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MILFORD, Mass. – The gloves flying through the air and the mass celebration at home plate after the final out was made, confirmed what everyone outside the foul lines already knew – this was more than just a standard regular season Hockomock League game.

“That probably, in my career, is the team’s best regular season win. Did that ooze tournament atmosphere or what?” asked an excited North Attleborough head coach Bill Wallace after the final pitch.

North Attleborough (7-2) pushed home one run in the top of the 10th inning, only the second run allowed by Milford (10-1) in 11 games this season, and the Rocketeers threw out runners at the plate twice in extra innings to pull off a 1-0 upset over the defending Division 1 state champions. The Rocketeers’ victory ended the Scarlet Hawks win streak at 35 games going back to 2011.

“It was just a great game,” said Wallace. “That kid [Shannon Smith] is a darn good pitcher over there, but luckily I have a darn good pitcher over here too.”

With the game scoreless heading into extra innings, the International Tiebreak Rule was used, which begins the inning with a runner on second. It was the first time that either team had managed to get a runner past first base.

In the top of the tenth, Colleran dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Marissa Gifford to third. Senior catcher Meghan Wynn then smacked a grounder on a 1-2 pitch that third baseman Caroline Fairbanks knocked down with a diving stop, but Fairbanks was not able to get the throw home in time to prevent Gifford, who was running on contact, from scoring.

“I knew that in order to pull out the win that I had to be smart and make contact,” said Wynn about the last at-bat with the go-ahead run just 60 feet from home. “I know that she’s going to pitch smart and not give me anything to hit. I just have to watch the ball all the way to the bat.”

Milford had the heart of the order coming up in the bottom of the tenth and Smith, Milford’s University of Kentucky-bound senior, drew a walk to put the winning run on base with no outs. Fairbanks followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners into scoring position. On the next pitch, Rachel Levine hit a hard grounder off Colleran’s glove to shortstop Jill Costello, who bobbled the ball but was still able to throw out Sam Bonvino at the plate.

Colleran, who seemed especially fired up for this game, then struck out Taylor LeBrun to close out the victory and set off the celebrations at home plate.

“It feels great; I’m so excited right now,” said Colleran, who struck out eight while allowing only two hits. “They’re a really great team, so I just knew that I had to move the ball around and fool them because I know that every kid on that team can put it over the fence.”

The game had a playoff atmosphere from the first pitch and the Hawks starter was her usual dominant self. Smith, who recorded her 1,000th career strikeout last week, started the game by striking out two batters in three of the first four innings. She finished with 17 for the game and allowed only one hit in the defeat.

After 35 consecutive wins, Milford head coach Brian Macchi was philosophical about the team’s first loss since the 2011 state semifinal against Amherst and its first loss as a Hockomock League team.

“It was two great teams going at it and in my opinion the two best pitchers and it showed. Shannon pitched great, Meg pitched great and it was fun to be a part of,” Macchi said.

He continued, “It’s been a while since we’ve lost a game and come back to work the next day. For me as a coach, you lose to a caliber team like North, we can learn from this and come back tomorrow and go to work. It’s definitely a learning experience for us and we’ll turn this into a positive.”

While Colleran was excellent in the circle, North also made several plays to get out of potential scoring situations. After a single by Smith in the first inning, North first baseman Jackie Del Bonis snared a line drive by Fairbanks to end the inning. In the bottom of the sixth Costello picked a hard grounder by Bonvino to prevent the heart of the order from coming up. In the bottom of the eighth, second baseman Gifford made a perfect throw home to prevent the winning run from scoring.

Following North’s shocking loss to Attleboro last Thursday, Wallace was thrilled to see his team bounce back with a total team effort and to pull the biggest upset of the softball season.

“Wins and losses in April aren’t as important as wins and losses in June, but from a team standpoint, I think now they believe, you know what, we’re with the Milfords and the [King Philips],” said Wallace.

“We were all really bummed out,” said Colleran about the team’s attitude after the loss to the Bombardiers. “I think this is huge, especially a game when we think we are underdogs. It could kick start us and boost us through the rest of the season.”

Macchi was thrilled about the playoff atmosphere surrounding the game and noted that Division 1 South is going to be a stacked sectional from top to bottom. He is hoping that this loss will add motivation for the Hawks to keep improving.

“Today was a great test and something that we can build on,” Macchi explained. “I am looking forward to practice tomorrow with these girls and seeing how hungry they are.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When the final horn sounded, the North Attleborough players swarmed around Matt Raposo, engulfing the goaltender in a swirl of celebration, while sticks, gloves, and helmets flew through the air. You could be forgiven for wondering when the state championship trophy was getting wheeled on to the ice.

The Rocketeers (10-3-0) had reason to celebrate. In the hockey program’s short five-year history, North Attleborough had passed a number of milestones, including last year’s playoff appearance, but had yet to earn a marquee victory against league rival Mansfield.

On Saturday night, in front of a frenzied crowd at the Foxboro Sports Center, two power play goals by senior forward Tim Joyce and 27 saves from Raposo led North to a 2-1 victory over the Hornets.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said North Attleborough head coach Steve Snizek, who could not stop smiling after the game. “Our boys came out playing hard as they could and that’s all I could ask of them.”

Joyce opened the scoring 3:49 into the game. He pounced on the rebound of a shot by senior defenseman Matt Rosen to make it 1-0. With the score tied 1-1 four minutes into the second period, Joyce found the back of the net again assisted by Ryan Burns and Sean Young.

The senior has been the forgotten man on North’s first-line with most of the attention going to sophomores Young and Marshall Blackman, who have each surpassed the 20-point plateau this season. However, his coach knows that he can count on Joyce in big games.

“He always plays well against Mansfield and he’s a central part of that line all season,” Snizek said. “He got the goals when we needed them most.”

North dominated the opening period, cheered on by a raucous “White-Out” student section. The Rocketeers outshot Mansfield 12-5 in the first period, but the Hornets turned things around after the first intermission. Mansfield outshot North 16-7 in the second.

The Rocketeers were kept in the game by the strong goaltending of Raposo. The junior made a series of big saves to keep North in front, including a mind-boggling stretch to stop Cam Neary on a breakaway. Raposo also got a piece of the puck robbing Hornets captain and leading scorer Brendan Murphy in the final minute of the game.

Snizek remarked, “He’s been coming up big for us in big games such as Oliver Ames and now this one. He’s been playing well all season. I’ve got to give him a lot of credit. Our defense did really well in stopping their offensive attack.”

Mansfield (7-2-3) was sluggish in the first period, but still bounced back to tie the game. With 4:35 left in the period, sophomore Adam Blackmon took a feed from senior Kevin Flynn and finished to make it 1-1. It was the only chance that the Hornets were able to convert. The loss put an end to Mansfield’s six-game win streak (and eight games unbeaten).

The North Attleborough hockey program is still young and is developing amidst the competitive environment of the Hockomock League. While the teams have only recently begun meeting on the ice, the rivalry between the Rocketeers and Mansfield transcends any particular sport.

While the North players celebrated in the locker room with its fans, the coaches allowed themselves to share in the revelry. It was a clear indication of just how important the team took this game. In addition to the emotions of finally beating a rivalry, the game also qualified the Rocketeers for a spot in the postseason.

“This has always been a rivalry, especially in the last couple of years,” Snizek explained. “We tied them last year and then lost to them into the tournament. The crowd really got them into it as well.”

Mansfield will try to bounce back on Wednesday against perennial Hockomock power Franklin. North Attleborough will try to keep the momentum going and sweep the season series against Attleboro.

Takudzwe Chikomba didn’t even notice the passing of his first Thanksgiving in the United States. After his family moved from Zimbabwe to New England in his sixth-grade year, the traditions, pageantry and the football feast on the holiday were all foreign.

On Thursday, the imposing figure whose North Attleborough teammates affectionately call “Shawn” (his proper name is pronounced tuh-KUDS-wah) will play his final high school football game. Just as hundreds of other seniors around the state, players like Chikomba and Red Rocketeers senior quarterback Ryan Perron will shake off the morning butterflies and take the field with their teammates for the final time. Each one of those players has a story to tell, a unique journey of how they came together as a team – individuals banded together by a game. It’s part of the American story, how we’re all so different, and yet so much the same.

From an arm’s length, Chikomba and Perron appear normal, well-adjusted young men. They’re the big dogs on campus, stars of the gridiron, leaders of their team.

Yet, it wasn’t too long ago that both were more content to settle into the background.

These are their stories -- stories of how their background have made them who they are, stories of how football has offered each of them a home:

THE BLIND SIDE
Many of Ryan Perron’s childhood memories were the same. There was the constant shuffling between doctor’s office appointments, the boring time spent in waiting rooms. And, of course, there were maladies. There were the typical procedures, like having his tonsils and adenoids removed and then there were the ear tubes inserted to prevent him from chronic ear infections.

If that wasn’t bad enough for the youngster, there was Perron’s other condition. At the age of 5, Perron’s mother Denise noticed Ryan would tilt his head to the side while coloring and writing his name. His parents and doctors tried to figure out what was affecting Ryan before coming a diagnosis of amblyopia after a long battery of examinations. Commonly known as “lazy eye,” amblyopia is easily treatable when diagnosed and correct early. Although Perron was declared legally blind in his right eye, it improved to nearly 20/20 sight about four years later after his treatment program.

The treatment for strengthening the weak eye is placing an eye patch over the dominant eye. So for more than a year, Perron wore an eye patch 24 hours a day. The time with the patch then decreased during the next three years, and by the time Perron was 9, his eyesight had improved to the point where he no longer needed it.

“If someone would ask me what was wrong, I’d say, ‘Nothing,’” Perron said after football practice at North Attleborough High School on Tuesday, “because it was just something that I was born with, something that I needed to fix.

“The worst part was the patch. It was like putting on a shirt and tie when you’re a kid, you’re just so uncomfortable and you can’t wait to take them off.”

Perron’s parents became creative with his patch, in an effort to make Ryan feel comfortable with what made him stand out from the other kids. For a time, he wore a pirate costume eye patch. Later on, Perron wore a pair of corrective glasses with a blackened lens on the right side.

Around the same time, he began playing football. Perrons parents carved out rods through the padding in his helmet so it could fit over his glasses’ frames. They made every effort to make sure Ryan felt normal, even though he stood out from out his classmates.

“Even if a kid was making fun of me, or laughing at me, I’d just shove it off or not pay any attention to it,” Perron said. “I just kept doing my thing.”

Perron entered his senior season as a bit of an unknown at quarterback for the Red Rocketeers. Although he’d started with the junior varsity squad, he had no varsity experience.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder was forced to take on a bigger part of the offensive load after an early season injury to dynamic running back Alex Jette. The adversity piled up near midseason, when the Red Rocketeers fell into a three-game losing streak with Hockomock League losses to Foxborough, Franklin and Stoughton.

That’s when North head coach Don Johnson saw Perron become a leader.

“He was the glue that held us together during that stretch. I think the difference was his confidence. It kept growing with every week.

Through Thanksgiving, Perron was among the state Division 2 scoring leaders with his 11 total touchdowns, eight of which have come through the air. From the highs to the lows, Perron’s taken it all in stride. It’s a quality he traces back to his younger self.

