ESPN

LEOMINSTER, Mass. -- Leominster High senior quarterback Neil O'Connor was ESPN Boston's Player of the Game last night, presented by Sports Authority and the Bay State Games, as he totaled 266 yards of offense and four touchdowns in the No. 8 Blue Devils' 33-22 win over rival No. 12 St. John's of Shrewsbury.

ESPN Boston High Schools editor Brendan Hall caught up with O'Connor after his performance:

LEOMINSTER, Mass. -- ESPN Boston High Schools editor Brendan Hall recaps the action from last night's "Game of the Week" at Doyle Field, where host No. 8 Leominster staved off rival No. 12 St. John's of Shrewsbury, 33-22.

SUDBURY, Mass. -– With the game on the line and a need for a big play, Tewksbury quarterback Johnny Aylward looked for the receiver whom he calls his "best friend".

Aylward threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to fellow senior Kevin Dick (5 catches, 85 yards), giving the Redmen the lead for good with 1:28 left in the fourth quarter. Following a fumble recovery that resulted in a Troy Carey touchdown on the imposing kickoff and a Lincoln-Sudbury touchdown moments before the end of the game, the Redmen (2-0) sealed off a 27-21 victory on the road over L-S (1-1).

“They were backed off a little bit and that their ends came up and played flat," Aylward said. "We knew that they were giving the corners help, so we knew that if we could go off play action then we could get that post. You have to get them to bite on that post and then dump it down to the wheel."

Tewksbury has worked on the play since camp, itching for the opportunity to find a corner who could potentially bite on the fake.

“We felt confident that we could get Kev behind him, and that’s who we busted out today,” said Aylward.

The Redmen got off to a slow start in the first half however. Lincoln-Sudbury quarterback Ben Colello was 11-of-13 for 81 yards through the air in the first half, and had a one-yard rushing touchdown on the first score of the game. After a 10-yard touchdown pass from Aylward to Dick in the second quarter, the Warriors ended the first half on a high note, going up 14-7 on a goal line rush by Adam Gigliotti.

“It’s hard, we always talk about ‘no sacks, no turnovers, no penalties,’ we didn’t give up any sacks tonight, but we had some turnovers and we had some penalties—those are drive killers,” Tewksbury coach Brian Aylward, Johnny’s father, said after the game. “We can’t do those things and expect to beat a team like Lincoln-Sudbury.”

Of his father's halftime speech, Johnny said, “He just said stick together, don’t get down on yourselves, don’t get down on each other, and if we just starting falling apart, start pointing fingers, he said that’s just gonna tear us apart. Keep our energy up and try to battle back.

“We just had to fix some protection. The line ended up playing great in the second half and just kind of threw the ball more and then pound it in the A-gaps.”

The Redmen were able to fight their way back by tying the game in the third quarter on a touchdown by junior fullback Tom Casey (12 carries, 96 yards, TD). Casey was integral on several long drives for Tewksbury in the first half, and helped keep Lincoln-Sudbury’s defense in check in the second.

“We’ll go through this season and nobody will know his name because he blocks for two high profile guys," Brian said of his fullback. "He’s a facemasher, he sticks his face in there, and he’s been that way since he was a younger kid. I love him, I love the way he works, he only has one speed on the field, in school, in practice."

“He’s the kind of guy we like to have on the team... We‘re fortunate to beat a good team and a good program, but we have some things to work on.”

TEWKSBURY 27, LINCOLN-SUDBURY 21

TEW (2-0) 7 0 7 13 --- 27
L-S (1-1) 7 7 0 7 --- 21

First quarter
L - Ben Colello 1 run (Greg Roder kick)
T - Kevin Dick 10 pass from Johnny Aylward (Mitchell Miskell kick)

Second Quarter
L - Adam Gigliotti 4 run (Roder kick)

Third Quarter
T - Tom Casey 1 run (Miskell kick)

Fourth Quarter
T - Dick 52 pass from Aylward (Miskell kick)
T - Troy Carey 30 fumble return (kick failed)
L - Greg Roder 3 run (Roder kick)

EVERETT, Mass. – One would have thought Xaverian’s offense would be behind the 8-ball entering Friday night’s showdown with No. 1 Everett. Without starting running back (and linebacker) Shayne Kaminski in the lineup, lost to a leg injury suffered during a scrimmage last week, the Hawks were playing without perhaps their best athlete.

No sweat.

Junior quarterback Jake Farrell was nearly perfect in the passing game, while junior Noah Sorrento (15 carries, 98 yards) picked up the slack in the backfield as the No. 14 Hawks surged past the top-ranked Crimson Tide during the second half in a 20-8 win.

