ESPN

Some final thoughts as we put a close on the 2012-13 high school basketball season...

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A FLU SHOT HE'LL NEVER FORGET

After committing to Vanderbilt last August, Lynn English's Ben Bowden told ESPNBoston.com he was leaning towards not coming back out for basketball his senior year, saying "it delayed my pitching", that he lost "alot of interest" from some colleges "because I didn't throw hard as they wanted me to."

"I'm leaning that way so I can be fully prepared, because we've got the [MLB] draft and everything," Bowden told us at the time. "Where it's at right now, I don't see myself playing. But it was fun while it lasted."

Bowden, a 6-foot-4 lefty flreballer, is one of the state's most heralded prospects following his junior season, which started with a perfect game against Marblehead and ended with a spot on ESPN Boston's All-State Team and whispers of draft potential. He was 10 minutes away from spending his winter in the gym sharpening his craft, on his own; but a chance encounter on the first day of basketball tryouts changed all that.

The school was conducting flu shots that day, and the location just happened to be near basketball coach Mike Carr's office. As Bowden's girlfriend was getting her shot, Carr light-heartedly ribbed him about spurning one last winter with the team. After Bowden wished Carr good luck and the two parted ways, Bowden bumped into a half-dozen Bulldogs players, who gave him even more ribbing.

Bowden went home, thought about it, and by 5 p.m. had changed his mind.

And boy, was he glad. The Bulldogs captivated the City of Lynn over the second half of the season and throughout their sudden run to the MIAA Division 1 North finals, with Bowden starting at power forwrad, drawing fans from all four of the high schools to come see their wildly-entertaining brand of run-and-gun. He called the Bulldogs' wild 94-87 win over Everett in the D1 North semifinals "the best atmosphere I've ever played in any sport", and doesn't regret a minute of his time this winter.

"It got me into very good shape, obviously I have no regrets at all," he said. "Even if I got hurt, I wouldn’t have regretted playing at all. It was an awesome experience."

Vandy head coach Tim Corbin encourages multi-sport activity out of his high school recruits, a sentiment many high school baseball coaches support for a multitude of reasons -- primarily, that it encourages competitive spirit, and also works different muscle groups to keep the body in prime shape.

Carr heavily emphasized conditioning this year with his team, concluding practice each day with a grueling 10-minute session up and down the school's four flights of stairs, and it's paid off for Bowden. Headed into his first start of the spring, currently slated for April 10, he says this is the "best I've ever felt going into a baseball season."

"I feel my legs are stronger, I'm pushing off the mound better," Bowden said. "My core has gotten stronger. Everything we did for basketball has helped me in a positive way for baseball."

Talking about keeping his arm loose, he added, "I feel the best I've ever felt going into a baseball seasons, and I think it's because I've lost quite a bit of weight. I'm feeling a lot better and a lot lighter, and also because I was throwing more...By the time baseball started [this season] I was on my seventh week of throwing. I was a lot more ready than I was in any other season. I was smart about my decision to play basketball because I knew I had to get throws in."

As basketball becomes more individualized at younger and younger ages in this AAU-ized era of specialization, we sometimes forget that these sports can bleed into each other. Notre Dame hoop coach Mike Brey first heard about Pat Connaughton after a tip from the Irish's baseball coach. Soccer prowess helped Danvers' Eric Martin and Melrose's Frantdzy Pierrot become more elusive runners in the open floor. And some are quietly wondering if football may end up being the meal ticket for Wakefield super-sophomore Bruce Brown, who excels with the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) but also turned in a pretty nice campaign last fall at wide receiver. Same with another budding BABC star, Brendan Hill of Mansfield.

Unless you're one of the top players in the country at your position, I'll never understand why some physically-mature high school guards don't at least give an additional sport a try -- but that's a probably a topic for a whole other day. Know that for as much accolades as we've all poured on English's talented trio of guards, Bowden may have played the most important position of all -- the Joey Dorsey, the rock-solid post player down low counted on for rebounds that can keep possessions alive, and facilitate a whip-quick fast break going the other way.

And to think, if his girlfriend hadn't gone to get a flu shot that first day of tryouts, we might be talking about a whole different story in Lynn.

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MORE THAN JUST 'WANTING IT MORE'

You have to think long and hard to find the last time a kid in the Merrimack Valley Conference went from benchwarmer on one team in one season, to league MVP on another team the next.

Chris Bardwell's transformation from garbage-time go-getter at Central Catholic in 2012 to an ESPN Boston Super Team selection at North Andover in 2013 is one that will be held up as a model example of will power. At least, that was the rhetoric being told this winter -- that if you want it bad enough as Bardwell, if you train hard enough, you can make the jump.

Sure, some of this transformation has to do with the mental element. But Mansfield wanted it just as bad as Putnam in the Division 1 state title game, and was unable to prevent the Beavers from continuously leaking out for some uncontested fast break points. Scituate wanted to just as bad as Brighton in the Division 2 Eastern Mass. title game at the Garden, but couldn't cleanly escape on-ball pressure from Nate Hogan long enough to prevent Malik James' last-second heroics.

I think of Bardwell -- also a lefty pitcher with reportedly mid to high-80's velocity -- and I think back to my first months at ESPNBoston.com, in the summer of 2010, when St. John's Prep star Pat Connaughton was one of the hottest names nationally on the recruiting front. In basketball, he was an ESPN 100 prospect with a lengthy list of suitors east of the Mississippi. On the mound, he was an overpowering righty with first five round potential, named by Baseball America as one of the nation's top 100 high school prospects.

Connaughton had big hype, and in turn put in a legendary summer workout regimen to back it up, sometimes putting in eight hours of training a day -- quite literally, treating it like a 9-to-5. After signing with Notre Dame, the results spoke for themselves -- a state championship, All-State recognition in both sports, and a Day 3 selection by the San Diego Padres.

OK, so Bardwell's not Connaughton. The point is, situations like Bardwell's are the product of both opportunity and preparation, and all that will power is for naught if you're not training right. Bardwell came into the last offseason more determined, but he also upped his daily cardio, played more basketball, and changed his diet, cutting out junk and carbonated beverages and increasing his protein intake. Training for both basketball and baseball certainly helped him stay sharp.

Let's not forget had Bardwell stayed at Central, he would have been battling for playing time among a deep stable of forwards, duking it out with the likes of Doug Gemmell, Nick Cambio, Joel Berroa and Aaron Hall. At North Andover, he could fit in snugly as a terrific compliment to one of the state's best bigs in Isaiah Nelsen -- though in the end, obviously, Bardwell turned out to be the star of the show.

Success stories come from anywhere. Just take a look at another former Central Catholic baseball product, Dennis Torres, who was cut four times by the varsity during his high school years yet was drafted by the Orioles last June after walking-on at UMass.

Like Bardwell, he wanted it badly. Clearly, Torres was sick and tired of being sick and tired. But as usual, it's never as simple as pure will power and mental maturation. There's a method, and Bardwell played it right.

***

RE-BIRTH OF THE RUN?

When you think of the MIAA's most dominant running teams of the 21st century, there are two programs that come to mind. One is the Charlestown juggernaut of the early 2000's, ranked nationally by USA Today and led by electric scorers like Rashid Al-Kaleem, Tony Chatman, Ridley Johnson and Tony Lee. The other is Newton North, winners of back-to-back D1 state titles behind one of the East Coast's best backcourts in Anthony Gurley and Corey Lowe.

Not about to call it a renaissance, but if there's one thing I'll take away more than anything else from this MIAA season, it's the return of quality running teams to the upper echelon. The two best running teams we saw this season represented two different styles.

There was Lynn English, pushing a white-knuckle pace, using more than 15 seconds of the shot clock only sparingly, and blitzing the opposition coming the other way with in-your-grill, full court man-to-man pressure. It took about half a season for Mike Carr's unique system to click -- but once it did, they were firing on all cylinders. The Bulldogs' backcourt of Freddy Hogan, Stevie Collins and Erick Rosario was as good as any in the state the second half of the season, with the former two earning ESPN Boston All-State honors earlier this week.

With just one real post pivot, senior Ben Bowden, the Bulldogs relied on their guards to generate transiton by forcing turnovers, sometimes flat out ripping the ball out of players' grips for easy fast break points. Carr's emphasis on conditioning was well-known, the the Bulldogs never looked tired.

Many will point to Central Catholic's stark rebounding advantage as to why they were able to lay a dump truck on English in the D1 North Final (they held a 28-7 advantage at the half), but -- follow me here -- that was practically by design. The Bulldogs flat out bailed on offensive possessions once the shot went up, surrendering the advantage and forcing Central's guards to make plays (they did, and did often).

That philosophy stood in contrast to what I felt was the state's best running team this year, Division 1 state champion Putnam. They seemed to play a physical brand of basketball in the City of Springfield this year, and nobody exemplified this better than the Beavers, who made up for lack of height with plenty of linebacker-like bulk in forwards KayJuan Bynum and David Murrell, both ESPN Boston All-State selections.

Throughout the season, Putnam coach William Shepard demonstrated enough faith in Bynum and Murrell's ability to get defensive rebounds that the Beavers' guards could continually leak out of possessions early to get fast break after fast break (Bynum and Murrell combined for 11.4 defensive rebounds, and 19.6 overall, per game this season). When an opposing team's shot went up, guards started strafing up the sidelines in anticipation of a long outlet pass. This led to a slew of production in the D1 state title game from guards Ty Nichols, Dizel Wright, Ki-Shawn Monroe and Jonathan Garcia.

Best of all, these two squads return a ton of talent to keep them in Top 10 consideration for the next two seasons. Both teams must find a replacement for their best big (English with Bowden, Putnam with Bynum), but feature a slew of talented backcourt and wing players to keep the tempo frenetic and the opposition uncomfortable.

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INTERVIEWS OF THE YEAR

My personal favorites for interviews of the year. First, the short category...



And now, the long category...



***

WILL JACK EVER COME BACK?

After Brighton won its first ever state title, Bengals coach Hugh Coleman held court in the media room at the DCU Center, dedicating the state title trophy and season to his lifelong mentor, legendary former Charlestown boss Jack O'Brien.

Anyone familiar with the bond between O'Brien and Coleman knows it is strong. O'Brien came into Coleman's life at a very hectic time -- being born when his mother was 20, becoming the man of the house at just 6 years old, and watching a number of his family members get rung up on drug arrests. He was under supervision of the Department of Social Services when he first met O'Brien as a freshman at Charlestown in 1993.

