Nick Marciano sparks Mansfield to tight win against rival King Philip

WRENTHAM — Mansfield and King Philip have grown accustomed to playing hard-fought, tightly contested battles when they meet.

And Friday night followed a familiar script for the Hockomock League rivals.

In a rematch of last year’s Division 2 South final, fourth-ranked Mansfield received a strong defensive performance and a key two-point conversion rush from Nick Marciano to edge No. 5 King Philip, 15-13, at Macktaz Field.

“It’s a great win, but it’s Mansfield-KP, it’s got to go to the wire,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding, as the last three contests between the two programs have been decided by a combined six points. “Both teams are going to find a way to get points and it’s always great defensively. It’s just business as usual.”

Protecting a 7-6 lead, Mansfield (3-1) finally capitalized on the positive field position it had all game midway through the fourth quarter when Cincere Gill (11 carries, 71 yards) took a handoff and bolted 20 yards into the end zone. It was Mansfield’s first touchdown since scoring on the fourth play from scrimmage on a 33-yard pass from Jack Moussette to Danny Rapoza.

The Hornets were content on kicking the extra point, but after a penalty to KP (3-1), Redding sent the offense back onto the field and Marciano ran in the conversion for a 15-6 lead.

“That was obviously big because it became a two-score game and makes a big difference,” Redding said.

The play proved pivotal after Robbie Jarest, who engineered a 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive capped off by a 1-yard run by Crawford Cavante to start the second half, tried to orchestrate a late rally.

With KP losing star running back Ryan Halliday early in the second quarter to a thumb injury, it was on Jarest (14-for-26, 194 yards) to deliver and he pulled KP within two points on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Alex Behling with 3:18 left.

Mansfield recovered the ensuing onside kick and Vinnie Holmes (13 carries, 97 yards) picked up a crucial first down to secure another nail-biting victory.

“We always know they can always inch back,” Holmes said. “We knew we had to put the pedal to the metal.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/30OBPIh