Rams follow through

QUINCY -- What Marshfield wanted was one more chance.

Marshfield ended last season broken by a botched play in the final seconds of the MIAA Division 1 semifinal, a 23-14 loss to Brockton. Yesterday, Marshfield was back, this time in the Division 1A semifinal against Weymouth at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Marshfield's defense stumped Weymouth as the Rams pulled out a 15-0 victory. Marshfield plays Wayland in the Division 1A Super Bowl Saturday.

"They had to taste the success because last year, it just left a sour taste in all of their mouths," Marshfield coach Lou Silva said. "They felt that we should have done better than we did last year, and we should have gotten to that final game."

Marshfield (11-1) thrived behind linebacker/running back Wendell Chipman. He recovered a fumble in the end zone to give Marshfield a 6-0 lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter, he ended Weymouth's drive in Ram territory with an interception that set up his 23-yard field goal. On Marshfield's final scoring drive, he carried the ball on seven of nine plays, setting up quarterback Kurt Leone's 2-yard touchdown run that sealed the win.

If it wasn't Chipman, it was defensive back Jerome Freed using every bit of his 5-foot-9-inch, 180-pound frame to deliver crushing hits or snag an interception. "Our defense has been playing unbelievable. Hopefully, we can continue playing like that in the Super Bowl," Freed said.

Marshfield needed a strong defensive showing to stop Weymouth (9-4).

Weymouth, the Bay State Carey champion, has a powerful offense, led by junior running back Michael Waithe. Last week, Waithe scored three touchdowns and had 102 yards on 23 carries in a 21-8 win against Walpole.

Against Marshfield, Waithe was limited to 47 yards on 12 carries.

"[Marshfield] played outstanding defense," Weymouth coach Kevin Mackin said. "We just couldn't get on track, and we made a lot of mistakes because of the pressure they were putting on us."

From the opening drive, Weymouth's offense struggled as quarterback Mike Magnell was tackled as he scrambled around the Weymouth 10 to find a receiver. The ball popped loose and rolled into the end zone, where Chipman recovered it for the 6-0 lead.

"You never want to fumble the ball in your end zone, but when you start the game that way, it's tough," Mackin said.

Marshfield's defense set up its offensive opportunities, as all three turnovers led to points for the Rams. Freed said it was Marshfield defensive coordinator John Napoleone who should get credit for the team's defensive performance because "he knew every play before they ran it."

Last season, Marshfield set up for a 20-yard field goal, but a high snap was recovered by Brockton and returned for a touchdown with less than three seconds left to put the game out of reach.

Marshfield graduated several players from that squad, leaving Silva unsure of what his team could accomplish.

It was not long before Silva saw individual players finding ways to contribute. The only blemish in the regular season came with a loss to a team from California.

"We got here and they came through and did what had to be done," Silva said. "It's more rewarding because of that."