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ESPNBoston.com presents the latest in our weekly Bracketology series, where we map out what the MIAA playoff picture would look like if playofs started tomorrow. A reminder before reading: the Bracketology segment DOES NOT include teams who are currently in the playoff chase, as the top eight teams in each Central Mass. divisions will qualify for the playoffs.

For a reminder about point-system calculations, here is how the totals are added up in Central Mass:

• 12 Points for defeating a team who is two divisions higher (excluding league games)
• 10 Points for defeating a team within your division, for defeating a team within your league (excluding league crossovers), for defeating a team outside of Central Mass, or for defeating a team either one division up or one division down
• 8 Points for defeating a team who is two divisions lower (excluding league games)
• 2 Points for each of your opponent’s wins (a team that you have defeated)
• 1 Point for each of your opponent’s wins (a team that has defeated your team)

After adding up your team’s point total, divide the total number by the number of games your team has played.

All comments and corrections can be sent to Chris Bradley at Christian.Bradley@gordon.edu, or on Twitter: @_ChrisBradley

For a refresher on how the playoff system will work, check out our three-part "Taking the Field" series from the preseason HERE.

Division 2 Central
1. Leominster (2-0), 13 points
2. Nashoba (2-0), 11 points
3. Marlborough (2-0), 10 points
4. St. John’s (1-1), 7 points
T-5. Shrewsbury (1-1), 6 points
T-5. Fitchburg (1-1), 6 points
T-5. North Middlesex (1-1), 6 points
T-8. Westboro (0-2), 1.5 points
T-8. Wachusett, (0-2), 1.5 points
T-8. Algonquin, (0-2), 1.5 points

Analysis: A big weekend from Leominster has the Blue Devils sitting pretty at the number one spot in Division 2 Central, following their win over Lowell last Friday night. Nashoba, winner of 28 consecutive games, is hot on the trail though, following their win over Shrewsbury. They’ll take on Wachusett this weekend leading up to a grueling slate where they’ll see fourth-seeded St. John’s, third-seeded Marlborough, and Leominster all in a row.

Division 4 Central
1. Hudson (2-0), 13 points
T-2. St. Peter-Marian (2-0), 12 points
T-2. Doherty (2-0), 12 points
T-2. Shepherd Hill (2-0), 12 points
T-5. Tantasqua (2-0), 11 points
T-5. Quabbin (2-0), 11 points
T-7. Groton-Dunstable (1-1), 6 points
T-7. Grafton (1-1), 6 points

Analysis: The biggest question in Division 4 Central is simple, who will be the team to give Hudson a challenge? So far the Hawks have knocked off Auburn and Groton-Dunstable, outscoring both teams by a combined score of 74-7. Hudson will take on Westboro at home on Friday, while Shepherd Hill, St. Peter-Marian, and Doherty will all attempt to chase them down. In terms of points, this weekend could very well be the most important of the regular season for Shepherd Hill, as Leominster, the top-seeded team in Division 2 Central, will travel to Dudley to battle the Rams on Friday night. With a win, Shepherd Hill would add the coveted 12-point victory (when a team in CMass wins over another team who is two divisions higher) to their resume in the point standings.

Division 5 Central
T-1. Lunenburg (2-0), 11 points
T-1. Bartlett (2-0), 11 points
T-3. Leicester (2-0), 10 points
T-3. Uxbridge (2-0), 10 points
5. Auburn (2-1), 7.33 points
T-6. Northbridge (1-1), 6 points
T-6. Tyngsboro (1-1), 6 points
T-6. David Prouty (1-1), 6 points

Analysis: As with Division 4, it’s a bit of a logjam at the top of Division 5 Central, with Lunenburg, Bartlett, Leicester, and Uxbridge all in hot pursuit of the top playoff seed. Lunenburg will take on a high-scoring West Boylston offense this weekend before heading to Northbridge on Oct. 4 for a showdown with the Rams. Keep a close eye on Bartlett running back Alex Givins-Perry, who has rushed for 168 and 201 yards, respectively, over the course of the Indians’ first two wins—he has already scored five touchdowns this year. The Indians will play host to Leicester this Friday, a team with a monster running attack led by UConn-bound star Tom Rodrick.

