High School: Jake Pilecki
ACTON, Mass. — At first glance, Acton-Boxborough may look like a lumbering, big team that will only play in the half court and lull you to sleep in the post with size at seemingly every position.
But once the Colonials get into the flow of a game and move the ball inside and out, you start to realize that the size also has a little hop to its step. The Colonials put that gitty-up on display last night in the Div. 1 North quarterfinals in a 63-58 win over lightning quick No. 7 Lawrence at Regan Gymnasium.
The Colonials had three players in double figures, as Kevin LaFrancis — who added 12 rebounds — and Jake Pilecki each scored 20 points. Joey Flannery contributed with 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists, as the No. 2 seed will now face Lexington in the semifinals.
“We are versatile,” said Flannery. “It was pretty much a contrast in style, so we had to pick our spots when we were running and everything. We had to try and take advantage inside against them and try to deal with their quick guards.”
Flannery himself is the ultimate measure of versatility for A-B. At 6-foot-4, Flannery is the de facto point guard and he had to deal with the quick hands of Yadoris Arias, Franklin Martinez and Leonny Burgos buzzing around trying to swipe the ball out of his mitts all night.
“When I was playing up top with the ball they were pressuring me hard,” said Flannery. “They took the ball from a couple times, but I just had to use my size to my advantage.”
There was a stretch in the third quarter when Flannery went out with foul trouble that really could have turned the tide in the Lancers (15-6) direction. Flannery went to the bench with his third personal at the 3:39 mark, and the Colonials had trouble breaking the extended pressure in the backcourt.
The Colonials played survival for that time period without much flow to the offense and held a 51-46 lead at the end of the quarter and averted a bit of disaster.
“That was a time, late in that third quarter, we give up a basket and suddenly the momentum could change,” said Colonials head coach Rick Kilpatrick. “I thought that was big.”
Pilecki Comes Up Big Again: Kilpatrick has talked over and over again about the spark that his senior captain brings to the team in the most dire of situations, and Pilecki came up big again.
With the shot clock dwindling down to two, Pilecki fired away a deep, straightaway 3-pointer and drained it to push the lead back up to 8 with a little over four minutes left to go in the game.
“I’m just going to pull it,” Pilecki said of his mindset. “It feels good. I practice shooting it deep and I’m always screwing around from deep before practice. I throw it up there and it goes in, so I guess it works.”
Lancers Cold From Outside: Lawrence relies heavily on its speed to create a nightmare matchup for anyone trying to guard it for 32 minutes. But the Lancers also use the deep ball to open up the lanes for Burgos, Martinez and Arias to play around and use their ballhandling skills to get to the rim.
The shots just weren’t falling like they were in the first round victory against St. John's Prep. The Lancers finished 1-of-17 from behind the 3-point line, eliminating a major weapon in Paul Neal’s arsenal.
“They took that away from us,” said Lawrence head coach Paul Neal. “They really took away what we were good at. We couldn’t get anything going.”
Kilpatrick switched to a zone defense in the first half and stuck with it most of the night after starting out in a man-to-man look.
“I didn’t think we were going to play a whole lot of 2-3 (zone),” said Kilpatrick. “I thought we were going to play more man. We threw it at them in the first quarter, late first quarter, and it seemed to work. We still played some man, but obviously we played a lot of 2-3 the rest of the way. I thought we did a great job in the zone of recognizing where the shooters (were).”
But once the Colonials get into the flow of a game and move the ball inside and out, you start to realize that the size also has a little hop to its step. The Colonials put that gitty-up on display last night in the Div. 1 North quarterfinals in a 63-58 win over lightning quick No. 7 Lawrence at Regan Gymnasium.
The Colonials had three players in double figures, as Kevin LaFrancis — who added 12 rebounds — and Jake Pilecki each scored 20 points. Joey Flannery contributed with 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists, as the No. 2 seed will now face Lexington in the semifinals.
“We are versatile,” said Flannery. “It was pretty much a contrast in style, so we had to pick our spots when we were running and everything. We had to try and take advantage inside against them and try to deal with their quick guards.”
Flannery himself is the ultimate measure of versatility for A-B. At 6-foot-4, Flannery is the de facto point guard and he had to deal with the quick hands of Yadoris Arias, Franklin Martinez and Leonny Burgos buzzing around trying to swipe the ball out of his mitts all night.
