Amesbury coach Colin McQueen and the the Redhawks are headed to the Division 7 Super Bowl.
Amesbury coach Colin McQueen and the the Redhawks are headed to the Division 7 Super Bowl.Brad Joyal
LYNN – When adversity struck and the pressure reached its peak, Amesbury remained cool to clinch a return to Gillette Stadium.
Four plays after recovering a fumbled snap on a Clinton punt attempt, Amesbury senior quarterback Justin Dube leapt over the line of scrimmage for a 1-yard touchdown to put the Redhawks ahead with 10 seconds remaining.
Second-seeded Amesbury hung on for a 20-14 victory over No. 6 Clinton in a Division 7 semifinal Saturday at Manning Field to secure the program’s second state championship appearance in three years, after falling to Uxbridge, 42-16, in 2023.
TOUCHDOWN AMESBURY
Senior QB Justin Dube goes over the top on a QB sneak to put Amesbury on top with 10 seconds remaining.
2-point pass failed, but Amesbury leads Clinton 20-14 with 10 seconds remaining @GlobeSchools pic.twitter.com/S9cUGi3o6Q
— Brad Joyal (@BradJoyal) November 22, 2025
“We never get down. We always believe in each other,” said Dube. “We haven’t played in many [close] games this year, but going back to last year, we have a ton of returning upperclassmen that have played in these types of games.
“We were ready.”
Amesbury (11-0) advances to face top-seeded Cohasset (9-2) in the Super Bowl. Clinton (8-3) will close out its season at Nashoba on Thanksgiving.
The Redhawks’ offense approached the red zone minutes before Dube’s winning score, but Aiden Bell recovered a fumble to give Clinton the ball back with 2:27 remaining.
D7 🏈 Semifinal
FINAL
No. 6 Clinton -- 14
No. 2 Amesbury -- 20
The Redhawks survive a scare to clinch a return to the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. They'll play the Cohasset-Northbridge winner for the D7 title @GlobeSchools pic.twitter.com/24bBy6Ttl6
— Brad Joyal (@BradJoyal) November 22, 2025
Amesbury junior Evan Murphy sacked Clinton sophomore QB Luis Berdecia Jr. on third down to force a punt, and a mishandled snap set the Redhawks up with first and 10 at the Gaels’ 11 with 1:04 to play.
One play after he was stuffed for a 1-yard gain from the 2-yard line, Dube elevated over senior center Dylan Palen to give Amesbury the lead.
“They went low and I went low the first time,” said Dube. “I saw [the defense] in the same alignment the second time, so I knew I was going to go up top.”
TOUCHDOWN AMESBURY
After an 18-yard scamper by Dube moved the chains on fourth down, Joe Puleo put the Redhawks on the board with this 11-yard touchdown run. Joe Celia's 2-point run gives the Redhawks an 8-6 lead over Clinton with 7:58 left in the third @GlobeSchools pic.twitter.com/SfFT3pphxY
— Brad Joyal (@BradJoyal) November 22, 2025
Dube found junior Connor Scialdone for a 20-yard passing score to tie the game at 14 with 9:56 remaining, and junior Joe Puleo (16 carries, 111 yards) scored an 11-yard touchdown to give Amesbury an 8-6 edge in the third.
“It was a gritty game,” McQueen said. “These kids have a ton of heart, and that’s why we love coaching them so much. Guys stepped up in big ways to give us a chance at the end.”