CONFERENCE OPENER: Fishermen looking to bounce back against Salem, ME hosts Essex Tech

Sep. 30—The Gloucester and Manchester Essex football teams are racing towards the midpoint of the 2022 regular season, and both teams have big games on tap in Week 4 Friday night.

The Fishermen will be looking to bounce back from a tough loss last week at Weston and will be hosting rival Salem at Newell Stadium. The Witches snapped a 20-game losing streak to Gloucester last season, picking up their first win in the series since 1999, and enter the contest red hot at 3-0. This game was a battle on both sides of the ball last year and the teams look evenly matched on paper once again this year. It's also the Northeastern Conference Lynch Division opener for both teams and a game that both teams probably need in the big picture playoff hunt.

Manchester Essex, on the other hand, has one final Commonwealth Conference crossover game before heading into its CAC Division 2 opener next week. The Hornets will be playing their third straight game against a CAC Large opponent with Essex Tech coming to Hyland Field for the first meeting between the two teams since 2018.

Here's a look at what to expect from each contest this weekend.

GLOUCESTER (1-2) VS. SALEM (3-0), FRIDAY AT NEWELL STADIUM (7 P.M.)

When Gloucester has the ball: The Fishermen are looking to right the ship after a tough performance on offense last week against Weston where they had only 99 yards and six first downs. Weston won the battle up front last week and Gloucester will have to reverse that this week against a Salem defense that has been very solid in the early going against the run. Salem has yet to allow more than 14 points in a game this season in wins over Chelsea (45-6), Martha's Vineyard (30-6) and last week against Greater Lawrence (19-14).

Gloucester will be looking to get the run game established with running back Frank DeSisto, who has established himself as the team's work horse back but only played half of last week's game due to an injury. When Gloucester can get DeSisto, who leads the team with 224 rush yards, going it opens up the rest of the offense including runs on the edge and some passing plays. Quarterback Nick Carey also made some noise as a runner last week with a few nice scrambles to move the chains. Defensively the Witches are led by Quinn Rocco Ryan, a safety that can make plays in the run and passing games, and linebacker Alex Rodriguez, a sharp tackler.

When Salem has the ball: The Witches are also off to a hot start offensively, averaging over 30 points per game through three weeks. The Gloucester, defense, however, has also been stingy and this matchup could be the one that decides the game. The Witches feature a balanced offensive attack as senior quarterback Corey Grimes, a 6-foot-4 bruiser, can beat teams with his arm and his legs out of the spread. Grimes has thrown for 352 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season. His top target is receiver Luis Chinn, who hauled in a pair of touchdowns in last weeks win, while Rocco Ryan is also a factor in the passing game. Devante Ozuna has also established himself as a work horse back for the Witches with 313 yards and three touchdowns on the season.

The Fishermen defense will have to be ready for a productive run and pass game. Cameron Widtfeldt and John Gucciardi have proven to be ballhawks in the secondary as both came away with an interception at a big moment in last week's game. The defensive line will also be put to the test as Chris Howell, Nick Koros, Mike Toppan and Anthony Russo have been consistently strong up front for the Fishermen through three weeks.

Outlook: This looks to be another evenly matched game that will be decided in the fourth quarter. Expect both teams to still be in it as the clock winds down, meaning it will come down to who plays better in the clutch moments. Gloucester has played two tight games this season and dropped them both, but they have played a more difficult schedule than Salem in the early going and have experience playing in a grind of a football game. Gloucester needs to find a way to keep the chains moving on offense and it will need to play its best in the fourth quarter. Keeping Salem's offense off the field will be key and the Fishermen are built to do just that if they can find a groove when they have the ball. Expect a tight contest that could go either way. Has Gloucester learned from two tight losses early in the season? Or will Salem keep the ball rolling?

MANCHESTER ESSEX (3-0) VS. ESSEX TECH (2-1), FRIDAY AT HYLAND FIELD (6:30 P.M.)

When Manchester Essex has the ball: The Hornets have been an offensive juggernaut through three weeks, scoring 117 points in three dominant victories. Last week against Greater Lowell was the team's toughest test as the 34-7 win does not do justice to the competitiveness on the field. Manchester Essex exploded for four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, making the most of their chances after the defense forced multiple big turnovers.

The Hornets have found their identity on the offensive side of the ball as Stephen Martin has turned into a legitimate feature back that can pick up big gains and grind out tough yards in between the tackles while rushing for over 100 yards in each of the last two games. Martin's running has softened up the defense for the passing game, where Brennan Twombly has been one of the best play making quarterbacks in the area who has excelled at getting the ball in the hands of his several play making receivers for big gains. Defensively, Essex Tech was very strong in opening wins over Lynn Tech and Blue Hills, but Shawsheen came on strong late in last week's game on the offensive side of the ball to hand the Hawks their first loss of the season. The Essex Tech defense needs to make Manchester Essex one-dimensional, something no team has been able to do yet this season.

When Essex Tech has the ball: The Hornets defense will be put to the test this week against a high flying Essex Tech offense. Quarterback Harry Lynch has stepped in as the team's signal caller due to injury and the offense has run through him as he leads the team in both passing and rushing. Wide receiver P.J. Norton is a big play target the Hornets will have to be ready for in the secondary.

As good as the Manchester Essex offense has been, the defense may be even better through three weeks. The Hornets have consistently forced turnovers in each of their first three games, putting the offense in a position to success. Manchester Essex has ball hawks in the secondary and hard hitting tacklers that can knock the ball loose. The Hornets have forced multiple turnovers in all three wins including five last week at Greater Lowell. Ben Hurd has led the way up front with Twombly, Declan Kirk and Henry Otterbein all playing well in the secondary.

Outlook: This matchup will come down to the defense and which team does a better job shutting down the opposing offense. Both teams can score and both teams can move the ball through the air and the ground. If the Hornets can take over the game by dominating up front on defense and forcing turnovers, it will be in line for another positive performance. Essex Tech will need to do the same when Manchester Essex has the ball. This game will be decided in the trenches and by which offense takes care of the ball best.