“When I was playing up top with the ball they were pressuring me hard,” said Flannery. “They took the ball from a couple times, but I just had to use my size to my advantage.”
There was a stretch in the third quarter when Flannery went out with foul trouble that really could have turned the tide in the Lancers (15-6) direction. Flannery went to the bench with his third personal at the 3:39 mark, and the Colonials had trouble breaking the extended pressure in the backcourt.
The Colonials played survival for that time period without much flow to the offense and held a 51-46 lead at the end of the quarter and averted a bit of disaster.
“That was a time, late in that third quarter, we give up a basket and suddenly the momentum could change,” said Colonials head coach Rick Kilpatrick. “I thought that was big.”
Pilecki Comes Up Big Again: Kilpatrick has talked over and over again about the spark that his senior captain brings to the team in the most dire of situations, and Pilecki came up big again.
With the shot clock dwindling down to two, Pilecki fired away a deep, straightaway 3-pointer and drained it to push the lead back up to 8 with a little over four minutes left to go in the game.
“I’m just going to pull it,” Pilecki said of his mindset. “It feels good. I practice shooting it deep and I’m always screwing around from deep before practice. I throw it up there and it goes in, so I guess it works.”
Lancers Cold From Outside: Lawrence relies heavily on its speed to create a nightmare matchup for anyone trying to guard it for 32 minutes. But the Lancers also use the deep ball to open up the lanes for Burgos, Martinez and Arias to play around and use their ballhandling skills to get to the rim.
The shots just weren’t falling like they were in the first round victory against St. John's Prep. The Lancers finished 1-of-17 from behind the 3-point line, eliminating a major weapon in Paul Neal’s arsenal.
“They took that away from us,” said Lawrence head coach Paul Neal. “They really took away what we were good at. We couldn’t get anything going.”
Kilpatrick switched to a zone defense in the first half and stuck with it most of the night after starting out in a man-to-man look.
“I didn’t think we were going to play a whole lot of 2-3 (zone),” said Kilpatrick. “I thought we were going to play more man. We threw it at them in the first quarter, late first quarter, and it seemed to work. We still played some man, but obviously we played a lot of 2-3 the rest of the way. I thought we did a great job in the zone of recognizing where the shooters (were).”
Recap: No. 7 A-B 59, No. 5 Brighton 45
February, 13, 2012
Feb 13
11:04
PM ET
By
Brendan Hall | ESPNBoston.com
ACTON, Mass. -- Expressing the feeling of many coaches in the Division 1 North district, Acton-Boxborough head coach Rick Kilpatrick mused following the Colonials' game with Brighton tonight that his bracket is "extremely" wide open.
And in this season of unlikely contenders and wild upsets, Kilpatrick's squad had just made a case for why they should be considered contenders, not underdogs, in the North. Against a Brighton lineup superior in athleticism, speed and overall skill -- even with star forward Nick Simpson done for the season due to grades -- the Colonials wore them down with careful execution and clean movement around the halfcourt, giving way to another huge night for senior center Kevin LaFrancis (31 points, 15 rebounds) in a 59-45 win.
"We wanted to schedule this, because it's a type of team we don't see often in our league," LaFrancis said. "We definitely had to get back to basics, and really box out, because they are really athletic."
The Colonials (17-1) led 13-4 after one period, and extended their lead to 20-10 in the second quarter before the Bengals (16-2) stormed back with back-to-back-to-back three-pointers from Daivon Edwards (11 points), cutting the lead to one. A-B quickly regrouped, and down the stretch were able to pull away with timely execution and steady feeds to LaFrancis and Joey Flannery (15 points).
In the third quarter, for instance, the 6-foot-6 LaFrancis continued to take the ball inside, and took hard bump after hard bump to the tune of 12 free throw attempts for the stanza. He was 8-for-12 from the line in the third, and 11-for-16 overall from the stripe.
"On pace for 48 (free throw attempts)? No, I've never had a quarter like that," LaFrancis laughed of the third quarter. "It was tough, but you just have to stay with it. I was struggling with the free throws towards the end of the quarter, but I started to get my stroke back at the end, so it was good."