With the aid of glasses and contacts, Perron has fine enough eyesight to pilot the Red Rocketeers offense, but people diagnosed with amblyopia can have difficulty with depth perception. Perron said he doesn’t feel his condition hurts his ability to read passing plays as they develop.

But it’s unquestioned how it has affected him.

“He’s always positive,” Johnson said of Perron’s leadership qualities. “A lot of what he has to say is helping another kid – it’s instilling confidence in them, giving them a pat on the butt, reminding them what they’re supposed to do on a particular play. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him have a negative thing to say about anything.”

TAKING FLIGHT
Zimbabwe’s Highway A-1 runs between the capital of Harare and the city of Chirundu, heading toward the African country’s northern border with Zambia. Along the way is Chinhoyi, a city of about 50,000 residents. There, along the Highway, you can find Takudzwe Chikomba’s family’s restaurant. Like an American highway rest stop, they serve a complement of grab-and-go foods and snacks, like potato chips. They also serve sadza, a traditional dish of ground cornmeal that’s often served with a stew. It’s a dietary staple.

Of course, food has become an issue in Zimbabwe in recent years. An August report compiled by the United Nations and the Zimbabwean government estimated that 1.6 million people in its rural areas will need food assistance in the coming year. The dire situation is the result of a confluence of issues, including the controversial farm policy of President Robert Mugabe and historic droughts.

Before the food started running out in Zimbabwe, money began running out following a brutal civil war. Well, it’s not as though the money disappeared as much it became worthless. The country, which has no national currency today and has relied on other nation’s money, buckled under the pressure of hyperinflation and the destruction of its economy.

Like many others, Chikomba’s family sought to leave Zimbabwe under Mugabe’s rule. They are among the lucky ones who’ve fled among the chaos in the last two decades.

Chikomba came to the United States while he was in the sixth grade. He settled in Attleboro with his mother, Midia, and they lived with Takudzwa’s uncle who’d immigrated in the 1990s. Chikomba’s father remains in Zimbabwe, where he maintains the family business.

Upon arrival, Chikomba had never encountered American football. He’d played soccer and cricket growing up, but when he entered high school at North Attleborough, he heard his classmates making a fuss.

“I knew nothing about it,” Chikomba said. “I didn’t even know what the difference between a quarterback and a running back was, or offense and defense.”

Yet, he decided to try out.

Chikomba’s grown into his frame (he now stands at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds) since then, but he immediately stood out.

As Chikomba continued to adjust to American life, he saw more and more playing time on the Red Rocketeers’ defensive line.

“There were some plays last year, when as soon as you say it, you said, ‘Wow, that was something,’” Johnson said.

He was a raw heap of modeling clay, built in the mold of the NFL’s new breed of athletic defensive ends, such as Jason Pierre-Paul or the Patriots’ Chandler Jones. From early on, Johnson and his staff spent extra time with Chikomba, explaining the intricacies of the game.

“There was a lot more one-on-one there early on,” Johnson said. “When the first-team defense was out there, we had him standing there next to us, watching that defensive end and explaining what’s the thought process behind everything that’s going on.”

In time, as Chikomba has become more comfortable in his surroundings and in football, he’s come out of his shell. A warm presence, with a huge disarming smile, Chikomba’s became a popular fixture at the school. It’s evident on Friday nights at Community Field, where you can often find a Zimbabwean flag aloft in the student fan section.

“It was hard at first,” Chikomba said. “Back in Zimbabwe, I could be very friendly with my classmates. But when I came here, I didn’t know what kids here did. It was difficult.”

His personality shined through earlier this season in the Red Rocketeers’ season opener against Rhode Island power La Salle Academy. Chikomba burst through the Rams’ offensive line with a strong swim move and hauled the quarterback down for a sack. He shot right back to his feet to show off a little shimmy and shake in the backfield.

“His personality has really started to shine through,” Johnson said. “He’s one of the most popular players with his teammates. He’s got a great sense of humor, a great smile. He doesn’t say much. But really it’s because, we feel he’s a great story, but he doesn’t think like that. He’s so humble.”

-----

So what lies in store for Chikomba and Perron beyond Thursday?

Once again, the Red Rocketeers were edged out in a tight Hockomock Kelley-Race division race, so it’s a one-game season for North against border rival Attleboro. It will be their final high school game.

Both would like to play football as long as they can, but both have ambitions beyond the game. Though Johnson contends Chikomba could have some snaps ahead.

“I don’t think he realizes his own potential and the future that might lie ahead of him.”

Yet, Chikomba remains focused on his studies. He hopes to become a commercial airline pilot as a career. He grew up in the shadow of a regional airport back in Zimbabwe and passed the time watching flights takeoff and land. He recently was part of a student group from North which toured T.F. Green.

Perron has applied to a host of four-year colleges and looks to enter undeclared. He said he’ll make all attempts at prolonging his football career.

“It’s been such a big part of my life,” he said.

But all that’s assured is one more day on the field.

“There’s a lot of preparation and pride that goes into this week,” said Perron whose parents are Attleboro natives. “You’re doing it for the school, for the alumni, the coaches, your teammates, everybody who’s gotten you to that day.”

NO. 23 CENTRAL CATHOLIC (6-1) AT LOWELL (6-1)
The Skinny: Both teams enter with a 1-0 MVC record, coming off their first league games last week. Lowell rolled over Billerica 56-34 while Central Catholic slipped past Chelmsford 28-21. Cam Latta has picked up where R.J. Noel left off at quarterback this year for Lowell at quarterback, throwing for 12 touchdowns and running for seven more. Central Catholic running back Santino Brancato leads the Raiders with eight touchdowns on the season, none bigger than his final score last week with 41 seconds remaining which was the game-winner over Chelmsford.

Scott Barboza: This will be high-scoring, but relatively tame by MVC standards. Central, 34-28.

Brendan Hall: Because Lowell can score in bunches, and because it's the MVC, take the over. Central Catholic, 38-31.

NO. 13 ANDOVER (7-0) AT CHELMSFORD (4-3)
The Skinny: After a hot start, Chelmsford is trying to snap a three-game losing streak and risk falling behind in the competitive Merrimack Valley Conference's large division. They'll have their hands full against one of the state's most prolific offenses, averaging nearly 400 yards and 39 points per game, between quarterback C.J. Scarpa and receivers Andrew Deloury, Will Heikkinen and Cam Farnham.

Barboza: I think the Lions will try to play ball control for a while, but that can only last so long against the high-octane Andover offense. Andover, 42-31.

Hall: Do you see a recurring theme with our MVC picks? Offense, offense, offense. Andover, 40-35.

LINCOLN-SUDBURY (6-1) AT WESTFORD (6-1)
The Skinny: Like several other key league matchups this weekend, this matchup can potentially put one team in the driver's seat for the Dual County Large title. It's no secret what L-S brings to the table, but workhorse Chris Giorgio is among the league's toughest running backs. Westford counters with jack-of-all-trades athlete Justin Mount, who fills multiple roles on both sides of the ball.

Barboza: Picked the Warriors to win the DCL Large in the preseason and I'm not about to step back now. But the Warriors get it done by a chin. L-S, 14-13.

Hall: Flip a coin in this one. I landed on the Ghosts. Westford, 24-17.

NO. 9 BROCKTON (4-3) AT NO. 14 LEOMINSTER (5-2)
The Skinny: Each of these teams received a boost in different ways last week. The Boxers saw the return of their starting quarterback and emotional leader Auggie Roberts in a drubbing of Big Three rival Durfee. Meanwhile, a Blue Devils offense that has had its troubles in recent weeks, shook off the rust to muster a gut-check, two-minute drive to pull out a last-second victory at Central Mass. rival St. John’s of Shrewsbury, led by quarterback Garrett DelleChiaie. Now, both teams meet in a non-league, late-season measuring stick game to see just how far these offenses have come. Not to mention, both teams can really lay the lumber on defense.

Barboza: Blue Devils ride the wave of momentum. Leominster, 28-20.

Hall: It won't be a shutout, but it won't be as shocking an upset when the Blue Devils take two straight for the first time in...help, anyone? Leominster, 21-14.

HINGHAM (6-1) AT NO. 6 DUXBURY (7-0)
The Skinny: An eagerly awaited battle for the inside edge at the Patriot League Keenan division title, the competition should be as fierce at the tailgate as it will be on the field when the Dragons put their Eastern Mass. best 33-game winning streak on the line. A stout Duxbury defense, led by Mr. Football Award challenger Marshall McCarthy will have its hands full with the Harbormen’s wing-T and backfield led by Ricky Sullivan.

Barboza: The Dragons run their streak to 34 games, but it won’t be without difficulty. Duxbury, 13-7.

Hall: As usual, the Dragons will pull something together in the second half and do just enough to win. Duxbury, 20-17.

NEEDHAM (5-2) AT NO. 10 NATICK (7-0)
The Skinny: After a solid start to the season, Needham is now looking to avoid a two-game losing skid and dropping three of its last five. What better an opponent to try to snap the skid than against one of the state's prolific offenses, led by quarterback Troy Flutie (1,477 passing yards, 19 TD, 4 INT; 555 rushing yards, 7 TD) and receiver Brian Dunlap (41 catches, 784 yards, 11 TD). Needham is also coming off a 31-0 shutout loss to a Walpole squad that was missing its top running back to injury.

Barboza: No chance the Red Hawks aren't undefeated setting up a winner-take-all against Walpole. Can't wait. Natick, 31-17.

Hall: Every time we predict a high-scoring affair involving a Bay State team, it never goes as planned. So I'm going with something fairly pedestrian. Natick, 21-12.

NO. 19 MANSFIELD (5-2) AT NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH (4-3)
The Skinny: The Red Rocketeers will need a win to keep pace with Mansfield (2-0) in the Kelley-Rex division race. The X-factor will be the availability of senior running back and defensive back Alex Jette. While it’s expected Jette will play, the extent to which he’ll be able to contribute is very much up in the air. Still, North is readily able to move the ball on the ground thanks to a physical offensive line anchored by left tackle Eric Beckwith. Mansfield got off to a great start in last week’s blowout of King Philip and the Red Rocketeers’ secondary will have its hands full with playmakers Brendan Hill and Mike Hershman. The Hornets have seen junior linebacker Alexander Ruddy (team-leading 55 tackles, 8 TFL) embrace a larger role this year.

Barboza: In each of the team’s last four meetings, the AWAY team has collected the victory. Not about to buck the recent trend. Mansfield, 26-21.

Hall: Per tradition, the away team wins this one with an epic possession in the final five minutes. Mansfield, 20-13.

NO. 22 KING PHILIP (6-1) AT ATTLEBORO (4-3)
The Skinny: King Philip was soundly delivered a rude awakening a week ago at Mansfield, in a 46-33 loss, and now looks to avoid falling behind in the Hockomock's Kelly-Rex division by extending Attleboro's losing streak. The skid currently stands at three games for the Bombardiers after a 4-0 start, and can't seem to get over the hump -- take, for instance, Malique Clark's nearly 300-yard rushing performance in a 44-41 loss to Franklin last week. An Attleboro win would surely create even more confusion at the top of the division.

Barboza: Warriors defense gets back on track, but it won't be easy against Clark. KP, 21-14.

Hall: I'm all for chaos when it comes to Hockomock bracketology. Get out your TI-83's, folks. Attleboro, 30-20.

