ESPN

Following Attleboro's 3-0 start, Blue Bombardiers head coach Mike Strachan has been named the Patriots Coach of Week.

Here's more from today's release from the team:

Attleboro High School’s Mike Strachan has been named this week’s New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week in recognition of his team’s 37-20 victory over Franklin on Friday, Sept. 27 in Attleboro. The Bombardiers used a balanced offensive attack and a number of key turnovers on defense to win their first league game of the season. The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will donate $1,000 to Attleboro High School’s football program in Strachan’s name in recognition of his Coach of the Week selection.

Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, the team’s executive director of community affairs, visited Coach Strachan’s team on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at Attleboro High School. The visit and check presentation will be featured on the Patriots weekly television magazine show, “Patriots All Access,” which airs at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, on WBZ-TV in Boston and will be available immediately after on Patriots.com.

This is the 18th year in which the Patriots join the National Football League in conducting the High School Coach of the Week program, which recognizes outstanding high school coaches and promotes youth football throughout New England. Tippett oversees the program as part of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation’s commitment to youth football initiatives.

“Congratulations to Coach Mike Strachan and his team,” Tippett said. “The Attleboro High School offense was a well-oiled machine with two passing touchdowns in the first half and three rushing touchdowns in the last three quarters to seal the victory. They are 1-0 in league play and 3-0 overall. This was a big win for the Bombardiers.”

At the conclusion of the season, one high school coach will be named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Year and will receive an additional $2,000 contribution toward the school’s football program.

Here is our latest "Mr. Football Watch" following Week 4 of the 2013 season. Statistics can be sent to editors Brendan Hall (bhall@espnboston.com) and/or Scott Barboza (sbarboza@espnboston.com)

THE CONTENDERS*

Troy Flutie, Sr. QB, Natick
Did it all in the Redhawks’ 35-14 win over Wellesley, completing 20 of 30 passes for 236 yards and five touchdowns, and adding 170 rushing yards.

Brandon Gallagher, Jr. RB, Bridgewater-Raynham
Carried 20 times for 232 yards and three touchdowns in the Trojans’ 32-0 shutout of New Bedford.

Jack Galvin, Sr. WR, Lowell
Caught four passes for 39 yards and a score in the Red Raiders’ 32-6 win over Billerica.

Brendan Hill, Jr. TE/DE, Mansfield
Caught four passes for 31 yards in the Hornets’ 35-14 win over North Attleborough, but where he did most of his damage was on the defensive side, setting the edge and containing.

Neil O’Connor, Sr. QB, Leominster
Threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns, and added 40 rushing yards, in the Blue Devils’ 41-14 win over Shepherd Hill.

Dylan Oxsen, Sr. RB, Plymouth South
Ran for 191 yards and a touchdown, and added a 90-yard interception return – his second pick-six and three games – in the Panthers’ 21-14 win over cross-town rival Plymouth North.

Mike Panepinto, Sr. RB, Needham
Carried 12 times for 147 yards and two scores in the Rockets’ 41-12 rout of Newton North.

Andrew Smiley, Sr. QB, St. John’s (Shrewsbury)
Completed 12 of 21 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the Pioneers’ wild 20-15 thriller over rival Fitchburg.

Johnathan Thomas, Sr. RB, St. John’s Prep
Carried 19 times for 96 yards in the Eagles’ loss to Everett. But even worse, he is reportedly undergoing season-ending knee surgery later this week after getting hurt in the second half of the game.

Cody Williams, Sr. QB, Springfield Central
In another easy rout, this one a 49-0 drubbing of Holyoke, Williams completed 9 of 12 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns.

Ju’an Williams, Sr. WR, Springfield Central
Caught two passes for 42 yards and score in the Golden Eagles’ 49-0 blanking of Holyoke.

Kyle Wisnieski, Sr. QB, Mansfield
Completed 11 of 16 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the Hornets’ 35-14 win over North Attleborough.

FIVE ON THE RISE

Ryan Barabe, Jr. QB, Pope John Paul II
In the Lions’ 26-22 loss to Boston Cathedral, completed 18 of 25 passes for 279 yards and three scores and an interception. On the season, he is completing 68 percent of his passes for 776 yards and eight scores, which is among the state’s best.

Derek Estes, Sr. CB, Barnstable
Came up with two interceptions in the Red Raiders’ upset of then-No. 1 Xaverian last Friday, helping seal a 15-14 win at the end. He leads the Raiders with three interceptions through three games.

Ian Kessel, Soph. RB, Haverhill
Slowly establishing himself as one of the premier pass-catching tailbacks in Eastern Mass. Through four games he has 245 receiving yards and three touchdowns to go along with 331 rushing yards and five more scores.

Dylan Kierman, Sr. QB, Quabbin
Currently leads all passers in Central Mass. with 774 yards and nine touchdowns.

Brooks Tyrell, Jr. RB, Marblehead
The Notre Dame lacrosse commit continues his torrid tear through the first half of the season, the latest a 27-carry, 181-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 35-7 win over rival Swampscott.