The Bengals pride themselves on dictating a frenetic tempo, but the Colonials took charge of the game's pace early and made it stick. On ball reversals, LaFrancis would often step out from underneath the hoop, catch and drive, taking advantage of some lapses in help defense.
At the other end, A-B settled into a 2-3 zone and held Brighton to just a 31 percent clip from the field, including 2-for-13 in the first quarter and 1-for-11 in the final frame.
All of it comes in the absence of Jake Pilecki. The star senior forward came down with a stomach bug, and did not dress.
"It's a positive for us, hopefully it's a confidence builder," Kilpatrick said. "Jake's really important to us, especially defensively. He's a good passer, he just does a lot of good things. We told the guys, when someone's missing, it's opportunities for other guys. I thought that other guys stepped it up and did a nice job tonight."
Breaking the press: One of the ways Brighton creates a hectic tempo is with its vaunted diamond-and-one press. Dressing just eight players tonight, head coach Hugh Coleman rolled out some different permutations of the press, but the Colonials were able to break it patiently, with clean diagonal passes from sideline to sideline.
"All we talked about yesterday, and before the game today, was catch before you dribble," Kilpatrick said. "If you don't look before you dribble, you're going to dribble into trouble. So just catch and try to pass through it, and we worked on that a lot in practice yesterday. I don't know what our turnover numbers were, but I don't think they were too bad."
Outnumbered, but not outdone: For the Bengals, times like these -- dressing just eight, missing key players -- call for players to step up and make a name for themselves. Tonight, that meant a more elevated role down low for senior forward Jerard Mayes, who matched up with LaFrancis for most of the night and held his own.
The 6-foot-4 senior notched a double-double (18 points, 13 rebounds) and was 9-for-12 from the field. Coleman praised the big guy's effort afterwards.
"We knew that losing Nick was going to be big for us, but we've got other guys that can step up," Coleman said. "And Jerard stepped up today."
Recap: No. 10 A-B 59, No. 12 Westford 53
February, 11, 2012
Feb 11
12:18
AM ET
By Tom Layman | ESPNBoston.com
ACTON, Mass. — Rick Kilpatrick knew his team struggled in the second half. He just didn’t realize what kind of drought his team actually went on.
Acton-Boxboro (16-1) didn’t record a field goal for 9:07 to begin the second half, but still hung on to defeat Westford Academy 59-53 last night at Regan Gymnasium in a battle of Dual County League large division heavyweights.
There was almost a look of disbelief, maybe a little shock, when Kilpatrick found out just how long his team went without a field goal.
“I did not realize that,” said Kilpatrick. “I’d say that we probably don’t win the game. You aren’t going to win many games like that. Obviously we were very fortunate. The thing that we talked about more than anything was our defense and making stops and not giving up second shots. … The fact that we went that long without a made basket means that defensively that’s what held us up.”
The Colonials got five free throws in the third quarter and held the Grey Ghosts to eight points in the period to take a 39-35 lead after three. Jake Pilecki finally broke the span with a lay-in with 6:53 left in the fourth quarter to push the Colonials lead to seven and that seemed to settle the rest of the team moving forward.
The hosts scored 11 of the next 16 points as Kevin LaFrancis got back to work on the inside to get to the hoop and get to the line.
“To be honest I didn’t know we had no field goals in the third,” said Pilecki, who finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists. “That’s a tough stat. We kind of got stagnant off the ball and weren’t moving like we were in the first half. We were taking quick shots, but we got better at the end, which is what counts.”
Seniors step up: There were two big buckets by LaFrancis (17 points, 15 rebounds) and A.J. Gotthelf that helped seal the victory for the Colonials, who can claim the DCL Large with a win over Lincoln-Sudbury.
The Colonials had a tough time establishing LaFrancis in the post during the entire third quarter, but after the drought ended they were able to get him back-to-back touches in his comfort zone.
Joey Flannery fed LaFrancis on the low left block, and the 6-foot-6-inch center moved in, took the contact and finished with the whistle blaring for a possible 3-point play. LaFrancis sank the freebie and gave the Colonials a 47-39 lead with 6:03 left in the game.
“That was big,” said Kilpatrick. “They were right on the verge and (LaFrancis) has done that for us all year. He makes the big baskets at the big times, and we wanted to get the ball inside to him and we did. It paid off there.”
