North Attleboro grinds past Mansfield on the road, 14-10

MANSFIELD – North Attleboro relied on a power rushing attack and a tough defensive performance to grind out a 14-10 Hockomock League football victory over Mansfield.

The win improved the Red Rocketeer’s to 6-1, 3-1 within the league. Head coach Michael Strachan credited the team’s upperclassmen, especially on the lines, for pushing the team to the win.

“Our senior leadership and our offensive and defensive lines have been something we are really proud of,” Strachan said. “They took the team and put them on their shoulders today,”

The Red Rocketeer’s kicked the ball away to open the game but utilized a squib kick and recovered a Hornets fumble. Strachan said this was planned and helped give his program an early edge.

“It was really good coverage from our kids,” Strachan said. “It was a good momentum swing for us, and those bounces mean so much in games like these.”

North Attleboro would continue to charge towards the goal line and senior Ryan Bannon eventually pushed through to grab the early lead.

“Ryan Bannon led the charge,” Strachan said. “He’s a beast back there.”

The teams would trade punts before Mansfield would eventually tie it after a 12-yard rushing touchdown from Sean McCoy. That knotted score would not last long, however, as Brady Paradis broke through for a 47-yard touchdown early in the next drive.

“We’ve been working on that play all week,” Paradis. “We saw the opening and coach made a good call. It was an all-around great play, and the offensive line deserves most of the credit.”

The 14-7 score would hold until the half and both defenses stepped up in the second half. A strong punt from the Hornets would place North Attleboro on its own one-yard line, and a fumble recovery a few plays later gave Mansfield a prime opportunity to tie it.

Instead, the Hornets had to settle for a 26-yard field goal from James Warren and were hoping to take a lead in a future drive.

Instead, the Red Rocketeer’s locked in and forced several incompletions and negative rushes.

“Throughout the whole week at practice we worked on getting off the field on third down,” Paradis said. “It all comes down to mental toughness at that point and we dug deep and played our best.”

Strachan said the victory showed what his team can accomplish and the toughness they displayed is something they need to carry over to the next game against Foxboro.

“It’s hard to play here,” Strachan said. “That’s a good football team, I knew it was going to be a battle and I’m really proud of the way we finished the game.”