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St. John's Prep tailback Johnathan Thomas ran in seemingly every direction in Saturday's 36-22 win over Brockton, but the most spectacular rush may have been this 41-yard first half scamper.

Check out this user submitted video of the run:

It turns out the Buckingham Browne & Nichols football team is indecisive, in a good way.

Back when the Knights sat down to vote for their 2013 team captains, the ballots just didn't add up. One senior would have a smattering of votes, and his classmate would have one or two less. When head coach John Papas sat down and tried to do the math, seven players were within a few votes of each other.

So, he did the democratic thing. He made all seven captains.

“That's totally unusual for us,” Papas said. “We've never had over three captains before, but to be honest with you, that speaks volumes about that group of kids. Instead of us determining who the captains were on our own, we decided to go with all seven. Those seven guys have not disappointed at all.”

With a small army of captains, the obvious concern is that there are too many leaders and not enough followers for BB&N. However, Papas isn't too worried. Despite the votes being so close, the team's leaders couldn't be more different.

“That's the beauty of it all,” he said. “These guys are all different types.”

They have vocal guys like linebackers Mike Samko and Connor Campbell, and then they have the lead-by-example offensive lineman in Connor Coady. Meanwhile, the skill guys – wide receiver Mike McCaffrey, fullback Dante Papas, and running backs Frankie Williams and Matt Bonazzolli – are the quiet types.

Papas believes the team's leadership, combined with a strong offseason, will lead the Knights to their 11th-straight winning season.

“We do it with guys like we have on this year's team – dedicated football players,” he said. “Out of the sixteen seniors on this team, eleven of them will play college football. They're all being recruited, so this is a serious football program.”

The Knights will come at opponents with a pro-style attack led by running backs Williams and Bonazzolli, who combined for 1,998 yards last year. The younger Papas is crucial part of the offense at fullback, and uses a “gritty and tough” approach to open holes for BB&N's backs.

“He's rugged, and he's a key to our run game. Everything comes off of him. He takes after his mom,” Papas said, with a laugh.

Cole O'Connor will start his second season under center for the Knights and will look to improve his passing game. O'Connor, a junior, is 6-foot-4 and “we expect him to be better this year,” Papas said.

McCaffery, a Holy Cross commit, will be a big target for the second-year starter.

On defense, BB&N will run a 3-3 stack and “will blitz 90 percent of the time,” according to Papas. His concern on defense is the team's lack of size, which he plans to make up for with quality athletes at linebacker and in the secondary. One of the defensive leaders will be outside linebacker Pat Champagnie, who is fielding interest from the University of New Hampshire and Bryant.

“He's really good. He's probably the best defensive player we have,” Papas said.

The seniors have already made their mark on the 2013 Knights. The team came into camp in good shape, and after three tough scrimmages, Papas can tell BB&N is ready for another winning season.

“Honestly, they've exceeded my expectations as far as preparation for the season. They came back to camp in great shape. We've had three scrimmages against three very good opponents, and we faired well,” he said regarding BB&N's scrimmages against Malden Catholic, Xaverian and Andover, respectively. “I don't judge scrimmages by the score, I judge them by the quality of play, and we've done really well against some really quality opponents.”

BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS AT A GLANCE
Coach: John Papas (11th season, 67-20)
Last season: 5-3
Returning Starters: 17 (8 offense/9 defense)
Key Returnees: Sr. WR/CB Mike McCaffrey, Sr. RB/FS Frankie Williams, Sr. RB/CB Matt Bonazzolli, Sr. FB/OLB Dante Papas, Sr. OG/DE Connor Coady, Sr. OLB/HB Mike Samko, Sr. MLB/TE Connor Campbell, Sr. HB/OLB Pat Champagnie.
Strengths: Team chemistry, senior leadership, experience, toughness.
Weaknesses: Lack of size, depth.

Overview: The Knights are going to pound the ball, and they don't care who knows it. Williams and Bonazzolli are shorter backs, but both added some strength over the summer and are comfortable in the running-back-by-committee approach. The younger Papas is very tough and has no problem lowering his shoulder into a middle linebacker or a twisting lineman. He plays fullback like a linebacker, which makes sense: Last year he led the team in sacks from that position. If O'Connor grows as a quarterback, the Knights will have a dangerous play-action weapon. Champagnie and the other linebackers are going to have to make up for a lack of size up front, but there is a ton of speed coming in on BB&N's relentless blitzing attack. If everyone stays healthy, the Knights should be in good shape to have yet another winning season. However, with 17 returning starters and a ton of senior leadership, a winning record isn't the goal – it's merely something to check off en route to the Super Bowl.

Here is the "Mr. Football Watch" of Week 2 of the 2013 season. Statistics can be sent to editors Brendan Hall (bhall@espnboston.com) and/or Scott Barboza (sbarboza@espnboston.com)

THE CONTENDERS*

Brandon Gallagher, Jr. RB, Bridgewater-Raynham
Carried 26 times for 103 yards in the Trojans’ 13-10 thriller over Duxbury, marking the second straight week he’s gone over 25 carries and 100 yards.

Jack Galvin, Sr. WR, Lowell
Hauled in seven passed for 100 yards, including three of Brian Dolan’s five TD passes, in the Red Raiders’ 35-12 defeat of Dracut.