With the victory, Xaverian (1-0) ended Everett’s 10-game winning streak against Catholic Conference foes and, in the process, started 2013with bang for a squad coming of a sub-.500 2012 campaign.

“It’s a huge statement for everybody on our team,” said Farrell, who started the game going 9-for-9 in completions, a streak extending into the third quarter. “We showed we can beat one of the elite teams in Massachusetts, and people are going to know about this.”

Sorrento, who worked in two-back sets with Kaminski throughout the preseason, set the Hawks off in the right direction with a 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

Xaverian would maintain the 7-0 lead until 4:13 remaining in the half, when Everett quarterback Raheem Wingard (149 rushing yards) broke off a 29-yard touchdown on an option keeper. Although the point-after try was blocked, an offsides penalty against Xaverian gave the Crimson Tide (1-1) another crack. Another yard closer, Marquis Holman ran in the 2-point conversion over left guard.

The scoring drive was enabled by a fourth-down stand by Everett’s defense at their 40-yard line.

The Crimson Tide’s one-point lead stood until the fourth quarter, when another crucial fourth-down decision from the Xaverian sideline would come into play.

Facing a fourth-and-11 at the Everett 25, and with a little more than eight minutes remaining, the Hawks broke huddle looking for something special. When the play broke down around Farrell, he improvised and took off toward the end zone. Twenty-five yards later, the first-year starter scored what would prove to be the game-winning touchdown.

After the Hawks defense came away with another key fourth-down stop on the ensuing Everett possession, Farrell capped his evening with a perfectly thrown 23-yard fade to D.J. Sperzel for an insurance strike.

“It was just reading the quarterback,” Sperzel said. “I knew I had the receiver in front of me and broke on the ball.”

“We felt like that was the time to take a shot,” Hawks head coach Charlie Stevenson said. “He went up and got it, and Jake put it right where he needed to.”

For added measure, Sperzel closed out the special evening with an interception of Wingard on the following drive.

Shuffling the deck: While Kaminski’s absence forced Stevenson to alter his offensive game plan, the Hawks still played to their strengths.

“We lose a lot of firepower without Kaminski in the backfield,” Steveson added. “But I thought Noah Sorrento did an unbelievable job.”

Also key to the victory was the play of Xaverian’s offensive line. Anchored by senior captain Jeff Perez, the line created holes ample for any running back to walk through.

“If we block like that and Shayne’s with us, I think we’ll be OK as we go forward,” Stevenson said.

They also drew rave reviews from their quarterback.

“The O-line was excellent,” Farrell said. “I had a ton of time to throw and the receivers just ran good routes. They made it easy for me.”

Work in progress: Meanwhile, after a sloppy Week 1 win over another Top 10 foe in Springfield Central and Friday night’s loss, Crimson Tide head coach John DiBiaso was less than enthused with his team’s work thus far.

“There were no positives,” DiBiaso said of Friday’s loss. “They kicked our butts up and down the field, in every aspect of the game – special teams, offense, defense.

“We didn’t play well, we didn’t execute.”

ESPN Boston correspondant Joe Parello checks in with these highlights from No. 14 Xaverian's 20-8 win over No. 1 Everett:

LEOMINSTER, Mass. -- Over the past two seasons, the St. John's defense has provided no answers in how to stop, or even slow down, Leominster's vaunted dual-threat offense. The Pioneer coaching staff have been often left scratching their heads in trying to develop new concepts to keep the Blue Devils out of the end zone.

After Friday night's 33-22 season-opening defeat at Doyle Field, it appears as though St. John's still hasn't gotten it right and another trip back to the drawing board seems imminent.

Leominster's offensive unit punched the Pioneers square in the mouth, accumulating 397 yards while managing to sustain several drives after converting key first downs. The victory marks the Blue Devils' fifth straight over St. John's dating back to 2011. Included among those triumphs are a pair of Super Bowl titles. The Pioneers, as was the case in the previous meetings, had trouble tackling and in their coverage schemes. Neither worked.

Senior quarterback Neil O'Connor, having not played the position since his freshman season, looked truly at ease. The former wide receiver completed 18 of 24 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. He proved just as effective on ground, scoring three times, finishing with 71 yards on 12 attempts.

"This is a great win because it is always a battle with them," said O'Connor, who like many others was battling cramps in the muggy conditions. "This is the funnest team to play other than (Thanksgiving rival) Fitchburg. We always come out for every game and try to play Leominster-type football. Tonight was a great atmosphere under the lights before a packed house at our own field. This win certainly gets us rolling now. I had never played quarterback in an atmosphere like this so I just tried to block it all out and focus on what we needed to do."

Having lost a couple of key personnel to graduation, nonetheless, the Blue Devils still returned a solid nucleus on both sides of the football. Likewise, St. John's had strong weaponry at key positions, primarily on the offensive side.

