It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Methuen Rangers had no problem doing just that on Friday. They breezed by Natick at home to the tune of 47-7. Considering Methuen has won four contests by more than 22 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Methuen's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Drew Eason, who threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns while completing 100% of his passes. The team also got some help courtesy of Shane Eason, who rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on only six carries.
The win was the third in a row for Methuen, bringing their record for this year to 9-3. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 39.0 points per game. As for Natick, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-4.
Methuen will head out on the road to face off against Needham at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Needham is on a six-game streak of home wins, Methuen a three-game streak of away wins -- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the field. Natick will take on Franklin at TBD on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Massachusetts (Franklin is ranked 49th, while Natick is ranked 34th).