Troy Flutie, Sr. QB, Natick
In the Redhawks’ 35-14 win over Weymouth, the Boston College commit completed 22 of 29 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns, and on the ground added 67 carries and a score on 14 carries.

Brendan Hill, Jr. TE, Mansfield
In the Hornets’ 21-0 shutout of Milton, caught six passes for 53 yards.

Neil O’Connor, Sr. QB, Leominster
Accumulated 266 yards of total offense and four total touchdowns (three rushing, one passing) in the Blue Devils’ 33-22 win over rival St. John’s of Shrewsbury.

Dylan Oxsen, Sr. RB, Plymouth South
Hit the trifecta in the Panthers’ season-opening 40-14 rout of Marshfield. On the ground, he ran for 162 yards and three scores. He also threw a 56-yard touchdown pass, and returned an interception to the house for a fifth TD.

Andrew Smiley, Sr. QB, St. John’s (Shrewsbury)
In the Pioneers’ loss to Leominster, the Navy lacrosse commit heated up in the second half, completing 20 of 32 passes for 212 yards and 2 TDs, and adding seven carries for 45 yards and a score on the ground.

Johnathan Thomas, Sr. RB, St. John’s Prep
The Maryland commit carried 32 times for 263 yards and three touchdowns, in a 36-22 win over Brockton

Kyle Wisnieski, Sr. QB, Mansfield
Completed 16 of 23 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the Hornets’ 21-0 shutout of Milton.

Isaac Yiadom, Sr. WR/DB, Doherty
The Boston College commit caught four passes for 152 yards, forced a fumble and registered 12 tackles in the Highlanders' win over North Middlesex.

FIVE ON THE RISE*

Luke Brennan, Sr. QB, Doherty
The Franklin Pierce baseball commit completed 13 of 21 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the Highlanders’ 27-19 season-opening win over North Middlesex.

T.J. Hairston, Jr. WR, Watertown
The 6-foot-5 boundary receiver caught five passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns, including an 87-yard score, in a win over Medway.

Alex Hilger, Sr. WR, Natick
Taking over as the top receiving option, Hilger did not disappoint, catching 14 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns in the Redhawks’ 35-14 win over Weymouth.

Jaleel Kyles, Sr. RB, Putnam
Ran for 277 yards and added 56 receiving yards, totaling four touchdowns, in the Beavers’ 46-26 win over rival Springfield Commerce.

Taj-Amir Torres, Jr. WR, Amherst
In his season debut, caught seven passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns, as the Hurricanes fell to East Longmeadow.

TOP STATISTICAL LEADERS IN MASSACHUSETTS

Passing
Jordan Balarinho, Sr., Billerica – 486 yards, 4 TD
Kyle Wisnieski, Sr., Mansfield – 441 yards, 5 total TD
Matthew Jeye, Jr., Holliston – 397 yards, 4 TD
Nelson Valerio, Sr., Lawrence – 392 yards, 5 TD
Mike Mussell, Jr., Martha’s Vineyard – 324 yards, 4 TD

Rushing
Christian Perez, Sr., Northeast – 453 yards, 5 total TD
Johnathan Thomas, Sr., St. John’s Prep – 424 yards, 5 TD
Brooks Tyrell, Sr., Marblehead – 340 yards, 4 TD
DeShaun Dias, Soph., Mashpee – 321 yards, 4 TD
Jermal Brevard Jackson, Jr., Boston Cathedral – 312 yards, 4 total TD

Receiving
Jeff Trainor, Soph., Billerica – 218 yards, 2 TD
Alex Hilger, Sr., Natick – 188 yards, 2 TD
T.J. Hairston, Jr., Watertown – 187 yards, 2 TD
Jack Galvin, Sr., Lowell – 168 yards, 4 TD
Brendan Hill, Jr., Mansfield – 162 yards, 1 TD

Dual Threat QB**
Cameron McMillian, Sr., Cambridge - 297 passing yards, 4 TD; 201 rushing yards, 3 TD
Matthew Jeye, Jr., Holliston – 397 passing yards, 4 TD; 85 rushing yards, TD
Jermal Brevard Jackson, Jr., Boston Cathedral – 169 passing yards, TD; 312 rushing yards, 3 TD
Kyle Dance, Sr., Latin Academy – 253 passing yards, 6 TD; 157 rushing yards, TD
John Fadule, Sr., Wellesley – 304 passing yards, 2 TD; 89 rushing yards, 2 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.

Boston Latin Academy remained undefeated on the season with a 47-0 win over West Roxbury on Friday and, once again, senior quarterback Kyle Dance was a force.

He completed five touchdown passes, distributing those passes to four different receivers, while accumlulating more than 200 all-purpose yards, including 150 passing yards.

On Monday, editor Scott Barboza caught up with Dance -- our Player of the Week for Week 2:



Along with Dance, here's our Top 5 performances for Week 2:

• Kyle Dance, Sr. QB, Latin Academy: More than 200 all-purpose yards, including 150 passing yards; 5 TD passes vs.West Roxbury.
• St. Mary's (Lynn) RBs: Spartans backs combined for just shy of 600 yards on the ground vs. Swampscott, with Connor Sakowich leading the way with 9 carries for 244 yards and 3 TD, while Jordan Manthorne added 171 yards and 3 TD and Abraham Toe racked up 153 yards.
• Johnathan Thomas, Sr. RB, St. John's Prep: Ran for 263 yards on 31 carries, with 3 TD vs. Brockton.
• T.J. Hairston, Sr. WR, Watertown: 5 receptions 187 yards, 2 TD vs. Medway.
• Jaleel Kyles, Sr. Ath., Springfield Putnam: 277 rushing yards, 56 receiving yards, 4 TD vs. Commerce.