The Pioneer defense had issues trying to shut down Leominster's pistol formation. At times, they looked dazed and confused on whether or not to key on the run or the pass. In several cases their decision in choosing what to defend wound up costing them on the scoreboard.

"Overall defensively we had a couple of third down situations where we didn't stop them," Pioneers coach John Andreoli said. "(O'Connor) made a couple of tremendous athletic plays and we missed quite a few tackles and Leominster made us pay for it. In a game like this against a team like that you cannot make mistakes and we did."

After coming up short on their first series, the Blue Devils were given a short field on their next one. St. John's punter Shane Combs mis-handled the snap and was dropped for a 16 yard loss giving Leominster the ball on the Pioneer 21. Four runs by O'Connor set up running back James Gurley's four-yard toss into the end zone giving the Blue Devils a 6-0 lead. St. John's senior quarterback Drew Smiley (18 of 35, 194 yards) answered the score with one of his own, darting into the end zone on a seven-yard carry. Following the PAT, the Pioneers led 7-6 early in the second quarter.

The remainder of the half, however, belonged to Leominster. O'Connor danced his away out of an apparent sack, turning it into a 15 yard scoring run. Jarell Addo's follow-up conversion catch had the Blue Devils back in front 14-7. After getting the ball back, the Pioneers quickly gave it away after Combs fumbled it over to the Blue Devils, putting them in great shape on the Pioneer 48. With just 30 seconds left in the quarter, O'Connor threw an 18 yard strike to receiver Jake Allain (six catches, 78 yards) over the middle to increase the Blue Devils lead to 20-7 going into the half.

Realizing the offense they were using over the first 22 minutes wasn't working, St. John's opted to go with much safer pass patterns for its heralded signal-caller. The Pioneers discovered the screen pass could be an effective weapon to get them back in this tilt. Senior receiver Mike McGillicuddy, who did not catch a pass the entire first half, was St. John's primary receiver of choice throughout the second.

McGillicuddy finished with eight receptions totalling 90 yards. He inched St. John's closer after hauling in a seven-yard pass from Smiley on the team's first drive to begin the third quarter, making it 20-14. But Leominster always had an answer. Marching 80 yards on the ensuing possession, O'Connor finished it off with a 1 yard dive with 3 minutes remaining in the quarter to hoist the Blue Devils lead out to 26-14.

St. John's got the ball back and were starting to find holes in the Leominster defense. Moving the ball to the Blue Devil 13 and facing fourth down, Smiley, who was continuously forced outside the pocket by a hard-charging Leominster front line, lofted a ball into the end zone that was picked off by Allain. Moments later, to start the fourth, the Pioneers again drove deep into Leominster territory but this time they capitalized as Smiley found junior Devon Jones on a 26 yard scoring reception. Smiley then added the conversion run to suddenly bring the Pioneers to within four at 26-22 with 7:44 to go.

But once again the Blue Devils found a way to storm back. Methodically moving the ball down field, and showing great poise, the objective to chew time off the clock and tack on more points to put this out of reach appeared destined. Leominster did just that. Aided by a critical pass interference penalty, the Blue Devils took advantage as O'Connor, upon seeing the Pioneer defense taking away the inside gaps, ran an option-keeper outside the right tackle and rumbled 24 yards untouched into the end zone to seal the deal for Leominster.

"We knew St. John's likes to run spread on offense," said Blue Devils coach Dave Palazzi, his club holding the Pioneers to 246 yards, only 42 in the first half. "We just felt we needed to play our game and focus on the whole field. Our 11 guys did a great job out there on defense. It was a great performance on both sides of the ball. We had a great game plan on both sides. I cannot say enough of the effort they put forth tonight."

Johnson honored: Longtime Leominster baseball coach was honored before Friday night's game. Johnson who accumulated 725 victories, recently stepped down from the position. Johnson was three Division 1 state championships with the Blue Devils in 1986, 1988 and 1996. He is a member of the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, Fitchburg State University Hall of Fame and will be inducted into Leominster's inaugural Hall of Fame class this weekend.

Light remembered: St. John's players wore stickers on its helmets with the initials "DJL" in honor of Daniel Jonathan Light who passed away this past summer from ALS. Light is the father of former Pioneer standout quarterback Dan Light, who is now playing defensive back at Fordham University.

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- Perhaps the New England Patriots and the New York Jets should have taken a page from Attleboro High’s playbook – specifically the page that details passing.

Just ask No. 24 Bishop Feehan.

Attleboro senior quarterback Tim Walsh completed 11-of-14 passes for 220 yards and four touchdowns (he also ran for another), while junior wide receiver Brenden Massey caught five balls for 130 yards and four scores.

