ESPN

DANVERS, Mass. – They say if you give a man an inch, he’ll take a mile.

If you give John DiBiaso a bye week, well, that doesn’t bode well for the opposing football team.

Following a lackluster 20-8 loss to Xaverian at home two weekends ago, No. 4 Everett got back to basics in its one-week reprieve. The Crimson Tide’s week spent tidying up their messy performance in the former week showed in Saturday’s matinee duel against another Catholic Conference power in No. 3 St. John’s Prep.

First order of business? Shutting down, or at least, slowing down, the state’s most feared rusher in Johnny Thomas.

Second? Getting in a time machine and going back to the future with a refigured offense, shunning the spread, which found success in recent years, in favor of a vintage Everett staple — the flexbone.

It all was there in the Crimson Tide’s emphatic 35-14 win.

So did their head coach spend the week off pouring over old game plans and film, trying to unearth old gems?

“It wouldn’t say it was homework so much as it was a lot of practice,” DiBiaso said. “We practiced very hard.”

DiBiaso was less than amused with his team’s level of execution following the loss to Xaverian, so one can imagine the vigorous tenor of the Crimson Tide’s practices in the week since we saw them last.

Also, Everett (2-1) received an addition shot in the arm in the form of a new addition – senior running back/linebacker Isaiah Davis.

Davis, who previously suited up for Lynn English, was granted a waiver last week allowing the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder to see his first game action of the season with the Crimson Tide. He had an immediate impact, first scoring on a 15-yard run for a 7-0 first-quarter lead. Then, after Everett recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Davis ran for his second score from 2 yards out.

“I can’t be more happy for him, he’s been waiting patiently for his opportunity,” DiBiaso said. “He got it and he came up very big. He played fantastic and I think he put himself on the map among the elite players in the state.”

The Crimson Tide amassed a three-score lead by early in the second quarter, after Joe D’Onofrio’s 2-yard touchdown run.

But Prep (2-2) countered, making it a two-possession again before the half was out.

Running their two-minute drill, the Eagles drove 74 yards in two minutes even to set up Mike Geaslen’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Owen Rockett on the final play of the half. The game clock had nearly expired before Prep got the snap off, with Geaslen lofting a fade over the head of the defense on a schoolyard-ball type play.

The Eagles whittled the lead down to a touchdown in the fourth, with backup running back Cody Harwood running for a 4-yard touchdown with 9:32 to play.

Harwood entered the game after Thomas, a preseason All-Stater and early season Mr. Football favorite, left the game to a right knee injury.

But Everett would not be denied. Following Harwood’s score, the Crimson Tide chewed up 64 yards on three plays with quarterback Raheem Wingard selling the option and zooming up the left sideline 25 yards for a 28-14 lead with less than eight minutes remaining.

The Eagles’ final two drives ended in a Crimson Tide fumble recovery and turnover downs, respectively, before D’Onofrio iced it with his second rushing touchdown of the game.

“We just can’t spot them points, I don’t care how good you are – not against them,” Prep head coach Jim O’Leary said. “It was very similar to the [Bridgewater-Raynham] game. The second half, we made mistakes and the ball didn’t bounce our way.

“There was no magic involved. They played well, they had a bye week and they coached them up.”

Greater cause for concern: Thomas, a Maryland commit, left the game after a late third-quarter carry.

While attempting to cut to the sideline, the senior was met by duo of Everett tacklers and driven to the turf. After being attended to by trainers, Thomas walked off the field under his own power, but with staff members flanking him under each arm. He did not return.

Postgame, O’Leary said Thomas was examined by the doctor on hand, but didn’t want to speculate to the injury’s long-term severity, pending an MRI.

“We’re not going to play with 10 guys,” O’Leary added. “We’re going to play with 11 next week and, hopefully, we get him back.”

The concern over Thomas’ injury wasn’t exclusive to Prep’s sideline.

“He’s a great back,” DiBiaso said. “He got a lot of good yards and our prayers are with him. We hope it’s nothing serious.”