Central Catholic senior running back/defensive back D'Andre Drummond-Mayrie gave his verbal commitment to the University of New Hampshire on Monday, Raiders head coach Chuck Adamopoulos told ESPN Boston.

At the time of his commitment, Drummond-Mayrie held six Division 1 FCS offers. He informed the Wildcats coaching staff of his decision after taking a campus tour on Sunday.

"I love the coaching staff, I love the campus, I love everything about the school," Drummond-Mayrie said Monday night. "I just feel like I made a great decision."

Through two games, ESPN Boston preseason All-Stater has registered 13 carries for 119 yards and three touchdowns, along with 12 tackles. Last season, the 6-foot, 200-pound back had 84 carries for 612 yards and 10 touchdowns.

He indicated he will play safety at UNH.

Drummond-Mayrie, a Lawrence native, also mulled offers from Albany, Bryant, Colgate, Lafayette and Villanova. When asked about what the most difficult part of the process was, he answered that it was informing the other programs of his decision.

"Honestly, D'Andre is almost too nice of a kid," Adamopoulos said. "You talk about high character kids, he really is one. One of the best I've ever had."

But the time had come when Drummond-Mayrie felt comfortable and had his mind made up.

"I was very content with the schools I had offers from, I had no intention of waiting any longer," Drummond-Mayrie said. "In the middle of the season, I made it a little bit earlier, but after I went for the visit yesterday, that really sealed the deal."

If you’re even remotely curious and you’ve met Miracle Trimble, you’ve probably wondered what the story is behind her first name.

As many times as she’s answered the question, Miracle still thinks her mother tells the story better.

“When I was five months pregnant with Miracle, they found a cancerous tumor,” Emily Trimble said. “They took out my whole womb with her in it. They took the tumor out and put her back in, and she finished cooking.

“She had a 50 percent chance of living. Actually, she saved my life, because if I hadn’t been pregnant, I wouldn’t have known anything was wrong.”

In some ways, Miracle was still fighting the odds until last year, when she scored 32 goals as a sophomore for Morse High School, and made the all-state girls soccer team.

“Miracle is a soccer coach’s dream,” Morse coach Steve Boyce said. “She loves the sport, and as a result, she’ll do anything to be a positive influence on the field. She’ll track the ball, and if she loses it, she’ll track back and get it. You don’t often get someone who loves the game, and is also pretty good at it.”

“I’m in love with soccer,” Trimble said. “It’s like food for me, too. I mean, I love food, but soccer’s the best. I always strive to do better and show people wrong from when I was younger.”

Trimble said she began playing soccer in rec leagues in Bath, and immediately fell in love with the sport. She kept playing, kept trying to get better, but wasn’t sure the sport loved her back.

“I was thinking about quitting soccer when I was younger, because no one really believed in me, except for my family,” she said.

For Trimble, that came to a head when she was on the eighth grade varsity team. As Trimble tells the story, she rarely got playing time, and went to see her coach after getting in only for the final minute or so of a game.

“I asked her what I needed to do to be a better player,” Trimble said. “She said, ‘Well, you’re not up to par for the varsity.’”

A short time later, Trimble and her family were online, searching for a field she could play on by herself to get more practice. During this search, they found out about the Seacoast United team.

Critics of pay-to-play programs will say that they prey on kids just like Trimble; they’ll tell Player X that even though she can’t play for her middle school team, they can make him a star if Player X's parents shell out some money and stay committed to the program. But in this case, Trimble really was that good, and playing for Seacoast United made her even better. Trimble still plays for Seacoast United, as well as in an Olympic Developmental Program.

“My parents cart me all over the United States for me to play soccer, because it’s what I love,” Trimble said.

Trimble made the varsity at Morse as a freshman, but there weren’t many opportunities to show her increased skills. She played behind Tori Field, who scored 44 goals as a senior that year and now plays at the University of New England.

“I played right bench,” said Trimble, who scored four goals that year. “I never subbed in, basically.”

Trimble became a starter last year, and quickly started scoring goals. She stands about 5-3 or 5-4, but her speed and tenaciousness allow her to find the ball and get it past defenders.

“She is probably one of the shorter people on the field, and she had five header goals last year that were just phenomenal,” Boyce said. “She shoots well with both feet, and she’s surprisingly quick. You might think she’s not going to get by you, but if she’s determined, she’ll do it.”

Then there’s Trimble’s shot. If you don’t think someone Trimble’s size can move so fast, you’d really be stunned by her power.

“My goalie doesn’t like doing shooting drills with her,” Boyce said, remembering a recent practice. “Her shots were typical turf field shots – low and hard. When my keeper went down for it, it would hurt her wrist. Or if she had to blunt it with her foot, it would hurt her foot. So she wouldn’t make an extra-special effort to make a spectacular save on those shots.”