Division 6 Central
1. Sutton (2-0), 13 points
T-2. Blackstone Valley Tech (2-0), 12 points
T-2. Monty Tech (2-0), 12 points
T-4. St. Bernard’s (2-0), 11 points
T-4. Maynard (2-0), 11 points
T-4. Littleton (2-0), 11 points
7. Worcester Tech (2-0), 10 points
T-8. West Boylston (1-1), 6 points
T-8. Narragansett (1-1), 6 points
T-8. Assabet (1-1), 6 points
T-8. Bay Path (1-1), 6 points

Analysis: After destroying Inter-High foes Burncoat and Worcester North, Sutton may very well see their first close game of the season this weekend then they host St. Bernard’s -- a team fresh off a 32-6 victory over Worcester South. BVT and Monty Tech are following closely behind, the Beavers will take on undefeated Worcester Tech this Saturday, while the Bulldogs will play Bay Path.

ESPNBoston.com presents the latest in our weekly Bracketology series, where we map out what the MIAA playoff picture would look like if playoffs started tomorrow. A reminder before reading: the Bracketology segment DOES NOT include teams who are currently in the playoff chase, as the top FOUR teams in Western Mass. will qualify for the playoffs.

For a reminder about point-system calculations, here is how the totals are added up for teams in Western Mass:

• 16 Points for defeating a team more than two divisions higher (excluding mandated games)
• 14 Points for defeating a team two divisions higher (excluding mandated games)
• 12 Points for defeating a team one division higher (excluding mandated games)
• 10 Points for defeating a team within your division, for defeating a team within your league (including mandatory crossovers), for defeating a team outside of Massachusetts
• 8 Points for defeating a team in one division lower (excluding mandated games)
• 6 Points for defeating a team in two divisions lower (excluding mandated games)
• 4 Points for defeating a team in more than two divisions lower (excluding mandated games)
• 2 Points for each of your opponent’s wins (a team you have defeated)

After adding up your team’s point total, divide the total number by the number of games your team has played.

All comments and corrections can be sent to Chris Bradley at Christian.Bradley@gordon.edu, or on Twitter: @_ChrisBradley

For a refresher on how the playoff system will work, check out our three-part "Taking the Field" series from the preseason HERE.

Division 2 West
T-1. Minnechaug (2-0), 9 points
T-1. Westfield (2-0), 9 points
3. Springfield Central (1-1), 7 points
4. Longmeadow (2-1), 5.33 points

Analysis: Springfield Central had quite a comeback week following their close loss to Eastern Mass. power Everett, as the Golden Eagles put a 49-0 beating on East Longmeadow. Westfield, behind a dominant rushing attack, beat West Springfield this past week. Westside will have another tough one this weekend when they travel to Wilbraham to take on Minnechaug. Westfield will try to keep their momentum going this weekend against Putnam, one week before a huge showdown with Minnechaug. Cody Williams and Central will play Holyoke at home on Friday with a chance to make up some points in the standings.

Division 4 West
1. Agawam (3-0), 14 points
2. Wahconah (3-0), 10.67 points
T-3. Amherst-Pelham, Chicopee, Northampton, Chicopee Comp, South Hadley, Commerce (0-2), 0 points

Analysis: Similarly to last week’s evaluation, the Division 4 West chase has been quite unspectacular. Agawam, fresh off a 20-14 win over Chicopee, will have a bye this weekend before traveling to Amherst on October 4th. Wahconah has put up 64 points over the last two weeks, both of which were blowout victories—the Warriors will host Lee on Friday night.

Division 5 West
T-1. Pittsfield (3-0), 11.33 points
T-1. Hoosac Valley (3-0), 11.33 points
3. Easthampton (2-0), 9 points
4. Mount Greylock (2-1), 8 points

Analysis: This Friday’s showdown between Pittsfield and Mount Greylock could prove to be crucial for the points landscape in Division 5 West. The Mounties’ only loss came to Hoosac Valley this past week, and they’ll be looking for a win this weekend to avoid dropping out of the top four. Hoosac Valley, with a win over Monument Mountain and a Pittsfield loss this coming weekend, would take over sole possession of the top spot.

