Duo plays part in all 7 TDs as Duxbury bolts out to early lead and never looks back
By Trevor Hass, Sports Editor/Reporter sports@duxburyclipper.com Twitter: @TrevorHass
DEMERITT YTD Stats 4 Games / 33 Touches / 15 Touchdowns / 844 All-Purpose Yards / Avg. 25+ Yards Per Touch
Duxbury’s seven touchdowns against Plymouth North came in many different forms. Some were on the ground and some were in the air. Some were from far out and some from inside the red zone. Some came early in the drive and some were the final blow on methodical marches down the field.
But all seven scores had one thing in common: They all involved either QB Bobby Maimaron, RB Devin DeMeritt, or both players. DeMeritt accounted for five TDs – three on the ground and two in the air – and Maimaron threw for three and rushed for one. The duo worked seamlessly together, picking apart the Eagle defense in a 46-0 shellacking at Plymouth North High on Friday night.
“Shout out to the coaches,” senior Riley Bergstrom said. “They did everything for us and put us in the right spots and all we had to do was execute.”
With the win, the Dragons move to 4-0 on the season and they’ll remain at No. 1 in all major polls. Duxbury took a commanding 26-0 lead into halftime and extended the margin to 39-0 after three before adding one more score in the fourth. The defense posted its first shutout of the season and the offense dominated all game.
Plymouth North’s game plan became clear in the opening minutes – work the clock and keep the Duxbury offense off the field as long as possible. At first, it worked to perfection, but the Dragon defense finally forced a turnover on downs with 6:27 left in the first.
On Duxbury’s third play from scrimmage, Maimaron found a huge hole and burst free, uncontested, for a 63-yard TD trot. The Eagles worked the ball into Dragon territory on their first two drives, but each time Duxbury thwarted their progress, claiming a 7-0 lead after one.
Photo by Marilyn Quilty | Devin DeMeritt scored three TDs on the ground and two on passes from QB Bobby Maimaron.
Early in the second, Plymouth North turned the ball over on what was supposed to be a punt on 4thand 20, and Charlie Gans recovered it deep in Eagle territory. Three plays later, Maimaron scrambled and found a cutting DeMeritt for a 9-yard strike.
“He’s awesome,” head coach Dave Maimaron said of DeMeritt. “He makes the team go right now and we need other guys to step up because people are going to take him away.”
On Plymouth North’s ensuing drive, Duxbury’s Eric Proctor forced a fumble and Bergstrom recovered it. DeMeritt swooped to the outside and scored easily from 36 yards out, pushing the margin to 20-0.
DeMeritt – who missed the bulk of last season with a torn ACL in his left knee – racked up seven carries for 191 yards and five receptions for 93 yards, showcasing his ability to make plays in both realms.
“Anytime Devin touches it he’s bound to go off,” QB Bobby Maimaron said. “It’s huge to have him back. We missed him so much last year.”
For all that DeMeritt did, Maimaron was just as impressive. He slung a pinpoint, back-shoulder pass to James Miele in the left side of the end zone late in the first half and Duxbury surged into halftime up 26-0 and in complete control.
In Duxbury’s 49-14 win over Whitman-Hanson the previous week, Maimaron did most of his damage with his legs. Friday, while he still rushed for 88 yards and a TD, he flaunted his ability to consistently throw accurate passes. He toyed with the defense, kept plays alive and delivered strikes to teammates in both the open field and tight coverage.
Maimaron finished 14 for 24 with 211 yards passing and didn’t make any costly mistakes all game. His ability to make plays out of seemingly nothing is a key reason why Duxbury is such an unstoppable offensive juggernaut. The Dragons have outscored their opponents 186-48 through four games, and they look every bit the part of the No. 1 team in Massachusetts.
“I have a ton of time with my offensive line,” Maimaron said, “and on the rare time I do scramble it’s because I have too much time and I have to get out there and make something happen for the team.”
DeMeritt scored from 81 yards out early in the third, then Maimaron fed DeMeritt for their second TD connection of the day midway through the quarter – this one from 15 yards out. DeMeritt tacked on a 25-yard score late in the fourth to complete the scoring.
Despite the lopsided result and the impressive win, Dave and Bobby Maimaron still feel as though there’s more work to be done. The homecoming matchup against 4-0 Silver Lake on Friday at 7 p.m. at Duxbury High could be the Dragons’ biggest test of the regular season.
Dave Maimaron is hoping for a more productive week in practice to clean up some of the mistakes that didn’t cost Duxbury against Plymouth North but could potentially prove problematic later in the season.
“We’re really working on stuff,” Dave Maimaron said. “We’re getting ready for the games we know are coming down the road. Sometimes we look good and tonight was sloppy. We have to have a better week of preparation this week.”