Duxbury routs B-R in Landolfi’s debut
Dragons ‘happy’ to get back to some ‘normalcy’
EAST BRIDGEWATER — To say that Duxbury’s football program has dealt with distraction over the last few months would be an understatement of epic proportions.
On Friday night, the Dragons were hoping to turn the page on the events that transpired during this past Fall II season, and thanks to Matt Festa, they were successful in their endeavors.
The junior quarterback put forth a surgical performance by finishing 15-for-22 passing with 294 yards and three touchdowns. He also added six carries for 26 yards and a score as Duxbury blanked a perennial powerhouse in Bridgewater-Raynham, 42-0, at East Bridgewater High School.
“We’ve been a tight-knit group for the past few years, all the kids,” Festa said afterward. “The chemistry’s really always been there. We’ve been playing together since second grade. It’s just a good group of kids (with) great chemistry.” The game was originally billed as a matchup between two football programs that were both beginning a new era in their own right. For Duxbury, it was Matt Landolfi’s first game as head coach of the Dragons without the ‘Interim’ tag, after taking over for Dave Maimaron back in March.
On the other sideline, Lou Pacheco was stepping in for his first game managing at Bridgewater-Raynham after Dan Buron retired from his post this past spring.
It took less than two minutes for the Dragons (1-0) to draw first blood. After forcing the Trojans to bite on the run early, Festa dropped back, then fired a 52-yard pass to senior captain Brady Madigan, who hauled in the reception for a touchdown. Dennen Sullivan proceeded to convert the extra point, and Duxbury was quickly leading 7-0.
Then, after Bridgewater-Raynham went three-and-out on its opening possession, the Dragons were quick to capitalize.
Facing a second down situation in the red zone, Festa rolled to his right, then uncorked a bullet, connecting with junior standout Chris Walsh for a 19-yard touchdown to make it a 14-0 contest.
On the next Trojans possession, sophomore quarterback Declan Byrne took a shot across the middle, but was picked off by Duxbury senior Campbell Pang, who then returned the interception 29 yards for another touchdown to provide the Dragons a convincing 21-0 advantage with 3:10 to go in the opening quarter. From there, Duxbury would coast to the finish.
“We always know that we play a badass schedule,” Pacheco said at the end of the game. “We play a tough, tough schedule, and it’s going to get us better for the league and (the players) know it. No illusions, (Duxbury is) a good football team, and I told my guys that six big plays (for) a team that is that good, and it’s 42-0. You can’t let up two good plays against a team that is that good, and we did.”
Festa would connect with Madigan for a second touchdown midway through the third quarter, before senior running back Devin Tobey capped the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown scamper late in the stanza.
Madigan finished with five receptions for 107 yards for Duxbury, while Walsh added three catches for 100 yards himself.
Byrne threw eight of his 14 passes for 45 yards to lead Bridgewater-Raynham.
Duxbury will look to continue its hot start to the season next week, when the Dragons take on longtime rival, Scituate.
“It’s a win either way,” Landolfi said. “So we’re happy with a win, whether it was by one point or a lot. It’s just good to get out here, and play football. It’s just fun to get back to some normalcy here for everybody. The town, the kids, the coaches, we’re just happy to get back to some normalcy.”