Tide wrap up another
Brown’s long TD run seals win
FOXBORO — Last night Everett showed why it was tabbed as the preseason favorites when practice started in the dog days of summer.
Everett blanked Xaverian in the second half to pull away for a 35-10 victory at Gillette Stadium, winning its second straight Division 1 state championship and the school’s 12th title since 1997.
“This is the best feeling in the world. I can’t imagine anything better than now,” said Everett quarterback Jake Willcox, who completed 14-of-25 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
Leading just 14-10 at halftime, Everett kicked things into gear to start the third quarter and only needed three plays to extend its lead.
Kevin Brown and Willcox had runs of 27 and 18 yards, respectively, and Willcox dropped a pretty pass to an in-stride Anthony Norcia (nine catches, 124 yards) for a 28-yard touchdown for a 21-10 lead just 94 seconds into the second half.
“(At halfime) we said (in) the first half we didn’t have the ball and we’re getting the ball to start the second half and we can set the whole tempo for the second half, because they’re not built to come from behind,” Everett coach John DiBiaso said. “To make it a two-score game changes it around, and then it becomes a three-score game and it really changes things.”
Xaverian (7-5) countered with a time-consuming drive of 14 plays, highlighted by a 52-yard pass from Davin Sweeney to Cooper DeVeau. It ultimately stalled at the Everett 2 when Sweeney overthrew Brian Abraham in the end zone with 1:23 left in the third. A field goal would have made it a one-score game at 21-13.
In a similar position late in the first half, Xaverian settled for a 20-yard field goal from Brian Fallon.
“At that time, field goals aren’t going to help you,” Xaverian coach Al Fornaro said. “In the first half, points were points. This is just me, I didn’t read a book or anything, it doesn’t mean it’s right, but the second half there we needed to score touchdowns, and it’s one of those things where if you miss it, they’ve got a long field.”
Brown took care of the long field. He took the firstdown handoff from Willcox, got a block on the end from Norcia and dashed 98 yards down the right sideline for a 28-10 lead.
“Coach told me, ‘Hey, get us out of the back of the end zone.’ I said, ‘I got you coach,’ (Willcox) handed me the ball, I saw an opening and got a great block from Norcia and the offensive line and took it to the house,” said Brown, who had 126 yards on just three carries.
Mike Sainristil had the Crimson Tide (11-0) off and running with a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown on the opening drive of the game and added a 3-yard run early in the second quarter for a 14-0 lead.
Xaverian pulled to within 14-10 by halftime on a 15yard TD run from Ike Irabor and a Fallon’s field goal.
Everett enters 2018 riding a 19-game winning streak and will be looking for its third three-peat since the start of the century.