Copyright The Boston Globe
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH — At the end of another long, physical North Attleborough drive, standout senior halfback Frankie Strachan started to cramp. A trainer hustled from the sideline to tend to him. A Rocketeer fan yards from Strachan had a quip that met the moment. “He doesn’t need a doctor, he needs a mechanic,” he joked. There was indeed a relentlessness and toughness that made Strachan seem more machine than man Friday night at Community Field. One play after his cramping, Strachan dove into the end zone for a 1-yard score – his third touchdown of the night, in a 21-14 comeback victory. With a steady dose of Strachan, seventh-seeded North Attleborough (7-2) overpowered Hockomock League rival Milford (4-5), the 10th seed, to advance to the Division 3 quarterfinals. “It all comes down to mental toughness,” said Strachan. “It says so much about the O-line and our culture. We are a smash-mouth football team to a tee. I couldn’t do it without the guys in front.” Physical from whistle to whistle, this was a very Hockomock game, said North Attleborough coach Mike Strachan. Advertisement “We were moving the ball, our O-line did a phenomenal job, and if you give [Frankie] any room at all – he’s grinding. I give all the respect to our line, [Ryan Thompson] did a great job blocking at fullback, and Frankie is just an absolute animal,” added Strachan of his nephew. Though North Attleborough won the war of attrition, Milford took the first few battles — and quite convincingly. On a fourth-and-goal on their opening drive, the Scarlet Hawks pulled ahead after Ethan Charczenko’s 5-yard touchdown catch. Dylan Burns grabbed another Milford touchdown in the second quarter, making it 14-0. But before halftime, Strachan scored his first touchdown. And with the offense rolling, the Rocketeers’ defense held the Scarlet Hawks scoreless throughout the second half. “We settled down a little bit. We had a couple long drives and it wears on teams. I’m proud of our seniors, and I’m proud of our captains. … I mean, we did a lot of great things tonight,” said Mike Strachan. Advertisement Added Frankie Strachan: “We settled in – we knew who we were.”
