CM’s DiBiaso knows score against Xaverian
First-year Catholic Memorial coach John DiBiaso will rely on the same formula he used during his storied run at Everett to try and knock off Xaverian tonight.
“It’s really no different at all,” DiBiaso said. “They’re well-coached, very solid in the special teams, always excellent on defense and like to run the ball. We know what you have to do to beat them, but it’s not always that easy to do so.”
The Knights actually won the regular-season meeting last year under interim coach Brent Williams, but the Hawks gained a measure of revenge by rolling to a 35-7 victory in the Division 1 South final. Second-year Xaverian coach Al Fornaro knows how good Catholic Memorial is and the problems it brings to the table.
“They’re very athletic and they have two good backs,” Fornaro said. “They are a team that is hitting on all cylinders right now. We’re going to have to be able to eliminate the big play and try to control the ball on offense. They can’t score if they don’t have the ball.”
One thing DiBiaso has alluded to several times is the improvement Xaverian has made since a season-opening loss to No. 1 Everett. Fornaro thinks it’s nothing more than the younger players starting to feel their comfort zone.
“I think we’re getting better week to week and a lot of that is the players getting more used to playing with one another,” Fornaro said. “We had to replace a lot of players from last year and they are starting to play with more confidence.”
They will need that against a Catholic Memorial team that returned a solid nucleus from last year. DiBiaso has been impressed with the way his team has taken to the new coaching staff.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming in new, but these kids work very hard,” DiBiaso said. “They’ve put in the time and commitment and bought into everything the coaching staff is trying to teach.”
Elsewhere tonight, the Merrimack Valley Conference Small has a pair of terrific matchups on tap. One of the top games in the state this week pits North Andover against Tewksbury (6 p.m. in North Andover). And Billerica and Dracut both look to go 3-0 when they face off.
Longtime Dual County Large rivals Acton-Boxboro and Lincoln-Sudbury square off with first-place on the line. Warriors coach Tom Lopez is three wins away from becoming the fifth football coach in state history to reach the 300 mark.
Two of the premier teams in the Hockomock Kelley-Rex lock horns as King Philip heads to Mansfield. Natick will look to get back to the .500 mark when it travels to undefeated Braintree, while Mashpee seeks to extend its winning streak to 24 in a battle of unbeatens with Abington.
BC High hopes for a reversal of fortunes when it heads to historic Marciano Stadium to take on undefeated Brockton.
The ISL has a trio of good games on the docket for tomorrow. Fresh off a big opening week win over Lawrence Academy, BB&N sets its sights on Belmont Hill, which rolled over Roxbury Latin last week. Milton Academy will look to get back on the winning track when it hosts Governor’s Academy, while Lawrence Academy travels to Noble & Greenough.
Lynn Tech takes on Northeast and its high-powered running attack, while West Bridgewater looks to go 4-0 when it faces Nantucket.