Closing in on trip to Gillette
The road to Gillette Stadium has already been paved for Everett, Xaverian, Lincoln-Sudbury and King Philip.
Six more local teams will be looking to join them in Foxboro on the weekend of Dec. 1-2. Three state semifinal contests will be played this Friday night and three more are slated to be played Saturday.
Here are some random thoughts on the events that transpired this past weekend:
• No one should be happier with the new playoff system that the Middlesex Freedom League. Three schools, Melrose, Stoneham and Watertown, captured sectional titles. Melrose knocked off previously unbeaten Marblehead while Stoneham did the same to Hamilton-Wenham, putting together a gamewinning, 15-play drive in the waning moments to stun the Generals, 20-18.
That paled in comparison to what Watertown pulled off. Trailing 34-24 at Lynnfield with 1:15 left, the Raiders managed to score twice, the winning score coming on Nick McDermott’s touchdown run with 11 seconds left.
• Xaverian certainly wasn’t on anyone’s radar after losing to Catholic Memorial, 13-12, a few weeks ago. Given a new lease on life in the postseason, the Hawks took full advantage, defeating Attleboro and Needham, then earned a huge slice of revenge by rolling over the Knights, 35-7, to win their fifth straight Division 1 South sectional title.
The reward, if that’s what you want to call it, is a return date with Everett in the Div. 1 Super Bowl. The teams met on the opening weekend of the season with the Crimson Tide dominating from start to finish, 38-7.
• The last football game of the weekend pitted undefeated Lynn Tech and Cathedral. Lynn Tech found out what the rest of the Catholic Central Small has learned in the past — Khalil Blair is pretty good. The All-Scholastic running back turned the second half into his own personal showcase, scoring three touchdowns, including a back-breaking, 91yard scoring run, to give Cathedral a 20-6 win and the Div. 8 North sectional title.
ISL bowl berths
There was good news for three Independent School League teams who were selected to compete in the NEPSAC Bowl Games this Saturday.
Undefeated Lawrence Academy will host Phillips Andover in the Kevin Fleming Bowl, Buckingham, Browne & Nichols travels to the Berkshire School in the Hugh Caldera Bowl and Brooks visits New Hampton in the Ken O’Keefe Bowl.
“Our kids worked really hard,” said BB&N coach Mike Willey. “They are a great practice team, they worked hard every single day in practice and it showed on Friday and Saturday. That’s the signature of this team.”
A bit of a surprise was Governor’s Academy not making a bowl after going 6-2 with losses to Lawrence Academy and BB&N and a win against Brooks.
Sweet 16
1. EVERETT (9-0): For three quarters, anyway, Crimson Tide showed everyone why they are the best.
2. CENTRAL CATHOLIC (9-1): Nearly pulled off a comeback for the ages against Everett.
3. KING PHILIP (10-0): Coach Brian Lee grew up in Walpole knowing all about a winning football culture. He’s certainly established one at KP.
4. DENNIS-YARMOUTH (10-0): Rode Rob Evans all the way to the finish line.
5. LINCOLN-SUDBURY (10-0): Young team is blossoming before our very eyes.
6. BC HIGH (9-1): Eagles certainly didn’t let the last-second loss against Catholic Memorial affect them.
7. MASHPEE (10-0): Devaun Ford gets the props, but he’d be the first person to tell you how good his linemen are.
8. NORTH ATTLEBORO (9-1): Gets over the hump in impressive fashion against Duxbury.
9. XAVERIAN (6-4): Playing best football at the right time of the season (107-13 point differential in the three postseason wins).
10. MELROSE (10-0): Playing in the Middlesex Freedom (three sectional winners) prepared the Red Raiders for this run.
11. BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM (8-2): Gave King Philip all it could handle before succumbing in the Div. 2 South sectional final.
12. ST. MARY’S (10-0): Three-headed backfield monster proved to be too much for Brighton.
13. NATICK (8-1): Bounced back nicely from a disappointing semifinal setback to defeat a good Mansfield team.
14. TEWKSBURY (9-1): It didn’t come easy but the Redmen found a way to get the job done.
15. DUXBURY (8-2): Never got the offense going against North Attleboro.
16. MILLIS (9-1): Proved to be the Div. 8 South road warriors, winning postseason games at St. John Paul and Wareham.