Grounding the Eagles: As was after Thomas’ injury, great attention was paid to the Prep back, who accounted for 86 yards on 17 carries in the first half alone, in the lead up to Saturday’s game.

With two weeks to game plan against the Eagles’ ground game, DiBiaso again mixed things up.

Josh Palmer, a 5-foot-9, 205-pound defensive tackle, was moved back to linebacker, joining an already stout corps. The move allowed the Crimson Tide to play a 3-5 base, at times stacking all 11 players in the box, in hopes of neutralizing the state’s top running talent.

“We recognize [Thomas is] the best player in the state and we were going to try to mold our defense to try to force them into doing other things to beat us,” DiBiaso said. “We put Josh [Palmer] back at linebacker with Angel [Duarte], C.J. [Parvelus] and Lubern [Figaro] and Isaiah [Davis] shadowing [Thomas] the whole game.

Of course, a plan is just that. Without players versatile enough to plug into the system, it falls flat.

“He’s just an athlete, he can play anywhere,” Duarte said of Palmer joining the ranks of the LBs. “He’s got the speed, he’s big. We put him out there anywhere and he did a great job for us.”

The Times They Are A-Changin’: After watching his son, Jonathan, break multiple state passing records during his career with the Crimson Tide, Everett’s offensive groupings have steadily morphed in the last two years.

It’s not anything new, but Saturday might have marked an unofficial return to the good ole days. DiBiaso reflected on his new-look, old-feel offense.

“You’re a stupid coach if you do something that your personnel isn’t equipped to execute. We’ve run the spread successfully for about four years, but our personnel is more fit for this.

“We have three good running backs and an option-style quarterback, so shame on me for not doing it earlier.”

With Davis, D’Onofrio and fullback Marquis Holman holding it down in the backfield, the Crimson Tide has tried to strike balance on offense.

Wingard made two big connections to Lukas Denis (2 passes defended on defense, as well), helping to set up two touchdown drives.

“He made two good catches on play-action passes, and if you’re going to run that offense, you have to hit on play-actions,” DiBiaso said of Denis.

Of course, there’s still room for improvement though: “I think we did a decent job. We’ve only been running it for two weeks, so hopefully we’ll get even better as weeks go on.”

It was one of the most dominant three-year runs in MIAA history, going 28-1 with three straight MIAA Eastern Mass. Super Bowl titles. They scored early and they scored often, including a 2010 run in which they outscored opponents by nearly a 30-point margin per game. They had high-profile talent in high-profile places, sending recruits off to places like Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Boston College, UMass, the Ivy League and seemingly everywhere else in between.

And now, it appears Everett High could be in for potentially a rebuilding year -- of course, in Everett that means more than one loss. There are some parallels to that last "rebuilding" team that went 8-3 in 2009. Back then, the Tide were coming off a three-year run that saw them win back-to-back D1 Super Bowls, and fall to eventual champ BC High in a playoff the third year. They graduated a load of talent, including Isaac Johnson, Walter Fallas, J.R. Suozzo and brothers Jim and Rodman Noel. Jonathan DiBiaso, the state's all-time leader in passing touchdowns, was a ripe sophomore.

That team took its lumps early on -- including an unheard-of 48-14 September beatdown at the hands of Dracut (a game which became just as well-known for coach John DiBiaso's post-game remarks, specifically "I just hope they don't take us off their schedule now" -- which they did, as it turns out).

But sooner or later, they figured it out, rolled to their 15th straight Greater Boston League title and a D1 Super Bowl berth, where they were shut out by rival Xaverian amidst the snow at Gillette Stadium. The lumps of that season gave way to the furious three-year run that concluded last December in similar snowy conditions, a 20-19 thriller over state No. 1 Barnstable to avenge an early-season loss and conclude a third straight Super Bowl title.

This year, the Tide must find replacements in the trenches, which graduated four starters from one of the nation's heaviest offensive lines and featured one of the East Coast's top recruits in John Montelus (Notre Dame). They must find new speed on the perimeter, where versatile threats Jakarrie Washington (Wisconsin) and Jalen Felix (Eastern Arizona JC) stressed defenses in so many different ways.