WAKEFIELD (6-1) AT STONEHAM (7-0)
The Skinny: It's been a long time since Stoneham has had this good of a start, but the Spartans still face questions about a perceived weak schedule. This is their chance to prove doubters wrong, with defensively-sound Wakefield coming off a 33-0 shutout loss to Burlington.

Barboza: In a word, "SPARRRTAAAHHHHHH!" Stoneham, 20-16.

Hall: Because what the heck, I love rolling the dice, and I want to keep my boss and resident Stoneham-ite Dave Lefort happy. Stoneham, 17-13.

MILTON ACADEMY (3-2) AT BELMONT HILL (3-2)
The Skinny: The Mustangs and Hillies are looking to break free from a logjam of 3-2 teams in the middle of the ISL standings. Milton Academy is led by junior Drew Jacobs, who already has four multi-touchdown games this season. The Mustangs also have one of the biggest offensive weapons in the ISL on the foot of place kicker Justin Yoon.

Barboza: Yoon’s foot provides the difference. Milton Academy, 13-10.

Hall: Let me preface this by saying Justin Yoon can kick for anyone any day of the week. Belmont Hill, 14-10.

ROXBURY LATIN (4-1) AT BB&N (3-2)
The Skinny: Its hopes of an undefeated season no more, Roxbury Latin looks to get back on the saddle and stay in contention for the ISL championship and a NEPSAC Bowl berth. A win here over the Knights, with its solid line and elite target in Wake Forest-bound tight end Brendan O'Neil, would bolster those odds. And the Foxes have the horses to do it, led by Boston College-bound quarterback MacKay Lowrie.

Barboza: Knights can take advantage of the matchup along the line of scrimmage. They'll win the point of attack battle. BB&N, 28-27.

Hall: I'll never count out a John Papas-coached team as long as the guy is in the business, but Latin can win track meets. Roxbury Latin, 35-30.

MANSFIELD, Mass. -- Attleboro stormed back in the second half of Friday night’s Hockomock League Kelley-Rex divisional opener at Mansfield, but two crucial personal foul calls against star running back Malique Clark and several strong defensive stands helped the Hornets hold on for a 21-19 victory.

Trailing by eight points with less than seven minutes remaining in the game, Clark (15 carries, 142 yards, 2 TD; 2 catches, 69 yards, TD) eluded two Hornets tacklers in the backfield with a lightning quick cut and took off for a 72-yard touchdown. During the celebration, he was called for a personal foul for taking off his helmet.

Instead of attempting a two-point conversion from the three, Attleboro (4-1) was forced to try and tie it from the 18-yard line. The attempt was just broken up in the corner of the end zone with the Attleboro sideline screaming for pass interference.

Attleboro was immediately given another chance at the lead when the ensuing kick-off was fumbled by Mike Cunningham and recovered by the Bombardiers at the 33-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage Clark rushed up the middle for a yard, but was flagged for another personal foul that forced Attleboro back to the Mansfield 47. The Bombardiers would go three and out.

Following the game, Attleboro coach Kevin Deschenes admitted to not having seen the first personal foul but made it clear that it was not the officials that cost his team. He was proud of his team’s ability to fight back.

“We played a lot better in the second half," Deschenes said. "As far as my kids are concerned, they stayed mentally tough and they fought back and we came two points shy of tieing the game.”

Mansfield (3-2) head coach Mike Redding made the biggest call of the night with his team facing third and five at the 49, trying to run out the clock. Junior quarterback Kyle Wisnieski caught the Attleboro defense with a play action pass to wideout Brendan Hill for 24 yards that effectively sealed the game.

Mansfield lost its star back, Robbie Rapoza, to a suspected concussion in the first quarter and offensively lost its rhythm in the second half.

“The interception at the end of the half was big," Redding said. "Because it would have gotten us to 28, and it would have taken Malique out of the game, and they would have had to just throw. They have a great drive to start the second half and the game changed.”

The first half was dominated by the Hornets. Mansfield limited the Bombardiers to only 12 plays from scrimmage and controlled the time of possession. It started on the opening possession of the game as Mansfield marched down field and Wisnieski hit Hill for a 12-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.

After a Clark fumble, Mansfield took advantage of the short field to score again. This time it was Wisnieski on a 1-yard keeper. Attleboro answered back on its next possession with a 63-yard bomb from Tim Walsh to Clark, but the Hornets came right back with a powerful 11-play, 71-yard scoring drive finished off by senior captain Kevin Makie from a yard out.

The Hornets turned the ball over three times in the second half, but the defense limited the Bombardiers to only six points off those giveaways. Redding was proud of the way his defensive unit stepped up under pressure.

“Push came to shove, our defense came up with some big stops with their backs against the wall and kept them out of the end zone," he said. "We’ll take it any way we can get it right now.”

FRIDAY
ATTLEBORO (4-0) AT MANSFIELD (2-2)
The Skinny: The Blue Bombardiers have opened up the season undefeated and opened Hockomock League play with a win over Canton last week. Meanwhile, Mansfield is coming off a loss to Stoughton (the second in as many years). Attleboro’s 6-foot, 185-pound running back Malique Clark has tallied eight touchdowns in the early going while Robbie Rapoza is looking for a repeat performance of his four-touchdown game against Dracut two weeks ago.

Scott Barboza: Upset, blue light special. Blue Bombardiers pull out a stunner. Attleboro, 14-8.

Brendan Hall: Hornets will find a way to rebound on Friday night in front of their home crowd. How often does Mansfield lose two straight in league play? Mansfield, 20-10.

SHEPHERD HILL (4-0) AT NO. 19 AUBURN (4-0)
The Skinny: Auburn saw its state-best win streak snapped at 41 games last fall to these very Rams, before rolling to its fourth consecutive Super Bowl title. This year, we're not sure who has the advantage. Both teams excel at moving the ball on the ground, with Shepherd Hill's Brad Picard (6.7 yards per carry) moving behind a swarming double wing, and Tyler Desjardins (10.8) getting help from a Rockets line that is among the state's biggest.

Barboza: For the Rockets to be knocked off for a second straight year, that would be the greatest upset of all. Auburn, 20-13.

Hall: Set the over-under on total rushing yards in this game at 400. Auburn, 28-21.

BURLINGTON (4-0) AT NO. 6 READING (4-0)
The Skinny: A must-see matchup between the Middlesex League's two most talented teams, which includes some of the state's top players at their respective positions. Speedster Marcus Odiah leads a powerful rushing attack from Burlington, but the Red Devils will have their hands full trying to neutralize the Rockets on either side of the ball. Offensively, the Rockets are led by one of the state's finest quarterbacks in Drew Belcher, while defensively the Rockets have allowed just two points through four games this season.

Barboza: The scoreless quarter streak will end, the Rockets keep the win streak going. Reading, 28-14.

Hall: If you score on the Rockets, keep the ball. Reading, 17-3.

FOXBOROUGH (3-1) AT NO. 24 STOUGHTON (4-0)
The Skinny: A game that could go a long way to deciding the Hockomock League Davenport division crown will be played under a different light Friday, after the Black Knights attend the funeral of fallen tammate David Wade that day. Stoughton will have plenty at stake emotionally, playing for Wade’s memory and coming off another “upset” of Mansfield. Foxborough knocked the Hock on its heels as well last week, upsetting North Attleborough and shutting out the Red Rocketeers.

Barboza: Just too may athletes at too many positions for the Black Knights. Do it for David. Stoughton, 21-17.

Hall: Tough times make tough people. Stoughton, 13-10.

SATURDAY
XAVERIAN (1-3) AT NO. 4 DUXBURY (4-0)
The Skinny: The Hawks assuredly will enter our Mass. Army National Guard Game of the Week with a chip on their shoulder and desperate to turn around a losing record. The Dragons look to make it two in a row over Xaverian, after sealing a victory at the Hawk Bowl last year. Duxbury’s defense paid dividends in that game, and while some of the talent has graduated, they have three-year starting inside linebacker Marshall McCarthy to quarterback the defense. The matchup to watch here will be the interior line play with C.J. LoConte (Army lacrosse commit) going head-to-head with Michigan football commit Mo Hurst.

Barboza: Look for Dave Maimaron to work in some wrinkles this week to keep the Hawks’ defensive line in check. Duxbury, 31-21.

Hall: Hawks will find their groove in this game, but the Dragons will escape for their state-best 31st straight win. Duxbury, 24-17.

CHELMSFORD (4-0) AT HAVERHILL (3-1)
The Skinny: A battle between two Merrimack Valley Conference teams off to quality starts in 2012, two of the league's most productive running backs square off in this early-season battle. Chelmsford's Jeff D'Auria (10 TDs) has been a workhorse out of the backfield, while the Hillies' Chance Brady (724 rushing yards, 12 TD) might be the most complete back in the league.

Barboza: The Lions skated on thin ice last week and I think it catches up with them facing the Hillies’ pistol offense with Tommy Morgan at quarterback. Haverhill, 30-28.

Hall: Considering how much talent moved on from a year ago, have to appreciate what Chelmsford is doing right now. Chelmsford, 21-6.

NO. 3 ST. JOHN'S PREP (3-1) AT NO. 12 BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM (3-1)
The Skinny: This game screams ball control. Both teams come with highly-touted backfields. The Eagles’ duo of Jonathan Thomas and Alex Moore is the most dynamic in the state. But with Arcel Armstead back and Brandon Gallagher running strong early in the season, the Trojans can match metal with metal. Expect a lot of work out of the I-formation and two-tight end sets as these teams counter strength against strength. The number of completed passes in this one could figure to be counted on one hand, but you can’t argue with what head coaches Jim O’Leary and Dan Buron have done with their respective systems in their careers.

Barboza: I think this one’s going to be very close, but I can’t settle on a score. So I’m going to set a line for the project number of TOTAL possessions in this game. But I’m picking Prep to win. Possessions: 8.5 (that’s being generous perhaps).

Hall: In my book, the waggle trumps the counter. B-R, 7-6.

DARTMOUTH (1-3) AT NO. 25 SOMERSET-BERKLEY (4-0)
The Skinny: An underrated non-league matchup between old EAC rivals on the South Coast, both teams figured to have their hands full in this one. For Dartmouth, they must figured out how to slow down the Blue Raiders' vaunted double wing attack, led by senior Garrett Carlos, who has over 350 yards rushing the last two weeks on just 19 carries. For Somerset, the key is slowing Mitch Loranger and Nick Simonetti, two of the more talented players in the Old Colony League.

Barboza: Can the Raiders ride Carlos and Mikey Garrant to a Super Bowl appearance this year as they did with Seth DeMello and Jaron Spear two years ago? Just might. Somerset-Berkley, 34-28.

Hall: Indians were a trendy sleeper pick for 2012, but I think they'll have some trouble against this double wing attack of the Blue Raiders. Somerset-Berkley, 24-14.

1. THROUGH THREE WEEKS, WHICH TEAM HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST SURPRISE?

Scott Barboza, ESPN Boston High Schools Editor: I don’t know if it’s so much of a surprise, but I think we can say that Nauset football is for real and might be the front-runner for the Atlantic Coast League crown this season. While Mashpee has fallen below some preseason expectations, the Warriors 20-point win over the defending Division 4 Super Bowl champions last week was impressive. I’d absolutely put head coach Keith Kenyon on my shortlist for Coach of the Year in the early season, having completely turned that program around in his third year on the job. They’ll have another challenge this week with a trip to Cardinal Spellman, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Warriors undefeated after Week 4.