Gotthelf is about a foot shorter that LaFrancis, but his bucket may have been the bigger, game-finisher with under two minutes to go. Gotthelf had an offensive rebound come right to him and he looked around for someone to feed the ball too. When he realized he was left all alone he fired up a 3-pointer and found nothing but net to help stop a 6-0 run by the Grey Ghosts.
“I was on the other side of the court and I saw the look in his eye and I was like ‘No, don’t shoot it,’” Pilecki said with a laugh. “I know coach might have yelled it too. When he pulled up I just rushed the rim in case there was a rebound, but went it went in the place just went crazy. It was so relieving.”
Slowing down Jann: The Colonials looked like they were running away with the game in the first quarter, but the sharpshooting of Ryan Jann slowly moved Westford Academy back into the game.
Jann hit 4-of-6 from 3-point range and finished with 16 points to lead all scorers in the first half. He did struggle with foul trouble in the second half, and when he was in the game, the Colonials held him to three points on 1-of-7 shooting in the final 16 minutes.
“We just wanted to get out on him a little bit,” said Kilpatrick. “We didn’t get out above the 3-point line enough. He’s such a tall kid and you really have to get your hand up to contest his shots. I thought we did a better job of getting out and trying to contest.”
Acton-Boxboro (16-1) didn’t record a field goal for 9:07 to begin the second half, but still hung on to defeat Westford Academy 59-53 last night at Regan Gymnasium in a battle of Dual County League large division heavyweights.
There was almost a look of disbelief, maybe a little shock, when Kilpatrick found out just how long his team went without a field goal.
“I did not realize that,” said Kilpatrick. “I’d say that we probably don’t win the game. You aren’t going to win many games like that. Obviously we were very fortunate. The thing that we talked about more than anything was our defense and making stops and not giving up second shots. … The fact that we went that long without a made basket means that defensively that’s what held us up.”
The Colonials got five free throws in the third quarter and held the Grey Ghosts to eight points in the period to take a 39-35 lead after three. Jake Pilecki finally broke the span with a lay-in with 6:53 left in the fourth quarter to push the Colonials lead to seven and that seemed to settle the rest of the team moving forward.
The hosts scored 11 of the next 16 points as Kevin LaFrancis got back to work on the inside to get to the hoop and get to the line.
“To be honest I didn’t know we had no field goals in the third,” said Pilecki, who finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists. “That’s a tough stat. We kind of got stagnant off the ball and weren’t moving like we were in the first half. We were taking quick shots, but we got better at the end, which is what counts.”
Seniors step up: There were two big buckets by LaFrancis (17 points, 15 rebounds) and A.J. Gotthelf that helped seal the victory for the Colonials, who can claim the DCL Large with a win over Lincoln-Sudbury.
The Colonials had a tough time establishing LaFrancis in the post during the entire third quarter, but after the drought ended they were able to get him back-to-back touches in his comfort zone.
Joey Flannery fed LaFrancis on the low left block, and the 6-foot-6-inch center moved in, took the contact and finished with the whistle blaring for a possible 3-point play. LaFrancis sank the freebie and gave the Colonials a 47-39 lead with 6:03 left in the game.
“That was big,” said Kilpatrick. “They were right on the verge and (LaFrancis) has done that for us all year. He makes the big baskets at the big times, and we wanted to get the ball inside to him and we did. It paid off there.”
Gotthelf is about a foot shorter that LaFrancis, but his bucket may have been the bigger, game-finisher with under two minutes to go. Gotthelf had an offensive rebound come right to him and he looked around for someone to feed the ball too. When he realized he was left all alone he fired up a 3-pointer and found nothing but net to help stop a 6-0 run by the Grey Ghosts.
“I was on the other side of the court and I saw the look in his eye and I was like ‘No, don’t shoot it,’” Pilecki said with a laugh. “I know coach might have yelled it too. When he pulled up I just rushed the rim in case there was a rebound, but went it went in the place just went crazy. It was so relieving.”
Slowing down Jann: The Colonials looked like they were running away with the game in the first quarter, but the sharpshooting of Ryan Jann slowly moved Westford Academy back into the game.
Jann hit 4-of-6 from 3-point range and finished with 16 points to lead all scorers in the first half. He did struggle with foul trouble in the second half, and when he was in the game, the Colonials held him to three points on 1-of-7 shooting in the final 16 minutes.