Division 6 West
1. McCann Tech (2-0), 13 points
2. Turners Falls (2-0), 12 points
T-3. Lee (2-1), 8.67 points
T-3. Ware (2-1), 8.67 points

Analysis: Following a McCann Tech bye week, there was no movement at the top in Division 6 West. The Hornets will take on a winless Smith Academy squad this Friday night, while Turners Falls will look to stay undefeated when they host Frontier. Ware has a bye this weekend, and Lee will be walking the tightrope, as they only hold a slight lead on Greenfield (8 points) and Franklin County Tech (8 points) going into Friday.

Courtesy of Eric Rueb, here is the Rhode Island High School Football Media Poll for Week 2:

Rank | Team | Points | Last Week’s Rank
1. Hendricken (8) 198 1
2. Cranston East (2) 191 2
3. Portsmouth 181 t-4
4. Barrington 170 t-4
5. La Salle 152 3
6. Woonsocket 130 8
7. South Kingstown 129 7
8. Cranston West 126 6
9. Mount Hope 113 9
10. Cumberland 107 12
11. North Kingstown 101 19
12. Mount Pleasant 92 15
13. Rogers 61 20
14. West Warwick 50 10
15. Shea 47 NR
16. Tolman 41 16
17. Moses Brown 35 NR
18. East Greenwich 31 18
19. Coventry 30 NR
20. Johnston 27 11

Dropped from poll: East Providence (13), Middletown (14), Central (17)

Also receiving votes: Warwick Veterans 26, East Providence 23, Burrillville 17, Middletown 9, Central 8, St. Raphael 3, Narragansett 2.

There is a new No. 1 team in the state this week.

New Bedford controls the top spot in this week's edition of the ESPN Boston MIAA boys' soccer Top 20 poll.

Somerville had a minor stumble on the road against Lexington and had to settle for a draw. It may have only been a minor blip, but New Bedford and Ludlow have been perfect, so each moved up one place. The Whalers beat Top 20 team and South Coast rival Dartmouth last week and will have a tough week with a pair of Big 3 games, while the Lions are looking ahead to a Top 10 showdown with Amherst on Oct. 5.

The Highlanders only drop down to No. 3 after the draw and will take on No. 4 Masconomet in the top match-up of the week.

Groton-Dunstable lost a pair of games last week and dropped out of the Top 20, while Worcester North dropped from the Top 10 to No. 20 after a tough start. The other team to drop out of the poll was Acton-Boxborough, which was beaten 3-0 by No. 8 Concord-Carlisle over the weekend.

Westborough moved into the poll for the first time after it beat Wachusett and Groton-Dunstable to improve to 6-0. The Rangers take over at No. 18.

Bedford also moves into the poll at No. 19 behind All-New England midfielder Michael Dushman. The Bucs take on Concord-Carlisle on Wednesday, so they will have the opportunity to prove that they belong right away.

In This Week: No. 18 Westborough (6-0-0); No. 19 Bedford (5-1-0).

Out This Week: Groton-Dunstable (2-2-2); Acton-Boxborough (1-1-2).

After a big victory over Dorchester, Boston Latin Academy football head coach Rocco Zizza was named New England Patriots Coach of the Week.

Here's more from today's release from the Patriots media relations department:

Boston Latin Academy’s Rocco Zizza has been named this week’s New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week in recognition of his team’s 24-10 victory at Dorchester High on Friday, Sept. 20. The Dragons combined an aggressive defense and a veteran offensive attack to win in the first game on Dorchester’s new home field. The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will donate $1,000 to Boston Latin Academy’s football program in Zizza’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 Zizza and his team on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at Boston Latin Academy. 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, Sept. 27, 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 Rocco Zizza and his team,” Tippett said. “The Boston Latin Academy defense had a field day as they did everything but score a touchdown, offering up five turnovers, three fumbles and two interceptions, and registering a safety. They are 1-0 in league play and 3-0 overall. This was a great team victory for the Dragons.”