But does anybody truly, seriously doubt that these guys won't figure it out?

After all this was a team that last year was wholly unsettled at quarterback before the season even started, down to their fourth-stringer by their season-opener against Leominster. Raheem Wingard took over the reigns midway through the season, and the Tide never looked back.

The 5-foot-7 Wingard is back under center this season, and he has looked confident thus far in the preseason, putting better zip on the ball from a higher arm slot. Wingard developed a reputation last season as a running quarterback; working in the zone read out of the pistol, one of the new staples of Everett's offense this year, Wingard has shown the ability to make the right read on defensive ends.

He also maintains a chip on his shoulder, wanting to show the state last year's three-peat run was not the sole doings of last year's class.

"I feel like I'm one of the quarterbacks that gets overlooked a lot because I'm smaller, but that just gives me a little more motivation," said Wingard following a recent scrimmage. "And it makes me push my team that much farther, that much harder."

There are questions abound, particularly on the offensive line, where Zach Pierre is the lone starter. They aren't one of the nation's heaviest like last year, when they averaged 324 across, but this is still big by Bay State standards, averaging nearly 285. Keep an eye on junior Guerschwon Jean-Louis (6-5, 350) and sophomore J.J. Collimon (6-3, 245) as potential prospects down line, and don't forget about juniors Eric Trickett (6-1, 260) and Muhammad Raouie (6-0, 290) either.

Questions lie at the receiver positions as well, though it's apparent there is some talent with this group. Lukas Denis will be a focal point at wide receiver, alongside Lubern Figaro, but one name to keep an eye on is Joe D'Onofrio. After earning Catholic Central Small honors (and some high praise from his former coach), D'Onofrio returns to Everett and should make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball.

Where there won't be questions, as usual, is in the secondary. Figaro, who laid the wood from both slot corner and strong safety last year, was one of the most sought-after recruits in the offseason. He currently holds a dozen Division 1 FBS offers, and has chosen a final five of Boston College, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Michigan State and Wisconsin; after initially saying he would decide before the start of the season, Figaro has pushed his selection date back to at least October, possibly later.

EVERETT AT A GLANCE
Coach: John DiBiaso (22nd season at Everett, 263-64-1 overall)
Last Season: 11-1, won Div. 1A Eastern Mass. Super Bowl
Returning Starters: Eight (three offense, five defense)
Key Returnees: Sr. DB Lubern Figaro, Sr. LB C.J. Parvelus, Sr. QB Raheem Wingard, Sr. LB Angel Duarte, Sr. C Zach Pierre, Jr. ATH Lukas Denis
Strengths: Secondary, linebackers, passing game.
Weaknesses: Inexperience at offensive and defensive lines.
Outlook: This might be the youngest, greenest team Everett has rolled out since 2009, when they got off to a rusty start before marching to the D1 EMass Super Bowl. Like that 2009 team, it might take a bit for everything to come along, but does anybody seriously doubt the Tide won't figure it out? Last year's offensive line, led by Notre Dame freshman John Montelus, was one of the nation's heaviest at nearly 324 pounds across. This year's line is lighter, but still heavy by Massachusetts high school standards, and with a few intriguing young prospects who still have some growing to do, mentally and physically. Expect senior Joe D'Onofrio, a transfer from cross-town Pope John XXIII, to be a focal point of the passing game; he's already made an immediate impact during the preseason, able to stretch defenses vertically with high-4.5 speed. Wingard has shown improvement at passing, and that he's ready to take leadership reigns, and when coupled with Figaro, Denis and newbie Miguel Lopes, there's faith that the Tide will figure it out. The Tide should have one of the state's best secondaries once again, led by Figaro, who holds a dozen scholarship offers and is deciding between Boston College, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

A few notes and observations from the first week of MIAA preseason football:

Lofty, Loyte-y Comparisons: It's probably the worst-kept secret at St. John's Prep that junior tight end Jake Burt had one of the best summers in the program. All summer long, the 6-foot-4, 224-pound Lynnfield native dazzled in passing leagues and 7-on-7 tournaments, out-muscling defenders on 50/50 balls and boxing out others on goal line plays.