Morse went all the way to the Western B final before losing to Falmouth. As the Shipbuilders kept winning, more and more teams designed their defenses around the girl who scored 32 goals, sometimes assigning two or three people to keep Trimble from doing her thing.

“It’s hard,” Trimble said. “It makes things harder, but it makes me better as a player. It’s not just a ‘me’ sport, it’s a team sport. It makes me a stronger player, and a better person.”

(Read full post)

We updated our statewide MIAA Top 25 football poll. To view it, CLICK HERE.

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

Trojans in the top spot: For the first time in the four-year history of our high school section, Bridgewater-Raynham is the No. 1 team in the land. The Trojans took down preseason No. 1 St. John's Prep in the opening week of the season, then followed up last week with a 13-10 thriller over Duxbury, a team they haven't beaten since 2009. Led by junior Brandon Gallagher and a talented offensive line, the Trojans have one of the state's best rushing attacks.

This marks the second consecutive season a team from the Old Colony League has held the top spot in the poll. Last season, Barnstable upset then-No. 1 Everett in late September and held onto the No. 1 spot for seven consecutive weeks, before falling to Everett in the re-match in the Division 1A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

B-R's previous high spot in the poll was in November 2011, when they were No. 3. That week, of course, the Trojans fell to Barnstable to tumble down the rankings and lose out on a playoff berth. With Xaverian on tap this week, the Trojans are hoping to avoid a similar fate in 2013.

Xaverian makes a splash: Previous No. 1 Everett's 10-game win streak against the Catholic Conference was snapped on Friday night, when Xaverian came into Everett Memorial Stadium and delivered a 20-8 upset. The Hawks jump up four spots to No. 10; you can make a case to rank the Hawks higher, but there is quite the logjam in front of them, with Lowell, Leominster and Natick all looking sharp this weekend. Everett, meanwhile, falls four spots to No. 5.

Notable newcomers: Auburn, Dennis-Yarmouth, Bishop Feehan, Millis/Hopedale and Haverhill all suffered losses last weekend, dropping them out of the poll. That makes way for five newcomers this week: Cardinal Spellman (21), Franklin (22), Nashoba (23), Attleboro (24), and Springfield Putnam (25).

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

Div. 1 - 9
Div. 2 - 11
Div. 3 - 3
Div. 4 - 1
Div. 5 - 1

Some quick-hit thoughts from Week 2 football action around the state:

1. In my first year as a Boston Globe correspondent back in 2006, I covered the Division 1 Super Bowl between Everett and Brockton, a game that will forever be remembered as one of Everett coach John DiBiaso’s shrewdest coaching decisions in recent years. Facing 4th and 1 at their own 16, Everett went for it, reeled off an 84-yard Isaac Johnson touchdown run to make it 21-0, and completely changed the game’s dynamic. When I asked DiBiaso about how much risk he weighed in deciding to go for it, he simply smiled back with a wink, “That was fourth down?”

I bring up that anecdote because on Friday night, facing a deficit in the fourth quarter to Xaverian, DiBiaso decided to go for it on 4th and 2 at their own 23 with seven minutes to go. They failed to convert, and on the next play Jake Farrell hit D.J. Sperzel in the end zone to seal the upset victory for the Hawks. That decision left some fans in Everett no doubt frustrated, but consider what kind of a team he has this year. There is top-end talent, but this is a green group with 18 new starters – most of them callow, unpolished – still trying to feel their way through and find an identity. Nobody was satisfied with the Tide’s Week 1 win over Springfield Central; this was likely a test for DiBiaso to see what kind of backbone they’ve got.

Patriots fans no doubt turn back to Bill Belichick’s famous “Fourth and 2” decision against Indianapolis in 2009, but also consider what it did for the 1995 Dallas Cowboys when coach Barry Switzer elected to go for it – they failed to convert, giving the Eagles the game, but they never lost a game the rest of the season. Friday night was a tough one to swallow in Everett, but “In DiBiaso We Trust” remains the motto.

2. Amherst receiver Taj-Amir Torres is suddenly a hot name on the recruiting scene in Massachusetts, already holding offers from UMass, Boston College and UConn headed into his junior season this fall. After missing last week’s 60-14 blowout loss to Westfield, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound speedster had seven catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the Hurricanes’ 28-14 loss to East Longmeadow.

How important is Torres to the Hurricanes’ offense? In Sept. 6’s loss to Westfield, without him, they were outgained 413-103 in total yardage. Last Friday, with him in the lineup, they outgained the Spartans 340-332. Torres has legitimate speed, winning New England’s in the 100-meter dash last spring and being honored as the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He’ll definitely be one to monitor.

3. Two Fridays ago, Sept. 6, Boston College pulled out a nice 24-10 win over Wake Forest in a nationally-televised Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Last Friday, Merrimack outlasted Northeast-10 rival American International College, 62-50, in a wild shootout where the two teams combined for 1,122 yards of offense. Exciting games like these perhaps justify the continuing trend of Friday night college football, but realistically I am wondering how much this could potentially hinder participating New England schools on the recruiting front.

Advancements in game/highlight film technology (particularly Hudl) have allowed coaches to make hundreds of evaluations quicker, and there are still many opportunities to watch a prospect in practice. But there is still plenty of value in scouting a top prospect live. You can't pick up mental makeup, body language, attitude, or work ethic from watching a highlight film. Attending a game also shows a prospect how committed you are to recruiting them. Going the other way, there are probably hundreds of recruits who would be unable to visit campus on a Friday night because they are playing in a game themselves.

