MARLBOROUGH – The season was all but over for the Marlboro Shamrocks.
The Shamrocks – who needed to win to qualify for the playoffs – jumped ahead 12-10 early in the fourth quarter, but the Connecticut Mustangs fought back. The Mustangs slowly and methodically marched down the field, pulling ahead 16-12 with about 65 seconds remaining.
Fans – accustomed to Shamrock success – loudly groaned. The game had been back-and-forth all night, but with such little time remaining, something miraculous needed to happen.
So Marlboro Shamrocks Head Coach Harrison Ingels looked at his playbook. It was time for some trickery. It was time for the hook-and-ladder.
Graham Asum caught the ball, looked back, and – just as defenders were bearing down on him – tossed the ball back to teammate Manny Rosario, who ran down the sideline to the 15-yard line. The Shamrocks would score just seconds later, securing the 19-16 win against the Mustangs and booking their ticket to the playoffs.
“We’ve been repping that hook-and-ladder. We’ve been working on some trick plays and this was the time to pull it out,” Ingels told the Community Advocate after the game. “They’d hopefully play close on the hitch, and it worked out exactly as we’d hoped. It’s just great by Graham [Asum], great play by Manny [Rosario].”
The game featured four total interceptions (three thrown by Connecticut, one by Marlboro), several missed field goals and extra points, and plenty of slipping and sliding on the rain-soaked Kelleher Field. The contest kicked off about 30 minutes late, and the teams played through light drizzle.
The Shamrocks – who came into the game at 4-5 – reached .500 with the win. It’s been an up-and-down season for the Shamrocks, but Ingels said that he’s proud of the effort and resilience his team showed.
“[Winning] feels good, man,” he said. “We preach about overcoming adversity, and it would be really easy for people to throw their hats in and say ‘it couldn’t be us.’ They’re answering the call, and hopefully it’ll translate next weekend.”
The Marlboro Shamrocks will compete against the Boston Bandits in their first playoff game. The Bandits went 7-3 in regular season action. The game will be played at West Roxbury Academy on September 16 at 7:00 p.m.