“We just wanted to get out on him a little bit,” said Kilpatrick. “We didn’t get out above the 3-point line enough. He’s such a tall kid and you really have to get your hand up to contest his shots. I thought we did a better job of getting out and trying to contest.”
Recap: No. 15 A-B 58, Boston Latin 50
January, 27, 2012
Jan 27
11:38
PM ET
By Tom Layman | ESPNBoston.com
ANDOVER, Mass. — Jake Pilecki probably won’t lead Acton-Boxboro in scoring or any major statistical category with other key contributors lining the roster of the Colonials.
But that’s not what head coach Rick Kilpatrick needs him to do.
All Pilecki has to do is mimic his production from the Colonials 58-50 victory over Boston Latin (12-3) last night at Regan Gymnasium and the head coach will be happy.
Pilecki poured in five points in the final minute to help the Colonials push past the Wolfpack for the second time this season. The Colonials are now 13-1 on the regular season and Kilpatrick is getting used to seeing Pilecki come up when he is needed most.
“He’s our emotional leader,” said Kilpatrick. “He just brings a lot of energy to our team.”
The teams were locked in a one-possession game after Miles Wright hit a jumper with 1:29 left to go in the game. The Colonials were able to get the ball past the pressure defense and feed it to Pilecki in the post. He felt the defender on his back and instead of kicking it out to an outside shooter he turned and drilled a baseline jumper for a 55-50 lead.
“I wasn’t really thinking,” said Pilecki, who scored eight points on the night and grabbed seven rebounds. “I just got it and knew the shot clock was around (five seconds). I just put it up and I knew I could get over that kid.”
The Colonials came up with a defensive stop on the next possession and the Wofpack were trying to foul, but the Colonials were able to pass it around into Pilecki’s hands without getting a whistle. Pilecki saw the clock winding down, hoisted up a deep 3-pointer and drilled it with the buzzer sounding for the game-clincher.
“I knew there was five seconds and I was just going to pull that no matter what,” said Pilecki.
Pilecki’s clutch performances have not come as a surprise for teammate Kevin LaFrancis.
“He’s been huge,” said LaFrancis. “He’s been the motivator of the team and he’s been the biggest leader for us in the times of the greatest adversity. He’s just shown up in the biggest spots.”
LaFrancis Not Too Shabby: While LaFrancis praised his teammates for clutch finishes, it was the 6-foot-6 center that was the steady force that kept the Colonials afloat in the game.
LaFrancis finished the game with a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, with the majority of his buckets coming in the post.
“They guarded us hard, but we felt like we had the height advantage,” said LaFrancis. “We definitely had the advantage on the inside and we tried to exploit that early.”
LaFrancis finished 11-for-17 from the floor and came to life in the beginning of the third quarter. He posted the first eight points of the quarter for the Colonials with a number of post moves. More importantly, he was able to get Mike Wojewodzic and Jack Duggan into foul trouble to break into the depth of the Wolfpack front line.
“That’s what we want to do,” said Kilpatrick. “We want to try and get the ball inside and draw fouls.”
Wolfpack in the Hunt: The emotions were running high for the Wolfpack after dropping the first game of the season against the Colonials and they were in this one all the way to the bitter end.
It’s safe to say that this won’t be the last time anyone hears about Boston Latin.
The Wolfpack are a balanced team with legitimate scorers up and down the lineup. None might be more prolific than Wright. The junior finished with 20 points and showed a good inside game to go along with the lost art that is the midrange jumper.
Wright came away with five steals and nearly threw down a tomahawk dunk on the break that would have brought the Wolfpack a crucial bucket in the final moments of the fourth, but he lost the ball on the way down and it clanged off the rim.
The athleticism is there and he will be a presence that the Dual County League and the rest of the state will have to be aware of.
“He doesn’t realize how good he can be year,” said Wolfpack head coach Brendan Smith. “He’s a young junior. He just turned 16 a littte while ago and he’s not a really a big man but for us he plays big. He’s more of a small forward and he’s going to be a tough cover.”
Added Kilpatrick: “We basically felt that we were going to give him the midrange jumper and we can’t let him get to the rim, because that’s when he’s so tough. To his credit he made them.”
But that’s not what head coach Rick Kilpatrick needs him to do.