4. Heading into Friday night's battle between Leominster and St. John's of Shrewsbury, some of us wondered out loud if Leominster would consider taking safety Neil O'Connor, their top defensive back, and bringing him down to the boundary to match up with Preseason All-Stater Davon Jones, mano a mano. The Blue Devils opted not to match up with Jones, instead playing the corners five yards off the line of scrimmage in a zone scheme, with some "Robber" technique mixed in.

Jones finished the night with four catches for 43 yards and a touchdown, though it should be noted O'Connor was on the sideline during the touchdown grab, battling cramps in both of his legs. St. John's passing game is typically predicated on exploiting zone holes, but perhaps Leominster has laid out a good blueprint for slowing them down. Jones is as dangerous an athlete as they come in Massachusetts.

5. Bridgewater-Raynham is thoroughly an "old school" program, from their logo-less helmets to their three-yards-and-dust offense to their legendary "anyone, any time" schedule. Two techniques in particular that are seen less and less in today's game have me intrigued: punter Josh Monson's "coffin corner" ability, and tailback Brandon Gallagher's over-the-top leaping technique.

Monson has come close to nailing the coffin corner two straight weeks now -- in last weekend's fourth-quarter attempt against Duxbury, he landed the ball just a foot in front of the pylon as it rolled out. Gallagher's move is seen less and less in today's game because of its high-risk factor -- both for ball security, and for injury. Yet in two straight weeks, Gallagher has scored on a one-yard leap over the top. The Trojans even incorporate Gallagher's leap over the top into their play actions.

Join editors Scott Barboza and Brendan Hall for our weekly Sunday night football chat:

DUXBURY, Mass. – The Bridgewater-Raynham Trojans have become Massachusetts football’s road warriors through Week 2.

First, the No. 4 Trojans traveled to Danvers and dethroned preseason No. 1 St. John’s Prep. Then, on Saturday night, B-R trekked to Duxbury for another Top 25 battle against the No. 13 Dragons. The Dragons’ lair has been an inhospitable environment to all road teams; Duxbury hadn’t lost a home game since Sept. 11, 2009.

It shouldn’t come by that much of a surprise that the Trojans were also the last team to win in Duxbury. And so the Trojans ended that streak, winning their second straight road game by a score of 13-10.

“These road victories are sweet,” B-R head coach Dan Buron said, “going to St. John’s Prep last week, coming here, going to Xaverian next week. It’s just going to get us ready for league play, hopefully.”

Neither side played their best offensive game, but in the end, the Trojans (2-0) did just enough to win.

B-R was unable to get untracked in the first half and the offensive woes even resulted directly in Duxbury’s lone touchdown. With 8:14 remaining in the second quarter, Trojans quarterback Matt Clement’s pitch toss in the direction of running back Brandon Gallagher was picked midflight by Dragons linebacker Victor Moitinho and returned 77 yards for a touchdown.

Despite the early lack of offensive cohesion, the Trojans were able to tie the score, 7-7, before the half. Clement found Arcel Armstead for a 5-yard touchdown pass on play-action with 50 seconds to go before the intermission.

“In the first half, we were playing well, but we made mental mistakes we don’t typically make,” Buron said. “[We weren’t] lining up correctly, we were offsides.”

Duxbury (1-1) regained the lead in the third quarter on Tyler Powers’ 17-yard field goal.

However, on the ensuing possession, the Trojans assembled their longest drive of the evening, marching 70 yards on 11 plays. Gallagher (26 carries, 103 yards) took to the sky, plunging into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 8:10 to play. The point-after try was blocked, keeping it a three-point game.

The Dragons were provided with two additional possessions before time ran out, but both drives resulted in turnovers on downs.

Cause for concern: Undoubtedly, Saturday’s game might not have been the top thing on the B-R quarterback’s mind.

Earlier in the day, Matt Clement’s father was taken to Brockton Hospital after suffering a heart attack while jogging at B-R’s track. After an emergency surgery, his condition improved enough that Matt, a junior first-year starter, felt he was ready to play – although his thoughts may have been elsewhere.

“I don’t know if I could’ve played in that situation,” Buron said.

He added, “He’s a gutsy kid. And he’s just going to continue to get better every week.

Defenses on display: Both Buron and Dragons head coach Dave Maimaron lauded the work of their defenses.

Although Gallagher again surpassed the century mark in rushing, Duxbury took away a key component of B-R’s rushing attack.

“They love running off-tackle and we really shut that down,” Maimaron said. “I thought we did a nice job taking that away from them.”

That was primarily the responsibility of junior defensive ends Aidan Pilon and Hunter Marston. Along with run-stuffing tackles Jack Herlihy and Grant Kramer, the Dragons limited B-R’s big play ability in the ground game.

WRENTHAM, Mass. – Senior tailback Joe Johnston rushed for 149 yards on 19 carries (106 yards in the second half) and in the fourth quarter provided the lone score of the game, as No. 22 King Philip held off a strong challenge from visiting Westwood to pick up a 7-0 win in its home opener.

It was a hard-hitting, grind-it-out game, which suited the Warriors and head coach Brian Lee just fine.