All summer long, coaches at the Prep program have raved about his development; and melded with his prowess on the school's basketball and volleyball teams, many are projecting highly for Burt, who is entering his first season as full-time starter after serving in part-time duty with the varsity last fall.

But perhaps no praise yet has been as high as the name head coach Jim O'Leary dropped on Tuesday morning, following a press conference to introduce the school's new baseball coach. Making a comparison to former great Jon Loyte -- an All-American who starred at Vanderbilt and Boston College, and had a brief cup of coffee with the New York Giants in 2010 -- O'Leary was blunt.

"I love Jon Loyte, but he [Burt] is more athletic," O'Leary said. "He's not as physically imposing as Jon was. Now, he weighed in last night [Monday, Aug. 19] at 6-4-1/2, 224 pounds, [and] he ran a 4.8 40. I thought that was impressive last night."

Burt dabbled last year in an H-back role, lining up both in the backfield and on the perimeter, and also took some snaps at quarterback in "Wildcat" packages. Expect him to take a similar role this fall, as the Eagles try to live up to their preseason billing as the state's No. 1 team and capture a second straight Division 1 title in the first year of a true MIAA State Championship.

It could be a similar situation to what St. John's of Shrewsbury had in 2010 with Richard Rodgers, the monster tight end/defensive end currently entering his third season at Cal. The 6-foot-4 Rodgers lined up both in the slot and split out wide, creating a matchup problem compounded with the added running threat of quarterback Dan Light, a converted tight end who is now manning a similar spot at Fordham.

"It's not our first rodeo here, we're probably going to use the talents that our people have," O'Leary said. "I think that you saw that situation last year, running some wildcat stuff. The trouble is, he sets the edge so well blocking, that it's going to be difficult to take him out of that tight end position. And his ability because he's 6-foot-4-1/2, to be split out as a wideout, similar to what St. John's Shrewsbury did with the kid that went to Cal, Rodgers, they used to split him out.

"It's a good matchup for us out there. Honestly, as weird as this sounds, we're probably gonna have to throw the ball more than we did last year. We need to take people out of the box."

High remarks from a former coach: One week of preseason in the books, and senior transfer Joe D'Onofrio is already making his presence felt at Everett High, scoring twice in yesterday's scrimmage with Lynn English. That comes as no surprise to his former coach at Pope John XXIII, which has since co-oped its program with Chelsea due to lack of numbers.

"You can quote me, Joey’s a stud. He’s a stud, man," said Brian Vaughan, now the head coach at Boston English. "Not a lot of people know about him, people try telling me he's not gonna play at Everett, and I laugh. I'm shocked he was with me at Pope John -- he's a stud. Some of the things he's done for me the last two years is just ridiculous. He's a perfect fit for them."

After his freshman season at Everett, D'Onofrio transferred across town to Pope John, and made his impact felt immediately in Vaughan's patented spread attack. In D'Onofrio's sophomore season of 2011, he ranked second on the team in receiving behind ESPN Boston All-State selection Malcolm Brown, while also rushing for 1,106 yards on just 105 carries.

Last fall, D'Onofrio earned Catholic Central Small MVP honors after carrying 174 times for 1,356 yards and 16 scores. Offensively, blessed with high-4.5 speed, he got touches in every skill position, including quarterback; defensively, he was just as vicious, making downhill plays from both the safety and outside linebacker spots.

Among the most talented players he's worked with in his two-plus decades of coaching, Vaughan recalls back to his time as an assistant at his alma mater Lynn English, and to former defensive tackle Matt Curtis, an athletic savant who overcame dramatic hardships to captain Harvard's football team in 2008.