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.

For the third straight year, Tippett will take the award on the road so he can visit the schools that benefit from the program. This year is also the third year the Patriots will accept nominations for High School Coach of the Week. Anyone who knows a high school football coach in New England who has a great week or reaches a personal career milestone is encouraged to submit a nomination to nominatecoach@patriots.com.

Here is our latest "Mr. Football Watch" following Week 3 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
The Boston College commit completed 14 of 21 passes for 282 yards and five scores, and added 32 yards on the ground, in a 41-6 win over Acton-Boxborough.

Jack Galvin, Sr. WR, Lowell
Caught two passes for 90 yards and two scores in the Red Raiders’ 33-20 loss to Leominster.

Neil O’Connor, Sr. QB, Leominster
In the Blue Devils’ 33-20 defeat of Lowell, threw for 156 yards and three touchdowns, and added 66 yards and a score on the ground.

Dylan Oxsen, Sr. RB, Plymouth South
Carried 18 times for 256 yards and three touchdowns in the Panthers’ 21-7 win over Sandwich. In the first two games, he has 418 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns.

Mike Panepinto, Sr. RB, Needham
The UMass lacrosse commit ran for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the Rockets’ 26-6 win over Walpole.

Andrew Smiley, Sr. QB, St. John’s (Shrewsbury)
In the Pioneers’ 42-24 win over Catholic Memorial, the Navy lacrosse commit completed 20 of 25 passes for 239 yards and four touchdowns, and added 47 rushing yards with a fifth score.

Johnathan Thomas, Sr. RB, St. John’s Prep
The Maryland commit carried 27 times for 228 yards and two scores, and added a spectacular 107-yard pick-six that made SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays, in a 40-21 win over Central Catholic.

Cody Williams, Sr. QB, Springfield Central
In the Golden Eagles’ 49-0 rout of East Longmeadow, the Monmouth commit completed 8 of 9 passes for 148 yards and three scores, and added 37 yards and a score on seven carries on the ground.

Ju’an Williams, Sr. WR/DB, Springfield Central
Was a factor in all three phases of the game in the Golden Eagles’ 49-0 blanking of East Longmeadow. He caught three passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns, recorded four tackles and a 92-yard interception return for a third score, and was a perfect 7-for-7 on extra point field goals.

Isaac Yiadom, Sr. WR/DB, Doherty
The Boston College commit caught four passes for 92 yards and a score, and recorded 13 tackles defensively, in the Highlanders’ 19-12 win over Holy Name.

FIVE ON THE RISE*

Zach Elkinson, Jr. ATH, Holliston
Registered 232 yards and three scores in three different methods – rushing, receiving and punt return – in the Panthers’ 43-7 win over Milford. Through three games, he has 514 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns by four different methods.

A.J. King, Sr. WR, Xaverian
Blew the doors open for the Hawks in their battle with Bridgewater-Raynham, catching four balls for 129 yards and two scores in the first half en route to a 49-13 rout.

Jimmy Sullivan, Sr. QB/S, Nauset
In the Warriors’ 34-8 win over Falmouth, carried 10 times for 167 yards and two scores, and added 38 passing yards and a third score, as well as four tackles on defense. Through two games, he has 419 all-purpose yards, five touchdowns, 13 tackles and an interception.

Olan Abner, Sr. RB, Bedford
Carried 38 times for 262 yards and two touchdowns in the Buccaneers’ 34-13 win over Belmont. Through two games, he has 398 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Ricardo Edwards, Sr. RB, Brighton
Had a record six touchdowns in the Bengals’ 44-22 win over East Boston. He ran for 233 yards and five scores, and returned an interception for a sixth.