“I think we just talked a lot about perseverance,” said Lee. “We talked about trying to wear them down. When it was 0-0 at the half, it was right where we wanted to be… We knew were having trouble moving the ball and we just had to try and grit it out.”

Westwood (1-1), which scored 36 points in an exciting upset of preseason No. 21 Needham last week, struggled to get going offensively and head coach Ed Mantie gave some credit to the KP defense, but also felt that the problems were self-inflicted. The Wolverines had seven false start penalties, including four in its first two series, had two punts blocked (and another two that went a combined 13 yards), and an interception that led to the winning drive.

“One step forward and two steps back, that’s what it was all day long,” he remarked. “Our punting game was awful. Every time we would make a play and change the field position on them, we would pick up a penalty. Against a defense like that, if you get into first and long, it’s really, really hard.”

Owen Galvin made the big defensive play in the fourth quarter with an interception off of Westwood quarterback Bo Berluti at the Wolverines 39-yard line. Christian Flaherty (9 carries, 58 yards) had a pair of rushes, but a penalty made it second and 10 at the 25.

Sophomore quarterback Derek Roschlein, who had been replaced at halftime but had to come back in after an injury, hit Johnston for 28 yards to the Westwood 7. It was his only completion of the game (1-4, 18 yards). Johnston would cap the drive with a touchdown on the next play.

Lee was proud of Roschlein’s reaction to being pulled after halftime. He said, “That could kill a kid, which is why you don’t want to do it and then he comes back and does a great job for us. He has done a great job filling in some games.”

There was still 6:29 on the clock and Westwood would start the next possession on its own 43. After a first down, the Wolverines had a false start penalty, a fumbled snap that lost three yards, a negative rush, an incompletion, and were forced to punt. It encapsulated how the Westwood offense performed all game and, according to Mantie, it wasted a solid game from the defense.

“Our defense played great, certainly well enough to win,” said Mantie. “Our offense has to do better and our special teams need to step up and do what we need to do to win… If we hold a team like that to seven points, we need should be able to get two scores to win.”

KP (2-0) had one last possession to run out the clock with 3:39 left at its own 11-yard line and Johnston stepped up with the longest play from scrimmage. He raced 65 yards down the left sideline to ice the game for the Warriors, who got to the Westwood 1 before taking a knee and running out the clock.

Johnston was also a prominent player on the defensive side of the ball as the Warriors limited Berluti (13-17, 93 yards passing and 13 carries, 21 yards rushing) and the spread formation attack of the Wolverines. The Warriors had success despite an injury to senior linebacker Brett McEvoy that kept him out of the first few defensive possessions of the second half. Johnston was everywhere in the middle of the field and junior lineman John Marcinkevicius continually got into the Westwood backfield.

“They’re very similar types of players for us,” explained Lee about his two senior captains. “When one is down then the other one steps in and picks the other one up and we do that as a team as well.”

Despite the defeat, Mantie is hopeful that the two games against Division 2 competition would reap benefits when league play begins in two weeks. He noted, “We want to make this the last game that we lose. Iron sharpens iron, as they say, so we should be pretty sharp by now.”

Both teams have a bye next week. The following Friday, King Philip will travel to Taunton and Westwood goes to Medfield.

HAVERHILL, Mass. –- Central Catholic left no doubt of who the better team was on Saturday afternoon at Trinity Stadium. Behind a stellar performance on the defensive side of the ball, the Red Raiders (2-0) dominated Haverhill (1-1) from start to finish, winning 40-0.

Central Catholic had a well-balanced offensive attack; each of their six touchdowns came from a different offensive player. Star senior D’Andre Drummond-Mayrie ran in a 17-yard touchdown early in the first quarter, Markus Edmunds tacked on another only minutes later when he broke loose for the 43-yard score.

“We have three guys who carry the ball, D’Andre ran well early when he had a great run for that touchdown, Mike Balsamo—who we also put at receiver is a good runner, and Markus Edmunds has become a good runner,” Central coach Chuck Adamapolous said. “We’ve got three guys who we can throw in there, so we try to give them breaks on offense because we really can’t rest them on defense.”

Quarterback Mike Milano (9-of-17, 84 yards, 2 TD) took over from there, tossing two touchdown passes in the second quarter to Ryan Etter and Cody Demers, respectively. Milano noticed a weakness in the Haverhill secondary, and on his first touchdown pass made a play-call accordingly from the line of scrimmage.

“I knew the receiver had height on the corner. I called it, I threw it up to him, he got up for it and made a tremendous catch,” Milano said.

After a Haverhill fumble on the imposing kickoff that was recovered by Central, Milano looked to the end zone once again.

“The receiver ran a nice route, caught it, and then the other receiver came up with a nice block, so he cut it back in and ran in,” Milano said.

Haverhill made a threat late in the second quarter thanks to a 30-yard run by sophomore running back Ian Kessell and a 27-yard pass from Shane Finn to receiver John Ramsdell—getting the Hillies all the way to Central’s three yardline. Then the Red Raiders’ defense came up huge with a goal line stand to preserve the shutout before halftime. The display of defense appeared demoralizing for a Haverhill squad who was trying to scrap to put points on the board.

“I’m happy obviously, they’re a good team coming off a win. I thought our run defense was outstanding and our secondary was good too,” Adamopolous said.

