Henrie, Malone pass unbeaten Devils to fourth win
Saturday, September 30, 2000

By Tom Emberley
CORRESPONDENT 

Leominster 33 Whitman-Hanson 20 

LEOMINSTER -- Joe Henrie threw for two
touchdowns and Jim Malone passed for another in Leominster's 33-20
victory over Whitman-Hanson Regional last night at chilly Doyle Field.
         "We knew they had a high-powered offense," Blue Devils
coach John Dubzinski said. "We knew that we'd have to play a great
game all the way around, and our kids did a great job."
         The Panthers (2-1) had averaged 43 points in defeating New
Bedford and North Quincy.
         The Devils (4-0) put away the game away when Alex Algarin ran
in from 2 yards away with just over a minute and a half remaining.
         Leominster got on the scoreboard on its second
drive. Co-captain Malone, who alternates at quarterback with fellow
senior Henrie, picked up a first down with a 3-yard run on fourth and
1 at the W-H 31. Henrie then ran a right-side bootleg 28 yards
untouched into the end zone to open the scoring. Garrett Donatelli's
kick increased the Blue Devil lead to 7-0.
         On Whitman-Hanson's ensuing possession, Jack Reed forced a
Tom Pimental fumble that the home team recovered on its 41-yard
line. Eight plays and more than three minutes later, Leominster made
the score 14-0 when Henrie completed a tight-end dump pass to a
wide-open Shaun Booth.
         The Eastern Mass. Division 2 visitors from the Atlantic Coast
League wasted little time in cutting the lead in half. On the first
offensive play after the kickoff, senior Steve Cappellini went off
right guard and ran 67 yards for a touchdown.
         After stalling a Leominster drive deep in LHS territory, the
Panthers took over the ball at the Blue Devil 42-yard line with 1:38
left in the first half. After a Pimental incomplete pass, senior Tony
Generous ran 42 yards to pay dirt on a perfectly executed left-side
draw. Henrie blocked Cappellini's kick to keep Leominster's lead at
14-13.
         However, the Blue Devils carried the momentum into the locker
room with them.  With 1:14 left in the second quarter, the Devils had
the ball on their own 23-yard line. After Malone ran to the Panther
44, Henrie (3 of 5 passing, 76 yards) found Dayne Williams (3
receptions, 76 yards, 1 TD) on the right sideline, giving Leominster
first and goal from the 4-yard line. With just 30 seconds left before
the break, Malone found a wide-open Williams in the right flat for the
touchdown, giving the Devils a 21-13 lead.
         After Ryan Griffith returned the second-half kickoff to the
Panther 40, Jim Rego fumbled on second down. Blue Devil defensive
standout Pat Moran fell on the ball at the W-H 34. Three plays later,
Henrie found Booth on a wide-open dump pass for the second time. This
pass went for a touchdown as well, as Booth scampered across the goal
line from 21 yards out to put the Devils up, 27-13.
         Leominster almost gave W-H great field position on the next
kickoff, as Rego brought the kickoff over midfield. However, the ball
came loose for the second straight time, and Blue Devil special-teams
mainstay Kyle Mimnaugh fell on the fumble, preventing immediate
Panther damage.
         With just over 6.5 minutes left, Cappellini plunged in from 1
yard away to cut the Blue Devil lead to 27-20.  
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