Randolph, MA
With the steady defensive play of Anthony Goodwyn, the Randolph Oilers, continued their impressive march to the playoffs.
Goodwyn guided the way, recording two sacks, a blocked extra point, a forced fumble and a key interception as the Oilers battled to a 13-6 win over the Hyde Park Seminoles in Saturday night’s Eastern Football League match-up at Kelly Field.
The Oilers, who improved to 6-3 overall, will have a chance to clinch the third seed in next Saturday night’s season finale against the Quincy Militia at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Offensively, Will Price recorded 130 all-purpose yards, including 110 in return yards along with a touchdown.
“There wasn’t a lot of offense,’’ said general manager Peter O’Kane. “It was a defensive minded game, and we were able to hold it down on defense. We made some huge stops and we didn’t turn the ball over.”
In the game’s opening drive, the Oilers engineered a 14-play, 55-yard drive that spanned 8:40 of the first quarter. After a series of short passes, screens and sweeps to the outside, the Oilers paved the way for a 6-0 lead as Brooke Payne dove into the end zone on a one-yard plunge with 6:20 remaining.
Defensively, the Oilers rose to the occasion, forcing a key turnover on the Seminoles early in the second quarter. After quarterback Sal Teixeira completed a 40-yard pass, the Seminoles quickly drove into the red zone before a pair of rushes set up a second and goal from the Oilers’ one. As Texeira aimed to dive into the end zone, Goodwyn forced a fumble as Karl Wells pounced on the loose ball for the recovery, preventing a score.
“That play was huge,’’ said O’Kane. “If (Hyde Park) scores on that play then they at least tie the game, and the whole momentum of the game changes. “(Goodwyn) came through with a huge play in forcing that fumble.”
Late in the second half, the Oilers aimed to add to the lead as quarterback Ryan Myers drove into the red zone. Using the two-minute drill, Myers drove to the Seminole nine-yard line before Dave Canavan’s attempted 31-yard field goal was blocked as time expired.
In the second half, the Seminoles tied the contest as Texeira executed a six-play, 38-yard scoring drive. Driving to the Oilers’ 24, Texeira connected on a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Fontes.
As the Seminoles aimed to grab the lead, Goodwin intercepted an intended pass early in the fourth quarter. Minutes later, the Oilers capitalized as Myers fired a 20-yard touchdown pass to Price with 6:05 remaining.
Securing the win, the Oilers forced another turnover on an interception by Dan Carroll.
“It was a big win for us, because this gets us closer to third place for the (playoffs),’’ said O’Kane. “We had some huge stops on defense and our offense was able to come through with some big plays.”
Leading the ground game was fullback Frank Gaudette, who recorded five first downs while Charles Thomas also saw some valuable playing time. At quarterback, Myers only tossed for 62 yards, but threw no interceptions.
“(Frank) had a nice game, and he was able to pick up some first downs and take some time off the clock,’’ said O’Kane. “We were able to make some big defensive plays and hold on to the win.”
The Oilers will wrap-up the regular season in Friday’s match-up against Quincy. With the playoff seeds still undecided, O’Kane acknowledges the importance of the season finale. Should the Oilers win, they’ll likely grab the third seed and will face-off against Hyde Park in a rematch, but could fall as low as the fifth seed with a loss.
“We need to come out strong and pull through with a win,’’ said O’Kane. “If we win, then we’ll probably face (Hyde Park) in a rematch, but if we lose then anything can happen. We could fall as low as the fifth seed and be up against (Bridgewater-Raynham) if that happens. We just need to go out, play some great football and not make any mistakes out on the field. If we don’t turn the ball over, then I really like our chances.”
The Oilers, 6-3, will end the regular season Friday, October 2 against the Quincy Militia at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Quincy. Kick off is at 6 p.m.