TOP STATISTICAL LEADERS IN MASSACHUSETTS

Rushing
Johnathan Thomas, Sr., St. John’s Prep – 748 yards, 8 total TD
Mark Wright, Sr., Auburn – 728 yards, 8 TD
Isaiah White, Sr., Beverly - 682 yards, 6 total TD
Brooks Tyrell, Jr., Marblehead – 634 yards, 7 total TD
Dylan Oxsen, Sr., Plymouth South – 609 yards, 10 total TD

Passing
Jordan Bolarinho, Sr., Billerica – 955 yards, 7 TD
Troy Flutie, Sr., Natick – 807 yards, 13 TD
Matthew Jeye, Sr., Holliston – 785 yards, 8 TD
Michael Whitsett, Jr., Chicopee Comp – 781 yards, 4 TD
Ryan Barabe, Jr., Pope John Paul II – 776 yards, 8 TD

Receiving
Cole Bernier, Jr., Old Colony – 339 yards, 3 TD
Mike Bombard, Sr., Chicopee Comp – 335 yards, 3 TD
Brian Daly, Sr., Marblehead – 328 yards, 7 TD
Jack Galvin, Sr., Lowell – 322 yards, 7 TD
Jeff Trainor, Soph., Billerica – 317 yards, 3 TD

Dual Threat**
Troy Flutie, Sr., Natick – 807 passing yards, 269 rushing yards, 14 total TD
Matthew Jeye, Sr., Holliston – 785 passing yards, 156 rushing yards, 10 total TD
Cody Williams, Sr., Springfield Central – 647 passing yards, 169 rushing yards, 10 total TD
Jermal Brevard Jackson, Jr., Boston Cathedral – 262 passing yards, 514 rushing yards, 6 total TD
Neil O’Connor, Sr., Leominster – 542 passing yards, 193 rushing yards, 12 total TD

*Not including teams who were idle last weekend.
**To qualify, quarterbacks must have rushing yards account for at least 15 percent of their total offensive production.

In one of the more dramatic, or miraculous endings to a MIAA football game in recent memory, St. John's of Shrewsbury's Mike McGillicuddy delivered his team from a potential upset at the hands of Fitchburg on Saturday.

After a last-minute touchdown gave the Red Raiders a 15-14 at Pioneer Field, McGillicuddy fielded Fitchburg's squib kick and promptly raced 65 yards for the touchdown with no time remaining on the clock in a 20-15 victory.

For his heroics, McGillicuddy was named our ESPN Boston Player of the Week for Week 4.

Editor Brendan Hall caught up with McGillicuddy during Monday's workout:



Along with McGillicuddy, here are our top performers for Week 4, all game-winners:

• Mike McGillicuddy, St. John's (Shrewsbury): Ran for "walk-off" win with 65-yard kickoff return for touchdown with no time remaining vs. Fitchburg.
• Dereck Pacheco, Barnstable: Connected on a 32-yard field goal to lift the Red Raiders to a 15-14 upset win over then No. 1 Xaverian.
• Sal LoBrutto, Wakefield: Kept the Warriors unbeaten with a 22-yard field goal in an overtime victory over Melrose.

Courtesy of Eric Rueb, here is the Rhode Island High School Football Media Poll for Week 3 of the RIIL season:

Rank | Team | Points | Previous Rank
1. Hendricken (10) 219 1
t-2. Portsmouth 202.5 3
t-2. Barrington (1) 202.5 4
4. Cranston East 186 2
5. La Salle 178 5
6. Woonsocket 153 6
7. Cumberland 136 10
8. South Kingstown 134 7
9. North Kingstown 130 11
10. Mount Pleasant 107 12
11. Cranston West 100 8
12. Shea 97 15
13. Moses Brown 71 17
14. Johnston 67 20
15. Rogers 61 13
16. East Greenwich 58 18
17. Coventry 47 19
18. Mount Hope 44 9
19. Tolman 33 16
20. St. Raphael 23 NR

Dropped from poll: West Warwick (14).
Also receiving votes: West Warwick 15, Westerly 14, Exeter-West Greenwich 12, Warwick Veterans 6, Middletown 4, North Providence 3, Burrillville 1, East Providence 1.

St. John's Prep announced this evening that senior running back Johnathan Thomas is out for the remainder of the season, after injuring his knee in the second half of the No. 4 Eagles' 35-14 loss to No. 2 Everett.

The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Thomas is a four-star running back prospect and the No. 1 Class of 2014 prospect in Massachusetts according to ESPNU. He committed to Maryland last May. Currently, Thomas leads the state in rushing yards with 748 yards and eight total touchdowns.

Thomas was an ESPN Boston All-State selection in 2012 after helping lead the Eagles to their first MIAA Division 1 Super Bowl title in 15 years, carrying 220 times for 1,794 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also added nine catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns, and defensively added 20.5 tackles and two interceptions. He was also one of five finalists for ESPN Boston's annual "Mr. Football" Award, given to the best player in Massachusetts, and the only junior named to the list.

Prep's communications director, Beth Forbes, released the following statement to the local media:

DANVERS, MASS. -- Johnny Thomas's father, Nate Thomas, spoke with St. John's Prep Athletic Director Jim O'Leary this afternoon, and Mr. Thomas has asked the school to share this information with you. After an MRI, and following a consultation with Johnny's doctor today, the family has decided that he will undergo knee surgery at the end of this week. Although Johnny is disappointed that this means he will not play for the rest of the season, he is looking forward to a full recovery and getting started with the rehabilitation process.