O'Brien is probably most known for his run of five D2 state titles in six seasons from 1999-2005 at Charlestown, and Coleman was an assistant on the last three. It's worth noting the 2003 squad, which Coleman's brother Derek captained, was the last squad to win both a city and state championship before Brighton did it this year.

"The way Jack O’Brien came into my life...He never recruited me, no one ever said I was going to Charlestown, I ended up going there by chance, he ended up going to Charlestown and it was special," Coleman said. "I lucked out and got the Brighton job four years ago. I probably wasn’t supposed to get it, but I did. A lot of people recruited him out of middle school to go to different schools, but he ended up at Brighton with me. So I think that’s such a great blessing. I’m glad that I’ve been able to be a part of his life, and him a part of my life. He’s made me a stronger person and I hope that I was able to rub off on him. He led us to victory this entire season, including today.

"I definitely want to dedicate this to Jack O’Brien. He should be coaching. He should be coaching, and I have no idea why he’s not coaching in the state of Massachusetts. In my opinion, he is the best coach in the state of Massachusetts. He is, and not just because he won games. He changed the lives of so many of us young men at Charlestown during that time. We went on to go to college. We went on to be great men, fathers, husbands, and you know what? It’s because of what he helped us do from the inside out. He helped us to be great men.

"I’ll be honest with you, I coach and I took the coaching job because he’s not coaching. I couldn’t allow that to...When they said he couldn’t coach, or they wouldn’t allow him to coach for whatever reason, I said I’ve got to keep the legacy going. He’s healthy, he’s a 10 times better man, whatever lesson I guess he was supposed to learn. It’s a shame he’s not coaching, because he is all that and then some."

Wherever he has gone, O'Brien has had dramatic results, producing McDonald's All-Americans at Salem High and nationally-ranked squads at Charlestown. But he has remained out of coaching since his 11th-hour departure from Lynn English hours before the first practice of the 2006-07 season. His name has been linked to jobs throughout Eastern Mass. over the years, most notably Somerville in 2008, but it's unclear when he'll return to coaching.

Still, with 400-plus wins, six state titles, some of the Bay State's most captivating running teams of the last quarter-century, and his age (he just turned 55 last month), there remains faith that he will turn up somewhere. Just where is anyone's guess.

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HALL'S TOP 10 FOR 2013-14

1. Mansfield
Hornets lost just one senior from their 2013 Division 1 state championship run and return the most talent of anyone in the state, including reigning Hockomock MVP Brendan Hill. A healthier Michael Hershman should bolster an already-deep lineup featuring Rocky DeAndrade, Michael Boen, Ryan Boulter, Kevin Conner and Kyle Wisniewski.

2. Lynn English
The returning backcourt of Freddy Hogan, Stevie Collins and Erick Rosario, along with wing Danny Lukanda, makes this team a preseason Top 5. Key will be the development of promising 6-foot-6 sophomore Johnny Hilaire, whose pogo-like leaping ability has begun to draw comparisons to former All-Stater Keandre Stanton.

3. St. John’s (Shrewsbury)
Pioneers return arguably the state’s best backcourt in Davon Jones and Adham Floyd, along with a dynamic frontcourt of T.J. Kelley, Drew Vittum and Charlie Murray. Next year gets interesting in D1 Central, with stalwarts such as Franklin, Westford and Acton-Boxborough joining the fray.

4. Central Catholic
A returning core of Tyler Nelson and Nick Cambio makes the Raiders one of the premier perimeter teams in Eastern Mass once again. Six-foot-6 junior Aaron Hall has big shoes to fill in the frontcourt, with the graduation of center Doug Gemmell.

5. Brookline
If all goes as planned and everyone returns, you’re looking at a coach’s dream. Elijah Rogers is a virtuoso at the point, and a supporting cast of Obi Obiora, Anthony Jennings, Tyler Patterson and Mark Gasperini makes them a formidable foe on size and skill alone.

6. Springfield Putnam
Beavers stand a legitimate chance at going back-to-back as D1 state champs as long as they can find an able replacement for graduating senior post KayJuan Bynum. By season’s end this was the best running team in the state –- who knows what another season of David Murrell, Dizel Wright, Jonathan Garcia, Ty Nichols and Ki-Shawn Monroe will bring?

7. Brighton
All signs point to Malik James having played his last game as a Bengal in the state championship game, but freshman Javaughn Edmonds shows promise to potentially fill the point guard role. Should All-State forward Nick Simpson return, you’re looking at a front line of Simpson and 6-foot-5 sophomore Jason Jones that is as good as any across Division 2.

8. Melrose
Scary as his junior season was, reigning Middlesex League MVP Frantdzy Pierrot could turn in an even more monstrous senior campaign in 2013-14 for the Red Raiders. With realignment shifting many teams in the North, and a quality stable of underclassmen led by freshman point guard Sherron Harris, next year is as good a time as any to strike.

9. Wakefield
Sophomore Bruce Brown is expected to return next season, and that alone makes the Warriors a favorite in D2 North. The question will be whether they can turn their early-season promise into deep playoff production, and whether they can get past the semifinal round.

10. Springfield Central
The Golden Eagles are not without talent, with one of the state's most promising big men in sophomore Chris Baldwin. The question will be if the guards and forwards can get on the same page, and we think after some growing pains this year, cousins Ju'uan and Cody Williams will make this team sharper coming off a disappointing Division 1 state title defense.

Others to watch: Acton-Boxborough, Andover, Braintree, Boston English, Catholic Memorial, Danvers, Haverhill, Holyoke, New Bedford, New Mission, Newton North, St. John’s Prep, Wachusett, Watertown

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. –- Some say the hardest thing to do in team sports is beat the same team three times. For Springfield Central, this task was made that much harder by a scrappy Holyoke team that refused to go away for 31 minutes and 39 seconds, before the reigning MIAA Division 1 State Champions finally closed out their 52-48 D1 West semifinal win at American International College.

The Golden Eagles got a balanced effort from their starting unit with Kamari Robinson, Chris Baldwin and Cornelius Tyson notching 11 points apiece while cousins Ju’uan and Cody Williams dropped in 10 and nine respectively. Holyoke’s Justin White had 18 points and seven rebounds to pace Holyoke.

The game was ugly early on, at least from Central’s point of view, as Holyoke jumped out to a 9-1 lead thanks in large part to five turnovers by the Golden Eagles.

“When you play a team for the third time, especially when it’s a league opponent, it’s going to be ugly it’s not going to be pretty,” Central coach Mike Labrie said. “That certainly was not pretty.”

The two teams combined for 13 first-half turnovers with nine of them coming from Central. Holyoke featured a zone defense that kept the ball out of Baldwin and Robinson’s hands and allowed the Purple Knights to lead for all but 4.2 seconds of the half.

On the last possession of the half, Tyson drove the lane, drew a foul and made the layup to give Central their first lead with 4.2 seconds remaining in the first half. The basket capped a 13-5 run that gave Central a 26-25 lead at the break and showcased Tyson’s big-game ability.

“We don’t know [what changes],” Robinson said of Tyson’s ability. “In the regular season he’s a completely different person then when big games come around he smartens up and plays more like him. He just calms down a little bit.”

Tyson’s big-game ability took center stage again later in the game when, after missing three consecutive free throws, he rebounded to hand out two assists on back-to-back plays. The first, a three by Ju’uan Williams, gave Central a 46-45 lead with 1:39 to play while the second, a two by Cody Williams, gave the Golden Eagles the breathing room they needed at 48-45.

A Cody Williams steal with 1:05 to play led to a one-and-one opportunity for Baldwin, but he would miss the front end and give Holyoke lift. Luis Vazquez would miss what would have been the game-tying three and two free throws from Ju’uan Williams appeared to ice the game.

However, on the next possession Guillermo Godreau-Rivera drove the lane and drew a trip to the line for what should have been two shots but became just one after Baldwin blocked the ball off the backboard on the way down and forced a goaltending call.

Godreau-Rivera made the free throw, closing the gap to 50-48, but two free throws from Robinson meant Central would return to the Western Mass. Championship.

“Perseverance,” Labrie said. “We persevered down the stretch against a tough opponent for the third time this year.”

All-Springfield Finale: For the second consecutive season the final game of the Western Mass. boy’s basketball schedule will be between two Springfield schools. After besting Springfield Commerce last year at the Curry Hicks Cage, Central will take on a formidable Springfield Putnam squad in the Western Massachusetts Championship on Saturday.

Putnam advanced to the final by beating West Springfield 64-42 in the first game of the semifinal double-header. With Central’s tough non-league schedule, the two schools did not meet during the regular season making Saturday’s game a winner-take-all battle.

“I know they’re just as hyped about the game as we are,” Kamari Robinson said. “We’re psyched to play each other and to see who’s better and settle all the mouths and the beef...and all the talk. We’ve got a chance to play each other and we have to play good.”

In January, Central played Manchester (Conn.) and West Springfield at the Hoophall Classic for two of their non-league contests. The other two came at the IAABO 130 Classic last month, where they lost to Central Catholic and Lynn English. With so much on the line –- the sectional championship, bragging rights, city supremacy –- Saturday’s contest should be an instant classic.

“I think it should be a great ball game,” Labrie said. “They work extremely hard, they match up well with us size wise. It may not be pretty, but it should be fun.”

The Confident Cousins Williams: Cody and Ju’uan Williams are most at home on the football field, starring for back-to-back Super Bowl finalists at quarterback and wide receiver, respectively. But this season they have become two of the most important players on the court for Central on the basketball court as well.

The biggest reason for their emergence: supreme confidence.

“They don’t know what pressure is. They make a mistake it’s over. It’s done. It’s passed,” Labrie said. “They’re very confident in their abilities and I’m very happy to have them on the team.”

The cousins Williams combined to score seven of Central’s last nine points for the game with none bigger than Ju’an’s three with 1:39 to play. The three came after back-to-back misses from three and was just the second he hit for the game.

Cody made his impact with a baseline jumper that stretched the lead to three and a steal on the next possession that almost iced the game for the Golden Eagles. Ju’an’s pair of free throws with 25.7 seconds to play snapped a cold streak from the line.