Central held Haverhill to a three-and-out to start the second half, and the Hillies’ fatigue on defense started to show thereafter as Milano kept the ball from 32 yards out and ran in a score to make it 34-0.

“Michael paid his dues last year starting as a sophomore. He’s a playmaker, he throws the ball, he runs the ball, and he has put in the time. He did spring track and winter track to get himself better for this. It’s paying off for him,” Adamopolous said.

On a pull read where Milano kept it himself, he broke out on the right side and broke a couple of tackle attempts before jumping into the endzone.

“It was just good blocking overall. Everybody looked at the running back and it was just good blocking. I was debating whether I should go for the pylon or just cut back in, and then I saw him upfield more so I made a read and just ran in,” said Milano.

Looking forward to Prep: Adamopolous had no problem motivating his squad for this MVC showdown. Despite the fact that they take on fifth-ranked St. John’s Prep next Friday night, there wasn’t a whole lot of fear that Central might overlook the Hillies.

“This was a big one, the kids were very up for this because we come here for a 7-on-7 league in the summer," he said. "We know how good they are, we know how hard they work. We have a lot of respect for their program, and they’re coming off an eight-win season. They’ve got some guys back on defense and we knew we couldn’t look over this game before next week. We got another big game next week.”

The Raiders’ confidence will be flying high going into next week following an outstanding performance against the Hillies. Milano, as he did on the field on Saturday afternoon, exuded confidence when the game with the Eagles next week was mentioned.

“Going up against the Prep, they’re a great team, but I think we have a good chance,” he said.

Areas of improvement: Milano ran the no-huddle offense with almost no trouble at all, and calling the plays at the line did a number in tiring Haverhill’s defense.

While Adomopolous was very pleased with his team’s effort in the blowout victory, he also explained that his squad still has some improvements to make in practice next week in leading up to a game with one of the most talented teams in the state.

“I think we could block better on offense, our guys up front," Adamopoulos said. "I think they’re getting better, but I still think we can improve there. I thought our wideouts did a good job blocking today when we ran some of our outside stuff, but our run blocking’s getting a little bit better. I’m sure there will be other things we have to improve on too.

“It’s a good win, I’m sure there will be things we’ll have to improve on for next week, but for where we are in the season it was good, it was a step forward for us.”

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- When the Millis-Hopedale football team played against East Bridgewater at Bridgewater Raynham on Saturday, just about every player looked ready for a knockdown, drag out kind of tussle, in which they peppered each other with jab after jab looking for the eventual win.

East Bridgewater's Owen Harrington looked more the part of a prize fighter with knockout power as the Vikings slipped past the Mohawks, 28-21.

The Mohawks landed the first blow, marching nine plays in just under five minutes to score on the opening drive. After Chris Ahl opened the game with a 24-yard return, Millis/Hopedale used a steady running attack to grind down the field. Quarterback Sean Heffernan threw his first pass of the day on a third-and-goal from the three, connecting with Joe Caretta for a touchdown.

East Bridgewater didn't need nearly the time of possession, nor total plays to tie things up, because Harrington took the ensuing kickoff 83 yards straight up the middle of the field for the game-tying score.

"That was an absolute backbreaker for us," said Mohawks coach Dale Olmstead. "We had a great drive moving down the field to score, and we really thought we had punched them a bit, but he punched right back."

M/H used the remainder of of the first quarter to set up its next score, as they put together another marathon drive, finishing the quarter still with the ball - meaning EB didn't run an offensive play in the first.

Heffernan connected with Sager Dasai for a 24-yard touchdown pass to open the second quarter, on the 10th play of the drive.

After a touchback, EB quarterback Mike Kelly authored an impressive response for the Vikings. For the next 8:30, the Vikings matriculated the ball toward the other end, finally hitting pay-dirt on a 2-yard dive to cap a 15-play drive.

Kelly finished the day with 50 rushing yards on seven carries, and was a perfect 2-for-2 passing, including an impressive 16-yard heave to Jake Pierce with just two minutes to go on a long third down.

"Mike ran the offense very well, I'm very happy with him," EB head coach Shawn Tarpey said. "He did just what I wanted him to do - take what they give you, make a couple plays in the pass game, get north and south and don't try to do much. He did all of that today."

The Mohawks maneuvered the ball back into the Vikings' red zone before halftime, falling short of a score when the drive halted at the 9-yard line. When the teams reached the locker room, the score was knotted at 13 and M/H had out-gained EB, 188-70, on offense.

Harrington made the yardage look a lot more even, while unevening the scoreboard on just the second play of the second half. He took a handoff toward the right hash mark, and by the time he hit the line of a scrimmage a big hole had formed. He plunged through and never looked back, racing 61 yards for a score.

Even the heavy hitting of Harrington couldn't knock off M/H right there, and the Mohawks followed with another impressive and lengthy drive that culminated in a score by Ahl. A 2-point conversion was successful, and M/H grabbed a 21-20 lead.

After the kickoff, Harrington needed just one play to remind everyone what he was capable of. He dashed 63 yards to the Vikings back ahead, this time for good. A 2-point conversion made it a seven point game.

"We've had some stud players, and maybe Owen is going to be one of those guys," Tarpey said. "I'm not going to anoint him that just yet, but he had a great game. The thing is, he's worked his butt off and he's really wanted this. I can't say enough about him."