TOP STATISTICAL LEADERS IN MASSACHUSETTS

Rushing
Johnathan Thomas, Sr., St. John’s Prep – 652 yards, 8 total TD
Christian Perez, Sr., Northeast – 574 yards, 5 TD
Mark Wright, Sr., Auburn – 558 yards, 6 TD
Isaiah White, Sr., Beverly – 558 yards, 5 TD
Brooks Tyrell, Jr., Marblehead – 453 yards, 6 total TD

Passing
Jordan Bolarinho, Sr., Billerica – 872 yards, 7 TD
Matthew Jeye, Sr., Holliston – 604 yards, 5 TD
Brendan Smith, Soph., Seekonk – 575 yards, 6 TD
Troy Flutie, Sr., Natick – 571 yards, 8 TD
Ryan Barabe, Jr., Pope John Paul II – 497 yards, 5 TD

Receiving
Kevin Casey, Jr., Billerica – 309 yards, 2 TD
Jack Galvin, Sr., Lowell – 283 yards, 6 TD
Jeff Trainor, Soph., Billerica – 254 yards, 3 TD
Zach Elkinson, Jr., Holliston – 252 yards, 7 total TD
Isaac Yiadom, Sr., Doherty – 244 yards, TD

Dual Threat QB*
Cameron McMillian, Sr., Cambridge – 397 passing yards, 437 rushing yards, 10 total TD
Matthew Jeye, Sr., Holliston – 604 passing yards, 118 rushing yards, 7 total TD
Troy Flutie, Sr., Natick – 571 passing yards, 99 rushing yards, 9 total TD
Tyler Bassett, Sr., Dracut – 355 passing yards, 312 rushing yards, 4 total TD
Kyle Dance, Sr., Latin Academy – 373 passing yards, 237 rushing yards, 10 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.

St. John's Prep senior running back/defensive back Johnny Thomas has grabbed national headlines in the last couple of days over his 107-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Eagles' Friday night win over Central Catholic.

The play has made the Maryland commit an overnight phenomenon, including making the cut for SportsCenter's Top Plays segment.

It wasn't Thomas' only contribution, as he again surpassed the 200-yard plateau, finishing with 252 rushing yards and three touchdowns in Prep's victory. For those efforts, Thomas is our ESPN Boston Player of the Week for Week 3

Editor Brendan Hall caught up with Thomas before Monday's practice to recap a whirlwind weekend for the Peabody native:



Along with Thomas, here's our Top 5 performances for Week 3:

• Johnny Thomas, Sr. RB/DB, St. John's Prep: 252 rushing yards, 3 TD; 107-yard INT return for TD vs. Central Catholic.
• Diego Meritus, Jr. RB/DB, Pope John Paul II: 21 carries 201 yards, 3 TD; 4 catches, 77 yards, TD; INT vs. St. Clement.
• Xaverian's Special Teams: The Hawks recorded two punt blocks, one resulting in a scoop-and-score and the other setting up a touchdown drive in their defeat of former No. 1 Bridgewater-Raynham.
• Isaiah White, Sr. RB, Beverly: 18 carries, 302 yards, 3 TD vs. North Andover.
• Byron Martin, Frosh. RB, Boston Cathedral: 228 yards, 4 TD vs. Matignon.

The Needham Channel's Mike Dermody passes along highlights from Friday night's battle between No. 22 Needham and visiting No. 25 Walpole. Needham downed the Rebels, 26-6, to improve to 1-1 on the year.

For the fourth consecutive week, we have a new No. 1 in our statewide Top 25 football poll. To view it, CLICK HERE.

A few notes and observations about this week's poll:

Xaverian takes over top spot: After dismantling previous No. 1 Bridgewater-Raynham 49-13 on Saturday, Xaverian takes over as the No. 1 team in the land, jumping up nine spots from No. 10. It's the second week in a row the Hawks have knocked off an incumbent No. 1 by double digits. Two weeks ago, the Hawks visited then-No. 1 Everett and delivered a 20-8 upset. The 49 points by Xaverian Saturday are the most they've scored since a 49-0 shutout of New Britain (Conn.) in 2005.

This also the first time Xaverian has been ranked No. 1 since Week 3 of the 2010 season, after which they were quickly upset by then-No. 2 Everett. The Crimson Tide went on to hold the No. 1 spot continuously for nearly two years.