All Pilecki has to do is mimic his production from the Colonials 58-50 victory over Boston Latin (12-3) last night at Regan Gymnasium and the head coach will be happy.
Pilecki poured in five points in the final minute to help the Colonials push past the Wolfpack for the second time this season. The Colonials are now 13-1 on the regular season and Kilpatrick is getting used to seeing Pilecki come up when he is needed most.
“He’s our emotional leader,” said Kilpatrick. “He just brings a lot of energy to our team.”
The teams were locked in a one-possession game after Miles Wright hit a jumper with 1:29 left to go in the game. The Colonials were able to get the ball past the pressure defense and feed it to Pilecki in the post. He felt the defender on his back and instead of kicking it out to an outside shooter he turned and drilled a baseline jumper for a 55-50 lead.
“I wasn’t really thinking,” said Pilecki, who scored eight points on the night and grabbed seven rebounds. “I just got it and knew the shot clock was around (five seconds). I just put it up and I knew I could get over that kid.”
The Colonials came up with a defensive stop on the next possession and the Wofpack were trying to foul, but the Colonials were able to pass it around into Pilecki’s hands without getting a whistle. Pilecki saw the clock winding down, hoisted up a deep 3-pointer and drilled it with the buzzer sounding for the game-clincher.
“I knew there was five seconds and I was just going to pull that no matter what,” said Pilecki.
Pilecki’s clutch performances have not come as a surprise for teammate Kevin LaFrancis.
“He’s been huge,” said LaFrancis. “He’s been the motivator of the team and he’s been the biggest leader for us in the times of the greatest adversity. He’s just shown up in the biggest spots.”
LaFrancis Not Too Shabby: While LaFrancis praised his teammates for clutch finishes, it was the 6-foot-6 center that was the steady force that kept the Colonials afloat in the game.
LaFrancis finished the game with a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, with the majority of his buckets coming in the post.
“They guarded us hard, but we felt like we had the height advantage,” said LaFrancis. “We definitely had the advantage on the inside and we tried to exploit that early.”
LaFrancis finished 11-for-17 from the floor and came to life in the beginning of the third quarter. He posted the first eight points of the quarter for the Colonials with a number of post moves. More importantly, he was able to get Mike Wojewodzic and Jack Duggan into foul trouble to break into the depth of the Wolfpack front line.
“That’s what we want to do,” said Kilpatrick. “We want to try and get the ball inside and draw fouls.”
Wolfpack in the Hunt: The emotions were running high for the Wolfpack after dropping the first game of the season against the Colonials and they were in this one all the way to the bitter end.
It’s safe to say that this won’t be the last time anyone hears about Boston Latin.
The Wolfpack are a balanced team with legitimate scorers up and down the lineup. None might be more prolific than Wright. The junior finished with 20 points and showed a good inside game to go along with the lost art that is the midrange jumper.
Wright came away with five steals and nearly threw down a tomahawk dunk on the break that would have brought the Wolfpack a crucial bucket in the final moments of the fourth, but he lost the ball on the way down and it clanged off the rim.
The athleticism is there and he will be a presence that the Dual County League and the rest of the state will have to be aware of.
“He doesn’t realize how good he can be year,” said Wolfpack head coach Brendan Smith. “He’s a young junior. He just turned 16 a littte while ago and he’s not a really a big man but for us he plays big. He’s more of a small forward and he’s going to be a tough cover.”
Added Kilpatrick: “We basically felt that we were going to give him the midrange jumper and we can’t let him get to the rim, because that’s when he’s so tough. To his credit he made them.”
CONCORD, Mass. -- Streaks are meant to be broken, and Concord-Carlisle broke a 2-1/2 decade-long winless streak over Acton-Boxborough with a 35-12 win on Friday night.
Defense and a strong ground game powered Concord-Carlisle to their seventh consecutive win to start the 2011 season.
“The flow so far this year has been that the offense has been a little ahead of the defense,” said Concord-Carlisle Head Coach Mike Robichaud. “The defense was just huge for us tonight. I think we were really well prepared and our Defensive Coordinator Tom Dalicandro is phenomenal. They (A-B) never stop with all the formations and showed that in the third quarter comeback but our defense was enormous.”
C-C was led offensively by senior running back George Craan, who ran for 244 yards, three touchdowns and one 2-point conversion on the night.
