LYNN — “He’s better than me. That’s one thing I can say.”
Lynn English head coach Tyllor McDonald knows a good quarterback when he sees one. And his signal caller this season, Shane Knowlton-Simard, finished a year for the record books in style on Thursday at Manning Field.
The converted wide receiver rushed for 212 yards and three scores while also passing for 131 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs bested Lynn Classical, 36-6, in the 112th meeting of the crosstown rivals.
“The kid’s just a great football player, man. He earned it,” McDonald said of Knowlton-Simard. “He showed up every day and grinded for what he got this season.”
With his performance on Thursday, Knowlton-Simard finished the year with 1,913 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns while adding another 824 yards and eight touchdowns in the air.
“It’s been a magical year for sure,” Knowlton-Simard said after an emotional embrace with his coach. “This team is really a family. I’m really proud of this team because we just battled adversity all year, being young.”
The high-flying Bulldogs showed their explosiveness throughout the entire first half despite Classical running 32 plays to only five for English.
The Rams held the ball for almost six minutes to begin the game, but an interception by freshman Keilan Smith resulted in a touchback. Moments later, it was 6-0 after Xavier Beauchamp took the first down play for a touchdown.
After a Classical three-and-out, it was Knowlton-Simard’s turn as he raced 76 yards down the left sideline on English’s second play to make it 12-0.
The Rams again followed with a clock-chewing drive that stretched into the second period. But a fourth-down fumble inside the 10 ended the march.
Knowlton-Simard then electrified the 1,000-plus in attendance as he took a zone read 93 yards for his 29th score of the season and an 18-0 lead.
Another Classical three and out gave English all the ball. This time, the Bulldogs actually wasted a play before Jason McDonald took a pass in stride and went 77 yards for another score.
In all, English gained 327 yards on its five plays in the first 24 minutes.
“It was just electric,” McDonald said. “I’m not surprised at all. Xavier and Shane have been showing it all year. They’ve been doing it all year.”
English (9-2) returned the second half kick to the Classical 27 but came away scoreless. The Rams then made things interesting as Charles Washington capped a seven-play drive with a three-yard run to cut the lead to 18.
English, however, delivered a knockout blow on a march that saw Beauchamp have two touchdowns called back because of penalties. Knowlton-Simard’s third rushing score of the game early in the fourth made it 30-6.
One final score would come with 5:52 left as senior Kenneth Gomez Lopez caught a six-yard pass from Knowlton-Simard.
“There’s been nobody like him as big, as fast, as strong as Shane. And just his numbers this year speak for itself. There’s nobody that’s done that ever,” McDonald said.