Currently sitting at 2-2, Prep begins Catholic Conference this week, hosting Malden Catholic on Saturday afternoon.

Some leftover quick-hit thoughts from last weekend's action of football:

1a. If St. John's Prep running back Johnathan Thomas -- who left the second half of Saturday's game against Everett with a knee injury -- is out for any extended period of time, the Eagles might be in trouble. Much of the offense funnels through Thomas, and with plays like this it's easy to see why. In my 10 years covering high school football in Massachusetts, I have no problem saying he is the best I've ever seen.

If there's a silver lining, it's that this could open things up for two promising juniors on the perimeter, receiver Owen Rocket and tight end Jake Burt. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Burt has a high ceiling of potential, even drawing comparisons to Prep legend Jon Loyte, and has been a matchup problem in the short to intermediate passing game thus far. Rocket is a smooth route-runner, able to weave in and out of traffic and exploit coverage holes.

You obviously cannot replace a special kid like Thomas, but perhaps this could make the Eagles more unpredictable.

1b. It now bears asking. If Thomas -- who seemed to be running away with the ESPN Boston Mr. Football award at his current clip -- is out for the considerable future, is the race for title of the state's best player wide open again? Lots of names to consider here, most notably Springfield Central quarterback Cody Williams, Natick quarterback Troy Flutie, Leominster quarterback Neil O'Connor, Plymouth South running back Dylan Oxsen, and Millis/Hopedale two-way lineman Jon Baker.

2. An historic year for Mansfield continues to get better, as they ascend to the No. 1 spot in our statewide poll for the first time in our four seasons of coverage. As impressive as the North Attleborough win was, the upset of Baltimore-area powerhouse Dunbar continues to strengthen with the passing weeks. As Dave Redding points out on Mansfield football's website, (www.mansfieldfootball.org) since losing to Mansfield on Sept. 6, the Poets have won three straight outscored their opposition 136-18.

3a. If you missed the thrilling conclusion to the Fitchburg-St. John's of Shrewsbury battle on Saturday afternoon, you missed one of the best endings to a high school football game in years. Fitchburg quarterback Darius Flowers hit Manny Payton for a 16-yard touchdown strike with 13 seconds to go, then tailback Julio Gonzalez ran in the two-point try to give the Red Raiders a 15-14 lead. The ensuing kickoff, a high-hopping squib, was then returned 65 yards to the house by Mike McGillicuddy for walk-off 20-15 Pioneers win.

I'm not sure Fitchburg has endured a special teams heartbreak like that since the 1994 Division 1 Super Bowl, when North Middlesex pulled off a Boise State-esque fake punt for the 50-yard game-winning touchdown run, a play forever known in Central Mass. folklore as simply the "Norman Special".

3b. If there's anything to take away from that game, besides the incredible gumption of McGillicuddy, it's that much like Barnstable in Division 2 South, Fitchburg is not a team you want to draw in the first round of Division 2 Central action. Their defensive front four is impressive, and they controlled the line of scrimmage against St. John's for much of the afternoon.

4. There's a lot of talk early in the ISL season about running backs and linebackers, but keep an eye on Belmont Hill junior quarterback Harry Kraft. He had a field day on Saturday in a 38-11 win over Groton, completing 17 of 27 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns, and running in a fifth score.

5. A year ago, I mentioned the Cape & Islands area as an area of particular interest for under-the-radar talent, with a number of prospects earning Division 1 roster spots: Nantucket's Terrel Correia (UMass), Nauset's Derrick and Nathan Holmes (Rhode Island) and Dakota Girard (Brown), Mashpee's Jordan Keli'inui and Zak Orcutt (UMass), Dennis-Yarmouth's Joe Tyo (UMass) and Barnstable's Nick Peabody (Princeton), Andrew Ellis (UMass) and D.J. Crook (Penn State).

The Cape appears to be brewing again. Barnstable receiver/cornerback Derek Estes is one of the state's breakout stars of the first half of the season, making back-breaking plays on both sides of the ball in upsets of BC High and Xaverian. Two of his teammates, running back/safety Hayden Murphy and quarterback Kristian Lucashensky, deserve some praise for the way they've improved since the season-opening rout by D-Y.

Further down Route 6, keep an eye on two prospects from the lowest classification of MIAA football, Division 6. Defending D5 Super Bowl champ Upper Cape Tech is looking good with its flex offense, and at the forefront is Jon Dumont, who had 26 carries for 216 yards and four touchdowns in Saturday's win over Nantucket. At Pope John Paul II, they might have one of the most unheralded 2015 prospects in quarterback Ryan Barabe. Through four games the 6-foot-4, 175-pound Yarmouth resident is among the state's most efficient passers, completing 68 percent of his throws for 776 yards and eight touchdowns to just one interception. A good chunk of the Lions' plays involve option routes for their receivers, which to me demonstrates a lot of maturity when you consider Barabe's completion percentage.

No. 4 Everett got back on track following their bye week with a dominant 35-14 win at No. 3 St. John's Prep.

Editor Scott Barboza breaks down the highlights from Saturday's game:

(Video produced by Greg Story)

Week 4 of the high school football season is in the books, which means it's time for our Top 25 Sunday night football chat, which kicks off at 7 p.m.