C-C also got touchdown runs from junior Tim Badgley and senior Tyquan Culbreath. Badgley provided the game’s first score on 21-yard burst through the line and Culbreath provided the game’s final score on the night’s prettiest run. The senior shed tackles and danced around others on his way to a 37-yard touchdown run.
C-C led from start to finish and took a 22-2 lead into the half. A-B came out of the half and put together a patient and effective 4:21 drive that resulted in a 2-yard touchdown run by senior fullback Matt Brogie. A Jack Perry extra point made it 22-9.
A-B would then drop a squib-like onside kick on the ensuing kickoff that they would recover to turn the momentum in the game. A-B drove down field and came away with a Perry 27-yard field goal to cut the lead to 22-12 in the third quarter.
C-C and A-B would exchange possessions and C-C would grind it out down the stretch with Craan and Culbreath scoring fourth quarter touchdown runs in the win.
“George and Tyquan were huge for us tonight, “said Robichaud.
Jackson Finigan (2 pass break ups), Evan Boynton (1 INT), and Tyler Koning (6 tackles) also had strong defensive games for the Patriots.
Jake Pilecki (two catches for 67 yards) and Mike Duggan (nine tackles and blocked PAT) played well for the Colonials on the night.
Bumpus shines: Henry Bumpus made his presence felt all night as he had his hand on a few deflected balls, made two big tackles for loss and helped open huge holes for the C-C running backs to run through all night.
“Henry Bumpus is one of the best blocking tight ends I have ever seen at the high school level,” said Robichaud. “He has been doing this for us for three years now. On defense teams cannot run at him at this point. He just does a great job and plays the entire game for us.”
The 6-foot-6 senior defensive end is also an Dual County League All-Star basketball player as well as a star defenseman on the Concord-Carlisle
“I was really proud of our defense,” said Bumpus. “That is a very good offensive football team and we did a good job stepping up tonight. On offense we have five of six returners back on the line and we are really focused on getting back to where we were last year. We are blocking well right now and the backs are hitting the holes well so it is all coming together for us.”
West crushes momentum: A-B stopped Craan on a fourth down run early in the fourth quarter and got the ball back trailing by just 10 points. As A-B quarterback Hunter Arnold rolled out to his right he was met by a monster hit from C-C defensive back Anthony West. The hit knocked the ball free and C-C ‘s Jack Donovan recovered at the A-B 33 yard line. The turnover proved to be the difference maker in the game as C-C would score on the next possession to pull away.
The road ahead: Both teams get back to league play next week as Concord-Carlisle travels to Weston on Friday night. C-C plays three straight games on the road with Wayland and Lincoln-Sudbury following Weston. C-C concludes their regular season with their final home game against Bedford on Thanksgiving Day this year.
Acton-Boxborough plays their next three games at home as they begin with Waltham next Saturday afternoon. L-S and Newton South follow on the next two Friday nights before A-B finishes their regular season on Thanksgiving Day at rival Westford Academy.
CONCORD-CARLISLE 35, ACTON-BOXBOROUGH 12
C-C (7-0) --- 14 8 0 13 --- 35
A-B (4-3) --- 2 0 10 0 --- 7
First Quarter
C – Tim Badgley 21 run (kick blocked)
A – Billy Jackman blocked PAT return
C – George Craan 22 run (Craan run)
Second Quarter
C – Craan 6 run (Jason Finigan pass from Ryan Hoey)
Third Quarter
A-B – Matt Brogie 2 run (Jack Perry kick)
A-B – Perry 27 Field Goal
Fourth Quarter
C – Craan 18 run (kick failed)
C – Tyquan Culbreath 37 run (Evan Boynton kick)
Defense and a strong ground game powered Concord-Carlisle to their seventh consecutive win to start the 2011 season.
“The flow so far this year has been that the offense has been a little ahead of the defense,” said Concord-Carlisle Head Coach Mike Robichaud. “The defense was just huge for us tonight. I think we were really well prepared and our Defensive Coordinator Tom Dalicandro is phenomenal. They (A-B) never stop with all the formations and showed that in the third quarter comeback but our defense was enormous.”
C-C was led offensively by senior running back George Craan, who ran for 244 yards, three touchdowns and one 2-point conversion on the night.