"[Joe] would always wow you on offense, but when he'd come upfield from an outside linebacker or safety spot, he comes up and he's laying the wood," Vaughan said. "I've been coaching high school sports for a long time, and he's up there with my favorite athletes. He’s up there with Matt Curtis from the early 2000's. Obvioulsy he was a defensive tackle, but his athletic ability was crazy. He was a defensive tackle that returned kicks for us."

So what should folks in Everett expect from D'Onofrio this fall?

"What they should expect is someone who will work hard and do whatever it takes to win," Vaughan said. "He's definitely a team player, whatever you ask him to do he's gonna do it 120 miles an hour. Personally, I expect nothing but a lot of good things over there. [Everett head coach] John DiBiaso does an excellent job with the talent that he has, and Joe is going to fit right in and continue to have the success he's had at the high school level."

Secret ingredient? The first touchdown of No. 21 Needham's preseason came from a name familiar to the hardwood.

John Madsen, the 6-foot-6 senior star forward for the Rockets' basketball squad, is back out for football for the first time since his freshman year. You could say he's made his impact felt already, scoring the first of two Rockets touchdowns in Saturday's scrimmage with Newton South, hauling in a pass from senior quarterback Ryan Charter.

Needham is one of those programs that typically draws unique crossover talent, led this year by Mike Panepinto, a 2,000-yard rusher last fall who is committed to UMass for lacrosse. Two years ago, lacrosse star Mark Riley was a stud on the gridiron, stretching the field vertically as a flex tight end to earn ESPN Boston All-State honors.

Basketball backgrounds typically translate well to the tight end position -- see Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and Jimmy Graham at the NFL level. It's a work in progress, but you can't teach size, and so far Madsen has demonstrated a wide catching radius. He will likely stick at wide receiver, and won't play defense.

"He can catch, and he’s tall, and in terms of playing wide receiver those are two very good intangibles," Rockets head coach David Duffy said. "If we can get him up to speed on the offense...I'm hoping he improves every week, but he’s working hard at it. He's gonna be another weapon we can utilize, because everybody is going to be keying on Mikey [Panepinto]."

EVERETT, Mass. -- This morning at Everett Memorial Stadium, the No. 2 Everett Crimson Tide hosted Lynn English in their annual first-weekend preseason scrimmage. In two series of varsity on varsity, Everett's offense scored four times, while the Bulldogs failed to reach the end zone.

This was our first look in the 2013 preseason at Everett, which is undergoing some wholesale changes in personnel after going 28-1 with three Super Bowl championships the last three seasons, as well as a good measure on several promising stars for English. Below are some notes and observations:

Radio Raheem: If there was any dash of speculation before about who was going to be taking snaps under center, incumbent senior Raheem Wingard made it clear who was in charge. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound Wingard is built low to the ground and gets overlooked for his height, but he has a better arm than given credit for, and is excellent at making the proper read on backside defensive ends.

After graduating one of the program's most talented classes ever, led by the likes of Jakarrie Washington (Wisconsin), John Montelus (Notre Dame) and Jalen Felix (Eastern Arizona JC), Wingard takes the reigns with a chip on his shoulder. Everett was down to its fourth-string quarterback by opening night of the 2012 campaign, but Wingard moved over from running back to QB full-time midway through the year, and gave the Tide another running threat out of the backfield.

"He's stepping it up," Tide coach John DiBiaso said. "I think Raheem wants to prove it wasn't just Jakarrie [Washington], Jalen Felix, Kenny Calaj, Gilly De Souza, you know, that he had a hand in it a little bit. A lot of these kids have been the same way."

Said Wingard, "I feel like I'm one of the quarterbacks that gets overlooked a lot because I'm smaller, but that just gives me a little more motivation, and it makes me push my team that much farther, that much harder."

Everett primarily operated out of two-by-two double slot formations, pairing Lukas Denis and Lubern Figaro on one side opposite newcomers Mike Lopes and Joe D'Onofrio. That opened up the field for a series of slippery zone read plays up the middle, which Wingard usually orchestrated correctly.