Join ESPNBoston.com high schools co-editors Scott Barboza and Brendan Hall for a look back at the games, the formulation this week’s statewide poll and talk about this week’s upcoming games.

If you’re unable to join us, you can always Tweet your questions to @espnbostonhs and we’ll get you in the queue.

ROXBURY, Mass. -– No shortage of mutual respect between the two of them, Cathedral coach Duane Sigsbury and Pope John Paul II coach John Muldoon held a long embrace at midfield moments after their thrilling battle concluded. Both sensed that there would be a second meeting in the playoffs between these two Catholic Central rivals, considered two of the finest squads across Division 6.

If there is to be a second meeting this fall, these teams will have their work cut out for them trying to match the late dramatics that unfolded in this one. Cathedral (4-0) escaped Jack Crump Field with a 26-22 win over the Lions (3-1) only after the latter’s last-second rally fell short as time expired.

“This was like another Super Bowl game,” said quarterback Jermal Brevard Jackson (28 carries, 150 yards, 40 passing yards, 2 TD), who has filled in terrifically for the hero of that D4A Super Bowl last fall –- junior Kejonte Hickman (knee) –- this first half of the season.

PJP quarterback Ryan Barabe (18-of-25, 279 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) hit receiver Billy Satkevich across the middle for a 26-yard completion, setting up first and 10 for the Lions at the Panthers 15 with seven seconds to go. PJP got its next snap off before the chain crew could officially get set, resulting in a delay of game penalty.

Officials initially signaled the game had ended, due to a 10-second run-off that accompanies a delay of game call in the college and professional ranks. However, the head official immediately reneged on the call, which caused confusion for a few moments as Cathedral players celebrated on the field. Barabe’s final attempt at a game-winner fell incomplete, and the Panthers were able to breathe easy.

That concluded what was a dramatic final 15 minutes of football. Like his star quarterback, Sigsbury compared this drama to last year’s Super Bowl title game, a double-overtime thriller over Madison Park, and it’s easy to see why.

PJP re-gained the lead with 1:23 to go in the third quarter, when immediately following a Thomas Cooper fumble recovery deep in the Panthers’ end, Barabe hit Brady Jones (seven catches, 137 yards, 3 TD) down the left seam on a post route for a 14-yard completion. On the two-point conversion, Cooper released to the near pylon as the front inside receiver in a bunch formation, and went uncovered for the east catch and 22-20 lead.

Justice Turner returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards down to the Lions’ 23, and four plays later he connected with Jackson for the score that gave Cathedral the lead for good. Facing fourth and 12 from the 25, Jackson hucked up a high floater as a linebacker pressure knocked him on his back; down at the far pylon, Turner was well-covered by cornerback Matt Soucie, but was able to wrestle the jump ball away from him as he fell out of bounds.

“I just knew it,” Jackson said of the pass. “You throw it out in front of him, he’s gonna go and get it. I just knew to throw it from out of the back, because I saw the corner off him, and I said ‘Who cares if he’s off him? Justice is fast’, and he caught it.”

Lions linebacker Sean Reardon stoned Bryan Cedeno cold just before the pylon, attempting a sweep around the left, on the two-point conversion. The final eight minutes went back and forth, first with the Panthers dropping a potential game-ending fourth-down interception after it had been bobbled by two different Lions players, then the Lions dropping Cedeno for a seven-yard loss on fourth down from the Lions’ 12.

“I’m very proud of my boys,” Muldoon said. “A little adversity came our way, but in Division 6 you’ve two of the best teams right here. Hopefully we can see each other again in the playoffs.”

Hickman cleared: As good as this win was, the best news of the night for the Panthers came in the post-game, when Sigsbury confirmed Hickman has finally been cleared to suit up again.

Hickman, a junior, has become one of the city’s most heralded bright young stars after rushing for 246 yards on an injured ankle in last December’s double-overtime thriller over Madison Park in the D4A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. He tore his ACL in the final JV basketball game of the regular season last winter, against Charlestown, and the rehabilitation process has been a slow, cautious one.

Even better, the Panthers are headed into a bye week, so they’ll have two weeks to get him acclimated.

“We found out tonight the MRI came back good,” Sigsbury said. “He’s gonna be back practicing with us next week.”

Elaborating more on the injury, he continued, “He recovered and repaired his knee, but he couldn’t get ready until now. We’ve been cautious with him, but he finally got the go tonight from our team doctor. So that’s good news.”

Hickman’s teammates are excited to get him back. For Jackson, it means a move back to his natural tailback spot, which should give them even better depth in the backfield.

“Man, thank God, thank God,” Jackson smiled. “I like playing quarterback, but it’s not for me. I like running back, I like to run power inside, but if coach needs me to step in at quarterback, I can step up. Whatever the man [Sigsbury] needs, I’ll do it for him, no questions asked.”

Pick and Stick: The Lions encountered some struggles in the running game, as shifty junior running back Diego Meritus was held to less than 50 yards rushing, but Barabe more than held his own in the passing game.

“I’m disappointed in our run game, but obviously I didn’t coach it up right,” Muldoon said. “We were able to rely on him, it was pretty good that Ryan was able to keep us in the game. The line did a great job giving him time, but even when he didn’t have time, he has the kind of instincts to move around. He’s not fast, but he’s smart. He knows what he’s got to do.”