Rounding out the top five are Mansfield (2), St. John's Prep (3), Everett (4) and Springfield Central (5). B-R tumbles all the way to No. 9 following its loss.

Westwood enters countdown: Perhaps it is overdue, but Westwood finally cracks the Top 25 after its bye week, debuting this week at No. 20. The Wolverines had previously fought to a 7-0 loss against No. 19 King Philip, and opened the season with a 36-26 defeat of Needham -- which fell out of the poll following the loss, but returns this week at No. 22 following a 26-6 pounding of No. 25 Walpole.

As always, here is how the poll breaks down this week by division:

Div. 1 - 8
Div. 2 - 11
Div. 3 - 3
Div. 4 - 2
Div. 5 - 1

This morning the National Hockey League's Central Scouting Service released its preliminary "Ones to Watch" for the 2014 draft.

The New England region was well-represented with current and former high schoolers and prep schoolers making the grade.

Here's a breakdown of New England skaters:

MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOLS
B Skaters
Ryan Donato, Dexter School, C/LW, 6-0.25, 174 lbs.
Miles Gendron, Rivers, D, 6-1.5, 173 lbs.

C Skaters
John-Claude Brassard, Noble & Greenough, D, 5-10, 180 lbs.
Bobo Carpenter, Austin Prep, C, 5-10, 183 lbs.
William Feeney, Dexter School, D, 6-1.75, 202 lbs.
Michael Turner, Cushing Academy, LW, 6-1.5, 208 lbs.

C Goaltenders
Bob McGovern, Thayer Academy, G, 6-4, 245 lbs.

NEW HAMPSHIRE HIGH SCHOOLS
C Skaters
Tyler Bird, Kimball Union (St. John's Prep), RW, 6-1.5, 202 lbs.
J.D. Dudek, Kimball Union, C, 5-11.25, 178 lbs.
Dominic Franco, Kimball Union, RW, 6-2.75, 183 lbs.

CONNECTICUT HIGH SCHOOLS
C Skaters
Will Brophy, Westminster, D, 6-3.5, 193 lbs.
James Gobetz, Salisbury, D, 6-2, 188 lbs.
Mike Lee, The Gunnery, D, 5-11.25, 165 lbs.
Evan Smith, Salisbury, LW, 6-0, 190 lbs.
Mitchell Smith, Salisbury, LW, 5-11, 182 lbs.

C Goaltenders
Joseph Lissak, Taft School, G, 6-1.5, 203 lbs.
Sam Tucker, Choate-Rosemary, G, 6-1.25, 177 lbs.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
B Skaters
Shane Eiserman (U.S. NTDP/ Cushing Academy/ St. John's Prep), Dubuque, LW, 6-1.5, 200 lbs.

UNITED STATES PREMIER HOCKEY LEAGUE
C Skaters
Beau Starrett (Catholic Memorial), South Shore, LW, 6-4, 190 lbs.

Bridgewater-Raynham baseball senior first baseman/designated hitter Adam Chase tells ESPN Boston that he recently committed to Franklin Pierce.

A part of the Trojans' 2013 Division 1 state championship squad, Chase hit .290 with a .923 OPS and two home runs.

"It's a great fit for me," Chase wrote in an email. "I couldn't be happier to be a part of this program. The coaches are a great group of guys that know how to win baseball games. I've heard nothing but great things about Coach [Jayson] King and his program. Knowing that Franklin Pierce has had so much success under him made my decision that much easier."

Week 3 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 8 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.

ESPN Boston correspondant Alex Sims checks in with these highlights from No. 10 Xaverian's 49-13 win over No. 1 Bridgewater-Raynham in Saturday's Game of the Week:

MILTON, Mass. –- If St. Sebastian’s and Milton Academy had played five minutes longer on Saturday afternoon, we could very well have seen a different result. In a fast-paced offensive game that was back-and-forth the whole second half, Milton was able to pull out the victory over the visiting Arrows, 31-27.

Drew Jacobs anchored the Mustangs’ (1-0) offensive attack with 139 yards, making his presence felt during Milton’s furious second half comeback.

