Payback for the Dragons
SCITUATE >> As the team bus rumbled north along Route 3A Friday evening, Matt Festa and his Duxbury teammates collectively had one thought on their minds. Vengeance.
Based on what transpired at Scituate High School later on, it looks like they were successful in their endeavors. Festa finished 19-for-28 in the passing game, racking up 376 yards and five total touchdowns offensively as the Dragons avenged their loss to the Sailors in the 2021 Div. 4 Super Bowl by exacting a convincing 44-22 drubbing of their longtime Patriot League rivals.
“Every single kid on the team thinks about (the Super Bowl) every day,” Festa said afterward. “It was the last thing I thought about when I went to sleep, first thing when I woke up in the morning. It’s always been on everyone’s minds. It’s been circled on the calendar since last year. So, it’s definitely super important to get this win.”
For much of the first half Friday, it appeared the two programs were destined to engage in a similar duel, as Scituate (0-2) opened the game with a 54-yard touchdown scamper by senior Colin Morley to take a 7-0 lead, sending the packed crowd into a frenzy.
However, it only took 2:25 for Duxbury (2-0) to respond, as Festa connected with Colin Quinlan for a 25-yard touchdown pass to even the score. Trevor Jones added a 25-yard field goal, as the Dragons took a 10-7 edge into the second quarter.
The Sailors would tie the game at 10-all with 4:34 to play in the initial half off a 25-yard field goal by Kieran Brenner, but things were about to turn in a hurry.
Less than a minute later, Festa fired a deep shot downfield to Zachary Falls. For years, Landolfi and his staff had attempted to recruit Falls to their football squad at Duxbury, and he answered for them by hauling in a 77-yard touchdown reception to restore a 17-10 lead with 3:47 to play in the second.
“Obviously, Scituate does a great job defensively,” said Duxbury coach Matt Landolfi. “They were pinned on us right away. They knew exactly what we were doing. So, we made some adjustments, they did too. But luckily, it just worked out for us.”
Scituate had opted to receive the opening kickoff to begin the night, and it paid off with a touchdown. However, the decision may have done the Sailors in Friday. After getting the ball back in the closing minutes, Duxbury staged a long drive to cap the first half. Festa proceeded to find Chris Walsh with a 33-yard Hail Mary pass for a touchdown with 47 ticks left, and the Dragons were off and running.
Facing a fourth down situation later on in the third quarter, the Dragons decided to get a little creative, and try a double reverse pass. Quinlan connected with Festa in the corner of the end zone for a highlightreel play, as Duxbury made it a 37-10 game with 6:17 to play in the frame, all but sealing the win.
Duxbury will look to carry its momentum into next week, when the Dragons take on another daunting opponent — Franklin.
Festa was already focused on his next task.
“Flush it down the drain, this game never happened,” Festa said. “We’re moving on. Franklin is another big game . ... Just prepare and get ready, do the best we can to win.”