As a result, the Bombardiers presented first-year head coach Mike Strachan with his initial victory – a 35-3 romp over the Shamrocks in the season opener for both teams.

“We’ve had a couple of scrimmages and they’re both pretty special kids,” Strachan said of Walsh and Massey. “There’s enough to work on out there that we can improve on. But we’re pretty excited about that combination.”

That’s like saying Joe Montana was “pretty excited” about throwing to Jerry Rice.

“It was huge play-calling by the coaches and huge play up front,” said Walsh. “We had tons of time all night. It made it a lot easier for me.

“Receivers were running crisp routes and getting wide open. It made it made my job a lot easier.”

How wide is wide-open?: Perhaps the play that best underscored how wide-open Attleboro receivers were came on the Bombardiers’ last score.
Walsh dropped back and had enough time to devour a sandwich before launching a 30-yard touchdown pass to Massey who was all by himself as he crossed the goal line.

“We made some mistakes … there were too many penalties and too many missed assignments for us,” said Strachan. “But, overall, when you have a leader like Timmy … he’s a great quarterback and a great leader.

“But, again, we’re expecting some great things from those two.”

“Great things” didn’t start happening for Attleboro until early in the second quarter. That’s when the Bombardiers covered 69 yards in nine plays with Walsh tossing a 38-yard touchdown pass to Massey.

Then, after Feehan went three-and-out, Attleboro came right back, with Walsh connecting with Massey on a 49-yard scoring bomb that made the score 14-0 heading going into intermission.

Attleboro received a big lift when Stan Beaubrun returned the second-half kickoff 77 yards, which set up a six-yard touchdown pass from Walsh to Luke Morrison.

The Shamrocks again went three-and-out and Attleboro promptly upped its lead to 28-0 when Walsh dashed five yards off right tackle for a touchdown.

Feehan’s pressure non-existent: “I don’t even think we got stopped the whole second half,” said Walsh. “We were up 14-0 and got the ball (to start the second half). There was a huge return that continued the momentum and then we just put it in.”

Feehan averted a shutout when Brendan Mulligan kicked a 24-yard field goal 57 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Other than that, the closest Feehan came to scoring was late in the second quarter when Michael Gallagher led a ground game that enabled the Shamrocks to reach Attleboro’s 9. But Feehan was penalized for holding and, after a Matt Jesser pass fell incomplete, Attleboro blocked a 36-yard field goal attempt by Mulligan.

“We’ve been telling our kids to finish strong in everything we do,” said Strachan. “Again, we’re pretty happy for our first game.

“I think we go into a game trying to do certain things. I think Massey did a great job of stepping up tonight. He was put in a position where he could make plays, and he did. I hope that’s the case for us every week, that we different kids that can do that for us.”

ATTLEBORO 35, FEEHAN 3
ATT (1-0) 0-14-14-7 - 35
FEE (0-1) 0-0-0-3 - 3

Second quarter
A – Brenden Massey 38 pass from Tim Walsh (Mike Cannata kick)
A – Massey 49 pass from Walsh (Cannata kick)

Third quarter
A – Morrison 6 pass from Walsh (Cannata kick)
A – Walsh 6 run (Cannata kick)

Fourth quarter
B – Brendan Mulligan 24 field goal
A – Massey 30 pass from Walsh (Cannata kick)

Top 25
No. 14 Xaverian 20, No. 1 Everett 8 | Highlights
No. 8 Leominster 33, No. 12 St. John’s (Shrewsbury) 22 | Highlights
No. 10 Lowell 35, Dracut 12
Plymouth North 24, No. 17 Dennis-Yarmouth 7
No. 18 Plymouth South 40, Marshfield 14
No. 19 Tewksbury 27, Lincoln-Sudbury 21
No. 20 Doherty 27, North Middlesex 19
Attleboro 35, No. 24 Bishop Feehan 3