D'Onofrio off and running: The prettiest play of the afternoon belonged to D'Onofrio, who connected with Wingard for a 55-yard touchdown pass towards the end of the Tide's first of two offensive series. Split wide just outside the numbers, D'Onofrio gained a step on his defender cutting diagonally on a post route, slipped behind the safety coming over the top, and let the ball softly drop over his shoulder into his outstretch hands, sprinting the final 20 yards to paydirt.

The 5-foot-11, 182-pound D'Onofrio was the Catholic Central Small MVP last year at cross-town Pope John XXIII after rushing for 1,356 yards and 16 touchdowns, his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season. But school has since gotten rid of its football program, leading D'Onofrio back to Everett, where he dabbled as a freshman.

If this morning is any indication, D'Onofrio is making a seamless fit into the Everett passing game. His slender frame blended with top-end speed and crisp routes draws comparisons to former Everett great Matt Costello, the 2010 ESPN Boston Mr. Football now playing for Princeton University, with the ability to stretch a defense vertically and take the top off. They're slightly different players, though -- D'Onofrio is a bit more physical, what with playing outside linebacker on defense.

"He's a real good player," DiBiaso said. "I've known him since he was five years old, he grew up in [Everett's] Pop Warner and everything. He did the couple years at Pope John, and now he's back with us. We're happy to have him, he's a good addition to the program. He's a good athlete."

Green in the trenches: Last season, the Tide had one of the nation's heaviest lines, averaging 324 pounds across, led by the 6-foot-5, 330-pound Montelus. This year's line is smaller, but still pretty impressive by high school standards at nearly 286 pounds across. Senior center Zach Pierre (5-11, 284) is the lone returning starter, and the Tide are breaking in new guards in juniors Eric Trickett (6-1, 260) and Muhammad Raouie (6-0, 290).

Two of the most intriguing newbies may be at the bookends. Junior Guerschwon Jean-Louis is in his first year of ever playing organized football, but at 6-foot-5 and nearly 350 pounds he held his own at the left tackle position. Sophomore right tackle J.J. Collimon is almost athletic enough to be a tight end, and may project the highest at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds.

Today was a good matchup for the young but promising Everett line, which had to deal with ESPN Boston Preseason All-State selection Chris Tinkham on the interior. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound senior has attracted Division 1 interest and is an impressive bull-rusher on the interior, but everywhere else the Tide were able to take control.

Offensively, the Tide moved the ball consistenly downfield, with linemen consistently getting into the second level. In one of the more impressive plays of the varsity action, Raouie charged up the left sideline on a screen and sealed off an English defender 15 yards downfield.

Defensively, Tinkham high-walled ends from the left tackle spot, but from the right side the Tide registered two sacks in the second English offensive series, including a nice speed rush from three-technique tackle Sidney Brimas, while 180-pound tackle Josh Palmer caused disruption shooting the inside gaps.

Harris-Javier battle heats up: One of the more intriguing camp battles is at English, where Lucas Harris is the incumbent but has been getting a good run from junior transfer Jordan Javier. At Haverhill High last year as a sophomore, the 6-foot-4 Javier excelled at wide receiver, but over the summer he has gotten plenty of reps at quarterback -- a move that's merited, as he makes difficult throws look effortless.

Javier, laboring through a tweaked meniscus from earlier in the week, took most of his snaps at quarterback, and took a few lumps early in the first series. On one play, he scrambled down the right sideline only to be stopped cold by Everett's C.J. Parvelus 10 yards down field. Two plays later, Javier threaded a laser deep down the left slot, only to watch highly-touted safety Lubern Figaro stip the ball from Harris' grip at the last second.

Both Harris and Javier made some great plays on the run, hitting receivers with tight balls just steps from the sidelines on deep comeback routes. And when Javier did line up at receiver for a few plays, he made the most of it, including an impressive catch from Harris on a square-in route from the left.

So far, Javier has shown promise, but Harris has done nothing to suggest he shouldn't be the quarterback. Receiver appears to be Javier's more natural position, based on history, so perhaps there is a compromise.

