Rematch 30 years in the making
Mansfield coach Mike Redding remembers the first time he took a team to the Super Bowl.
“We played Lincoln-Sudbury in the old Foxboro Stadium back in 1989,” Redding said. “They had a real good team, they beat us 18-6. It was the last game of the day right after Walpole-Brockton and it was really cold. My defensive coordinator (Mark DeGirolamo) actually played in the game and his sons are playing for me now.”
Thirty years later, Mansfield gets a second crack at Lincoln-Sudbury in the Division 2 state championship game Friday night (7:30 p.m.). The Hornets (10-1) have won nine straight since losing to LaSalle (Ohio) in the second week of the season and Lincoln-Sudbury coach Jim Girard knows they present a lot of different obstacles.
“They are just an outstanding football team,” Girard said. “I have not seen any weaknesses in their game. They are wellcoached and they execute so well in every facet.”
Girard took over for the legendary Tom Lopez, who retired after more than four decades of roaming the Warriors’ sideline. Considering the lack of experience and slew of injuries they had this year, putting together an 8-3 season and a trip to the state championship was an impressive feat.
“The kids really came in with a positive attitude,” Girard said. “We had new offensive and defensive schemes and they picked it up very quickly. Because of the injuries, we’ve had a lot of different kids step up for us.”
Collin Murphy is the quarterback, the running back trio consists of Gordon Gozdeck, Leon Mulrain and Andrew Cahill, while the receiving corps is keyed by Griffin Brown, Jesse McCullough, Ben Ohler, Nolan O’Brien and Jack Malone. Up front, the line is led by Finn Garrity, Jamie Sampson-Lizotte, Will Ohler, Mike Cavanaugh and Chris Williams.
“They’re the first team we’ve faced that reminds me of the LaSalle team,” Redding said. “They’ve got a lot of real good athletes in the skill positions, they have a few running backs and a lot of wide receivers that get the ball.”
Mansfield tends to rely on the running game with one of the deepest groups in the state. Vinnie Holmes, Cincere Gill, Mike DeBolt, Nick Marciano and Anthony Comer could very well be the featured back at almost any other school, but they’ve clearly bought into the team first philosophy.
When Mansfield throws the ball, Jack Moussette will look to Danny Rapoza and Everett Knowlton as well as the backs. T.J. Guy is the star upfront and he is joined in the trenches by Jake McCoy, Noah Jellenik, Andrew Cowles and Jason Comeau.
The Hornets have been superb on defense all season long. Guy, a junior who has already given a verbal commitment to Boston College, is there with Chris Graham, Nico Holmes and Mark DeGirolamo. Vinnie Holmes, Paden Palanza and Joe Plath are the linebackers, while Makhi Baskin, Matt Boen, Marciano and DeBolt start in the secondary.
Lincoln-Sudbury starts Garrity, Cavanaugh and the two Ohlers on the defensive line. Kepler Clanton, Jimmy O’Connor, Gozdeck and Cahill are the linebackers, while Matt Ray, Brown and O’Brien are the top defensive backs.
“We’re going to have to play flawlessly because they really have no holes in their game,” Girard said. “We need to limit the mistakes, we just can’t afford them against a team like Mansfield.”