St. Sebastian’s (0-1) Boston College-bound two-way star Connor Strachan (13 carries, 110 yards, TD) made his presence felt right off the bat on the Arrows’ first two drives. St. Sebastian’s finished with two touchdowns on the opening drives to show for their effort. Strachan ran in a three-yard touchdown, while quarterback Geoff Wade (8-10, 118 yards, 3 TD, INT) threw a touchdown pass to Matt Daniel (4 rec, 53 yards, 3 TD) to put the Arrows up 14-3 early on.

Enter Jacobs.

Playing hurt and with his team in desperate need of a big play, Jacobs came up with just that, bringing a kick return back 74 yards, setting up the Mustangs in prime position at the Arrows' six yardline. On the next play, Jacobs ran in a touchdown to bring the score to 14-10.

“The guys blocked for me well, I was able to keep my feet. I’m too slow so I couldn’t get in the endzone,” he joked.

Minutes later, St. Sebastian’s extended the lead once again, on Matt Daniels’ second touchdown catch of the day. The play was made possible by tight end Tyson Mattox, who laid down a big block to open up a hole for Daniels. The Mustangs were able to answer before the end of the half though, on a beautifully thrown ball by Anthony Scurto to receiver Domenic Cozier. Cozier, a re-classified sophomore who came to Milton by way of Milford High School, made an awe-inspiring catch in the back of the endzone to bring the lead down to four right before halftime.

“He’s gonna be good, he’s a 4.5 40 guy; he’s got wheels," Milton coach Kevin MacDonald said. "He’s fast, he’s a good player. He’s a repeat sophomore from Milford High, but he was a running back there, and we’ve got him playing receiver and a little defense too. He’s a very good player."

The Mustangs made a couple slight defensive adjustments at halftime, and the changes paid dividends immediately, as freshman defensive back Michael Silva picked up a St. Sebastian’s fumble and brought it back 45 yards to the end zone, giving Milton their first lead of the ballgame.

“We did a horrible job in the first half, but we did a nice job in the second half," MacDonald said. "We switched a couple guys from defensive end to tackle, that helped, and we went to a four-point stance and we got under them. That second half defense was great."

Wade found Daniel once again minutes later. It was their third hookup of the day, giving the Arrows back the lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Milton’s offense answered one last time though, as Scurto threw an 18-yard touchdown pass with 9:16 left in the fourth quarter, giving Milton a 31-27 lead.

“The offense played well the whole game, we didn’t get stopped too many times," MacDonald said. "Our running game was good the offensive line did a great job, and our quarterback is a veteran -- he’s a good player and he made plays when he had to."

It was Milton’s defense though, that gave the Mustangs possession with just over three minutes to go, following an interception by Luke MacDonald. Thereafter, Milton fed Jacobs the ball in hope that a few more first downs would help them seal the win.

Once again, the senior answered the call, breaking off for three straight first downs.

“Drew Jacobs was terrific. He was not 100 percent we didn’t know if he was going to play, but he did a great job,” Maconald said. “He’s a great player, he’s been a great player for three years. He’s arguably the best player in the league, so it’s not a shock. What was shocking is that he wasn’t able to practice all week, he was banged up, but it didn’t seem to affect him much.”

Jacobs said the emotion of playing a St. Sebastian’s team which has beaten Milton two years in a row was all the motivation he needed to step on the field.

“It was all adrenaline. We’ve been talking about this game all summer, we lost to them the last two years in close games, so this is the greatest win ever, this is awesome,” Jacobs said, with a bottle of ibuprofen in hand. “We’ve got St. George’s next week, so we’ll enjoy it tonight and get back to work Monday.”

WESTWOOD, Mass. -- In our "Game of the Week" at the Hawk Bowl, sponsored by Sports Authority and the Bay State Games, Xaverian High senior wide receiver A.J. King dazzled in the first half to blow the game open. He had four catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns in the second quarter, as the No. 10 Hawks upset No. 1 Bridgewater-Raynham before a packed home crowd.

For his efforts, King was honored as the Player of the Game. ESPN Boston High Schools editor Scott Barboza caught up with King after the game: