Chaun Days. During his team’s ensuing possession, the senior lofted a pass into the end zone, which was corralled for a circus 25-yard touchdown reception by Malik Locke to slice the deficit to 13-6.
After Gloucester saw its next drive stall out, the Clippers regained possession, and Days decided to fire another prayer up along the sideline. The attempt was tipped and brought in by Locke, who slipped loose into the secondary before taking off for a 64-yard touchdown reception. Days added a two-point rush with a quarterback keeper, as Falmouth jumped in front for the first time with a 14-13 edge.
Yet, Gloucester regained its rhythm using its trademark running plays. As the final seconds bled away in the first half, Jaylen Severino dove across the goal line off a jet sweep for a one-yard touchdown rush, as the Fishermen took a 21-14 lead into intermission.
“That’s our team,” said Gloucester coach Dan O’Connor. “That’s what we do. We’ve got three really good ball carriers, if not four or five any given day. We’re going to try and keep the ball on the ground, and we’re going to try and grind out wins. That’s the mentality we have. That’s the way we’ve played down here for a really long time. This group of kids really embraces that. They embody it.”
Once the second half got underway, Gloucester seized control of the tempo with authority. After foiling a fake punt attempt by Falmouth to start, the Fishermen converted as Allen jogged to pay dirt for a 10-yard touchdown run to make it a 29-14 affair.
Meanwhile, self-inflicted mistakes proved costly for Falmouth. Seconds thereafter, the Clippers fumbled the ball away once again, setting up Gloucester with another short field. Allen added his fourth touchdown of the afternoon with a two-yard rush, breaking things open at 35-14 with 6:33 left in the third quarter.
Later on in the final frame, with his team maintaining a two-possession lead, junior Nash Marshall sealed the deal for Gloucester. The running back pushed his way home for a one-yard touchdown rush, providing the Fishermen a commanding 42-20 advantage.
Severino (seven carries, 49 yards rushing, touchdown) and Thomas Cribbs (13 carries, 64 yards rushing) provided a spark as well for Gloucester.
Days finished 12-of-19 passing for Falmouth, finishing with 183 yards and a trio of touchdowns, each of which went to Locke (six receptions for 133 yards).
As of now, the Fishermen are cruising with momentum. However, the trek is only expected to intensify moving forward.
“Just one week at a time,” O’Connor said. “We’ve got St. Mary’s coming up this week, and that’s a big one for us up there. That’s a great program. We’ve just got to enjoy this one for a little bit, but then get back to work on Monday.”
