BYFIELD — In a Route 1 rivalry game in the mud at Triton Regional High, Vikings middle linebacker Joe Ruoccos led the Triton (2-1) defense to a 26-0 shutout over Ipswich one week after the Vikings snapped a 12-game losing streak.
Ruoccos and the defense limited Ipswich to just 132 total yards and forced four turnovers.
With both teams often stalling in the middle of the field, where the footing was tough to come by, it was a pair of big defensive plays that got the Vikings going.
Just over a minute into the game, Triton safety Blaise Whitman picked off Ipswich quarterback Nick Andreas and returned it down to the Tiger 16-yard line.
Converting a big fourth-and-6 on an 8-yard scramble, Whitman led the Vikings on a quick six-play drive before diving in for a 1-yard score, 7-0.
After both teams stalled following the touchdown, just 26 seconds in the second quarter Ryan Clay picked up a Peter Moutevelis fumble and dashed 58 yards to put the Vikes up two scores, 14-0.
Ipswich continued to struggle to move the ball as Moutevelis and Derek Chamberlain could not find any traction in the middle of the field in the running game and Andreas finished the first half just 2-for-8 throwing with a pair of picks.
Triton would tack on a late score in the first half as Whitman hit Dominic Rovetto on a beautiful hitch and go after a pump-fake for a 37-yard touchdown, 20-0.
And with 2:26 to go in the game Whitman would pad the stats when Matt Hill caught a short pass in the flat, made a move to the outside, and scampered in from 29 yards outs, 26-0.
"The defense was fantastic," said the elated Pat Sheehan. "The Wing-T offense is a very difficult offense to play against and to simulate in practice all the right checks and calls and automatics was important. The scout team did a really nice job this week in practice trying to simulate what Ipswich does and coach (Shawn McElligott) is running the defense. We're really glad to have him, he spent the last two years at Pentucket, so he knows the ins and outs of the offense."
Admitting his team had trouble throwing the ball with Whitman in the spread, due to the conditions and Ipswich's tough interior defensive linemen, Sheehan said the Vikings won the game on the backs of their defense.
"Joe Ruocco played a hell of a game, Billy Murphy played a great second half, and the defensive line was great," Sheehan said. "Offensively (Ipswich) did a nice job against us. Their defensive tackles are huge in the middle. They really limited us running the ball and the conditions limited us a little bit throwing the ball. But to win a game defensively was just fantastic."
While Ipswich coach Ted Flaherty lamented his team's turnovers, he praised the defense, which often had to play with their backs against the wall with Triton having such good field position time and again.
"I was very pleased with my defense," Flaherty said. "I think we finally found our defensive identity and we really contained that offense except for three plays so to speak. We never gave up and I thought we were hitting really well, tackling well, so the defense was a bright spot.
"Offensively, the way the game unfolded, we turned the ball over and gave their offense a short field and they scored a couple of times," Flaherty said. "We sort of shot ourselves in the foot. We had a penalty on the one nice play we had and then little things here and there. With our offense everything has to be right on and I think we took some bad angles to their backer and their backers did a really nice job, We're a work in progress and I'm pleased with where we're headed."
Triton 26, Ipswich 0
Ipswich0000 - 0
Triton71306 - 26
Scoring summary
FIRST QUARTER
T- Blaise Whitman 1-yard run (Ryan Clay good), 5:49
SECOND QUARTER
T- Ryan Clay 58-yard fumble recovery (good), 9:34
T- Whitman 37-yard pass to Dominic Rovetto (no good), 2:49
FOURTH QUARTER
T- Whitman 29-yard pass to Matt Hill (no good), 2:26
Individual statistics
PASSING: Triton - Blaise Whitman 9-14-101-2-0; Ipswich - Nick Andreas 5-14-62-0-2, Peter Moutevelis 0-1-0.
RUSHING: Triton - Whitman 13-33-1, Derek Paquette 10-30; Ipswich - Derek Chamberlain 12-41, Moutevelis 12-22, Louis Galanis 2-8, John Waiswilos 2-7, Kyle Barber 2-3, Andreas 2-(-3).
RECEIVING: Triton - Matt Hill 4-41-1, Dominic Rovetto 1-37-1, Jedd Hutchins 2-21, Ryan Clark 1-10, Paquette 1-(3); Ipswich - Moutevelis 2-31, Nate Glaster 2-20, Cam Murray 1-11.
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