Final test for St. Mary’s
BVT looks to avenge 2017 loss
The Division 7 Super Bowl between Blackstone Valley and St. Mary’s is a perfect example of two teams arriving at the same destination from different roads. DIV. 7 SUPER BOWL
For the Beavers, it has been about fulfilling expected success. For the Spartans, the team’s journey to Foxboro has been aided by lessons learned in defeat.
In the regular season, St. Mary’s (8-4) buffed up its schedule with two new opponents — Catholic Memorial and Mashpee. It was a risk, but a calculated one that has since paid dividends.
“It was so early in the year, believe it or not, I think it made us a little bit faster, a little quicker. Our reaction time we thought was a lot better,” said St. Mary’s firstyear coach Sean Driscoll of a 42-14 loss to the Knights. “Once we got done with the Mashpee game (30-24 loss) we went to the playoffs and we saw a difference from our team. I think they saw some of the mistakes they made and some of the chances they squandered and I think basically it helped us more than it hurt us.”
Resiliency and fight were installed into the identity of the team from those regularseason setbacks. It showed up in the North semifinal when the Spartans sunk topseeded Greater Lawrence, 30-24, on a season-defining, last-minute drive. Two games later they advanced to Gillette, suppressing the high-octane offense of Cohasset for a 21-11 state semifinal win.
The defensive unit — which has grown immensely since Week 1 — combined with physicality up front on the offensive line have been key for this postseason run. Offensively, senior tailback Jalen Echevarria has benefitted most from the stout blocking with the first-year player amassing over 1,000 rushing yards. George Freeman provides a power option out of the backfield as well.
“I can’t say enough about them getting dirty and getting down with it and really helping us out,” Driscoll said of his offensive line. “I think that has been the key to our season, especially late in the year, is playing great defense and being able to control the line of scrimmage on offense.”
On the other side of the field will be Blackstone Valley (10-1). The Beavers suffered a 13-7 loss to Millbury in the first contest of the new campaign and that was all it took for the team to kick it back into gear. Since then they steamrolled to a 10-game winning streak and the program’s second state final berth in as many years.
The focal point to those winning ways? Defense. Blackstone Valley outscored its three postseason opponents by a combined score of 85-22 and allowed just 6.3 points per game to date.
“We have good speed and we are physical and really pay attention to detail,” Blackstone Valley coach Jim Archibald said. “The defensive play has fed our team all year, whether it is getting a big turnover or big stop or just giving us good field position. The defense has really set us up all year.”
Archibald characterizes the players making up his 3-5 scheme as being a “throwback” to another era of football that more openly embraces contact and aggressive styles of play. That starts up front with senior defensive linemen Nick Reed, Jordyn Amero, and Ethan Blake as the trio presents a tough test for the St. Mary’s offensive wall.
“They really set the tone for us up front,” Archibald said. “They are a great combination of size, athleticism, and speed. It is a luxury for us defensively because those guys demand so much attention up front.”
Blackstone Valley and more than 20 returners are looking to correct a 22-16 loss in this same spot last year. And even though it is not Mashpee standing in the way of the Div. 7 title this time around, St. Mary’s is poised to provide a similar battle come Saturday morning.
“At this point (of the season) you are going to play somebody who is really, really good,” Archibald said.” St. Mary’s is certainly really good and we are excited for the challenge.”