Listed at a long and slender 6-foot-4 and 175 pounds, Barabe might be one of the more underrated Class of 2015 quarterback prospects in Massachusetts.

His arm strength is above-average, able to launch a ball 50 yards downfield with a flick of the wrist. His soft touch leading crossing receivers over the middle is as good as his ability to bullet balls into tight windows, hitting receivers sharply on comeback and out routes from 10 to 15 yards depth along the sidelines.

His timing with his receivers, especially Jones, appears pretty mature. Part of that obviously goes the other way, too. There is more organized freelancing built into this year’s version of the offense as opposed to a year ago; Barabe estimated that 60 percent of the plays tonight involved option routes.

“Last year, our bands told us what we were going to do on every assignment," he said. "This year, our coaching staff decided we really wanted to give the receiver the option to run a route to read the defense, to get them ready for college-level [football]. We put that in, we started that in the summer, and they’ve done a really great job picking that up.”

Widening out: Early on, the Panthers found a lot of success dialing up “speed sweep” plays for freshman scatback Byron Martin, motioning him from the slot out of four and five-receiver sets. By far the fastest player on the field tonight, for either team, the 5-foot-3 Martin has a bright future ahead of him, with a makeup similar to former Holy Name standout Quron Wright, an ESPN Boston Mr. Football finalist last year.

But after the first few drives, the Lions were able to bottle up running backs on the perimeter pretty well. They widened out ends Steve Grogan and Matt Thacher, with responsibilities not to shoot too far upfield. When play leaked out of the pocket, the Lions did a good job keeping things contained.

“I just don’t think you can see on film just how fast Cathedral really is. We have some quick guys, but to simulate that speed, you’re not able to do that in practice. But once we settled down, I thought we did alright.

“Matty Thacher and Stevie Grogan did a great job, I can’t complain. I know they’re as disappointed as anyone, but I really think you have two of the best teams in Division 6 right here. We hope to see them again.”

All that considered, the Panthers’ success early with the speed sweep allowed them to use it to set up inside runs for Jackson, pulling the ball for an iso or power play.

“We gave them that tight bunch formation just to get some guys over there, and it worked, but then they widened the end, and it was tougher for our tackle to reach the end,” Sigsbury said. “So we started running the iso up inside, and that was successful with our quarterback.”

BOSTON CATHEDRAL 26, POPE JOHN PAUL II 22

PJP 8 0 14 0 --- 22
CTH 6 0 12 6 --- 26

First Quarter
C – Bryan Cedeno 1 run (rush failed) 6:39
P – Brady Jones 40 pass from Ryan Barabe (Billy Satkevich pass from Barabe) 3:37

Third Quarter
C – Jermal Brevard Jackson 9 run (Justice Turner pass from Jackson) 8:47
C – Cedeno 45 run (rush failed) 8:27
P – Jones 51 pass from Barabe (rush failed) 1:34
P – Jones 14 pass from Barabe (Thomas Cooper pass from Barabe) 1:20

Fourth Quarter
C – Turner 25 pass from Jackson (rush failed) 8:47

DANVERS, Mass. – They say if you give a man an inch, he’ll take a mile.

If you give John DiBiaso a bye week, well, that doesn’t bode well for the opposing football team.

Following a lackluster 20-8 loss to Xaverian at home two weekends ago, No. 4 Everett got back to basics in its one-week reprieve. The Crimson Tide’s week spent tidying up their messy performance in the former week showed in Saturday’s matinee duel against another Catholic Conference power in No. 3 St. John’s Prep.

First order of business? Shutting down, or at least, slowing down, the state’s most feared rusher in Johnny Thomas.

Second? Getting in a time machine and going back to the future with a refigured offense, shunning the spread, which found success in recent years, in favor of a vintage Everett staple — the flexbone.

It all was there in the Crimson Tide’s emphatic 35-14 win.

So did their head coach spend the week off pouring over old game plans and film, trying to unearth old gems?

“It wouldn’t say it was homework so much as it was a lot of practice,” DiBiaso said. “We practiced very hard.”

DiBiaso was less than amused with his team’s level of execution following the loss to Xaverian, so one can imagine the vigorous tenor of the Crimson Tide’s practices in the week since we saw them last.

Also, Everett (2-1) received an addition shot in the arm in the form of a new addition – senior running back/linebacker Isaiah Davis.

Davis, who previously suited up for Lynn English, was granted a waiver last week allowing the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder to see his first game action of the season with the Crimson Tide. He had an immediate impact, first scoring on a 15-yard run for a 7-0 first-quarter lead. Then, after Everett recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Davis ran for his second score from 2 yards out.

“I can’t be more happy for him, he’s been waiting patiently for his opportunity,” DiBiaso said. “He got it and he came up very big. He played fantastic and I think he put himself on the map among the elite players in the state.”

The Crimson Tide amassed a three-score lead by early in the second quarter, after Joe D’Onofrio’s 2-yard touchdown run.

But Prep (2-2) countered, making it a two-possession again before the half was out.