Agawam 48, Holyoke 13
Archbishop Williams 36, Somerset 28
Arlington 28, Somerville 7
Assabet 46, Quaboag 0
Bishop Connolly 28, Durfee 19
Boston Latin 44, North Quincy 30
Cardinal Spellman 50, Bourne 0
Catholic Memorial 28, Hartford (Vt.) 12
Chelmsford 29, Westford Academy 22
Chelsea 40, St. Joseph's Prep 8
Danvers 33, Beverly 28
Dartmouth 48, Bishop Stang 0
Dean Tech 24, Smith Voke 6
Dorchester 22, Madison Park 0
East Boston 18, Boston English 8
East Longmeadow 28, Amherst 14
Falmouth 13, Mashpee 8
Frontier 12, Ludlow 6
Greater New Bedford 27, Seekonk 8
Groton-Dunstable 28, Gardner 6
Latin Academy 47, West Roxbury 0
Lee 26, Greenfield 12
Longmeadow 27, Northampton 0
Lunenburg 35, Murdock 13
Marlborough 33, Milford 17
Medford 35, Revere 22
Methuen 10, Lawrence 7
Minuteman 44, Nashoba Tech 18
Narragansett 45, Athol 14
Nauset 28, Sandwich 6
New Mission 54, South Boston 0
Northbridge 42, Oakmont 20
North Reading 33, Ipswich 7
Norwell 30, Carver 21
Pioneer 36, Pathfinder 24
Pope John Paul II 45, Matignon 32
Shepherd Hill 14, Fitchburg 8
Shrewsbury 33, Algonquin 13
Silver Lake 31, Malden Catholic 0
Springfield Putnam 46, Springfield Commerce 26
St. Peter-Marian 21, Wachusett 7
Taunton 37, New Bedford 20
Triton 40, Amesbury 7
Turners Falls 43, Belchertown 13
Wahconah 30, Chicopee Comp 16
West Springfield 20, Chicopee 0
Winthrop 20, Saugus 6
Woburn 19, Billerica 12
Worcester Tech 54, Keefe Tech 0

Invariably any pre-season football preview at least starts – but doesn’t necessarily end – with perennial Division I power Hendricken.

Coach Keith Croft’s Hawks are coming off their third consecutive Division I Super Bowl championship (and ninth in school history) but enter the 2013 season with a dearth of seniors.

Only 13 are listed on the roster which means Croft has his work cut out for him looking to replace First Team All-State selections like tight end/defensive lineman Mario McClain, two-way lineman Nick DeCiantis, linebacker Jarrid Witherspoon and linebacker Marco Delvecchio.

Fortunately, for the Hawks, they could be solid on offense since they feature easily one of the state’s top running backs in junior Remington Blue, plus junior quarterback Patrick Gill. Gill seemingly came out of nowhere last season to earn the No. 1 signal-caller position and in the end was a major factor in the Super Bowl as Hendricken upset heavily-favored La Salle.

The key for Gill will be to remain healthy since the only other experienced quarterback on the Hendricken roster, John Toppa, opted not to play football this season.

Without question La Salle coach Geoff Marcone faces a major challenge in his attempt to replace two of the most productive offensive players in school history – First Team All-State running back Josh Morris (the 2011 Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year) and First Team All-State quarterback Anthony Francis (the 2012 Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year).

Marcone does have 18 seniors on his roster and will choose his starting quarterback from a group that includes sophomores Jace Pena and John Farley.

Keon Wilson again will be the primary target for whoever lines up under center while the defense will be led by linebacker Brendan Lippe.

The two Cranston teams, Cranston East and Cranston West, also could figure in the playoff picture.

East returns First Team All-State running back/defensive back Marquem Monroe who last season scored a total of 14 touchdowns and also intercepted four passes.

First Team All-Stater Marven Beauvais complements Monroe on offense while Alex Corvese is an experienced quarterback.

Cranston West will be a force if the Falcons received production that’s expected from running back Isaiah Alvarez and linebacker Jack Hammond.

***

Division II invariably is the most wide-open division in the state – one reason being the format.

Eight teams are in II-A, eight in II-B and top four in each division qualify for the playoffs.

Cumberland qualified for the Super Bowl for the first time since 2005 and waxed Woonsocket, 49-0, for all the marbles led by a pair of graduated All-State picks – wide receive Mitch Baxter and tight end Trent Vasey.

But the Clippers still have talent, especially in the appropriately-named running back Joe Fine plus linebacker Chris Hayes who led Cumberland in tackles last season.

The Villa Novans, who’ve undergone a resurrection in recent years, will be out to avenge that lop-sided loss to Cumberland in the Super Bowl.

Leading the way will be speedster Will Andino who can run and catch the ball plus junior lineman Shawn Ingram, a potential First Team All-State selection.

(Read full post)

ESPN Boston High Schools editor Scott Barboza chatted with Fox 25's Brendan Fitzgerald last night about Friday night's Game of the Week between No. 12 St. John's (Shrewsbury) and No. 8 Leominster.

Here's the clip:

Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Keene football coach John Luopa won't be walking into the unknown this weekend. He's very much aware of what his team will be up against when it faces Exeter on Saturday night (7 p.m.) in Keene.

Exeter has won New Hampshire's last two Division I championships and is considered by many to be the team to beat again this season. The Blue Hawks have a roster of more than 100 players and have won their last 17 games against Division I competition.

“It's a daunting task playing Exeter,” Luopa said. “They're hands down the best team in the state – and the best program. When you've won the last two Division I championships I think it's fair to say that.