Brendan Hall, ESPN Boston High Schools Editor: I know in the preseason I predicted Nauset would win out in an Atlantic Coast League that was expected to be a toss-up this year, and through the first three weeks of the season the Warriors have looked strongest. But if you told me in the preseason the Warriors would not only break through a stout veteran Wayland defense, but also roll over Mashpee with ease, I’d have chuckled.

But that’s exactly what we’ve got here. The Warriors have been off to a dominant start to the 2012 season, outscoring the opposition 95-32, including a 34-15 thump of Mashpee last weekend. But more than the impressive statistics on defense, and more than the shroud of scouting mystery provided by its remote location (ever been to Eastham after Labor Day?), it’s the offensive gameplan that makes the Warriors such a tough –- and unpredictable –- squad.

Keith Kenyon has turned around a once-dormant program (4-46 from 2005-09) into a formidable foe, in part due to the fact Nauset is one of the few teams in New England running exclusively out of a true Single-Wing offense. We’re talking one-inch splits, unbalanced formations and even fullbacks calling the cadence.

Last year, captain and fullback Brendan Battles-Santos (also an ESPN Boston All-Stater and UConn freshman) said of Kenyon’s offense, “when he brought in the Single Wing, I thought it was the best thing in high school football. I was like, ‘This is sick’, I’m not even getting the ball and this is fun, you know?”

Heck, even Wikipedia applauds Kenyon’s application of the Single Wing at Nauset.

Last year, you had to pick your poison between the aforementioned blocking back Battles-Santos and brothers Nathan and Dylan Holmes, who shared quarterback duties. This season, Jimmy Sullivan has taken the reigns at QB, and he had his breakout last weekend against Mashpee, carrying 22 times for 205 yards. Look for him to be a continued threat as the Warriors look for their first playoff berth ever in school history.

Adam Kurkjian, ESPN Boston correspondent: Have to go with Chelmsford. It speaks to the depth of the Lions' program that they can lose as much talent and experience from a year ago and beat teams like Westford Academy and Acton-Boxboro that decisively. It remains to be seen whether or not Chelmsford will keep up this pace with the iron of the Merrimack Valley Conference Large Division, but it's a good start.

Bruce Lerch, ESPN Boston correspondent: How about Bishop Fenwick? The program hasn't had a winning season since 2007 and is off to a 3-0 start with three different types of wins. First came a solid 22-14 victory over an always tough Northeast team, then the Crusaders showed they could do the shootout thing by putting up 39 points against Pope John, and last week they showed they can do it with defense in a 14-7 triumph of Lynnfield. Rufus Rushins is finding the end zone on the ground while quarterback Nick Bona and wideout Charlie Maistrellis have a strong connection through the air. The Catholic Central Large has been the domain of Cardinal Spellman, St. Mary's and Austin Prep over the years but Fenwick looks like it may be ready to get back to challenging those teams this season.

John Botelho, Editor-in-Chief, South Shore Sports Journal: Whitman-Hanson is off to a 3-0 start with wins over Plymouth North, Marshfield and should keep getting better. The Patriot League Keenan Division is still a race for who finishes second to Duxbury until someone knocks them off. Still though, the Panthers have closed the gap, at least a little bit, and this league has to be among the best on the South Shore now with undefeated Hingham in it as well. Tom Sapienza has transitioned seamlessly from wide out to quarterback this year, and has already found a top target in Dondre James, who has caught four of his eight TD passes.

Noth Attleborough has also been a pleasant surprise so far this year. Yes, they were a team many people thought could win the Hockomock Kelley-Rex crown, but they already hold wins over Rhode Island's top team in LaSalle and they beat the defending EMass. Div. 1 Super Bowl champ in BC High. If you had North at 2-0 after those two games before the season started, you were in the minority. And they didn't just squeak by, they beat both teams by at least 20 points. Sure, they won a close call against Bishop Feehan, but that was a trap game for them coming off those two huge wins. This team has already raised the ceiling for the expectations significantly in 2012.

Talking surprises, we might as well bring up both Middleboro and Norwell here too. Both programs have struggled to be competitive in recent years, but both are currently 2-1 this year (and both are following 2-9 campaigns in 2011). Neither team has gotten to the meat of their schedule yet, but it's always nice to see teams trending upward.

The Sachems have cruised past Coyle & Cassidy and Falmouth the last two weeks. Unfortunately for them, Duxbury comes to town this Friday. Still though, a clear message would be sent if they can put on a competitive show. As of right now, they'd probably be the favorites against Silver Lake, North Quincy and Carver, and winning those three would mean finishing at at least .500 for the season.

Norwell beat Randolph and South Shore Vo-Tech the last two weeks, surrendering 12 total points along the way. They host winless Rockland on Saturday, and the Bulldogs are having trouble finding the end zone. The Clippers could find themselves 3-1 before they run into Abington and Mashpee in the next few weeks.

2. WHICH PLAYERS HAVE SEPARATED THEMSELVES SO FAR FOR ESPNBOSTON.COM'S "MR. FOOTBALL" AWARD?

Barboza: Averaging nearly 17-yards-per-carry heading into Week 4 action, it’s hard to argue that any other single player in the state has contributed more to his team than Holy Name senior running back Quron Wright.

Beyond Wright, I don’t know if there’s another singular talent that has entirely joined that conversation, but there’s a couple others worth watching. Darien Fernandez is tearing up the record books for the Vikings, setting a school-record with six touchdowns in a 51-14 win over Falmouth and leading Wareham to a 3-0 record. This might be a little more outside of the box, but I defy you to find a lineman who’s been more valuable to his team in the early going than Reading tackle Matt Comerford, who’s absolutely eaten up all comers in the early season, including Brockton’s defensive line, which is no slouch in its own right. If you want to look at the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Zach Hume is poised to lead Nashoba to great heights.

Hall: At running back, Burlington’s Marcus Odiah and Quron Wright have separated themselves for contention with some impressive yardage in the early-going. Wright has amassed over 650 yards rushing on just 39 carries, while Odiah is averaging over 230 yards rushing per game. Both demonstrate exceptional top-end speed, albeit in different manners –- Odiah the long and slender build at 6-foot-1, Wright the short and compact frame that makes him difficult to spot behind the huge Holy Name linemen in the double wing.

And I mean, honestly, how can you not dig #QuronMania?

At quarterback, the competition is furious right now, with a number of players putting up impressive stats so far. St. John’s of Shrewsbury’s Andrew Smiley, Natick’s Troy Flutie, Reading’s Drew Belcher and Springfield Central’s Cody Williams, all juniors, have put up good numbers and showed resilient poise in the crunch. However, Barnstable’s Nick Peabody seems to be a cut above the quarterbacking competition right now. In just three games, he has already racked up 13 touchdown passes and over 1,000 yards of offense.

Defensively, it’s hard to ignore the impact Jon Baker has had in the middle of the field for Millis/Hopedale, and while Xaverian has struggled to a 1-2 record Maurice Hurst Jr. has had a big impact on the interior as a defensive tackle. Also look out for Nashoba linebacker Zach Hume and Reading lineman Matt Comerford, two leaders on two of the state’s stingiest defenses.

Kurkjian: It's still very early, but it's hard to go against Holy Name's Quron Wright. Through three games, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, he is averaging almost 17 yards per carry and has scored 10 touchdowns. Those are incredible numbers, regardless of the opponent, and expect them to continue.

Bruce Lerch: Burlington's Marcus Odiah has a staggering 705 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in just three games for an average of 235 per. Already the program's career rushing leader with 3,551 yards, Odiah could surpass the 4,000-yard milestone within the next couple of games.

Josh Perry, ESPN Boston correspondent: There are a host of quarterbacks that are putting up incredible numbers early in the season, including Troy Flutie of Natick, Drew Belcher of Reading, and my favorite -- Nick Peabody of Barnstable. Peabody fits in perfectly with the Red Raiders attack and has that offense rolling. He leads the state with 13 touchdown passes and has been incredibly accurate, while throwing more than just about anyone else in Massachusetts. Of course, I always have a special place in my heart for teams that love to throw and score points so Barnstable is intriguing.

Alex Jette of North Attleboro is another player that I think could get more attention at a state level, if he can stay on the field for four quarters. He has all the skills - breakaway speed, quick cuts, and great hands in the passing game, but a combination of cramping and some cheap shots at the bottom of piles has taken him out of games in the second half. A good example was Week 1 against LaSalle (R.I.) where he put on a show in the first half with nearly 300 yards of offense, but then was on the field for only a couple of snaps in the second half. Hockomock League play tends to slow down offensive attacks anyway so Jette is missing chances to rack up statistics before having to face Mansfield and KP’s defenses.

Botelho: Quron Wright has put up some ridiculous stats the first three, rushing for over 600 yards already. But don't sleep on Duxbury's Jon Hurvitz either. The Dragons have pushed their state-best win streak to 29 games despite running a changed offense. With Matt O'Keefe under center and a seemingly endless repertoire of weapons at his disposal, Duxbury blew past teams with a pass-happy offense. O'Keefe is gone, but the high scoring offense remains because of what Hurvitz has done out of the backfield. The senior tailback has already rushed for 10 touchdowns and shows no signs of slowing down.

Barnstable's Nick Peabody has torched opposing defenses, leading the Red Raiders to just north of 40 points per game, and his 13 touchdown passes lead the state. We find out just how good Barnstable is this weekend when they play No. 1 Everett. If Peabody can deliver there like he has the first few weeks, Mr. Football is probably his award to lose.

3. WHICH BROCKTON TEAM ARE WE LIKELY TO SEE THE REST OF THE WAY -- THE ONE THAT STRUGGLED AGAINST READING, OR THE ONE WITH TWO WINS OVER TOP-5 CATHOLIC CONFERENCE POWERS?

Barboza: Once again, I’ll happily eat my slice of humble pie for picking the Boxers to open up the season 1-3. They’ve certainly acquitted themselves as a better team than that in their two early wins. Whether Brockton can run their Catholic Conference win streak to three games against the Prep on Friday is another question. I’m sticking by my preseason pick that the Eagles will escape Marciano with a victory in tow. However, I think the destiny of this Boxers team is more in line with the pluses than the minuses, provided they can move the ball. The Rockets utterly shut down the triple option in Week 2, creating concern of Brockton’s ability to consistently move the ball. As long as there’s no repeat performance, and Prep’s stout defense provides an ample challenge this week, Brockton will be just fine in the long run.

Hall: Either there is just something about Catholic Conference schools that bring out the best in Brockton, or the Boxers are just better than any of us have given them credit for. Based on the early returns, my inclination is the latter, and you have to like the Boxers’ chances going forward. This St. John’s Prep squad is good, but not invincible, and even perhaps a little too conservative at times if the Everett loss is any indicator.

If the Boxers win out here, their next three opponents are Fitchburg, Pinkerton (N.H.) and Durfee. Of those three, I only expect the Pinkerton game to be a toss-up -– but then again, a year ago supposedly the worst Brockton team in a decade knocked off the unstoppable juggernaut that was supposed to be the 2011 Astros.

It’s very possible we could see Brockton at 6-1 headed into Week 8’s showdown with Leominster, and let the record show I predicted a 1-3 record for the Boxers coming into September.

Kurkjian: Your guess is as good as mine. There is one thing that is for sure, however. This Brockton team is light years better than last year's version. Maybe that's not saying much because last year's team struggled so mightily, but this team is just so much better up front and there's an overall uptick in focus and leadership that recent Brockton teams have lacked.

Lerch: You have to like the strength the Boxers have shown against the Catholic Conference with both of its wins coming against BC High and Xaverian. I think this is the week where we'll be able to better answer this question, as they'll take on a St. John's Prep squad that battled Everett tooth and nail. If Brockton can continue the momentum they picked up last week, I like their chances for a strong finish.

Botelho: Well, the one thing we know about the Boxers for sure is their defense is premier. They shut out BC High, then held Reading's powerhouse offense to just 12 points before allowing 14 in the win against Xaverian last week. The bad news for Brockton is that if they can't get their offense rolling early, they have a hard time finding the end zone at all. Since the beginning of the 2011 season, Brockton has been shutout in five of their seven losses. The only time they've reached double digits and lost since last year was their game 22-15 defeat against St. John's Prep last season.

That said, even with the shutout against Reading already on their tab this season, this year's version of the offense looks more complete than last season's. I'd be shocked if this team is shutout again this year, and wouldn't be at all surprised if they don't lose another game, because they don't need many points to with the defense they've got. My guess is as the season continues to carry on, and they hammer down their Georgia Tech-style offense more, they'll become a tough team to slow down.

4. WHICH RUNNING BACK HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST SURPRISE THUS FAR?

Barboza: This name might not be among the better known in the state in year in which, for all intents and purposes, is fairly deep at running back, but Somerset-Berkley’s Garrett Carlos has been a revelation. The senior is averaging a shade over 10 yards per carry while running for 411 yards and eight touchdowns in three weeks. After a bit of a rebuilding year last year, the Blue Raiders’ cupboard is full this year with 20 returning seniors, meaning that Nick Freitas’ team should again be in the poll position for an Eastern Athletic Conference title. And Carlos is no small part of that.

Hall: The one that sticks out in my mind is Wareham’s Darien Fernandez running roughshod over Falmouth in Week 1, running for 246 yards and six touchdowns (five in the first half). He has cooled down since then, but the kid is flat out an athlete. At 5-foot-6 and blessed with great leg strength, he is as durable as he is tough to get a good angle on. He’s already well-known on the basketball court, making our All-State Team last winter in leading the Vikings to the Division 3 Eastern Mass Final at TD Garden. But some have mused he may be a better football player, with some feelers from a few Division 1 FCS programs.

Kurkjian: Going to go with Needham's Mike Panepinto here. So far, he's been outstanding for an undefeated Needham team already owns a win over Mansfield. A tough runner, he simply doesn't go down on first contact and he's a perfect complement to a passing game that continues to get better with junior quarterback Ryan Charter.

Lerch: Needham's Mikey Panepinto is a heck of an athlete who is putting up tremendous numbers in what his probably his second-best sport, given that he's already committed to platy lacrosse at UMass. It's not so much the numbers that have surprised me with Panepinto though as much as it is the manner in which he's gotten them. He was able to get off for some big gains in two of the Rockets games but against Mansfield, he really impressed me by proving that he could also grind out the tough yardage and punch in a series of short TD runs.

Perry: Attleboro running back Malique Clark is not an unknown quantity after several explosive cameo appearances last season. He has breakout speed and the strength to carry the ball 20 times per game. The surprise is that the Attleboro offensive line has been able to create openings for him against tough defenses like Bishop Feehan and Dartmouth. Teams will be packing the box and daring junior QB Tim Walsh to beat them with his arm, but to this point it hasn’t slowed Clark down at all. The Hockomock is loaded with running backs this season, but Clark’s ability to turn a nothing play into a big gain has kept the Attleboro offense rolling and has the Bombardiers at a surprising 3-0. Hopefully, Clark’s rib injury that made him miss this weekend’s game won’t be a long-term problem.

Botelho: Darien Fernandez at Wareham, Kiivone Howard at Foxboro and Hurvitz have all exceeded expectations, but Jalen Felix has kept Everett rolling. He did it again last week against St. John's Prep, scoring a TD and rushing for 96 yards on 12 carries.

5. WHICH LINEMAN IS MAKING THE BIGGEST PUSH FOR ALL-STATE INCLUSION CURRENTLY?

Barboza: Aside from a lot of the familiar names you’ve seen in our preseason lists, here’s a couple who have stood out to me in the first quarter season. Both Brendan and I were taken back by the performance of Barnstable center Tom Grimmer during the Red Raiders’ man-handling of Dennis-Yarmouth. He spent most of that evening riding the Dolphins’ nose guard five yards back. I’m also looking at North Attleborough’s big bookend tackles –- Sean Peters and Eric Beckwith. We talked a little bit earlier in the season about how the Red Rocketeers have historically had good speed/zone blockers, but have often lacked size. Both Peters (6-4, 240) and Beckwith (6-2, 270) bring exactly that. Although North sees plenty of pressure from the outside against traditionally strong defensive sides in King Philip and Mansfield in its Hockomock League schedule, they might be better prepared this year to deal with the outside rush than at any time in recent memory behind their pillars on the end.

Hall: I’m making a case for Holy Name’s Basit Dennis to be included in this discussion. Off the field he’s a great story, with his Liberian roots, and a great kid. On the field, at 6-foot-1 and 290 pounds, the senior has been a dominant two-way force in the interior. As talented as Quron Wright is on his own merit, a big reason for his ridiculous rushing average is the Naps’ punishing offensive line, led by Dennis at right tackle.

Brockton’s Joe Previte has been a leader at center for a revitalized Boxer offense. And don’t forget about Everett’s bookend defensive ends, Jeff Soulouque and Omar Graciano, who have taken turns applying pressure on quarterbacks and causing confusion.

Kurkjian: Reading's Matt Comerford was pretty impressive in the game against Brockton Week 2. He's strong, mobile, tough and plays with good technique. And it doesn't hurt that he's about 6-4 or 6-5 and 285 pounds.

Lerch: Regardless of who is taking the snaps in Everett or what trickery John DiBiaso uses to get the ball into the hands of those tremendous athletes, the one constant is John Montelus. The Michigan-bound senior has really solidified his standing as the state's top prospect, regardless of position, and has done it againts one of the state's toughest, early-season schedules.

Two guys to keep an eye on are Millis/Hopedale's Jon Baker and Burlington's Mike Woods. Baker is a 290-pound beast who dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage in the Mohawks rout of Norton last week and has drawn plenty of notice from big-time college programs. Woods is the left tackle and leader of the Red Devils line that has paved the way for Marcus Odiah to run for 705 yards and 10 scores and is another player catching looks from several Division 1 FBS and FCS level schools in the Northeast.

6. IT'S A MEGA-WEEKEND OF MUST-SEE FOOTBALL ACTION. WHICH GAME ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?

Barboza: Well, since it’s part of our Massachusetts Army National Guard Game of the Week program, I’m going to go with St. John’s Prep at Brockton. As we went over in Question 3, the onus is on Brockton to show that they are in fact the team that’s notched two, tough Catholic Conference wins in the early going. But this one will also be a litmus test for the Eagles, who played a very competitive game against No. 1 Everett. It’ll be interesting to see how Prep responds – whether they use last week as a rallying point into their later schedule or if this one presents a letdown after taking on No. 1. This certainly isn’t a game to be taken lightly and I’d expect neither team will. This will be an ole fashioned slobber-knocker on the ground.

Hall: You ask anyone in Everett, and they’ll tell you Barnstable was the hardest-hitting team they faced all season. The Red Raiders come at you with a certain level of abandon replicated by few programs, and nobody embodies this more than middle linebacker Andrew Ellis. But it’s a much different level of football in Everett than the Raiders have seen so far (Durfee, Dennis-Yarmouth, Sandwich), so this should be a great litmus test under the lights at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Kurkjian: Barnstable at Everett. Any time you have the clear-cut No. 1 team in the state going up against a quality opponent it's pretty compelling. You have to wonder just how healthy the Crimson Tide are coming off such a physical battle with St. John's Prep last week. Barnstable has been throwing the ball all over teams so far but they haven't faced a defense anywhere near the level of Everett's. Everett definitely comes in more battle-tested. Not sure how much Durfee, a rebuilding Dennis-Yarmouth and Sandwich prepare you for the best team in the state, but we will find out Friday night.

Lerch: You really can't go wrong with a loaded schedule this weekend, particularly on Friday, but it's hard to look past another Game of the Week taking place in Everett. Last week the Crimson Tide hosted No. 2 St. John's Prep, and this week, it's No. 3 Barnstable coming to town. Everett hasn't yet seen an offense capable of putting up the kind of numbers that the Raiders have been achieving (145 points through three games) but the reverse of that is true as well in that Barnstable has yet to match up against a team that has as much athleticism as the Tide.

Perry: The easy choice would be Everett versus Barnstable, but I am a sucker for history.

In Hockomock country, old rivals North Attleborough and Foxborough will meet at Ahern Middle School. For decades, the Hockomock League title came down to North, Foxboro, and Mansfield, but recently the Warriors have been hit by changing demographics within the town. Each year the Foxboro program has shrunk a little bit and now KP has replaced it at the top of the league while Oliver Ames, Stoughton, and Canton have threatened to pass them by in the small school division.

This is a Warriors team that has promise and a desire to put North in its place (this is a trend among most teams in the Hockomock). Running back Kiivone Howard has been a star with 9 touchdowns in the opening three weeks and Foxboro wants nothing more than to reestablish itself in the Hockomock pecking order. Although the game lacks playoff implications, the rivalry between the teams makes this a must win for both.

The Rocketeers certainly saw last week what an angry rival is capable of, when they struggled to put away Feehan, and I expect a reaction from them, but still can’t count out Foxboro.

Botelho: This is the easily the most exciting weekend of the season so far, and you can look all over the state and find exciting games. Out west you've Minnechaug-Longmeadow, which is always one of the game's of the year. In the central region, Holy Name and Nashboa are colliding in a Super Bowl rematch. And in Eastern Mass, it's nearly impossible to pick just one. No. 1 Everett vs No. 3 Barnstable should be a blast. No. 18 Needham plays at No. 20 Weymouth in what is essentially a league title game in September. Brockton hosts St. John's. Bob Bancroft's Pembroke team host Whitman-Hanson, the team he became a legend with (and Panthers coach Mike Driscoll captained one of Bancroft's unbeaten Super Bowl champions). East Bridgewater and Mashpee has evolved into a huge tilt in the SSL the last couple years, and the Falcons have ended the Vikings' postseason chances each of the last two years. Mansfield might have the best passing attack in either Hockomock League, and Stoughton seems to have the best pass defense, and this week we'll find out which strength is greater.

A great weekend indeed if you're a high school football fan.

Franklin head coach Dean O'Connor passes along this year's boys basketball All-Stars for the Hockomock League.

Any all-star lists can be sent to either Brendan Hall (bhall@espnboston.com) or Scott Barboza (sbarboza@espnboston.com)

MVP - Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
J.J. Jolaoso, Sr., Attleboro
Joe McCabe, Sr., Canton
Sam Bohmiller, Jr., Franklin
Joe Palazini, Sr., Franklin
John Mullane, Sr., King Philip
Brian Hershman, Sr., Mansfield
Michael Hershman, Soph., Mansfield
Nick Bruha, Sr., Oliver Ames
Andrew Reardon, Jr., Oliver Ames
Brian Mukasa, Soph., Sharon
Aaron Calixte, Jr., Stoughton
Marcus Middleton, Jr., Stoughton

SHARON, Mass. -- Last February, as most schools do, Stoughton High honored its seniors in a game against Hockomock rival Sharon High. But when the final buzzer sounded, it was a visiting freshman in his first start that had people buzzing.

Brian Mukasa, now a sophomore, limited Stoughton’s 1,000-point scorer Kris Joyce to just seven points in that contest, and the face of Sharon basketball for the near future was born.

The 5-foot-10 point guard is off to a great start in his first full season on the varsity squad, averaging 17.1 points a game, good for fourth overall in the Hockomock, behind the league's most prolific players: Stoughton's Aaron Calixte, Oliver Ames' Nick Bruha, and King Philip's Maryland-bound forward Jake Layman.

“The ball is in his hands constantly in the offense,” Sharon head coach Bruce Jackman said. “He’s basically fearless, which you really don’t find sometimes in a sophomore. He was under fire last year as a freshman. It’s not like he’s not used to being in that situation.”

The 3-6 Eagles have relied heavily on Mukasa on both sides of the ball this year. He scored a career-high 32 points earlier this season to rally Sharon past Falmouth.

“When I try to score, I really try to pick my spots carefully,” said Mukasa. “I try to see where the weakness in the defense is, see where I can attack [and] expose the defense for myself but also for my teammates as well.”

Mukasa said he trusts his mid-range game and his quickness allows him get to the basket. On top of that, Mukasa is shooting an impressive 40 percent from three-point range, which Mukasa said helps stretch the defense out.

But he isn’t just a scorer. Jackman said Mukasa was originally brought up last year because the varsity squad needed help defensively.

“He’s really taken it upon himself this season to be a defensive stopper, and he’s really tried to shut down all of the other teams’ best players,” senior captain Caleb Piltch-Loeb said. “He doesn’t just focus on offense, he works extremely hard on defense.”

In the offseason, the left-handed floor general plays for the New England Playaz AAU Club, which Calixte also plays for. After scrimmaging together in addition to playing each other twice a year as Hockomock rivals, Calixte has seen Mukasa mature in the past 18 months.

“He has a great understanding of the game,” Calixte said. “He creates opportunities for himself and is a great competitor.”

The Hockomock is full of top players at the guard position, including Calixte, Bruha, Stoughton’s Marcus Middleton, Attleboro’s J.J. Jolaoso, and Franklin’s Sam Bohmiller. Mukasa is hoping his all-around game will help him stand apart.

“There are guards who can score or get their teammates involved or defend at an exceptionally high level,” said the 15-year-old guard. “I’ve really focused on having a well rounded game so there’s no one weakness teams can take advantage of.”

Sharon has had an up-and-down season so far and is in the midst of their longest losing streak of the season. However, Mukasa’s maturity shows, as his confidence remains high and he tries to learn from each game.

“We try to be even-keeled around here,” said Mukasa. “We’ve lost a couple tough games, but we know we have to be ready for the next game.”

The good news for the Eagles is that they are a young team. Mukasa has played well with fellow guards and sophomores James Fritzon and Ade Bright this season. Beyond them, there are five other juniors who still have another year to prove themselves.

“We’re a very young team,” Jackman added. “I think with Brian’s leadership, along with a couple other sophomores who are plying right now, I think it bodes well for us. We’re just going to get better and better and Brian is going to be the leader of that group.”

With time, Mukasa’s skills will only continue to evolve and aid Sharon’s mission to get back to the top of the Hockomock.

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. – Hockomock League rivals Attleboro and North Attleborough were equals through much of their Thanksgiving Day clash. The Blue Bombardier and Red Rocketeer lines roughed each other up, sloshing through a muddied turf at North.

Tied 7-7 in the fourth quarter, No. 19 North controlled play with a sustained drive that set the Red Rocketeers up with a first-and-goal from the 9-yard line.

However, after a pass attempt and two rushes fell short of the end zone, North’s season came down to a fourth-and-goal at the 1.

Then, North quarterback Spyro Varetimos entered the huddle with a purpose.

“He said, ‘We’re running this in for the championship,’” senior captain Paul Norris said. “Everybody just kind of lifted up at that point.”

Varetimos crossed the goal line with 5:24 remaining and Big Red held on for a 14-7 win over their town border rivals. With the victory, North (9-1, 3-1 Kelley-Rex) earned a share of the Hockomock large division title. And, although the Red Rocketeers’ season ended then and there, due to a tiebreaker won by King Philip, there was an air of accomplishment held by the teammates, not disappointment.

‘We’re co-champions of the league, that’s all we could’ve asked for,” Norris said.

Varetimos had a hand in all of North’s points, connecting with Alex Jette on a 33-yard touchdown pass to open scoring in the second quarter.

North’s lone defensive gaffe of the game came at the end of the third, when Blue Bombardiers running back Malique Clark broke off an 85-yard run to close the quarter.

The Red Rocketeers’ built their game-winning drive off the ensuing kickoff, chewing up more than four and a half minutes of the fourth.

Varetimos (12 of 20, 80 yards, TD; 9 carries, 31 yards, TD) broke the plane of the goal after his previous lunge from the 1-yard line was stopped.

“On that final drive, in the huddle, you could just feel the tension,” Varetimos said. “We needed to get in the end zone.”

PLANS DISRUPTED
North typically favors a north-south running game, but face serious resistance from Attleboro’s front four led by Zach Schwieger. The senior defensive end (3 tackles for loss) was a disruptive force along with linebacker Brandon Mooney.

Schwieger was named Defensive Player of the Game for his efforts along with causing a load of headaches for North’s coaching staff.

“We want to run the ball up the middle when we can, but they were bigger and stronger than us up the middle,” Red Rocketeers head coach Don Johnson said. “When we were trying to run outside, we got overpowered a little bit on the edge … We knew we had to mix the pass in there a little bit.”

A CHANGE OF PLANS


Given the way the Blue Bombardiers line controlled the line of scrimmage for portions of the game, North increasingly aired it out, leaning on Varetimos to gain yards via the play-action.

Varetimos’ 31-yarder to Jette was a result of an adjustment made by North against Attleboro’s over-pursuing linebackers.

“Their linebackers kept biting on the quick outs, like that, all game,” said Varetimos, who was named the game’s Offensive MVP.

North’s fourth-quarter drive was a valediction for an offensive group that sputtered early in the season.

That maturation as a group was spearheaded by the No. 15 (no, not that No. 15 in Denver, although there were some similarities) under center.

“We knew going in what kind of kid he was,” Johnson said of Varetimos. “He’s a tough kid, we knew he could run the ball a little bit. I think he’s grown tremendously from the beginning of the year and that’s a big reason for our success.”

Senior lineman and captain Anthony Plante had another way of looking at it, the way the unit finished their season on Thursday.

“We just had a little bit more desire to finish it,” Plante said of North’s drive to victory. “That’s what it comes down to.”

STRONG SENTIMENT


Despite learning the bad news that King Philip had triumphed over Franklin, handing the Warriors the division’s playoff spot, Johnson had strong parting words for his group.

“The fact that we’re not in the playoffs does not diminish that one bit,” Johnson said. “I feel confident that there will be other playoff teams in the state that couldn’t win a Hockomock League championship.

“I’m proud of our guys.”

Attleboro (7-4, 1-3) – 0 0 7 0 -- 7
North Attleborough (9-1, 3-1) – 0 7 0 7 -- 14

2nd quarter
North - Alex Jette 33-yard pass from Spyro Varetimos (Varetimos kick)

3rd quarter
Attleboro - Malique Clark 85-yard run (Tim Walsh kick)

4th quarter
North - Varetimos 1-yard run (Varetimos kick)

ARE TRIPLE-DIGITS OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR LIL’ DIBS?
Barring catastrophe, we fully expect Everett quarterback Jonathan DiBiaso to break Tom Colombo’s all-time passing touchdown mark of 85 before the month is over. He’s four away, and he’s got two games to do it – this Saturday against BC High, and on Oct. 28 in the Crimson Tide’s Greater Boston League opener against Medford.

The question now is that, with seven games left on the schedule (let’s just declare them Super Bowl-bound now), whether he can surpass the century mark. Last season, he threw for 16 scores in the Tide’s four GBL contests, and another five in two playoff wins over Andover and St. John’s Prep.

All evidence points to DiBiaso shattering the state mark and putting the record nearly out of reach, when all is said and done.

IS NO. 16 NEEDHAM FOR REAL?
A few weeks ago, when the Rockets upset then-No. 6 Weymouth, we would have told you yes. Even before that, when the Rockets went toe-to-toe in an eventual 36-30 loss to Mansfield, we’d have told you Needham’s on to something.

Now? We’re not sure what to think. Drew Burnett , a senior quarterback with Division 1 offers, broke his ankle in two places during Saturday’s 49-14 win over Milton, putting an end to one of the more promising seasons in the Bay State Conference. With a healthy Burnett, we like their chances of not only controlling their destiny in the Bay State Carey, but against whomever comes out of the Big 3 conference for the Division 1 playoffs.

Head coach David Duffy told ESPNBoston correspondent Matt Noonan earlier today that he will use a rotation of three guys at quarterback in Friday’s crucial tilt with No. 17 Walpole. The Rockets have shown to lineup quality athletes in Dan Pierce, Nico Panepinto, Ian Riley and Mark Riley (no relation), but you have to wonder how quickly the understudy can adapt to Duffy's system, which has begun to diversify the last few years.

AUBURN’S OFFENSIVE LINE IS A WAGON
We’ve sung their praises several times before, but it bears mentioning again: even after a bump in the road, No. 14 Auburn’s line is rising as one of the state’s best units.

Comprised entirely of juniors and sophomores – including a 6-foot-4, 305-pounder who is just 15 years old – this makes the Rockets at team to watch over the next few years. With short splits and a precise zone-blocking scheme, these guys are a cohesive unit up front and have been blowing teams off the ball to the tune of 17 rushing touchdowns. Dan Flink is the Rockets’ Peyton Hillis, but give speedster Fred Taylor some room to run and he is one of the shiftier players in the Worcester area.

Within the Central Mass sphere, this will continue to be one of the more dangerous teams in Division 3.

HOW TOUGH WILL THE ALL-STATE RACE BE AT RUNNING BACK?
Extremely tough.

But such is the beauty and the beast of picking a true statewide All-Star team that doesn’t just simply reward the 25 best running backs in Eastern Mass. – when you’ve got just four slots to pick from 300-plus schools, an elite player inevitably gets left off the list.

Andover’s Andrew Coke came into the season as the lone returning All-State running back (Catholic Memorial’s Armani Reeves was an athlete selection). But as good as he’s been for the 4-2, Golden Warriors, there have been better resumes through the first half of the season.

BC High’s Preston Cooper has 14 rushing touchdowns through six games and is coming off a 202-yard performance in a 32-0 blanking of a tough Marlborough squad. Concord-Carlisle’s George Craan would be on pace for a ridiculous senior season if not for the emergence of Tyquan Culbreath, and the overall ease with which the Patriots have disposed of opponents so far.

Meanwhile, a trio of Western Mass. tailbacks have emerged on the scene forcefully, all averaging seven yards or more per carry.