Running their two-minute drill, the Eagles drove 74 yards in two minutes even to set up Mike Geaslen’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Owen Rockett on the final play of the half. The game clock had nearly expired before Prep got the snap off, with Geaslen lofting a fade over the head of the defense on a schoolyard-ball type play.

The Eagles whittled the lead down to a touchdown in the fourth, with backup running back Cody Harwood running for a 4-yard touchdown with 9:32 to play.

Harwood entered the game after Thomas, a preseason All-Stater and early season Mr. Football favorite, left the game to a right knee injury.

But Everett would not be denied. Following Harwood’s score, the Crimson Tide chewed up 64 yards on three plays with quarterback Raheem Wingard selling the option and zooming up the left sideline 25 yards for a 28-14 lead with less than eight minutes remaining.

The Eagles’ final two drives ended in a Crimson Tide fumble recovery and turnover downs, respectively, before D’Onofrio iced it with his second rushing touchdown of the game.

“We just can’t spot them points, I don’t care how good you are – not against them,” Prep head coach Jim O’Leary said. “It was very similar to the [Bridgewater-Raynham] game. The second half, we made mistakes and the ball didn’t bounce our way.

“There was no magic involved. They played well, they had a bye week and they coached them up.”

Greater cause for concern: Thomas, a Maryland commit, left the game after a late third-quarter carry.

While attempting to cut to the sideline, the senior was met by duo of Everett tacklers and driven to the turf. After being attended to by trainers, Thomas walked off the field under his own power, but with staff members flanking him under each arm. He did not return.

Postgame, O’Leary said Thomas was examined by the doctor on hand, but didn’t want to speculate to the injury’s long-term severity, pending an MRI.

“We’re not going to play with 10 guys,” O’Leary added. “We’re going to play with 11 next week and, hopefully, we get him back.”

The concern over Thomas’ injury wasn’t exclusive to Prep’s sideline.

“He’s a great back,” DiBiaso said. “He got a lot of good yards and our prayers are with him. We hope it’s nothing serious.”

Grounding the Eagles: As was after Thomas’ injury, great attention was paid to the Prep back, who accounted for 86 yards on 17 carries in the first half alone, in the lead up to Saturday’s game.

With two weeks to game plan against the Eagles’ ground game, DiBiaso again mixed things up.

Josh Palmer, a 5-foot-9, 205-pound defensive tackle, was moved back to linebacker, joining an already stout corps. The move allowed the Crimson Tide to play a 3-5 base, at times stacking all 11 players in the box, in hopes of neutralizing the state’s top running talent.

“We recognize [Thomas is] the best player in the state and we were going to try to mold our defense to try to force them into doing other things to beat us,” DiBiaso said. “We put Josh [Palmer] back at linebacker with Angel [Duarte], C.J. [Parvelus] and Lubern [Figaro] and Isaiah [Davis] shadowing [Thomas] the whole game.

Of course, a plan is just that. Without players versatile enough to plug into the system, it falls flat.

“He’s just an athlete, he can play anywhere,” Duarte said of Palmer joining the ranks of the LBs. “He’s got the speed, he’s big. We put him out there anywhere and he did a great job for us.”

The Times They Are A-Changin’: After watching his son, Jonathan, break multiple state passing records during his career with the Crimson Tide, Everett’s offensive groupings have steadily morphed in the last two years.

It’s not anything new, but Saturday might have marked an unofficial return to the good ole days. DiBiaso reflected on his new-look, old-feel offense.

“You’re a stupid coach if you do something that your personnel isn’t equipped to execute. We’ve run the spread successfully for about four years, but our personnel is more fit for this.

“We have three good running backs and an option-style quarterback, so shame on me for not doing it earlier.”

With Davis, D’Onofrio and fullback Marquis Holman holding it down in the backfield, the Crimson Tide has tried to strike balance on offense.

Wingard made two big connections to Lukas Denis (2 passes defended on defense, as well), helping to set up two touchdown drives.

“He made two good catches on play-action passes, and if you’re going to run that offense, you have to hit on play-actions,” DiBiaso said of Denis.

Of course, there’s still room for improvement though: “I think we did a decent job. We’ve only been running it for two weeks, so hopefully we’ll get even better as weeks go on.”

WEST ROXBURY, Mass. -- Following last week's season-opening loss to Milton Academy, St. Sebastian's knew one slipped through its fingers — due, in part, to some costly turnovers which led to their demise.

On Saturday, the Arrows saw things from a different perspective — bearing witness to advantages one can have when they are on the receiving end of turnovers. Roxbury Latin was the gracious gift giver, coughing up the ball on its first three possessions. That led to three touchdowns for the Arrows as they went on to roll, 37-7, in an ISL contest held at Schoolhouse Field.

Still stinging from Milton Academy defeat, St. Sebastian's, who finished 9-0 a year ago and took home the Arthur Valicenti Bowl trophy, set a precedent all week that its season begins now.

Such attitude appeared to work. The Arrows (1-1) proved highly-effective on both sides of the ball against the Foxes. They limited Roxbury Latin's offense to 153 yards, just 49 in the opening half. Offensively, they finished with 290 yards — much of that coming from its strong ground attack consisting of Connor Strachan, Blake Gallagher and Edosa Onaiwu.