“It's the same Exeter team. They've just changed the names and numbers.”

Keene is coming off a 34-0 triumph over Nashua North. Exeter received three touchdowns from fullback Jay Inzenga in Saturday's 48-6 triumph over Dover.

“I thought we tackled well and we didn't turn it over, which is always a concern when you have all new backs,” Exeter coach Bill Ball said. “Getting out of the gate with a win is huge. It gives you momentum heading into the next week.

“The road gets tougher. Keene is a lot like us – physical. It'll be a physical game."

Luopa said slowing down Exeter's running game and cashing in on scoring opportunities will be the keys for his team Saturday night.

“Offensively you have to find a way to get it in the end zone,” he said. “In years past we've moved the ball well from the 20 to the 20. Inside the 20 is where they really buckle down.

“I think we match up well with teams that run the spread because defensively we can run with the spread teams. The big question entering this game is how will our defense hold up against a big, powerful team that runs the ball?

“It will be interesting to see if we do have the horses to give them a game.”

DIVISION II
Trinity (Manchester) and Plymouth were the best teams in Division IV last season, and they may be the two best teams in a reconfigured Division II this year.

Plymouth, which beat Trinity 7-0 to win last year's Division IV title, rolled over Kingswood, 49-28, last weekend. The Bobcats will play at Windham on Saturday. Windham, which lost to Trinity in last year's Division IV semifinals, opened its season with a 28-7 triumph over Hanover.

“I saw their film (against Kingswood) and they flow to the ball real well,” Windham coach Bill Raycraft said. “(Plymouth coach Chuck Lenahan) has 11 guys who make it look like they have 13 out there. Plymouth will be one of the top teams in the division.”

Perhaps no team posted a more impressive victory last weekend than Trinity, which made a statement by beating Portsmouth, 58-37, Friday night. Portsmouth has won the last two Division III championships and was a preseason favorite to win this year's Division II title.

Trinity may get a stiffer test from Milford tonight. The Spartans returned their entire offensive backfield from last year's Division III playoff team, and showed plenty of offensive punch in Saturday's 48-23 victory over Sanborn (Kingston).

“Obviously it was nice to get that win, but we have a long way to go and a lot of work to do,” Trinity coach Steve Burns said.

DIVISION III
Fall Mountain (Langdon) played a junior varsity schedule last season because of low participation in the program, but will have a chance to improve its Division III record to 2-0 when it travels to Raymond tonight (7 p.m.).

Fall Mountain is coming off a 40-8 victory over Newfound, and Raymond dropped a 53-35 decision to Bishop Brady (Concord) in its opener.

Tonight's game between Newport and Pelham is this weekend's only Division III matchup between teams that each won last weekend.

(Read full post)

Week 2 of the high school football season has arrived. We’ll have reporters at the biggest games on the slate and will update scores from these and other contests from around the state tonight in the live blog below. To have your say, tweet using the #RoadToGillette hashtag and your updates/reactions will be included in the chat.

ANDOVER, Mass. –- Steve DiCienzo stretched across the goal line to end the first overtime, and the game, as his Boston College High teammates stormed the field in celebration at Lovely Memorial Field. Only then, after a disappointing open to the season least week, could the visiting Eagles truly exhale.

“There’s not a better feeling than that. It was just awesome,” the senior fullback and Abington resident said of his game-winning score, a six-yard dive up the middle that gave the Eagles (1-1) a thrilling 16-10 overtime win over host Andover (1-1). “I couldn’t do it without the hogs up front, I just followed their butts and they got me in.

“It was awesome, though. We’ve been working so hard for this win. It’s great to come back after that tough loss.”

A week ago, the Eagles came into North Attleborough High with high aspirations, coming off a disappointing 2012 campaign. But for the second year in a row, they fell victim to the upset by the Red Rocketeers, a 217-yard night rushing by tailback Rob Harnais seemingly wasted.

If last week was a much-needed win, then tonight was simply a must-win. And for a while, it looked like the Eagles might fall to a similar fate after surrendering 10 straight points in the fourth quarter.

After Ryan Payne’s 30-yard field goal cut BC’s lead to 7-3 with 10:11 to go, the Warriors’ Brendan Slattery fell on an onside kick, wrestling his way into possession. Andover fumbled the ball away seven plays into its drive; but not to be outdone, BC gave them the ball right back just five plays later.

Looking for tight end Connor Walsh in the boundary, quarterback Sean Holleran was picked off at the BC 45 by Will Eikenberry. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior linebacker broke to the home bench and followed two kick-out blocks up the left sideline, diving over the pylon for the pick-six and a 10-7 lead with 4:35 to go. It marked the fifth turnover of the night for BC, and ninth combined for both sides.