“We work as a team all the time and we have the No. 1 and 2 players in Western Mass. but if other people need to get called to step up that’s what we need to do and we did that tonight,” Cody said.

Cody and Ju’uan have already won one Western Mass. championship this year. What’s one more for the confident cousins?

LAWRENCE, Mass. -– Erick Rosario was asked about his flammable night in the IAABO Board 130 Classic, a career-high 38 points on 13-of-19 from the field in a surprise 81-73 upset of No. 10 Springfield Central in Central Catholic's Memorial Gymnasium, and the shy Lynn English sophomore mumbled a few terse clichés.

But when the 5-foot-10 guard was asked about the team’s frenetic pace, and whether it was tiring (it wasn’t), his head coach Mike Carr couldn’t help but chime in from beyond his shoulder.

“Tell them about the stairs,” he said with a smile.

Rosario let out a giggle. “We go hard,” he said of the daily post-practice routine, an intense 10-minute session involving sprints up and down the four-story steps of his high school.

At times, the Bulldogs’ pace became more chuck-and-duck than run-and-gun. Other times, it was just plain blitzkrieg. All of it overwhelmed the Golden Eagles (15-3) more and more as the game wore on, turning a 35-31 halftime lead into double-digits as the forced turnovers and ensuing fast breaks continued to mount.

In all, the Eagles committed 37 turnovers for the game, unable to cleanly break the full court man-to-man press of the Bulldogs (14-5). Things began to unravel late in the third quarter, after Central’s Ju’uan Williams darted through the lane with a euro-step and completed a three-point play to tie it at 44.

The Bulldogs took a 54-51 lead into the final frame, and shot out of the gates with a 12-4 run to build a comfortable cushion. Fueling the run was the play of Rosario and junior Freddy Hogan, who combined for 10 steals in the final frame.

One particular sequence at the start of the fourth put them over the top. First, Central’s Josh Malone was trapped near the scorer’s table by Rosario, who then lobbed the ball downcourt to Hogan for an easy lay-in. The next time down, Hogan came up with a steal near the volleyball line and threw a quick dish to Rosario.

The next time down, Rosario shimmied a defender with a euro-step and foul, completing the three-point play. That was followed up with another Rosario strip-and-rip fast break layup, followed by an unforced error from Central for a 67-55 English lead with 5:03 to go.

“If we’re not playing that style, we’re not a very good basketball team,” Carr said. “I think we wore them down in the first half, with that style I don’t think they’re used to it, the up and down. We’re growing, we’re getting better as a team. We’re young. I just think it’s our style, it’s starting to make us a better basketball team.”

Central head coach Mike Labrie conceded that the pressure -– in particular, the on-ball pressure from Hogan and Rosario – was at a level they’re not accustomed to.

“We haven’t faced that kind of pressure all year,” he said. “So, I think this is a good experience for us. It’s kind of embarrassing, frustrating, but I think we’ll be better for it.

“I don’t think I’ve ever coached a team that’s committed that many turnovers in a game. But you’ve got to give credit, they kept after it too. They didn’t get tired. We weren’t strong with the ball at all. We shot over 60 percent from the floor, so when we got shots up we were in good shape.”

Senior center Ben Bowden was the only other Bulldog in double-figures, with 16 points. Hogan turned in an impressive stat line otherwise, tallying seven steals and four assists, while sophomore guard Stevie Collins and junior forward Danny Lukanda pitched in with eight points apiece.

Central, dressing just nine players, had four of its five starters in double-figures. Senior wing Kamari Robinson led the Eagles with 22 points, while Cornelius Tyson (15), Ju’uan Williams (13) and his cousin Cody Williams (11) all played significant hands.

The Eagles’ fifth starter, 6-foot-8 sophomore phenom Chris Baldwin, had just seven points on 3-of-5 from the field, but was big on the defensive end. He totaled 15 rebounds -– all of them defensive -– and blocked five shots.

Running –- to a stand still: At times, the Bulldogs’ tempo resembled something from Paul Westhead’s famous “seven seconds or less” squads at Loyola Marymount, heaving long outlet passes upcourt immediately after a basket and wasting no time on the shot clock.

Other times, surprisingly enough, they were patient with the ball, running the clock down and working to get an open look. For all the talk of steal after steal, and frenetic speeds up and down the court, English also demonstrated patience in the half-court.

“It’s something we talk about, too. We run the flex quite a bit, and it’s a methodical offense,” Carr said. “It takes a while. Sometimes during the course of the season, because we’re so up and down, the first pass in the flex they shoot it. The last couple of days we’ve improved on that, and they did a great job today coming off screens.”

Running –- to a marathon: After each practice, Carr has his team run up and down the four flights of stairs in the school building, adding on to an already-heavy concentration on conditioning.

“Even our basketball drills, our first hour is up and down the court,” Carr said. “Every drill, we do man-to-man defensive drills…It’s just constant, we don’t stop for an hour, then we get our shooting in.”

That grueling routine paid off in games like tonight’s, where the backcourt looked like it could run all night. Hogan and Rosario were relentless in the Bulldogs’ full court man-to-man pressure, picking up their man immediately, staying on their hip and denying clean passes.

“This style, you give up layups, you give up open looks,” Carr said. “It’s more that we feel we wear teams down as the game goes. I feel we’ve had some success with that.”

Coming on strong: On paper, the Bulldogs figure to be a preseason favorite in 2013-14, with the graduation of just one player – Bowden, who is signed with Vanderbilt’s baseball program for next year. But lo and behold, since their Jan. 9 loss to Danvers , they have won 10 of their last 11 games, the lone blemish a one-point loss to Beverly.

That Danvers loss put the Bulldogs at 4-4 on the season. One month later, they’re looking at potentially a No. 6 seed in a loaded Division 1 North bracket, good enough to earn a first-round home game.

“I couldn’t be more proud of where we’ve come from the beginning of the season to now,” Carr said. “I said at the beginning of the season, we’re a young team and we’ll get better. Over the last week or two, it’s been a steady progression. I think our tempo, and everyone’s understanding of what we want, is why we’re starting to have success.”

Up Next: With the win, Lynn English moves on to Monday's finals against St. John's Prep, which survived a late rally from Central Catholic in the nightcap before a capacity crowd, 64-62. The boys final goes down at 7:15 p.m. and will conclude the two-day tournament. Springfield Central will face Central Catholic in the consolation game, at 3:45 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. –- Notes and observations from today’s scrimmage between No. 1 Springfield Central, widely considered as the best team out of western Mass. this year, against St. John’s-Shrewsbury, Central Mass’ highest ranked team.:

Kelley the catalyst: The biggest surprise of this scrimmage was the play of St. Johns’ 6-foot-6 junior forward T.J. Kelley. Kelley played second-fiddle last year to forward Matt Palecki, but with the big man graduated, Kelley appears to be taking much more of a leadership role for the Pioneers. Returning All-State forward Kamari Robinson was matched up with Kelley on several defensive possessions for Central, but Kelley never faltered or backed down. He finished around the basket through contact all night, was the Pioneers' most consistent rebounder, and, when need be, even did a little ball handling for the Pioneers.

Central’s dominant frontcourt: Springfield Central’s post combination of 6-foot-5 senior Kamari Robinson and 6-foot-7 sophomore Chris Baldwin could very well be the MIAA’s best this year. Robinson helped lead Central to last year’s Division 1 State Championship, the program's first since 1991. The Golden Eagles had trouble at times getting their bigs the ball, and St. John’s 2-3 zone defense certainly didn’t help matters. For example, Baldwin only had two decent looks from the post the entire third quarter.

As Baldwin becomes more comfortable playing with new teammates, Robinson takes more of an assertive role offensively, and Central improves at guard, this Golden Eagles squad has the talent to make a deep run in the state tournament.

Young guns step up for SJ: It was clear from the start tonight that Coach Bob Foley completely trusts Davon Jones with the Pioneers offense -- not bad for a sophomore who was playing safety for the Pioneers in last Saturday’s Division 1 Central Super Bowl loss to Leominster. Jones showed clearly that he is one of the most reliable point guards in the Western half of the state.

Though his jumpshot may take a couple weeks to come back, Jones did a great job of running the Pioneer offense. He made a few big stops defensively, and he showed the quickness to penetrate Central’s defense on many different occasions.

Freshman Adham Floyd also played a big role for the Pioneers off the bench. A highly-touted 6-foot-1 guard, Floyd stepped up and gave St. John’s an extra ballhandler when Jones or senior Ken Harrington needed a breather. Sophomore Stefan Masciarelli was very efficient off the bench, scoring ten points on five shots.

Eagles’ point guard woes: Cornelius Tyson was huge for Central during their state title run last season, but it looks as if for the forseeable future, Tyson won’t be a part of the team due to academic ineligibility. The Golden Eagles graduated a lot of talent in the backcourt, including Lee Turner, Chris Prophet, and ESPN Boston Super Teamer Tyrell Springer. In addition, junior guard Cody Williams -- whom Central was expecting to carry the load at guard -- is out for three weeks due to an ankle injury sustained while quarterbacking the Eagles to the Division 1 West Super Bowl championship over Longmeadow. His cousin Ju’an, a junior and three-sport standout, got some significant minutes tonight at guard.

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Brian Rivas broke a tackle and sprinted down the right sideline to break the deadlock between Longmeadow and Central just three minutes into the second half. Cody Williams clapped his hands together and limped towards the sideline, having delivered the strike to Rivas to put his team up early in the 3rd quarter. He winced in pain as he shambled off the field on his broken ankle.

After throwing an interception on Central’s opening drive and being forced into a three and out on the following one, Williams found himself at the bottom of the pile early in the 2nd quarter. Something snapped, and though Williams attempted to return that drive, he was ushered back to the sideline shortly thereafter. He remained there during Central’s next possession, up until the half.

“It hurt really bad,” Williams said about his ankle. “Something went the wrong way, but I knew I had to get back out here and help my team win.”

With 4:36 remaining in the 3rd quarter Ju’an Williams returned a Longmeadow punt 68 yards for Central's second score of the game to put his team up 15-0. The writing was on the wall for the Lancers. DeQuon Clemons scored from 32 yards out with 5:33 left in the 4th, and after a series of comical holding penalties and an Aaron Owens touchdown in the final minutes, the Central Eagles emerged victorious, 27-0.