"Last week, we made three big mistakes and it costs us," Arrows longtime coach Bob Souza said. "This time, Roxbury Latin made the mistakes. We did a lot of good things against Milton and our kids knew it. I told the kids this league is still up for grabs and we still have our destiny under our control. I think we'll be in the hunt for a title throughout the year."

After shutting out St. Paul's last week, the Foxes (1-1) were feeling good about their chances entering this one. But confidence suddenly turned to panic after a pair of miscues in the opening minutes gave the Arrows a short field to work with.

The first mistake came after punter John Baron couldn't handle the snap, losing control of the ball that was recovered by Miles Hunter, allowing St. Sebastian's to set up shop on the Roxbury Latin 20. Four plays later, Strachan (52 yards on 8 carries) scored from a yard out giving the Arrows a 7-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Foxes returner Parker Kent failed to field the ball cleanly, allowing an alert John McNamara to pounce on it.

Standing the at the Foxes' 15-yard line, St. Sebastian's needed only one play to go up by two scores as Strachan busted through for the score with 4:11 still left in the initial quarter.

"We knew coming off our loss last week that we needed to be firing for this game," said Strachan, a Boston College commit. "We have a bunch of kids on this team playing both ways so we need to go heavy in the first half like we did today and set the pace for ourselves."

The two turnovers left Roxbury Latin deflated, as it could never get anything going thereafter. The Foxes’ run game was held in check throughout and quarterback Peter Cahill (8-of-16, 91 yards, 1 TD) was under constant pressure throughout by the Arrows' massive front line.

Things didn't get much better for Roxbury Latin to start the second quarter. Cahill was picked off by Strachan, which led to a 74-yard, 11-play drive culminated in Matt Daniel hauling in a 27-yard scoring pass from quarterback Geoff Wade and go up by 20.

"We told the kids all week leading up to this game that we needed to start fast," said Souza, who was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2010. "We can't let up and not give Roxbury Latin any kind of an opportunity to gain momentum. Now we just need to build on this win and continue to get better."

With under two minutes remaining before the half, St. Sebastian's offense was back at it. Following a Foxes punt, the Arrows drove 65 yards behind Gallagher (9 carries, 86 yards) and Onaiwu (64 yards on 10 rushes) before Strachan was given the ball from the 1-yard line and dove across for his third touchdown to send St. Sebastian's into the break well in-command at 27-0.

"Anytime the defense can come out and do what they did and put the offense in good positions to score that's huge," said Wade. "We aren't looking to gain 500 yards a game, we just want to put the ball into the end zone."

With this contest in his control, Souza began substituting other players in. But the Arrows never lost a beat. Running back James Fiore scored on a 3-yard run to begin St. Sebastian's first drive of the second half, pushing the margin to 34 points.

The Arrows added three more early in the fourth on Kevin Ginns' 27 yard field goal.

Roxbury Latin avoided the shutout in the closing minutes as Cahill connected with receiver Sean Lowrie in the back corner of the end zone.

"That's a tough team to come back against," Foxes coach Pat Ross said. "I dreaded all week in hoping we wouldn't give up something quick to them but after our first one things began to snowball. But our guys never quit and fought the entire game. We know we aren't as big as St. Sebastian's and we knew we needed to play near-perfect football against them and unfortunately it didn't work out."

TOP 25
No. 4 Everett 35, No. 3 St. John's Prep 14 | Highlights
No. 9 Bridgewater-Raynham 32, New Bedford 0
No. 11 St. John's (Shrewsbury) 20, Fitchburg 15
No. 12 Duxbury 29, Silver Lake 0

Belmont Hill 38, Groton 11
Blue Hills 36, Bishop Connolly 22
Boston Cathedral 26, Pope John Paul II 22
BB&N 35, Thayer Academy 6
Chicopee 20, Chicopee Comp 14 (OT)
Dexter 36, Kents Hill (Maine) 14
Drury 52, St. Joseph Central 22
Governor's Academy 31, Rivers 0
Hamilton-Wenham 28, Ipswich 14
Hanover 8, Middleborough 7
Marblehead 35, Swampscott 7
Matignon 32, St. Joseph Prep 28
Methuen 35, Dracut 20
Milton 28, Norwood 14
Milton Academy 48, St. George's 8
Minuteman 24, Mystic Valley 0
Lawrence Academy 49, St. Mark's 6
Noble & Greenough 32, Brooks 14
Old Colony 30, West Bridgewater 22 (OT)
Oliver Ames 37, Foxborough 6
Pentucket 19, Triton 13
Pingree 52, Tilton (N.H.) 14
Rockland 35, East Bridgewater 34
St. Peter-Marian 34, Shrewsbury 32
St. Sebastian's 37, Roxbury Latin 7
Sharon 32, Canton 12
Somerset-Berkley 38, Coyle-Cassidy 0
Upper Cape 34, Nantucket 28 (OT)
Uxbridge 34, Worcester North 0

Editor Scott Barboza checks in with highlights from No. 2 Mansfield's 35-14 win over Hockomock rival North Attleborough on Friday night in our Game of the Week:

(Highlights produced by Greg Story)

No. 2 Mansfield opened its Hockomock Kelley-Rex play in Friday's Game of the Week action, taking on rival North Attleborough.

The Hornets remained unbeaten with a 35-14 win on the heels of another big game from running back Miguel Villar-Perez. With two first-half touchdowns, Villar-Perez ran for 114 yards on 14 carries.

Editor Scott Barboza caught up with Villar-Perez for this segment, brought to you by Sports Authority and Bay State Games:

(Video produced by Greg Story)

Some quick-hit thoughts from around Massachusetts as we conclude another wild Friday night of the MIAA football season:

1. Scary moment for Taunton this afternoon in its battle with King Philip, when the Tigers’ two-way lineman Cian Doherty lay motionless on the turf and was carted off the field in an ambulance. Doherty took to Twitter tonight to let everyone know he’s OK, which has to be a sigh of relief for anyone who was there to see it live. We wish Cian a healthy (and speedy) recovery.

2a.You don't schedule the Catholic Conference's big three (St. John's Prep, BC High and Xaverian) unless you think you have the horses. It is understated what gumption Red Raiders coach Chris Whidden had by dropping Durfee and Sandwich from the schedule to pick up Xaverian and BC High in back-to-back weeks, especially when you consider what they lost. They graduated 24 seniors from last year's squad, one of the best in school history, which included ESPN Boston Offensive Player of the Year Nick Peabody as well as All-Staters Andrew Ellis and Tedaro France.

When you play the big boys, you've got to take big shots, and Barnstable took two big shots at the end to win it -- first, the corner fade to Derek Estes, then the big 50-yard heave to Colby Blaize that set up Derek Pacheco's winning field goal. If you saw last week's win over BC High, you could have seen these home run calls coming. Whidden is a shrewd play-caller, knows how to exploit holes in a defense, and knows how to keep them honest.

If I'm in Division 2 South, I would hate to be the team that draws Barnstable -- which sits tied for seventh in our latest bracketology -- in the first round. It's one game, sure, but it feels like we could be on the verge of something special again with these guys.

2b. Getting trounced by D-Y 37-9 in the opening weekend of the season was apparently the best thing to happen to Barnstable. The Raiders got gassed repeatedly by D-Y's read option game, and so conditioning has been an emphasis ever since -- a typical Monday, for instance, might involve a combination of 100 up-downs and a half-dozen 100-yard sprints. The conditioning was evident tonight. Watching Estes in man coverage, it felt like he could run with his man all night.

2c. As Twitter follower Kyle Estabrooks (@kestabrooks86) points out, Barnstable is 20-2 at home since 2009. If you want to break that down even further, the Raiders have just one loss at home since Chris Whidden officially took over in 2011. Whidden joked in post-game, "It's a different world once you cross that bridge", but it definitely feels like there's some Voodoo brewing down there on West Main Street.

3. With league play underway, there were a good amount of traditional Thanksgiving rivals squaring off tonight. My first stop tonight was at Plymouth North, which was hosting Thanksgiving rival Plymouth South, and the 4 p.m. start didn't seem to matter. A capacity crowd watched South escape Romano Field with a win, and the place took on a playoff-like environment. The new playoff format is going to test the strength of traditional Thanksgiving rivalries, but if the North-South game is any indication, the good ones will be just fine.

4. That said, Friday football games are meant to be played on Friday nights. Understandably, many of these afternoon starts are related to the EEE precautions that annually envelop Southeastern Massachusetts, but if you must move a game from night to day, Saturday afternoon is a much better fit. There's just something awkward about a Friday afternoon football game.

5. Since its 31-23 loss to Everett in the opening weekend, No. 5 Springfield Central has yet to surrender a point, outscoring the opposition 98-0 over the last eight quarters. Meanwhile No. 15 Westfield hit the 300-yard mark again on the ground behind its vaunted triple option attack, beating Putnam 35-22 to give them an astounding 144 points in their first 12 quarters. The Golden Eagles and Bombers meet on Nov. 1, and it feels like that will be the game of the year in Western Mass.

6. Baton Rouge, La., prospect Dylan Moses made waves nationally earlier this week when he verbally committed to LSU as a freshman, stirring up heated debate again about the pros and cons of early offers. Personally I'm against this type of recruiting behavior, but that's beside the point here. You have to appreciate what University of Michigan men's basketball assistant coach Bacari Alexander tweeted earlier in the week about this subject:

We don't offer early because you have to date a little before marriage right? #itsAnnArbornotVegas

— Bacari Alexander (@bacari34) September 24, 2013

7. Twitter follower and local quarterbacks coach Todd Krueger made an observation tonight comparing Natick quarterback Troy Flutie to Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. It's an interesting observation, because it goes full circle. Troy naturally gets compared to his uncle Doug, a fellow Heisman winner, for his gunslinger style of play. Two weeks ago, as he prepared to take on Texas A&M, Alabama head coach Nick Saban compared Manziel to the elder Flutie.

8. Perhaps lost amidst all the hoopla about the No. 1 team in the state faltering for the fourth straight week was a very big upset in the Middlesex League, as unranked Arlington -- yes, Arlington -- took down No. 10 Reading 17-14 for the Rockets' first league loss in nearly two years. The Rockets were assumed by many to have an easy path through the league, but have been shaky to start 2013 even before tonight's upset. Kudos to John Dubzinksi Jr., who has been steadily building a quality program the last several years alongside his father and defensive coordinator, Hall of Fame former Leominster coach John Dubzinski.