Springfield Putnam’s Melquawn Pinkney currently leads the state in rushing yards (1,526) and rushing touchdowns (24). Longmeadow’s T.J. Norris (1,003 rushing yards, 15 TD) is a fire hydrant at 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds. Folks within the Everett program still tell us Springfield Central’s Sacoy Malone (916 yards, 7 TD) is one of the best backs they’ve faced in two years. If his performance in the Eagles’ 21-20 upset of Longmeadow last week is any indication (194 yards, 2 TD), he could be in for a terrific second half.

Also not to be forgotten is King Philip’s Charles Ruffin, who is coming on strong after a 147-yard performance in last week’s win over North Attleborough. The track star’s elite speed is known about statewide, but he’s starting show his toughness between the tackles. Health will be key, as he’s already missed some time with injury.

GIVE P-FUNK CREDIT
Back when Paul Funk was still an assistant at Everett, the program at Dennis-Yarmouth was in such shambles that the school was thinking of dropping the program altogether.

In his first year, back in 2001, the Dolphins played only JV games. Since then, he’s slowly built up a program that has become arguably the Cape’s most consistent over the last half-decade. Since their last losing season in 2006, the Dolphins are 38-12, including a 6-0 mark this year; if the Dolphins stay the course, they will wrap up their third 10-win season in six years, and their second-straight Division 2A playoff berth after earning their historic first a season ago.

This year, the Dolphins boast one of the state’s elite jump-ball receivers in Damion Johnson and arguably the toughest pound-for-pound quarterback in Matt Montalto. But it’s not about the superstars that make this program go.

More often than not, D-Y wins with undersized players who are neither big nor athletic, but embrace contact and love to hit. With little depth, most of the starters go both ways, and guys like 5-foot-7 defensive tackle Tommy Kennedy are relied upon to shoot the gaps rather than fill them. At the end of the day, this is a well-conditioned, disciplined team that has to be one of the favorites in Division 2A if all goes to plan.

WILL THE KNIGHTS BE RIDING COME DECEMBER?
Have you heard about Catholic Memorial's four FBS recruits? Have you heard about their opening day loss to Marshfield?

It’s all old news, but now the question is whether the Knights can heed the lessons learned from the Rams debacle and translate that into a Catholic Conference championship.

Following a bye week last week, the Knights will embark on their four-game conference schedule, which is bisected by a matchup with Brockton in two weeks, on Friday against Malden Catholic. The biggest of those game occurs in their Thanksgiving Day game against BC High, provided there are no missed steps along the way. You have to like CM’s chances against Malden Catholic and the Prep, but if CM can knock off Xaverian, that would set up the winner-take-all matchup at the end of their regular season schedule.

There’s no question the Knights have the talent to beat Xaverian, or the third-ranked Eagles for that matter. But, as has been the case in the last couple of seasons, it’s not about if, it’s about when. Is this the time that the group led by A.J. Doyle, Donovan Henry, Armani Reeves and Camren Williams prove good on their promise?

CAN NEW BEDFORD WIN THE BIG 3 AGAIN?
When New Bedford knocked off Brockton in their Big Three meeting last November, it was a shocking upset.

If the Whalers are to repeat the feat this year, a New Bedford victory wouldn’t be greeted with such surprise.

Myles Medeiros (11 TD passes) has the Whalers offense firing with a legitimate down-field threat in receiver Jaraud Wood, while running back Marcel DePina needs only a yard to shake loose from defenses in the open field. In addition, the defense, led by junior lineman Tyler Arena has been strong.

Meanwhile, Brockton pulled off an upset last week against New Hampshire behemoth Pinkerton Academy (its fifth straight win against the Astros), so you can’t count out the Boxers quite yet, despite a slow start (1-3) to the season. But clearly the balance of power in the Big Three (read: Brockton, Brockton and, ahem, Brockton) isn’t quite what it used to be.

… THAT BEING SAID
The most encouraging thing you can say about Brockton’s season thus far has been the emergence of quarterback Austin Roberts. The junior signal-caller had his biggest game yet last week against Pinkerton. Roberts completed 14 of 22 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns to down the Granite State’s top team.

If Roberts can keep the big plays coming, Brockton is still very much a threat.

ROCK ‘EM, SOCK ‘EM
No. 4 Chelmsford showed once again last week why the Merrimack Valley Conference Large runs through them in a thorough victory over Andover on Saturday.

But let’s not crown the Lions and Mr. Football challenger Tim Joy champions just yet. After all, they still have a pesky Central Catholic team on the schedule, in addition to huge games at Lowell and at Billerica to finish on Turkey Day. Both the Red Raiders and Indians made their debuts in our Top 25 this week after both teams have been flying under the radar a little at 5-1. Dynamic quarterback R.J. Noel has Red Raider nation believing that this could be the team to unseat Chelmsford, while the Indians feature a defense that is much improved from last year’s edition.

Plus, Billerica still has that LaSpada kid causing havoc for defenses and you can’t underestimate that.

ROCK ‘EM, SOCK ‘EM: PART DEUX
Akin to the MVC, the Hockomock League always fields one of the most competitive leagues in the state from top to bottom. And we’ve seen that parity play out in the first half, what with Stoughton’s shocking win over Mansfield.

What is for certain is that the league, which now has two playoff bids for the first time for its Davenport and Kelley-Rex winners, is still wide open.

Mansfield remains in the driver’s seat in the large division with wins over King Philip and Attleboro, but the Hornets’ game against North still looms. In the Davenport, the likely winner-take-all meeting between Oliver Ames and Stoughton is still three weeks away, but the Tigers’ matchup with Mansfield on Friday will be a good indicator of how far they’ve come this season.

MANSFIELD, Mass. -– Greg Donahue rushed for three touchdowns and Craig Mallett finished the scoring with a 102-yard interception return to bolster the Mansfield Hornets over Attleboro, 28-7. The ground attack from the hornets was vicious, eating up the clock and keeping Attleboro’s offense cool for most of the night.

“We had to have had 250 yards on the ground. We’ve got a bunch of backs with [Blayne] Taylor, Donahue, [Dylan] Finnerty and [Mike] Farrell. That’s our M.O., we’re just going to pound the ball and try to play good d[efense],” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding.

Although the Attleboro offense was able to get with scoring distance by forcing defensive stops and producing in offensive spurts, they just could not get the edge on Mansfield. This tactic of resilience is something that is taught to the players by staff and their teammates.

“Never surrender is one of our biggest mottos on this team,” added senior defensive end Zach Schafer. “We’ve got a lot of soul and hope on our defense out here and we took it to them.

Attleboro coach Kevin Deschenes agreed. With an offense that has found a way to make it work, the level of play by the Mansfield defense left his team with little room to breathe.

“They were able to play swarm defense, they were able to get penetration on Chris [Walsh] and he had no time to throw the ball,” said Deschenes. “They stepped it up and were able to get the job done up front.”

One More Chance: With 3:54 left in the game, Blue Bombadiers got a chance to score and make it a one score game. Quarterback Chris Walsh threw three passes, two to Zach Schweiger for 20 yards and one to Malique Clark for 38, the Hornet defense brought pressure up front and shut down Attleboro’s air show. After two sacks, 4th and 23 didn’t allow Attleboro many options, but they got the ball back on a Shawn Reardon fumble recovery. Unable to convert that, the game three touchdowns away was out of their bombing range.

The Donahue Show: Greg Donahue put on a running drill clinic tonight. Following blocks and filling open gaps quickly, he burst through lineman attempting to arm tackle and running through the secondary and linebacker core trying to grab onto his jersey.

“I knew they were big, much bigger than me, so I had to get my center of gravity low so when they hit me I still had a lot of power to stay and I said ‘stay up, get that extra yard," he said.

During the week at practice is where Donahue hones his running skills. Going up against the toughest competition during the week seems to be paying off for Donahue.

“Danny Gimore nails me and I just stay up. If it wasn’t for him, I’d get tackled easy," he said.

MANSFIELD 28, ATTLEBORO 7
ATL (4-2) 0 7 0 0 --- 7
MAN (5-1) 0 7 6 15 --- 28

Second Quarter
A – JJ Jolaoso 65 fumble recovery (Chris Walsh kick)
M – Greg Donahue 22 run (Mike Hershman kick)

Third Quarter
M – Donahue 5 run (failed kick)

Fourth Quarter
M – Donahue 3 run (Donahue rush)
M – Craig Mallett 102 interception return (Hershman kick)

Due to the forecast of heavy rain and possible thunder and lightning, Mansfield head coach Mike Redding announced that the No. 12 Hornets' home game with Attleboro, initially scheduled for tomorrow night at Alumni Field, has been moved to Saturday at 6 p.m.

The Hornets (4-1) and Blue Bombardiers (4-1) are two of four teams currently either undefeated or with one loss overall in the Hockomock's Kelly-Rex Division.

With the start of the Massachusetts football season hours away, let's get the season going with our first installment of our weekly picks:

EAST LONGMEADOW at LYNN CLASSICAL
The Skinny: One of several pivotal regional showdowns this opening weekend as the Spartans -- a program on the rise, which spent time in our polls last season and took Longmeadow to overtime on Thanksgiving -- look for some respect on the North Shore. Classical is one of several favorites in top tier of the newly-aligned NEC/CAL. Both teams are looking to make a statement.
Scott Barboza: I'm siding with the Rams' home-field advantage here. Lynn Classical, 24-17.
Brendan Hall: Hard to forget that this is a Classical team that took Catholic Memorial to the wire, won eight games and was a Gloucester loss from going to the playoffs. Still, let's not underestimate the Spartans. East Longmeadow, 21-14.

NO. 11 ANDOVER AT NO. 21 NORTH ANDOVER
The Skinny: This about as intriguing a matchup as you'll find in Week 1. The question is what will Andover's offense like this sesaon? Whether he's lined up in the backfield or under center, we can expect another huge season for Andrew Coke. The same can be said for North Andover quarterback and fellow Mr. Football candidate Brandon Walsh.
Barboza: This will be a good test of the Golden Warriors' defense, especially Coke, who will be playing some in the secondary this season. Andover, 20-16.
Hall: Two high-octane spread attacks. Can you say Wild West? North Andover, 38-35.

NO. 8 BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM AT NO. 2 DUXBURY
The Skinny: The connections on this one run deep from B-R head coach Dan Buron, who's the uncle of Duxbury WR/DB Andrew Buron. Both of these offenses looked a bit sluggish at times during the preseason, but each return what should be among the top defensive units in their respective divisions. This could be a low-scoring affair.
Barboza: Revenge factor is big here as the Trojans haven't forgotten what the Dragons did to them in last year's season opener on their turf. B-R, 16-14.
Hall: I promise, no goofy nicknames for the Duxbury defense this year. Straight, no chaser. Duxbury, 21-10.

NO. 5 BROCKTON AT NO. 3 BC HIGH
The Skinny: Like leaves changing colors, this annual season-opening showdown at Viola Stadium is a rite of autumn. Usually a tightly-contested matchup, a Paul Mroz 55-yard strike to Albert Louis-Jean sealed this one a year ago. Preston Cooper, the reigning Catholic Conference MVP, will lead an Eagles squad that is loaded up front. Meanwhile, eyes will be on Josh Brewster as he takes over the vaunted tailback role at Brockton.
Barboza: This is an important game to getting the Eagles offense on track, and look for Bartley Regan to have a big game. BC High, 28-26.
Hall: Hard to believe the Boxers haven't won since Paul Mroz's Hail Mary to Lucas Depina last season, oddly enough over BC High's archrival. But I can see them pulling out some fourth-quarter magic to win this one. Brockton, 14-13.

