Expect fireworks between Blue Hills, Nashoba Tech Small School Vocational Bowl could be high-scoring
Northeast football coach Donald Heres makes no bones about what his team likes to do.
That approach to running the ball has served him well through the better part of his 16 years on the job. The Golden Knights will take a 9-3 record into today’s MVADA Large School Vocational Bowl against Greater New Bedford.
“Running the ball is something we believe in,” Heres said. “We don’t always get the gunslinger types here, so we tend to run the ball more. If we are getting three, four, five yards a carry, that works.”
Running back Steve Donnelly enters the game with a shot at 2,000 yards. Heres calls him a heady back who knows how to follow blocks and when the opening is there, he’s off to the races.
After ending the season with three consecutive losses in South Coast Conference play, the Bears (7-4) defeated both Whittier and Assabet to earn a shot at Northeast. Cam Lynch is a dual-threat at quarterback, while Elijah Raymond and Rylan Rose headline a solid running game.
In the Small School bowl, Blue Hills puts its 10-2 record on the line against Nashoba Tech in what figures to be a high scoring game.
After losing to Mashpee in the opening round of the Div. 7 state tournament, Blue Hills is averaging 50 points a game over its last three contests. The running back trio of Eric Mann, Jake Reissfelder and Caiden Montas have combined to rush for nearly 3,500 yards. The offensive line consists of John Ierardi, Tom Taylor, James Bennett, Joe Dicalogero, Ryan Chandler and Joe Deasenties.
“It means everything for these kids to have the privilege to play for a vocational bowl title,” said Blue Hills coach Ed Madden. “Any time you are playing football in December it’s a great deal.”
Nashoba Tech has won four straight, including a pair of playoff wins, to get to its fourth vocational bowl title game. Murphy Senecal starts at quarterback, while Randy Delva, Elijah Murphy and Anthony Panetta are very versatile running backs, capable of lining up in the slot when necessary.
“Our offense changes on a weekly basis,” said Nashoba Tech coach Jesse Fusco. “We can adapt based on what the defense is doing. We will take whatever they are giving us.”
Vocational Bowl history
Nashoba Tech is 1-2 in three previous bowl contests. The Vikings defeated Upper Cape, 34-13, in 2018 as Jose Soba completed 8of-15 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 141 yards and two more scores.
Blue Hills is making its fourth bowl appearance. The Warriors are 2-1 with the last win coming in 2013 where David Neil rushed for two scores in a 23-22 win over North Shore.
Prediction: Blue
Nashoba Tech 27
Hills
34,