Arrows are pointing up
St. Sebastian’s figured to be one of the teams in mix for the Independent School League 7 title last year, but injuries derailed those dreams.
Healthy this time around, the Arrows are living up to the hype.
Under the portable lights Friday night, St. Sebastian’s officially stamped itself as a contender with a dominant 23-3 victory over a Buckingham, Browne & Nichols team widely considered the class of the league. The victory moved the Arrows to 3-0 on the young season, surpassing their win total of a year ago.
“Last year was a very frustrating year,” said St. Sebastian’s coach Bob Souza, who has been there in that capacity since 1978. “I’ve been here a long time, so it wasn’t as bad for me as it was for the kids. It was an uphill battle in a league that was as competitive as I can ever remember, but the younger players learned.”
Two of the players Souza was counting on a year ago missed substantial time due to injuries. Quarterback Billy Seidl was sidelined for five contests, while Northwesternbound linebacker Bryce Gallagher suffered a stress fracture in his foot and never saw the field.
They are clearly making up for lost time. Seidl ran for 162 yards and one touchdown, while throwing touchdown passes to future Princeton commit Alex Cherry and the aforementioned Gallagher. With the physically imposing Gallagher back on defense, the Arrows have allowed one field goal in three games.
“It was a great win for the kids,” Souza said of the BB&N triumph. “They went through a lot, but they never quit and still were competitive in almost every game. We go to overtime to Milton Academy, lost by a touchdown to BB&N, lost to Belmont Hill by a point, so we were close.
“But having Billy and Bryce back makes a big difference. They are great players and we missed their leadership and ability. It’s nice having them back this year.”
Playoff bound
Old Rochester officially became the first Eastern Mass. team to clinch a league title and playoff spot Friday night by defeating Somerset Berkley, 38-19. The running game has been the Bulldogs calling card, and it was no different on Friday as Jackson Cote and Desmond Dias combined to rush for 256 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries.
As for playoffs, Old Rochester enters the sixth week of the season ranked second in Division 6 South according to the ratings points. The Bulldogs trail Ashland, who has a big test coming up in two weeks against undefeated Holliston.
Streaking
The state’s two longest winning streaks remained intact, as Mashpee (25) and Everett (24) prevailed. One losing streak was snapped Friday as Bedford ended a ninegame drought by handling Boston Latin, 41-21, behind a four-touchdown effort from Tyler Dussault.
Sweet 16
1. EVERETT (5-0): Crimson Tide spotted host BC High a 10-0 lead before kicking things into high gear.
2. XAVERIAN (4-1): Defense kept things in check long enough for the offense to find itself in the second half.
3. ST. JOHN’S PREP (4-1): Impressive road win at Catholic Memorial keeps the Eagles undefeated in the Catholic Conference.
4. DUXBURY (5-0): The road to the Patriot Keenan title once again will be going through Dragon Country.
5. NORTH ANDOVER (5-0): Scarlet Knights had their way with Chelmsford to remain undefeated.
6. NEEDHAM (5-0): This might be a good time to throw the Rockets into the mix as a legitimate contender in Division 1 South.
7. ACTON-BOXBORO (5-0): The hallmark of a good team is one that doesn’t rest on its laurels, and the Colonials did just that Friday night in beating a good Dracut team.
8. LINCOLN-SUDBURY (4-1): Someone was going to pay for the stunning loss a week ago and that team was Waltham.
9. MANSFIELD (4-1): Hornets pull away from Taunton in the second half to remain atop the Hockomock Kelley-Rex.
10. CATHOLIC MEMORIAL (3-2): Knights venture out of the league this week to take on Billerica.
11. MASHPEE (5-0): Falcons were extended by a league foe for the second straight week before prevailing to run the streak to 25 consecutive wins.
12. NATICK (3-2): Redhawks needed overtime to put away Wellesley for their third straight win after an 0-2 start.
13. NORTH ATTLEBORO (4-1): Dominant two-way effort against Foxboro keeps the Red Rocketeers rolling.
14. CENTRAL CATHOLIC (3-2): Youthful Raiders getting better each week and the results are speaking for themselves.
15. DANVERS (5-0): Mac Attack was on display at Manning Field Friday night.
16. TEWKSBURY (4-1): The Connolly-Aylward passing connection proved to be too much for Billerica to handle.