C-C also got touchdown runs from junior Tim Badgley and senior Tyquan Culbreath. Badgley provided the game’s first score on 21-yard burst through the line and Culbreath provided the game’s final score on the night’s prettiest run. The senior shed tackles and danced around others on his way to a 37-yard touchdown run.
C-C led from start to finish and took a 22-2 lead into the half. A-B came out of the half and put together a patient and effective 4:21 drive that resulted in a 2-yard touchdown run by senior fullback Matt Brogie. A Jack Perry extra point made it 22-9.
A-B would then drop a squib-like onside kick on the ensuing kickoff that they would recover to turn the momentum in the game. A-B drove down field and came away with a Perry 27-yard field goal to cut the lead to 22-12 in the third quarter.
C-C and A-B would exchange possessions and C-C would grind it out down the stretch with Craan and Culbreath scoring fourth quarter touchdown runs in the win.
“George and Tyquan were huge for us tonight, “said Robichaud.
Jackson Finigan (2 pass break ups), Evan Boynton (1 INT), and Tyler Koning (6 tackles) also had strong defensive games for the Patriots.
Jake Pilecki (two catches for 67 yards) and Mike Duggan (nine tackles and blocked PAT) played well for the Colonials on the night.
Bumpus shines: Henry Bumpus made his presence felt all night as he had his hand on a few deflected balls, made two big tackles for loss and helped open huge holes for the C-C running backs to run through all night.
“Henry Bumpus is one of the best blocking tight ends I have ever seen at the high school level,” said Robichaud. “He has been doing this for us for three years now. On defense teams cannot run at him at this point. He just does a great job and plays the entire game for us.”
The 6-foot-6 senior defensive end is also an Dual County League All-Star basketball player as well as a star defenseman on the Concord-Carlisle
“I was really proud of our defense,” said Bumpus. “That is a very good offensive football team and we did a good job stepping up tonight. On offense we have five of six returners back on the line and we are really focused on getting back to where we were last year. We are blocking well right now and the backs are hitting the holes well so it is all coming together for us.”
West crushes momentum: A-B stopped Craan on a fourth down run early in the fourth quarter and got the ball back trailing by just 10 points. As A-B quarterback Hunter Arnold rolled out to his right he was met by a monster hit from C-C defensive back Anthony West. The hit knocked the ball free and C-C ‘s Jack Donovan recovered at the A-B 33 yard line. The turnover proved to be the difference maker in the game as C-C would score on the next possession to pull away.
The road ahead: Both teams get back to league play next week as Concord-Carlisle travels to Weston on Friday night. C-C plays three straight games on the road with Wayland and Lincoln-Sudbury following Weston. C-C concludes their regular season with their final home game against Bedford on Thanksgiving Day this year.
Acton-Boxborough plays their next three games at home as they begin with Waltham next Saturday afternoon. L-S and Newton South follow on the next two Friday nights before A-B finishes their regular season on Thanksgiving Day at rival Westford Academy.
CONCORD-CARLISLE 35, ACTON-BOXBOROUGH 12
C-C (7-0) --- 14 8 0 13 --- 35
A-B (4-3) --- 2 0 10 0 --- 7
First Quarter
C – Tim Badgley 21 run (kick blocked)
A – Billy Jackman blocked PAT return
C – George Craan 22 run (Craan run)
Second Quarter
C – Craan 6 run (Jason Finigan pass from Ryan Hoey)
Third Quarter
A-B – Matt Brogie 2 run (Jack Perry kick)
A-B – Perry 27 Field Goal
Fourth Quarter
C – Craan 18 run (kick failed)
C – Tyquan Culbreath 37 run (Evan Boynton kick)
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Scott Barboza
Scott Barboza joined ESPNBoston.com as a high schools editor/reporter in May 2010. He spent the previous three seasons working in the New England Patriots media relations department after a stint at the Taunton Daily Gazette, where he covered everything from Little League baseball to the Boston Red Sox. The Fall River native is a graduate of Emerson College. He can be reached at sbarboza@espnboston.com.
Brendan Hall
Brendan Hall joined ESPNBoston.com as a high schools reporter/editor in May 2010, after four years covering high schools for The Boston Globe. The Westminster, Mass. native also served on the Globe's Bruins beat last season. Hall is a graduate of UMass Amherst. He can be reached at bhall@espnboston.com.
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