After a favorable return, with an extra 15 yards tacked on from a penalty, the Eagles marched inside the red zone, aided In part by an 18-yard sweep from Harnais (16 carries, 75 yards), and set up Jack O’Brien for a 31-yard field goal to tie it at 10 with 2:34 to go.

Andover called three straight wide zones to Eikenberry, then stalled, then missed a 42-yard game-winning field goal attempt with no time left in regulation to force overtime.

In the overtime, Andover took the ball first and was immediately met with increased pressure, with quarterback Oliver Eberth intentionally grounding on fourth down to give BC the chance to win.

Three plays later, DiCienzo found paydirt. And it was sweet.

“We kinda shot ourselves in the foot last week, and it happened again this week,” said DiCienzo. “It was relieving getting this win. We definitely needed this one.”

Said head coach Joe Gaff, “You can’t take anything away from that Andover team, please. Their effort tonight, this was a great high school football game. We made some mental mistakes.”

Turnover Troubles: This wasn’t a clean game by any stretch, with the teams combining for nine turnovers, five from BC High. One would venture a guess that ball security will be a big emphasis in the coming weeks for the Eagles, who fumbled the ball away four times. On the flip side, Andover’s quarterbacks are going to have to work on scanning the field better, as they committed two interceptions.

However, credit has to go the other way as well. It’s no secret BC High head coach Joe Gaff likes to deploy a Cover 1 and challenge the opposition’s receivers mano a mano, but the Eagles also showed some nifty Cover 3 looks against trips formations. BC’s linebacking corps in particular did a good job maintaining their zone responsibilities, forcing bad throws.

Going the other way, not enough can be said about Eikenberry, a prep school transfer who was made an immediate impact in the Warriors’ program. Of the Eagles’ four fumbles, Eikenberry forced two of them, both with sound tackling fundamentals. At 210 pounds and with a long reach and a lacrosse-like skill set, expect him to continue being a defensive impact. Right now, he is arguably their most important defender.

Lockdown in the trenches: Andover took the ball first in overtime, from 10 yards out, with four chances to get into the end zone. When all was said and done, the Warriors only moved backwards, the final chance a fourth down from the 25 that ended in an intentional grounding penalty.

Credit defensive ends Darren Amado and Evan Burton for playing excellent containment responsibility, maintaining a depth that did not open up running lanes for Eberth, and then flushing him out of the pocket, eventually wrapping him up for losses.

“We widened our ends out a bit,” Gaff said of the overtime defensive stand. “We really made our defensive line very active today, with a lot of stunts. We didn’t just want to line up and give that offensive line they have...You know, just be able to pass block. We moved a lot today, I thought that helped our D-line a lot.”

Get Big: It will be interesting to watch how both BC High and Andover each integrate their big-bodied tight ends as the season progresses.

The trend right now with big-bodied tight ends is to flex them out on the perimeter and create mismatches on size and strength, a la the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski. Walpole toyed with this strategy last year, splitting the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Chris Collins out wide to the sideline at times, and saw very favorable results.

Mansfield’s 6-foot-5 junior Brendan Hill may arguably be the best in state at this discipline right now. He is a tight end by definition, but in most games will play primarily in the slot or at split end. In last week’s upset of Dunbar (Md.), Hill led the team with eight catches for 109 yards and a score.

In Andover’s spread scheme, which operates primarily out of 2-by-2 and trips looks, there is an incredible mismatch developing. Six-foot-7, 220-pound sophomore Alex Marshall is already committed to the University of North Carolina for lacrosse, but has big-play capability in head coach E.J. Perry’s no-huddle offense just on size alone.

In the second quarter, Marshall hauled in a 28-yard pass on the run; he found himself targeted more in the second half, only to be over or under-thrown. With his long arms and good sense of leverage, Marshall also excelled at perimeter blocking against the Eagles.

BC High’s Connor Walsh, meanwhile, figures to be integrated more into the offense as the weeks progress. Lining up both tight and split out, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Milton resident was targeted six times and recorded three catches for 44 yards.

“Walshy, the kid worked his butt off all summer,” DiCienzo said. “Just to see him making plays is unreal. He deserves it. He worked his butt off. I work out with the kid, he ‘s unreal.”

BC HIGH 16, ANDOVER 10 (OT)

BCH 0 7 0 3 6 --- 16
AND 0 0 0 10 0 --- 10

Second Quarter
B - Steve DiCienzo 6 run (Marco King kick) 5:56

Fourth Quarter
A - Ryan Payne 30 field goal 10:11
A - Will Eikenberry 45 interception return (Payne kick) 4:46
B - Jack O'Brien 31 field goal 2:28

Overtime
B - DiCienzo 6 run

WEYMOUTH, Mass. – Alex Hilger was waiting for a game like this.