A perfect game, coming against a team that had beaten Central two years in a row in the Western Mass Division I Super Bowl.

Cody Williams Inspires: When Williams limped off the field in the first half, his teammates were justifiably crushed, but his astonishing return lifted their spirits. Immobilized by his injured ankle, he trusted his offensive line to protect him as he searched for an opening in the stifling Longmeadow defense. They protected him, and he repaid them in turn only a few plays later with that touchdown. Though he wouldn’t complete a pass after that drive and finished with just 98 yards passing, his presence was enough to spark his teammates.

“When he went down some of the kids were very emotional,” said Central Coach Valdamar Brower. “When he was able to come play it was kind of unexpected, so I think that just fired the kids up even more.”

Brower added, “Cody Williams has the heart of a lion and he loves the game. Nobody was going to keep him off the field. That dude's a solider.”

Defense Carries the Day: With Cody Williams in and out during the first two quarters and Longmeadow’s offense grinding down the field, it was up to the Central defense to keep their team in the game. Despite turning the ball over three times in the first half, Central held their opponent scoreless until the break. Their line was dominant, keying on Longmeadow running back Austin Sierra and holding him to just 37 yards on 16 touches.

Time and again they got critical stops, forcing the Lancers to turn it over on downs three times. Longmeadow finished with 208 yards offensively, and the Eagles bent but didn’t break.

When Longmeadow was forced out of their comfort zone and into the air, the Eagles took advantage. If DeQuan Clemons' 32 yard touchdown run was the final nail in the coffin for the Lancers, then Tejano Smith’s second interception late in the fourth simply buried them.

“No regrets,” said Central’s Ju’an Williams. “Leave it all out on the field, we got nothing left after today. 365 days we had to wait to get back here and we made the best of it.”

Winning as a Team: Before the game Central declined to have the names of any individual players announced, fitting for a win that was all about the team. The Central scores came from four different players on both offense and special teams, and their defense was flawless in the shutout. No individual player had more than 100 yards for the Central Eagles. The post-game message from coach Brower was clear: this was a team victory.

“This is a great accomplishment,” Brower told his team after the game. “It’s all about the team and Central family. Everyone contributed to this. It’s a true team championship.”

“We talked at halftime about the team. No matter what happens everybody’s got to step up, it’s got to be a team win,” Brower said. “It’s just about the team.”

“We connect on everything,” Cody Williams said. “Through the line, through the air, running the ball; everything was put in place today. Obviously the defense did a great job too, and now we are champions.”

CENTRAL 27 LONGMEADOW 0

CNT (12-1) 0 0 15 12 --- 27
LM (10-3) 0 0 0 0 --- 0

Third Quarter
Brian Rivas 48 pass from Cody Williams (Ju'an Williams kick) 7:14
Ju'an Williams 68 punt return (Marcal Davis run) 4:36

Fourth Quarter
Da'Quon Clemons 32 run (kick failed) 5:33
Aaron Owens 48 run (rush failed) 0:48

WILBRAHAM, Mass. -– In a matchup that could be seen in next week’s playoffs, Springfield Central scored 31 unanswered points to take down Minnechaug, 31-8 in the annual Thanksgiving Day game at Falcon Field in Wilbraham.

Central (10-1) was trailing 8-0 early in the second quarter. But a six-minute, 66-yard drive, along with a key defensive stand, helped the Golden Eagles take the lead in a span of 26 seconds.

Junior quarterback Cody Williams and senior running back Aaron Owens took control on the ground, setting up Central inside the 10-yard line of the Falcons (7-4). Even when a pair of consecutive penalties (holding and delay of game) pushed the Eagles to a long 2nd-and-goal, Williams was able to find Travis Cusson in the end zone to get on the board. Central converted the two-point conversion to tie the score.

On the first play of Minnechaug’s ensuing drive, quarterback Kevin White over threw a pair of receivers and Tejano Smith came away with the pick. The senior defensive back brought it back to the 31-yard line before it was brought back due to penalty.

“The ball was in the air and my coach [defensive backs coach Julius Walker] yelled, ‘Get it’,” said Smith. “When the ball is in the air, I turn into a receiver.”

Smith would stay on the field on offensive and catch a 48-yard strike from Williams on first down, giving Central a 16-8 lead.

“He [Smith] is a great athlete,” said Central head coach Valadamar Brower. “He’s becoming a special football player. He has some great instincts.”

“I think he [Smith] is most underrated player in Western Mass.,” added Williams. “He deserves a lot more credit for what he does. He brings stuff to the table every time.”

Central started with the ball in the second half and scored on the third play of the half with Williams hitting senior Bryan Rivas with a screen pass for 56-yard touchdown. Rivas streaking down the sideline, hesitated and waited for his blockers, before cutting back into the end zone opening the lead, 23-8.

The Golden Eagles added a score in the fourth quarter to seal the game with a 10-yard touchdown run by junior Troy Morrow.

Williams ended the game eight-for-10 with 152 passing yard and three touchdown passes. Owens had 67 of Central’s 177 rushing yards.
Sheehan had game-high 78 rushing yards off 17 carries.

Not all about offense for Central: Thursday morning was a good example of Central’s toughness of defensive. Following the Smith’s touchdown reception, Minnechaug responded with a 76-yard kickoff return by Sheehan that gave the Falcons a 1st-and-goal from the Golden Eagle’s nine-yard line with 1:27 in the first half.

The Golden Eagles were helped out with a false start and an offensive pass interference that pushed the Falcons back. Central was able to knock down one of White’s passes in the end zone, before DaQuon Clemons picked off White’s next pass on the one-yard line, as Central took a lead into the locker room.

“Our defense is very tight,” said Smith. “Our red zone, we practice that all the time. Our safeties stepped up today.”

Twice in the second half, with Minnechaug on Central’s side of the field, the Golden Eagles were able to force fumbles and end solid drives by the Falcons.

The offense was led by Williams’ three touchdown passes, but the most important part of the Golden Eagles offense was the offensive line or the “hogs as they are referred to. Williams was sacked during the game, although whistled for several holding penalties, the o-line gave the mobile Williams enough time to roll out and make plays with either his feet or his arm.

“Those guys are phenomenal,” said Williams. “They’re my favorite guys on the team. I probably shouldn’t say that, but if you feed them, they protect you and good things happen.”

Prelude to the playoffs: This Thanksgiving Day game could be a preview of a matchup in the playoffs. Central and Minnechaug will both be there, just a matter of how the playoff picture will unfold.

In 2011, these two teams had to play in both Thanksgiving and the following Tuesday for the playoffs.

“Last season we had the opportunity of playing Minnechaug on Thanksgiving and then on Tuesday, so we’re in a little bit of familiar territory,” said the fifth-year Central coach. “With the experience of doing that last year, I guess we’ll try to build off that.”

However, this could be a better Minnechaug team Central could see in the playoffs. The Falcons have already had quarterbacks Alan McDonald (shoulder) and Anthony Roughgarden (shoulder) unable to take snaps under center. That has forced White to step into that role.

White has been the signal caller since Roughgarden went down in a loss to Central on Nov. 19. In that game White was 2-for-4 with 18 yards, his first snaps since a month earlier against Westfield.

“He didn’t have any practice,” said Minnechaug head coach Steve Allosso. “That was poor coaching on my part. Today he had a week and a half to practice and it showed.”

Allosso said that Roughgarden has a 50 percent chance to take snaps again for Minnechaug, while McDonald has been playing slot receiver, while battling the shoulder injury.

LONGMEADOW, Mass. -– When Ju’uan Williams was asked to slide into the quarterback role in place of his suspended star cousin two weeks ago, a position he hadn’t played since the fourth grade, he didn’t just serve for Springfield Central. He flat out dazzled, putting up over 200 yards from scrimmage in a blowout of East Longmeadow.

Tonight, amidst a 14-all deadlock with rival Longmeadow, with the ball in field goal range and 15 seconds left in regulation, Williams didn’t just bring in the play from the sidelines, a power-option right out of a two-back shotgun look aimed at simply moving the ball to the right hash mark for roughly a 30-yard field goal attempt.

No, it’s never as simple as just that with these Central kids. Somebody’s always got to make it interesting.

Williams brought the play into the huddle, told his linemen “Leave it all on the field”, then proceeded to cut back the opposite way from that intended hash mark to paydirt, a 15-yard scamper with six seconds left, to give the Golden Eagles (5-1) a dramatic 21-14 comeback win over Longmeadow that folks on Roosevelt Ave. will surely be talking about for a while.

It’s the second year in a row the Eagles have beaten the Lancers (4-2) in the regular season, having won 21-20 last October in equally-dramatic fashion. But it was also a revenge game; the Lancers rolled Central, 35-7, in the rematch at Gillette Stadium last December for the Division 1 West Super Bowl title.

“This game was personal,” said tight end Luis Ortiz. “We came out here, we fought, and we give it to our big men [the offensive line]. Without them, we can’t do anything.”

Williams (16 carries, 68 yards, TD; 8-of-14, 129 yards, 2 TD) was equally deferential to the trench, where linemen like Ishmael Figueroa and Shawn Lee seemed to get more push as time elapsed.

“The hogs were working to get the outside,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without them, and everyone that was blocking for me.”

But really, this was about a team collectively making a statement with its two biggest stars on the sideline. Quarterback Cody Williams, the cousin of Ju’uan, served the second of a two-game suspension tonight for his involvement in a fight on the field two weeks ago. Two-way lineman Shawn Lockett, a preseason ESPN Boston All-State selection, hobbled off the field in the game’s opening series, re-aggravating the ankle injury that has already kept him out of three games this season.

And the way this game started off made one wonder for a second if this was going to get out of hand. The Lancers opened the game with a 10-minute, 16-play, 72-yard drive, punctuated with a one-yard sneak by quarterback Johnny Falcone on fourth and goal. Central’s ensuing drive ended after three minutes thanks to Frankie Elder’s tip-drill interception, and the Lancers put together another monster drive. This one went 91 yards and nearly six minutes, capped again with a one-yard sneak by Falcone.

The Eagles responded on the ensuing drive with the first of two well-timed touchdown strikes from Ju’uan to receiver Tejano Smith (3 catches, 31 yards, 2 TD). Facing third and goal from the five, Smith crashed to the back left pylon on a smash route and hauled it in easily amid single-coverage.