EB sealed the win in the final minute when Sean Pierce, who had a game-high nine tackles, intercepted a pass just past midfield. A knee by Kelly ran the remaining seconds off the clock.

Harrington finished with 166 rushing yards on 16 carries, and had 100 return yards to go with his three scores in the win against a team led by Jon Baker, a supremely talented lineman headed for Boston College next year.

"Our O-line was pretty amazing, especially on how they handled Baker. I just saw big holes and went right through," Harrington said. "I'll definitely be thanking the offensive line for what they did out there."

DANVERS, Mass. –- In a rematch of the 2012 Division 1 Super Bowl, St. John’s Prep and Brockton went head-to-head on Saturday with both teams seeking their first win of the 2013 season.

Just as he did in Prep’s, 48-28, Super Bowl win last season, running back Johnathan Thomas propelled his team to a 36-22 victory on Saturday with three rushing touchdowns.

Thomas was the feature story all day as the Maryland-bound tailback would start and finish the game strong as he rushed for 263 yards on 31 carries.

“This was a statement game,” Thomas said after the game. “We knew what we had to do. This was a do-or-die game. We needed points with the new playoff system so we got that point across, the coaches got that point across, and we came out and did it.”

After dropping their season opener to Bridgewater-Raynham last week Prep Head Coach Jim O’Leary knew his team had to come out of the gate strong against and control the tempo against a Brockton team who was playing their first game of the season.

“We are trying to be a rhythm team, trying to be up-beat,” O’Leary said.

Prep (1-1) would strike first in the opening quarter as Thomas would score the first of his three touchdowns on the day on a 28-yard run with 8:28 on the clock in the first. Thomas exploded though the holes provided by his veteran offensive line and set the tone for what would be a 19-carry, 189-yard first half performance on the ground.

Prep took a 14-6 lead to the half as both teams exchanged touchdowns and battled penalties and field position issues throughout the second quarter.

Brockton (0-1) would take their first and only lead of the game, midway through the third quarter, as running back Aaron Leclair capped off a nine play drive with a 5-yard rushing touchdown to give Brockton a 16-14 lead with 6:33 remaining in the third quarter. The drive began with an excellent kickoff return from Leclair to open the half that advanced the ball all the way to the Prep 29-yard line.

Trailing by two points heading into the fourth quarter the Prep defense rose to the occasion as they forced three consecutive fumbles that all resulted in turnovers. They would execute their offensive possessions and outscore Brockton 20-6 in the final quarter of play to earn their first win of the 2013 campaign.

“That is why we had 36 points,” Thomas said of his defense's effort. “ They made the other team turn the ball over right in their zone so it was easy for us to get in the end zone.”

The mixture of youth and experience on the defensive side of the ball came together in grand fashion for Prep in the final quarter of play Saturday. Prep linebacker / defensive end Jack Lambert led the way in the fourth quarter as the sophomore forced the first fumble in the fourth quarter and recovered the final one to help lead the Prep defense.

“We have sophomore linebackers out there and we are inexperienced,” O’Leary said. “It is game two. We showed some grit in the second half last week and you have to build on that.”

Heavy Workload: Thomas carried the ball 31 times on the day, with 19 of his carries coming in the first half of play. The senior had 189 of his 263 rushing yards at the break and also was in on several defensive plays as he filled the gaps from his linebacker position

“I think 30 carries is probably a little much for him,” O’Leary said of Thomas’ workload. “ But it was a nice cool day, it’s early in the season and the wear and tear is not there yet.”

Thomas showed no signs of slowing down at any point in the game, as he worked with his line and blockers to execute the Prep counter gap play to repeated success all afternoon.

“We could drive a truck through that hole,” Thomas said. “It was easy for me to run through the holes and use my abilities.”

Clifford Impresses: In a battle of strong kicking and return games Brockton sophomore kicker Ryan Clifford stood tall on the afternoon. Clifford calmly connected on a 35-yard field goal at to give Brockton their first points in the game in the second quarter of play.

Clifford also did a great job helping Brockton win the battle of field possession as he used his booming leg to secure multiple touchbacks.

TOP 25
No. 4 Bridgewater-Raynham 13, No. 12 Duxbury 10
No. 5 St. John's Prep 36, No. 9 Brockton 22
No. 15 Central Catholic 40, No. 23 Haverhill 0
No. 22 King Philip 7, Westwood 0
East Bridgewater 28, No. 25 Millis/Hopedale 21

Apponequet 29, Dighton-Rehoboth 0
Bishop Fenwick 54, Hamilton-Wenham 27
Boston Cathedral 38, Marian 8
Brighton 60, Martha's Vineyard 41
Easthampton 53, St. Joseph Central 6
Foxborough 21, Whitman-Hanson 6
Holliston 48, Norwood 6
Lowell Catholic 39, Greater Lowell 12
Lynnfield 21, Newburyport 13
McCann Tech 18, Mohawk 6
Minnechaug 27, South Hadley 26
Monomoy 8, Nantucket 7
Northeast 44, Lynn Tech 15
Old Colony 48, Cape Cod Tech 16
Old Rochester 35, Case 6
Pittsfield 30, J.E. Burke 0
Quabbin 30, Holy Name 24
Rockland 34, Hanover 12
Tyngsborough 21, Ayer-Shirley 14
West Bridgewater 22, Southeastern 6