For most of the 2012 football season, all the Natick wide receiver and defensive back could do is watch from the sideline and cheer on his teammates, after a broken collarbone claimed most of his junior year. He still bears the scar of the injury, hidden underneath his shoulder pads.

The irony of the situation, in the No. 7 Redhawks’ 35-14 win over Weymouth Thursday afternoon, is that Hilger’s performance was, in part, due to the absence of one of his teammates. With ESPN Boston preseason All-State receiver Brian Dunlap lost for this season, the scene was set for Hilger to make up for lost time.

Hilger hauled in 14 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He also showed up in the kicking game, connecting on each of Natick’s point-after tries and booting several kickoffs through the end zone for touchbacks.

It came to the surprise of none on the Redhawks’ sideline, who saw Hilger’s efforts as a case of promise realized.

“We’ve always known Alex is pretty dangerous,” Natick head coach Mark Mortarelli said. “We knew if our offense was going to move the ball, he was going to be the focal point. And Troy [Flutie] is so good at finding the open receiver, and Justin Robinson stepped up, and Andrew Boynton stepped up. We just had a lot of guys make plays for us.”

Hilger deflected praise when asked if he’d become Flutie’s top target, instead crediting his quarterback for reading the defense.

“They were playing way off with their safety,” Hilger said, “and we were saying, ‘Hey, let’s just keep taking these short routes.’”

Along with Hilger, fellow senior Andrew Boynton also assumed a greater load in Natick’s passing game, grabbing a 15-yard touchdown pass from Flutie to open scoring in the second quarter.

The Redhawks (1-0) clung to a 14-7 half-time lead after Wildcats quarterback Matt Long lofted a fade to the back left pylon to Ryan Ainslie for a 21-yard touchdown pass with three seconds remaining in the second.

In the second half, Natick used four Weymouth (0-1) turnovers to run away with a win that looked much more difficult than the score indicated.

“We got a little luck, when they put one on the ground, but then we had a great drive and we punched it in,” Mortarelli said. “That was really the difference, in my mind.”

After marching down the field off the opening kickoff of the second half, the Wildcats lost a fumble at Natick’s 3-yard line on a first-and-goal rush.

Fifteen plays and 97 yards later, Flutie (22 of 29, 247 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) capped the statement drive with a 1-yard plunge over right guard.

“We talked about it in the locker room at halftime,” Hilger said, “one stop and a good drive and the game’s over.”

Oh, what a relief it is: For a few tense moments during the second quarter, Mortarelli’s stomach resided in his throat.

After running for a 5-yard gain on second and 9, Flutie pulled up lame on his left leg. The Boston College commit then sat out the next two plays and was replaced under center by junior Nick Olson, who would later go on to nab an interception.

Following the near brush with disaster, Flutie returned to the sideline in good spirits, insisting he was fine.

Aside from his contributions on game day, Flutie also assumed another role during practice this week: that of Weymouth’s multi-talented athlete David Harrison.

“You can’t simulate the speed of Harrison during practice,” Mortarelli said.

So he had the idea to use Flutie, perhaps the closest facsimile of what Harrison offers, on the scout team. Of course, that comes with perils of its own kind.

“It’s a little dangerous running your starting quarterback on scout team offense,” Mortarelli said.

A multitude of possibilities: Speaking of Harrison, a preseason All-Stater in his own right; there was the issue of exactly what form the Wildcats offense would assume. For the most part, Harrison was flexed out wide and sophomore Matt Long ran the read option at quarterback.

Long, who saw varsity snaps last year as a freshman, proved capable Thursday, making plays with his feet (a 49-yard run on Weymouth’s second play from scrimmage) and his arm (a pair of touchdowns to Ainslie, including a 55-yard play in the fourth quarter). Along with senior back Derrell Fernandez, the Wildcats have a stable of versatile athletes who can line up at multiple positions and create matchup problems for defenses.

Turnover battle: Both teams committed their share of turnovers Thursday, with the Wildcats’ four second-half giveaways factoring greatly.

The defensive secondary of both teams exhibited good ball instincts, primarily Weymouth’s Tyler O’Brien, who snagged two picks.

Natick safety Mike Abbruzzese also had an interception in addition to two fumble recoveries by the Redhawks in the second half.

Scott Barboza and Brendan Hall take a look at some of Week 1's surprises while setting the field for this weekend's high school football action on the latest edition of the ESPN Boston High Schools podcast (LISTEN).

After responding to some reader mailbag questions, we give your our predictions for this week's Game of the Week between Central Mass. rivals St. John's of Shrewsbury and Leominster.