After some struggles in the third quarter, Central got a good break early in the fourth when Lancers fullback Austin Sierra (13 carries, 90 yards) fumbled the ball at his own 40 yard line, and Kenneth Marshall quickly pounced on it and rolled out of bounds.

A half-dozen plays later, Smith came up with the play of the night, this time rolling to the right back pylon as Ju’uan threw a high knuckler that came off his fingertips looking like it was going to sail over the back line. But Smith came down with it, diving with about a foot of real estate to go and getting a foot in before rolling out of bounds. That tied the game at 14 with 6:31 to go.

After forcing a three-and-out on the next series, Central took the ball at its own 30 with 4:04 to go, and Ju’uan did the rest, leading them on a nine-play, 70-yard drive using a mix of spread and offset power-I looks out of the no-huddle and punching it in with his 15-yard change-of-direction rush.

The Education of Ju’uan: Ju’uan Williams last played quarterback in fourth grade before this current stint, and naturally it wasn’t a totally polished effort tonight, veiling play-fakes thinly and sometimes overthrowing his intended receiver, which ended up costly at least once (Elder had a second tip-drill pick negated on a roughing the passer penalty).

Tonight, Ju’uan was at his best seemingly when he was at his most unpredictable, taking off on scrambles or rolling out to his right and leading a short crossing receiver with some soft touch. He has worn many hats so far in his time with the Eagles, and will probably wear many more, but the one overarching theme with it all is speed.

With Cody Williams under center, the Eagles have a more balanced attack, able to drop back rather than play on the run. But with Ju’uan under center, it’s a unique look, essentially putting 11 on 11 with the added threat of extending the play with his feet.

“We’re spreading the receivers out, and if Ju’uan doesn’t see anyone open, he just runs,” Smith said. “He can run it. He can run it.”

You can darn well bet Ju’uan has been consulting his cousin Cody a lot these past two weeks -– “It’s been amazing, he’s been there every step of the way,”. But with Cody coming off his suspension and resuming his role under center this week comes potentially a new added ripple. All that time with the scout team has taught Brower a few more things about Cody’s ability.

“He was scout safety [these past two weeks], and we found out he can play a little safety,” Brower said of Cody Williams. “He was excited about that. He made the scout defense pretty competitive.”

Underrated? Asked about the play calls on Smith’s two touchdown grabs, Brower chuckled, “25 T.J. Smith.”

It’s easy to overlook Smith, listed comfortably at 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds. But he seems to be acutely aware of the spacing he has to work with, how he’ll exploit it, and seems to have this intuitive nose for making worthwhile athletic plays.

Take his second touchdown, for instance, a ball that appeared to be overthrown at first glance. Whereas some may have slowed up when seeing the ball, Smith accelerated to get under it, then laid out with a few short steps to go. Smith told reporters of the catch, “It just came to me, really,” saying he just wanted to get underneath the ball and let his feet come along for the ride.

“Ju’uan threw a knuckleball, and I had to adjust to it,” Smith said. “It came out of the dark, but it was a good throw.”

“He’s a great athlete, man,” Brower said. “He studies a lot of film, and he studies a lot of different things. He just loves football, loves football, and he’s a great athlete. The kid high-jumps 5-11 and he’s about 5-4. He’s just a little freak.

“So, you can’t really teach that stuff. He kinda just does it in practice, you know, it just kind of comes natural to him. He’s just a good athlete.”

Good athlete, but underrated? Smith seems to carry a chip on his shoulder. When asked about how he got open on his two touchdown catches, he veered off onto one of his favorite topics.

“They went man, and honestly, I think I’m one of the best in Western Mass.,” he smiled, adding with a laugh, “But I guess I’m underrated.”

NO. 9 SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL (4-1) AT NO. 16 LONGMEADOW (4-1)

The Skinny: This battle between the two top teams in Western Mass. should be must-see material. Central snapped Longmeadow's 52-game league win streak last October in thrilling fashion, 21-20, but took one on the chin to the Lancers in the rematch, the Division 1 West Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. Central will be without quarterback Cody Williams in this one, while 'Meadow has looked sharp with Frankie Elder moving back to his natural position of tailback.

Scott Barboza: Picking with tradition here. Longmeadow, 26-21.

Brendan Hall: Speed is the name of the game in this one, and the Eagles tout too much for Longmeadow to harness. But expect the Lancers to play ball control in this one. Central, 28-25.

NO. 1 BARNSTABLE (5-0) AT DARTMOUTH (2-3)

The Skinny: After an emotionally-charged upset of Everett on September 28, Barnstable suffered a hiccup last weekend, nearly falling upset to New Bedford before Tedaro France pulled them through. In a three-team Old Colony League, there can be no hiccups, and if the Red Raiders come out sloppy again, something tells us Dartmouth could throw a haymaker.

Barboza: I look for the Red Raider to get the vertical passing game going early and often. Barnstable, 31-17.

Hall: I'll never count out Dartmouth as long as Rick White is running the show over there. How does that sound? Barnstable, 21-14.

PINKERTON ACADEMY (N.H.) (5-1) AT NO. 8 BROCKTON (3-2)

The Skinny: We don't know what to think going into this one. Last season, the Boxers traveled north of the border and delivered a 21-14 win over heavily-favored Pinkerton, en route to a 5-6 season. This year, though, the Astros have a breakout campaign on their hands with junior running back Manny Latimore. It will also be interesting to see how the Boxers respond without Augie Roberts under center in this one, but Micah Morel has done an adequate job so far. Brockton has won seven of the last eight meetings headed into this one.

Barboza: Astros get thrown for a loop like George Jetson on the space treadmill. Brockton, 28-17.

Hall: I just can't get 2011's result out of my head, and that's not to be taken as a shot against the Astros' 2012 squad. It's just Brockton has had their number for some time, and always finds a way to win. Brockton, 17-10.

NO. 2 EVERETT (4-1) AT XAVERIAN (1-4)

The Skinny: One team (Everett) looked sloppy in a 51-30 win. The other (Xaverian) showed encouraging signs in a 20-16 loss. Something's got to give, and while picking Everett in this one sounds like a sure thing, one has to wonder if the Hawks are starting to turn the corner and figure this out at just the right time.

Barboza: BHall, duck and hide time? Xaverian, 34-31.

Hall: No, you may not have my mailing address. Xaverian, 13-10.

NO. 15 ST. JOHN'S OF SHREWSBURY (4-1) AT NO. 3 ST. JOHN'S PREP (4-1)

The Skinny: Few teams have been as strong on the ground so far as St. John's Prep, with its dynamic duo of senior Alex Moore and junior Jonathan Thomas, and the Eagles have begun to open the playbook the last few weeks. St. John's of Shrewsbury, on the other hand, is coming off a disappointing loss to its rival just a half-mile down Route 140, Shrewsbury High. But not just any loss -- a 51-45 shootout loss. Can the Pioneers rebound for an upset of Prep, or will they fall victim to a strong run game again?

Barboza: There will be running holes to be had. Prep, 45-41.

Hall: If you can run on this Shrewsbury squad, you can do a lot of things, and Prep can certainly move the ball on the ground. But the Pioneers will make this interesting with its hyper uptempo pace. Prep, 38-35.

SHARON (5-0) AT NO. 11 KING PHILIP (5-0)

The Skinny: What’s more surprising: the fact that the Eagles are off to their first 5-0 start since 1998 or that they’re 9-4 in their last 13 games dating back to last season? Either way you slice it, Sharon isn’t to be trifled with anymore. On the other hand, KP’s fast start isn’t a surprise, but we haven’t really seen what the Warriors are capable of as they’re just getting started against their Hockomock League schedule. This should be a good measuring stick for both squads.

Barboza: Either way, somebody loses. How about that for a hot sports take? KP, 20-7.

Hall: Warriors will win out in this one, but how does the old Pink Floyd axiom go? Can't have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat. KP, 28-10.

NO. 17 BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM (3-2) AT LA SALLE ACADEMY, R.I. (4-1)

The Skinny: The Rams’ lone loss of the season came against an MIAA foe (North Attleborough) in Week 1 and have been terrorizing the Ocean State ever since. An underrated Trojans’ secondary will have to endure against the big arm of La Salle quarterback Anthony Francis. After getting run over to the tune of 228 yards by St. John’s Prep’s Alex Moore, B-R’s defense will look to bounce back against another of New England’s top backs (Josh Morris) with a big day up front from defensive ends Kevin Johnston and Dan Noviello.

Barboza: I look for a closer game in this year’s meeting between the club, but the same result. B-R, 28-20.

Hall: After seeing the way North dominated La Salle, I'm confident in saying the Trojans can win the battle at the line of scrimmage. That will be the difference here. B-R, 20-7.

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH (3-2) AT NO. 23 STOUGHTON (5-0)

The Skinny: The Red Rocketeers enter this week desperate to avoid falling to .500 and in need of some offensive spark. North has scrounged up just 13 points in back-to-back losses to Foxborough and Franklin and were shut out against the Warriors. Meanwhile, the Black Knights received a highlight offensive performance from Marcus Middleton in last week’s emotional 20-0 blanking of Foxborough, a game dedicated to fallen teammate David Wade.

Barboza: I truly think there’s something special brewing in Stoughton this year. Stoughton, 13-7.

Hall: Red Rocketeers really need a healthy Alex Jette, more than ever, to right this ship. Stoughton, 25-13.

NO. 12 NATICK (5-0) AT NO. 10 WEYMOUTH (5-0)

The Skinny: Our Game of the Week for Week 6 features two unbeaten squads vying for playoff spots in their respective divisions in the Bay State Conference. Weymouth’s offense has evolved through the weeks, with multi-dimensional athlete David Harrison getting snaps under center. The Red Hawks enter Friday’s action allowing an average of six points per game on defense, led by Mike Abbruzzese and Mike Dunlap. The Wildcat defense, led by senior captain Sean Murphy will hope to slow down a potent Natick passing attack, but running back Nick Lee is also a force.

Barboza: I think this game will mirror Weymouth’s earlier battle with Needham, in terms of complexion. It’ll be a different result. Natick, 34-28.

Hall: Wondering if we'll see a combined 700 yards of offense or more in this one. Weymouth, 40-34.

THE CONTENDERS
Drew Belcher, Jr. QB, Reading
Threw for two touchdowns, and ran in a third, in a 26-0 shutout of Melrose.