NO. 4 CATHOLIC MEMORIAL AT MARSHFIELD
The Skinny: By now, CM's fantastic foursome of A.J. Doyle, Cam Williams, Armani Reeves and Donovan Henry are household names in Massachusetts. But they matchup here will be in the trenches, where historically Marshfield has always been well-equipped. The Knights' line is certainly not lacking in size, but the key might be how they weather Lou Silva's unorthodox variations of the Wing-T attack.
Barboza: I was going to go upset special here, but I think the Knights simply have too much on offense. CM, 31-20.
Hall: This ain't you father's Wing-T, and the ol' ball coach Lou Silva is gonna have his boys fired up for this one. I'm feeling lucky. Marshfield, 10-7.

CENTRAL CATHOLIC AT MARLBOROUGH
The Skinny: Another regional showdown, Central graduated one of the MVC's best linebacking corps last year in Trae Musumarra and Jaycob Morales, but still have an elite quarterback in Matt McDermott. Marlborough, always a tough out under Sean Mahoney, figures to be an effective passing attack out of a complex read-option scheme. But watch out for Austin Garvey, a returning 1,000-yard rusher who can punish in multiple ways.
Barboza: The Raiders lose a lot from last year, but they still have an experienced quarterback in Matt McDermott. He'll be the difference in this one. Central, 20-14.
Hall: Let's not forget two years ago Central came down to Kelliher Field and everybody thought it was gonna be a cakewalk. All the Panthers did was pitch a shutout and go on to the D1 Super Bowl. Marlborough, 14-12.

DIGHTON-REHOBOTH AT SOMERSET
The Skinny: An underrated non-league rivalry in Southeastern Massachusetts. There's plenty of interaction between the two towns including D-R head coach Dave Driscoll, who's a Hall-of-Famer at Somerset. After a Super Bowl appearance last year, this is an early test for the returning EAC champion Raiders.
Barboza: The backfield combo of Rocha and Benvie will be exciting to watch all season. D-R, 27-13.
Hall: We're still due for a night of steak dinner with some friends of ours down in Camelot. I hope that offer's still on the table after I pick the Blue Raiders to lose this one. D-R, 13-7.

LEOMINSTER AT NO. 1 EVERETT
The Skinny: Storylines galore in this one. Leominster controversially pushed legendary coach John Dubzinski aside to make room for Dave Palazzi, who previously won a Super Bowl with Millbury and is known for his spread scheme. That could be beneficial for their speedy skill players, who looked promising in the preseason. Also of note, Leominster's freshman squad beat Everett's last season. Meanwhile, quarterback Jonathan DiBiaso is breaking in some new receivers after throwing for a state-record 43 touchdown passes in 2010. He should be helped by a bulky offensive line and one of the state's best running backs in Vondell Langston.
Barboza: Too many weapons for the Crimson Tide, even without Costello and Asprilla. Everett, 27-13.
Hall: Quick shoutout to my old defensive coordinator from my playing days at Oakmont, Kevin Murphy, who's now on Dave Palazzi's staff at Leominster. OK, now that we've gotten that out of the way....Everett, 28-10.

FOXBOROUGH AT NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH
The Skinny: Although these two schools are in different Hockomock divisions now, this rivalry is a heated one. Paul Sestito is looking to lead the Warriors back to the playoffs in the Kelley-Rex division and a win against the Red Rocketeers would go a long way to building confidence.
Barboza: The Red Rocketeers lost a lot from last year, but they hold on for a win in this Hockomock rivalry matchup. North, 20-13
Hall: After some lean years, the tables are stacked in the Warriors' favor to make a return to prominence. It starts Friday night. Foxborough, 15-9.

No. 24 GLOUCESTER AT LYNN ENGLISH
The Skinny: It'll be a new look Gloucester team from the squads that won three out of the last four Super Bowls, but the Fishermen are still talented and will be lead by TE/LB Chris Burke. Lynn English's attack should be tough through the air, and is bolstered by several transfers as well.
Barboza: The Fishermen keep the winning streak in tact and get head coach Tony Zerilli his first win. Gloucester, 13-7.
Hall: The King ain't dead. Gloucester, 24-12.

ATTLEBORO AT BISHOP FEEHAN
The Skinny: The battle of Attleboro will feature two teams looking to get to the top of their respective divisions. The Bombardiers might have one of the best backfields in the state with transfer Zach Schweiger joining J.J. Jolaoso, while Curt Smith's team is eyeing an EAC crown.
Barboza: Great non-league town matchup. The backfield of Schweiger and Jolaoso takes over. Attleboro, 27-20.
Hall: All this talk about Mansfield, North Attleborough, King Philip, even that dark horse Franklin, and quietly the Blue Bombardiers might have the best backfield in the Hock. Let's not forget these guys pounded Feehan last year, too. Attleboro, 17-13.

NO. 6 MANSFIELD AT CHRISTIAN BROTHERS ACADEMY (N.Y.)
The Skinny: Well, to be fair, we don't know much about Christian Brothers other than it's a great song by Elliott Smith (look it up). So let's talk about the Hornets instead. Will Blayne Kelley-Taylor take some of load Jamel Marshall used to shoulder? Will the defense be the same without some of its key cogs from last season? This will be a good test and a start to the answer to those questions.
Barboza: When in doubt, go with the locals. And I like the Hornets defense led by Nick Leonard. Mansfield, 21-17.
Hall: Overrated? Overrated? Without Gerry McNamara we don't win 10 games this year, OK? Not 10. Oh wait, there's football in Syracuse? Mansfield, 21-19.

NO. 9 ST. JOHN'S (SHREWSBURY) AT HOLY NAME
The Skinny: Shrewsbury is looking for an encore performance after a record-setting year from two of its finest players in program history, Dan Light and Richard Rodgers. How do they follow up? Efrain Montalvo, one of the region's best running underneath routes, figures to be the key figure here. Meanwhile, the Naps lack numbers as usual, but are always well-prepared under Mike Pucko.
Barboza: Effrain Montalvo goes off for a couple of touchdowns. St. John's, 13-7.
Hall: As usual, the Naps will make this interesting. St. John's. 20-13.

NO. 22 LINCOLN-SUDBURY AT TEWKSBURY
The Skinny: The Warriors are the prohibitive favorites in the DCL Large thanks to juniors Brian Carroll and Chris Giorgio. While quaterback Kevin Saunders hopes to lift the Redmen back to the top of the MVC Small.
Barboza: Carroll could emerge as a Mr. Football candidate by season's end. L-S, 20-17.
Hall: A quality barometer for both schools. L-S was a raw squad when they fell in their opener last year, but I think they're well-oiled this time. L-S, 17-10.

NO. 19 DRACUT AT NO. 12 ST. JOHN'S PREP
The Skinny: The matchup to watch out for is in the trenches. The Middies have a terrific offensive line led by Peter Salem. On the other hand, the Eagles don't return a single starter on the O-line from last year. That group could take their bumps early on.
Barboza: The questions on the Eagles' offensive line bear their head in this one. This is my upset special of the week. Dracut, 26-20.
Hall: The Middie Machine officially arrived six seasons ago when Bobby Russo led them to an upset of Prep. The rest is history. Bobby's the quarterbacks coach now -- you don't think he's got something to say this week? Dracut, 31-27.

NO. 13 AUBURN AT SHREWSBURY
The Skinny: Auburn puts its 37-game win streak, third best in the nation, on the line in this one. The Rockets will have to weather a Shrewsbury defense, led by linebacker Kristian Jackson, that figures to be much-improved from a four-win 2010 campaign. On their own end, Auburn is breaking in some new skill players, but still have one of the fastest down-field threats in Fred Taylor, while boasting a line that is young but averages 250 pounds across.
Barboza: 38 and counting...Auburn, 21-20.
Hall: There's a good chance Auburn's 37-game win streak comes to an end Saturday. But honestly, I think the chances are greater in Week 2. I see the Rockets escaping. Auburn, 14-12.

BEST OF THE REST
Billerica over Burlington
Chelmsford over Westford
Concord-Carlisle over Beverly
Franklin over Milford
Holliston over Stoughton
King Philip over Wayland
Masconomet over Lowell
Minnechaug over Silver Lake
Nauset over Dover-Sherborn
Needham over Norwood
Oliver Ames over Medfield
Plymouth North over Methuen
Reading over Lawrence
St. Peter-Marian over Fitchburg
Woburn over Acton-Boxborough
Xaverian over Malden Catholic

Barring any unforeseen last-step hurdles, Milford and Taunton will join the Hockomock League starting with the 2012-2013 academic year.

Milford athletic director Richard Piergustavo and Taunton’s Mark Ottavianelli have attained their respective school committee’s approval on the move. With the Scarlet Hawks and Tigers on board, the Hockomock will expand to 12 teams, with two six-team divisions dictated by school enrollment.

The Hockomock’s latest additions trace back to its last expansion when the league admitted Attleboro, which completed its first Hockomock season of play in 2011.

“We first applied when Attleboro applied and the league was looking to expand,” Ottavianelli said.

It is believed that neither of the school’s current leagues — the Mid-Wach A and Old Colony League — will bar them from leaving.

However, Taunton’s departure will leave the OCL with just three remaining schools: Barnstable, Bridgewater-Raynham and Dartmouth. The league, which dates back to 1948, has seen leaner years recently with 11 schools departing its ranks in less than a decade.

“We also applied to the Hockomock a couple of years ago,” B-R athletic director Dan Buron said. “We were disappointed that we weren’t extended an invitation as well. But I wish Taunton well, it’s a great league [the Hockomock], it’s clearly one of the most competitive in the state.”

With no immediate plans for OCL expansion on the horizon, its future is — at best — uncertain.

Buron said he’s scheduled to meet with Barnstable’s Steve Francis and Dartmouth’s Jeff Caron in the coming weeks to discuss the league’s long-term plans.

But there aren’t many options available. If there are no changes, the OCL will join Division 1’s Big Three as the only other three-team conference in the state.

“I really don’t know what there is to do,” Buron said. “The three of us that are left, we just have to circle the wagons for now. There are no quick fixes and we have to do what’s best for each of the remaining schools. What’s good for B-R might not be good for Barnstable, or Dartmouth, or vice versa.”

That numbers game was a factor in Taunton’s hop to the Hock.

“We played 46 different schools total this year,” Ottavianelli said, “the logistics behind that is challenging. This way [in the Hockomock], we know we’re going to have consistent rivalries and it will help with travel arrangements, keeping our play in the immediate area.”

ALIGNING INTO PLACE
Using last year’s enrollment figures, here’s a look at how the Hockomock figures to shape up in 2012.

The final breakdown will be announced in Dec. 2011 with the updated figures, and there’s a possibility North Attleborough could move down and Oliver Ames could move up, but here’s how the divisions look to align:

Kelley-Rex Division (Large School): Attleboro, Franklin, King Philip, Mansfield, North Attleborough, Taunton

Davenport Division (Small): Canton, Foxborough, Milford, Oliver Ames, Sharon, Stoughton