Brian Dunlap, Soph. WR, Natick
Caught eight passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the Red Hawks' 29-0 shutout of Newton North.

Troy Flutie, Jr. QB, Natick
Completed 16 of 24 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns in the Red Hawks' 29-0 shutout of Newton North, and added 34 rushing yards on seven carries.

Jon Hurvitz, Sr. RB, Duxbury
Ran for a touchdown in the Dragons' 28-0 shutout of Middleborough.

Dylan Morris, Sr. WR, Barnstable
In a performance that will go down deep into Hyannis folklore, Morris caught two second-half touchdown passes -- the second clinching it in the second overtime -- in the Red Raiders' historic 13-7 upset of Everett.

Nick Peabody, Sr. QB, Barnstable
After going 0 for 10 with an interception in the first half against Everett, recovered to throw two touchdown passes and 96 yards, to deliver the upset.

Andrew Smiley, Jr. QB, St. John's (Shrewsbury)
In the Pioneers' 46-14 thumping of Wachusett, completed 13 of 24 passes for two touchdowns and added 93 rushing yards on seven carries. It's the first time in four starts he didn't eclipse at least 330 yards from scrimmage.

Jonathan Thomas, Jr. RB, St. John's Prep
Carried 23 times for 224 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles' 27-12 win over Brockton.

Cody Williams, Jr. QB, Springfield Central
Completed 8 of 12 passes for 172 yards and three scores in the Golden Eagles' 41-21 win over Chicopee.

Quron Wright, Sr. RB, Holy Name
In a 33-8 loss to Nashoba, the scatback ran for 251 yards and a score on 32 carries, bringing him within 420 yards of the school's all-time rushing mark.

ON THE RISE
Shadrach Abrokwah, Sr. RB, St. John's (Shrewsbury)
Ran for 146 yards and five touchdowns on 15 carries in the Pioneers' 46-14 win over Wachusett.

Garrett Carlos, Sr. RB, Somerset-Berkley
Kept up his torrid pace with 180 yards and two scores on 15 carries, in the Blue Raiders' 35-14 win over Wareham.

Jeff D'Auria, Sr. RB, Chelmsford
Ran for 290 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-27 win over Dracut.

David Harrison, Sr. ATH, Weymouth
In his first start at quarterback, moving over from his usual wideout position, he was 15 of 25 passing for 259 yards and four scores, including the game-winner with 23 seconds left, to beat Needham 32-27.

Kiivone Howard, Jr. RB, Foxborough
Carried 29 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns in the Warriors' 21-0 upset of North Attleborough.

Alex Medeiros, Jr. QB, Bishop Connolly
The running back, who's been filling in at quarterback for the Cougars, ran for 175 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in a 36-0 win over Marian.

Jon Ojukwu, Sr. RB, Nashoba
Exploded for a ridiculous 270 yards and five touchdowns on just 11 carries as the Chieftains rolled over Holy Name, 33-8.

Mikey Panepinto, Jr. RB, Needham
Ran for 224 yards and three scores in the Rockets' 32-27 loss to Weymouth.

Matt Phelan, Sr. QB, Northbridge
Completed 6 of 9 passes for 93 yards and a score, and added 154 rushing yards and three scores on just five carries, as the Rams rolled Southbridge 42-12 to earn coach Ken LaChapelle his 300th career victory.

C.J. Scarpa, Sr. QB, Andover
Completed 12 of 25 passes for 203 yards and two scores, in the Golden Warriors' 15-13 upset of Xaverian.

Jimmy Sullivan, Jr. QB, Nauset
In the Warriors' 20-14 win over Cardinal Spellman, carried 16 times for 147 yards and a score.

Brandon Watkins, Sr. RB, Martha's Vineyard
Did it all for the Vineyarders in a 41-8 rout of Randolph: 7 carries for 171 yards and 3 TD; 1 reception for 41 yards; and an interception.

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.

THE CONTENDERS
Drew Belcher, Jr. QB, Reading
Tossed four touchdown passes in the Rockets' 32-0 shutout of Arlington.

Brian Dunlap, Soph. WR, Natick
Caught six passes for 147 yards and two scores in the Red Hawks' 33-7 win over Milton.

Jalen Felix, Sr. ATH, Everett
Taking primarily handoffs in the Crimson Tide's 19-7 win over St. John's Prep, carried 12 times for 96 yards and a touchdown.

Troy Flutie, Jr. QB, Natick
Completed 14 of 21 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, and added 35 yards on the ground, to eclipse 300 yards from scrimmage in the Red Hawks' 33-7 win over Milton.

Jon Hurvitz, Sr. RB, Duxbury
Racked up 185 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns in the Dragons' 42-14 win over New Bedford, with 140 yards and four scores coming on the ground.

Marcus Odiah, Sr. RB, Burlington
Ran for 243 yards and four touchdowns in the Red Devils' 48-28 shootout win over Belmont.

Nick Peabody, Sr. QB, Barnstable
Completed 27 of 39 passes for 402 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Sandwich. Peabody currently leads the state with 13 touchdown passes through the first three weeks of the season.

Andrew Smiley, Jr. QB, St. John's (Shrewsbury)
Went over 330 yards from scrimmage for the third straight week, this time completing 14 of 26 passes for 207 yards, and adding 126 yards with two scores on the ground, in a 21-6 win over Catholic Memorial.

Jonathan Thomas, Jr. RB, St. John's Prep
Carried 19 times for 101 yards in the Eagles' 19-7 loss to No. 1 Everett.

Quron Wright, Sr. RB, Holy Name
In the Naps' 43-6 win over Arlington Catholic, Wright carried the ball just six times for 216 yards and touchdown runs of 56, 64 and 81 yards. In the last two weeks, he has just 11 carries but for 365 yards and six touchdowns. For the season, that's currently an absurd 16.9 yards per carry.

ON THE RISE
Garrett Carlos, Sr. RB, Somerset-Berkley
Carried four times for 187 yards and four touchdowns in the Blue Raiders' 49-6 win over Tri-County.

Justin Mount, Sr. ATH, Westford
In the Grey Ghosts' 27-12 win over Malden Catholic, ran 105 yards, caught another 90, and added an interception. In three games, he has 496 yards rushing and three picks.

Aaron Owens, Sr. RB, Springfield Central
Carried 17 times for 127 yards and three touchdowns in the Golden Eagles' 32-12 win over Chicopee Comp.

Jon Ojuwkwu, Sr. RB, Nashoba
Ran for three first-half scores, including the opening play from scrimmage, in the Chieftains' 42-3 win over Algonquin.

Mike Panepinto, Sr. RB, Needham
Ran for 103 yards and four touchdowns in the Rockets' 42-7 rout of Braintree.

Mike Rando, Sr. RB, Walpole
Went off for big gains in the Rebels' 46-13 win over Brookline, totaling 120 rushing yards and a score on just three carries, and hauling in four passes for 80 yards.

Rob Rapoza, Sr. RB, Mansfield
In the Hornets' 31-16 win over Dracut, he had 20 carries for 248 yards and three scores, and added fourth touchdown on a reception.

C.J. Scarpa, Sr. QB, Andover
Completed 18 of 31 passes for 255 yards and three scores, and added a fourth touchdown on the ground, in the Golden Warriors' 34-0 win over Methuen.

Jimmy Sullivan, Sr. QB, Nauset
Ran for 190 yards and three touchdowns in the Warriors' 34-14 win over Mashpee.

Cody Williams, Jr. QB, Springfield Central
Another solid outing for the junior, completing 11 of 15 passes for 220 yards and two scores in the Golden Eagles' 32-12 win over Chicopee Comp.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- It was a long, somber huddle for the Central Golden Eagles after falling to state No. 1 Everett, 33-14, at Springfield’s Berte Field on Friday night.

Yet, it started with promise for the Eagles.

They overcame a sloppy start to pull even at 7-7 with 3:21 left in the second quarter, when Aaron Owens followed a 55-yard pass from Cody Williams to Ju’wan Williams with a 22-yard touchdown run that included a couple of stiff-arms to ward off Everett defenders.

With three minutes to go in the half, it seemed for a moment as though Central, looking to earn respect for Western Mass. and avenge last year’s 42-13 defeat, had some magic dust on hand to work toward an upset.

But Everett was swift to respond. The Crimson Tide marched down the field and Jalen Felix scored his second touchdown of the night, giving Everett a 14-7 halftime lead it would never relinquish. Felix would finish 211 total yards and two touchdowns.

After playing a conservative first half the Crimson Tide opened it up beginning in the third quarter. New quarterback Gilly DeSouza took center stage, capping off a big drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jakarrie Washington to open third quarter.

A Central turnover followed on the ensuing drive, giving DeSouza another opportunity. He hit Joey White in stride between two defenders to put his team up 26-7 with 5:43 still left in the third.

The Everett lead wasn’t done growing. Eight minutes later, DeSouza found Brendan La Rosa in the back of the endzone and giving his team a 33-7 lead.

Central would go on the score once more in the closing moments, but by the time Cody Williams found Ju’wan Williams for the Eagles’ second touchdown, the game was long out of reach.

De Souza Stars Again: Crimson Tide head coach John DiBiaso was quick after the game to offer his praises for DeSouza.

“It was all audibles at the line of scrimmage from the quarterback,” DiBiaso said. “I thought Gilly [De Souza] did a great job making the right call.”

It was indeed De Souza’s decision making that shone brightest as he spread the ball around and did an excellent job adjusting to different looks by the defense. He only completed six passes but he racked up 167 yards with four touchdowns.

Central Regroups: After coming into the game hoping to avenge last years 42-13 loss to Everett, the Golden Eagles will have to wait a year to get another shot at the Crimson Tide juggernaut.

Cody Williams, who kept his cool under constant pressure during the game going 20-31 for 227 with a touchdown and an interception, was emotional afterwards.

“We just got to come back and dominate harder,” Williams said. “I just don’t think we executed as good as we could. We practiced really hard this week and I thought we put up a good fight against them coming into the second half but we let them slip. We wish to get these guys back [next year].”

“When the going gets tough we need leaders to be leaders, keep their composure.” Central head coach Valdamar Brower said. “When kids look at our defensive leaders or offensive leaders and sees them freaking out like things are going bad, they can’t, They have to look to them, look for guidance and say ‘we can hang in there’ you know, keep fighting. Hopefully we can learn from that, grow from that.”

Rolling with the Punches: Flexibility was key in the second half for the Crimson Tide, as Everett took what the Eagles gave them during an explosive second half.

“They played very tough, it was a pretty much even first half," DiBiaso said. "Fortunately we had some scores in the second half, kinda opened it up. When they brought a lot of people in the box we passed and when they dropped people back into coverage we ran."

“We made a lot of mistakes for the second week in a row penalties and mental errors that we just can’t afford to make, hopefully we’ll iron those out.”

There’s always room for improvement, but the Tide looked every bit as good as predicted before the season, and will look to keep on rolling next week against St. Johns Prep.

NO. 19 AUBURN (1-0) AT HOLLISTON (0-1)
The Skinny: Retribution is on Holliston's mind after last year's tough 14-13 loss in Auburn, and they'll face an uphill battle in trying to return the favor on their own turf. The Panthers fell to a talented Stoughton squad last week, while Auburn looked sharp in an easy victory over Shrewsbury. Holliston's Max Athy is a playmaker on defense, but the Panthers will have their hands full against an Auburn offensive line that averages nearly 280 pounds across and has been playing together for the last two seasons.

Co-editor Scott Barboza: The Panthers have some nice athletes on defense, the Rockets line simply takes over. Auburn, 28-14.

Co-editor Brendan Hall: Rockets will win again, and this time there will be no dispute about it. Auburn, 21-6.

DENNIS-YARMOUTH (0-0) AT NO. 4 BARNSTABLE (1-0)
The Skinny: The last three results of this early-season rivalry have been decided by a total of five points, with D-Y holding a two-game win streak in the series, making this the fiercest non-Thanksgiving rivalry on Cape Cod. Barnstable figures to have the advantage offensively, with Nick Peabody leading a potent and speedy attack that is coming off a 55-3 blowout of Durfee, but the Dolphins have always devised a great defensive game plan to slow things down. The key matchup might be in the trenches, where Barnstable center Tom Grimmer is expected to square off with D-Y tackle Joe Tyo.

Barboza: I think the rivalry factor keeps this game closer than it might look otherwise. Barnstable, 25-21.

Hall: On paper, the Red Raiders have an advantage in many facets of this game. But they don't call it a "Backyard Brawl" for the seafood chowder. I'm hoping to get out of Hyannis in one piece after this one.

Barnstable, 21-20. NO. 6 LONGMEADOW (1-0) AT NO. 18 ST. JOHN'S OF SHREWSBURY (1-0)
The Skinny: St. John's may have answered any offensive questions with its 47-point outburst over Holy Name last week, but may have raised defensive ones by allowing 40 points and over 460 yards rushing. The road doesn't get any easier this week, with some calling this Longmeadow's best shot at getting an elusive win over the Pioneers. As usual, they'll do it behind a surgical Wing-T scheme, with an all-senior line led by Rob McClure and Lou Calabrese. Pioneers quarterback Andrew Smiley looked impressive in his varsity debut, and he'll be hoping for another big day from Shadrach Abrokwah to open up the middle of the field again.

Barboza: I think Longmeadow is able to play ball control and keep St. John's offense off the field. And it doesn't matter where Frankie Elder is lined up, he makes it happen. Longmeadow, 20-13.

Hall: Much like Holy Name last week, this is the year Longmeadow has to beat St. John's. But if this turns into a track meet again, I don't like the Lancers' chances. St. John's, 30-20.

NO. 1 EVERETT (1-0) AT NO. 15 SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL (1-0)
The Skinny: A season ago, Central rolled into Everett Memorial Stadium and was swiftly handed a 42-13 loss. The Golden Eagles have grown up a lot since that fateful night in Everett, reeling off 10 straight wins en route to the 2011 D1 West Super Bowl, and return many key components, including quarterback Cody Williams and defensive tackle Shawn Lockett. Everett remains unsettled, with running back Kenny Calaj's status up in the air and the quarterback situation a mystery. Last week, the Tide resorted to Gilly De Souza under center, even though he'd never played the position before, but he got the job done in a 29-7 win over Leominster. The biggest question might be whether the Eagles' secondary can contain Everett's talented perimeter players, specifically Jakarrie Washington and Jalen Felix.

Barboza: Similar to Everett's matchup with Leominster last week, Central is a strong team in its own right, but just not enough to dethrone King Crimson. Everett, 34-21.

Hall: Central might have its own "Honey Badger" (the good kind, of course), but the Tide have "Felix The Cat". Everett, 35-14.

No. 21 NEEDHAM (1-0) at No. 20 MANSFIELD (1-0)
The Skinny: Both teams rolled in the season openers last week, but this one could go down to the final seconds. The Rockets had a tremendous performance last week from Mike Panepinto (8 carries, 181 yards) running behind a line anchored by tackle Mitch Hildreth. Meanwhile, Mansfield claimed a 49-15 romp over Westfield. Alex Ruddy led the Hornets on defense, racking up 10 tackles (8 solo) in last week’s win and will be a key to slowing down the Rockets’ rushing attack.

Barboza: The scoreboard at Mansfield might malfunction trying to keep up with the scoring in this one. Needham, 35-34.

Hall: We could honestly see 800 yards of offense in this one. Mansfield, 38-34.

No. 9 BROCKTON (1-0) at No. 22 READING (1-0)
The Skinny: The question is what the Boxers will do with the momentum they gained while shutting out BC High last week. Will they ride the wave and roll over the Rockets? Or does this game have let down written all over it? The matchup to watch will be watching Rocket-armed Reading quarterback Drew Belcher operating against the Brockton secondary led by Micah Morel. Boxers QB Auggie Roberts had a huge week against BC High, running to the tune of 139 yards and two touchdowns, so the Rockets will need to slow down the triple-option threat if they’re to defend their home turf.

Barboza: Made this pick in the preseason when we projected out Brockton’s record through the first month of the season. Boxers are moving to 2-0. Brockton, 25-21.

Hall: Since Reading head coach John Fiore is a big pro wrestling fan (just like Scott and I), my gut tells me the Rockets will deliver a Stone Cold Stunner under the bright lights. Reading, 21-20.

NO. 17 NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH (1-0) at NO. 13 BC HIGH (0-1)
The Skinny: BC High will assuredly enter this one ticked off as a bull after failing to get on the board against Brockton in Week 1. But what the Eagles will look like on offense is a whole other deal. Brendan Craven joined BC High's growing MASH unit against Brockton and should be out a month. On the other hand, North enters with a modicum of momentum after dispatching Rhode Island's No. 1 squad, La Salle Academy. Alex Jette went off for 346 all-purpose yards while scoring three touchdowns as our Player of the Week for Week 1.

Barboza: I think the X-factor is the Red Rocketeers' offensive line, which is athletics as ever, but also one of the biggest lines Don Johnson's ever seen in his tenure. North, 14-13.

Hall: I'm getting antsy here. If BC High can't pull this one out, I'm 0-2 with the Eagles and I might have to default on my mortgage. I'm still in debt to Galvo for my anti-Brockton picks. BC High, 13-6.

CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-0) at NO. 3 ST. JOHN'S PREP (1-0)
The Skinny: The question of this matchup might be how many passes are attempted. These teams love them some ground game and, why not? With running backs like Central's Santino Brancato and Prep's Alex Moore and Jonathan Thomas, there's not a lot of incentive for airing out the ball. This one is going to be settled with three yards and a cloud of dust.

Barboza: Even though these teams could end up in a ball-control kind of game, I think there will be a couple of big running plays to be had for either side. Prep, 31-20.

Hall: As they have done in recent years, the Raiders will find a way to make this game interesting. But if they don't, then you know Prep is for real. Prep, 24-10.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -– They call him ‘Honey Badger’ because of his knack to make big plays when it matters the most. And on Friday night, that’s exactly what he did.

Unlike LSU’s version, Springfield Central’s DaQuon Clemons isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The junior running back and defensive back made a number of big plays to propel his team to a huge season-opening victory over intra-city rival Springfield Putnam at Burte Field, but none bigger than the one he made in the fourth quarter.

With the Golden Eagles trailing 8-6 early in the fourth quarter, the Beavers faced 3rd and 7 on their own 42 yard line. Putnam quarterback Kayjuan Bynum then dropped back in the pocket and fired a pass well short of his intended receiver. That’s when Clemons made the play of the night.

The pass found Clemons for the easy interception, but the defensive back wasn’t finished. He looked up and saw plenty of open field. With blockers helping him along the way, Clemons raced downfield, trucked a Putnam player to the ground and jogged in to paydirt to give his team a lead they would never relinquish. Central went on to prevail, 21-8.

“DaQuon Clemons is a playmaker,” Central head coach Valdamar Brower said. “This was his first game that he actually started, so hopefully he can keep it going. Hopefully he makes that contagious and just likes to make plays. That would be great for us.

“He’s the good ‘Honey Badger.’”

Dynamic backfield emerges: It’s not easy replacing a 2,000-yard rusher in any backfield. Just ask Central, which was forced to move on from the Sacoy Malone era on Friday night.

Central, however, was well-prepared, and tried its best to replicate his outstanding production from a year ago. Both Clemons and senior Aaron Owens carried the load against Putnam and were very effective.

Clemons opened up the scoring in the first quarter with an impressive run. The junior found a seam on the left side, broke a couple of tackles and dove at the pylon, getting just enough of the ball over the goal line to give Central a 6-0 lead.

But while the play was big and certainly gave the Golden Eagles a boost, it was really the only rush in the first half that netted a lot of yardage as the Beavers snuffed out a number of runs in the Central backfield. Brower acknowledged it took some fine-tuning at halftime in order to put together a big second half, and specifically, fourth quarter.

“I have to thank Coach Williams and the hogs,” Brower said. “Coach Williams, the offensive line coach, the hogs are the offensive linemen. Some things didn’t happen right in the first half. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot a couple times, but they stuck with it and kept grinding.”

They especially stuck with it late in the fourth quarter. On the next play after the interception returned for the touchdown, Central forced a fumble and recovered to give itself the ball back at around midfield.

That’s when Owens went to work. Junior quarterback Cody Williams continued to feed the rock to his 5-foot-9, 195-pound back, who made the most of his opportunities, netting positive yardage and bowling over Putnam defenders play after play. His 13-yard touchdown with just minutes remaining officially sealed the deal on an impressive victory.

Penalties, mistakes haunt Putnam: As could be expected in an opening game, both teams played extremely sloppy football, and both teams made plenty of mistakes that they wouldn’t normally make near the end of the season.

But unfortunately for the Beavers, who were unable to take advantage from their dominance in time possession, their mistakes were ultimately the costing factor in a forgettable opening night loss.

Putnam was whistled for nine penalties, including five false starts on Friday night. One of those false starts was called in spite of Bynum’s touchdown pass to Tavis Frazer that gave the Beavers the lead going into halftime, but it wasn’t enough.

A messy game, which included a play in which Bynum tossed it back to junior Wayne Lowery, who then made an ill-advised throw that resulted in a 54-yard interception return for Central, gave the Golden Eagles a short field time and time again. And Central did a good job in not wasting those opportunities.

“We just kept executing, kept fighting,” Brower said. “The kids had the fire in their eyes the whole game.”

Central moves on to Everett: Last year in the season-opener, Central fell short to its intra-city rivals, which set up a meeting with top-ranked Everett, which also resulted in a loss.

While the Golden Eagles did end up finding a way to reach the Division 1 West Super Bowl despite starting 0-2, they’ll be happy to have a win under their belt going into their rematch with No. 1 Everett next week.

Williams knows his team needs to play better if they’re going to knock off the top-ranked team in the state next week.

“We’re definitely not at our best,” he said. “We obviously need to get better on defense. Our defense was on the field way too long. But we’re going to take care of it in practice and we’re going to be ready for Everett come Friday.

FRIDAY
NO. 1 EVERETT AT NO. 7 LEOMINSTER
The Skinny: Leominster has never beaten the Crimson Tide since this series began in 2002, but the Blue Devils have usually been a tough out. In 2009, the teams played to a 14-6 Tide win. The last two meetings, the Blue Devils got under the Tide’s skin early before Everett’s talent took over. But Leominster is brimming with excitement, its proud football culture awakened again following their first Super Bowl championship in a decade last fall. Everett, meanwhile, seems to be settled at every position but quarterback – and with a line averaging over 315 pounds, that will suffice. If Leominster is to pull off the upset, they’ll have to a find a way to contain electric wideouts Jakarrie Washington and Jalen Felix.

Scott Barboza: Leominster turns it into a game, but still too many horses in the stable for Everett despite the questions. Everett, 27-20.

Brendan Hall: It’s going to be a majestic crowd at Doyle, and some readers will undoubtedly conclude I’m biased towards Leominster because their defensive coordinator coached me 10 years ago at Oakmont. But I’m not. Even I’m not foolish enough to pick against the Tide in this one. Everett, 24-13.

NO. 2 BC HIGH AT NO. 22 BROCKTON
The Skinny: Injuries were an overarching theme of the preseason and both of these teams were affected. Bad news for BC High is Luke Catarius is out with a hairline ankle fracture, but Brockton should have Micah Morel in the lineup for their Week 1 challenge. We’ll get a look at the reigning Div. 1 Super Bowl champions new-look offense with Brendan Craven under center and Brandon Owens in the backfield while the Boxers will be sporting a Georgia Tech-inspired scheme with Auggie Roberts back at quarterback.

Barboza: A Jackson Bockhurst field goal will be the difference. BC High, 17-14.

Hall: Things unraveled for Brockton pretty quickly in last year’s meeting in Dorchester. The Boxers are fighting an uphill battle again this year, but at least it will be respectable. BC High, 28-14.

NO. 23 SPRINGFIELD PUTNAM AT NO. 14 SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL
The Skinny: With the schools sitting less than a mile from each other along Roosevelt Ave., the season-opening battle between these rival schools has become must-see as of late. Putnam won this contest last season, kick-starting an historic 2011 season that ended with their fifth Super Bowl title in eight seasons. Central will be looking for revenge, but it’s not easy replacing 2,000-yard rusher in Sacoy Malone. Putnam, meanwhile, turns to a plethora of new faces to replace record-setting running back Melquawn Pinkney, including quarterback Kayjuan Bynum and running back Wayne Lowery.

Barboza: I came away very impressed from talking to Central QB Cody Williams last year at Gillette. He blossoms into the real deal this year. Central, 21-16.

Hall: I like the direction Central is headed in over the long run, but Putnam is still Roosevelt Ave (See what I did there?). Putnam, 7-6.

LA SALLE ACADEMY (R.I.) AT NO. 16 NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH
The Skinny: Big Red will have its hands full opening night with their challenger from just across the state line. The Rams feature a high-octane attack led by reigning Gatorade Player of the Year running back Josh Morris and senior quarterback Anthony Francis. The key to this one will be in the trenches where North’s offensive line led by Eric Beckwith and Sean Peters could have the advantage.

Barboza: This Rams team is very talented, but North holds on – just barely. North, 28-26.

Hall: Josh Morris and Co. have been dying for that elusive win over a Massachusetts squad, and I think they finally get it here. La Salle, 17-13.

NO. 12 KING PHILIP AT DOVER (N.H.)
The Skinny: Self-admittedly, we don’t know as much about Dover as we do KP, but we can be some what certain what the Warriors will be showing them on defense. And, of course, that’s a variety of different looks and blitz and coverage schemes. Dover, which sits just outside of ESPN Boston correspondent Marc Thaler’s Granite State Top 10 poll, will also have to contend with KP quarterback John Dillon, who will enjoy a greater role directing the offense in his second year as starter.

Barboza: KP’s “Psycho” package gives Hockomock League teams fits, nevermind an offense that hasn’t seen it. KP, 28-8.

Hall: Knowing little about Dover outside of what our loyal New Hampshire correspondents tell us, I’m going to trust their convictions on this one and say it will be close. But I’m still going with the team closer to Boston. KP, 20-10.

NO. 4 ST. JOHN’S PREP AT DRACUT
The Skinny: The Middies have been a bit of a bugaboo for St. John's Prep in recent years and some around Danvers feel Dracut has simply posed a matchup problem for the Eagles with its spread attack. Good news for Prep is that their secondary, with Lucas Bavaro, Gerry Kahari, Alex Moore and Johnny Thomas, has matured into a strength of the team. Dracut senior linebacker Zach Bassett could be the key to the game, trying to slow down Prep's running attack.

Barboza: Looking for a defensive struggle here. Prep, 14-7.

Hall: Classic trap game for The Prep, against a classic trap opponent that’s had their number in recent years. Dracut, 10-6.

NORTH ANDOVER AT ANDOVER
The Skinny: North Andover's season starts with a Walsh at quarterback, but of another name. Brendan Walsh's younger brother Casey takes the helm of the Scarlet Knights' offense. It also marks North Andover's first Merrimack Valley Conference game. The Golden Warriors will counter with a high-flying attack that impressed during this summer's Northeast 7v7 passing tournament. Quarterback C.J. Scarpa has plenty of targets including Cam Farnham and Will Heikkinen.

Hall: I know it’s a familiar rival that’s been on the schedule for years, but North Andover is still in for a whole new ball game. And since it’s now officially an MVC game, there will be no less than 172 points scored and 1,000 yards of offense. Andover, 35-30.

Barboza: Ditto. Andover, 31-20.

MARSHFIELD AT CATHOLIC MEMORIAL
The Skinny: Last year at this time, Catholic Memorial entered Marshfield’s stadium with plenty of hype, behind three Division 1 FBS commits and a No. 4 preseason ranking in ESPNBoston.com’s poll. They promptly got shut out by the Rams, 24-0, fueling their ensuing seven-game win streak. The Knights will no doubt be looking to exact revenge, and they’ll look to Preseason All-State defensive end Peter Ngobidi to stifle the Rams’ vaunted run game.

Barboza: Ngobidi is a dominant force and asserts his will here. CM, 7-0.

Hall: The Knights got embarrassed last year in Marsh Vegas, and I expect them to exact revenge here. CM, 16-13.

SATURDAY
NO. 24 HOLY NAME AT NO. 17 ST. JOHN’S (SHREWSBURY)
The Skinny: For all of Holy Name’s success under Mike Pucko, the Naps have never beaten St. John’s during his tenure. Could that change on Saturday? Holy Name turns to one of the state’s most elusive scatbacks in Quron Wright, and will hope for a big day. St. John’s has already hit the injury bug, with incumbent QB Connor Kurtz (knee) out for the season, but RB Shadrach Abrokwah is a nice fit for their hurry-up scheme, and is poised for a breakout senior season.

Hall: If the Naps are ever to beat St. John’s, this has to be the year. Holy Name, 9-8.

Barboza: Hate to do this to the Naps, sorry. St. John's, 22-21.

NO. 9 DUXBURY AT NO. 8 BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM
The Skinny: B-R is itching to get over the hump after dropping its season-opener to the Dragons the past two seasons. The Trojans have some terrific talent between the tackles, led by Joey MacInnis, to pave for a big afternoon for junior tailback Arcel Armstead. Duxbury graduated one of its most talented classes ever from the 2011 Super Bowl champion squad, but still has plenty of talent left over to keep the state’s longest active win streak (26) going. Look for guard Rob Kosharek, linebacker Marshall McCarthy and running back Jon Hurvitz to have big days.

Barboza: Now that Dan Buron's nephew Andrew (former Duxbury standout) has graduated, expect the Trojans to get back to their winning ways. B-R, 14-10.

Hall: After graduating one of the program’s most talented classes ever, Marshall the Missile gets the full spotlight. And he usually gives the fans their money’s worth. Duxbury, 14-10.

CONCORD-CARLISLE AT BEVERLY
The Skinny: C-C heads into its non-league tilt with the heavy NEC/CAL Tier 2 favorite already limping, losing its star running back Tim Badgley (ACL tear) for the season. If the Patriots are to repeat last year’s Super Bowl championship success, sophomore quarterback Will Blumenberg will have to grow up quickly. Meanwhile, Beverly features one of the North Shore’s most feared rushing attacks with the three-pronged approach of Kenny Pierce, Brendan Flaherty and Dom Abate.

Barboza: ETA on when the Kenny Pierce hashtag gets rolling again? We're looking at you James Coffey. Beverly, 27-14.

Hall: I’m excited to see what Will Blumenberg can do for the Patriots, but the Panthers just have too much in the tank to be stopped in this one. Beverly, 28-7.