It will be worth monitoring Javier's left knee, which he re-aggravated late in the varsity series, having to be carried off by teammates and barely putting weight on his left leg. It's considered nothing serious, another tweak of the meniscus, according to English coaches.

Miscellaneous: One name to keep an eye on down the line: Jordan McAfee. The 6-foot-3 freshman is the Tide's third-string quarterback behind Wingard and Pat Long, but demonstrates remarkable maturity for a 14-year-old kid and made two terrific throws on comeback routes in the morning's final series. ... When the Tide got inside the red zone, they went to their familiar "Double Wing" package, experimenting with Raouie at fullback. Twice they scored on five-yard power sweeps, one in each of the two varsity series, from Denis and D'Onofrio. ... The linebacking corps appears to be set for now, with Angel Duarte at middle linebacker and Parvelus and D'Onofrio playing outside. ... In the secondary, keep an eye on junior Richard Jean, who made a good break on a deep pass late in the second series, deflecting a would-be touchdown at the sideline from about 10 yards out. ... DiBiaso on the roles expected of Figaro and Denis: "They've got to be leaders. We don't have that many experienced [players], so they've got to be leaders on the team. Lubern and [Lukas], those are the two bigger names out there."

CHELSEA, Mass. -– In an emotional showdown at Chelsea High School on Saturday afternoon, Cathedral was victorious over Pope John XXIII, giving the Panthers an opportunity to win the Catholic Central small outright with one more win.

Cathedral (8-2, 6-0) benefited from two Pope John (5-5, 5-1) interceptions early on, finishing the first half with a 6-0 lead on a 25 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kejonte Hickman to 6-foot-4 wide receiver Kadeem Edge.

Edge, who had two touchdown receptions of 25 yards each on the day, helped anchor an offensive attack that overcame several turnovers and came up in the clutch in overtime.

“I trust my quarterback, I know he’s gonna give me the ball, and he knows where I like it, so I’ll do whatever it takes to help my team,” Edge said.

The quarterback Hickman, only a sophomore, was one of the most dominant performers on the field, throwing for two touchdowns and running in the eventual game-winning touchdown late in the overtime period.

“All summer long, I watched [Hickman and Edge]," Cathedral head coach Duane Sigsbury said. "They had a connection back then and it’s carried on through the year, that must have been like their 13th and 14th connection of the year, or about that.

“Kadeem is a special kid, he’s a Division 1 [college] player but he hasn’t gotten a lot of [college] looks because we’re D4.”

Following a fumbled kick return by Cathedral, Pope John took advantage to start off the second half, as junior running back Joe D’Onofrio picked up all 41 yards over the course of the Tigers’ first scoring drive. After a thirty-six yard run that put Pope John within inches of the goal line, D’onofrio ran in for the score and two-point conversion, the first of four touchdowns that he scored in the contest.

The Tigers' offense greatly improved in taking care of the ball in the second half, while their defense forced a fumble and Hickman’s second interception of the day, but it looked as if the Tigers had come up just short going into the final play of the game.

With five seconds left in the fourth quarter, Pope John quarterback Mike Sullivan scrambled around the red zone and threw up a Hail Mary pass to the endzone. With no time left on the clock, D’Onofrio came down with jumpball, tying the game at 20. Following a significant delay inbetween the touchdown and extra point attempt, the Tigers were penalized fifteen yards for excessive celebration, and were unsuccessful in their long two point attempt.

Cathedral started off the overtime period with a touchdown by Jermal Brevard-Jackson, a 10-yard run and his second touchdown of the afternoon. Following a successful two-point conversion for the Panthers, D’onofrio put Pope John on his back once again, running in a score and successful two-point conversion to tie the game at 28.

Enter Hickman. The young Cathedral quarterback played hero on the Panthers’ final drive, running in a ten yard touchdown to put Cathedral ahead on the scoreboard at the time, and in hindsight, for good. Cathedral stopped the Tigers inside the five yardline on their final possession, and came up with a win that puts them in position to win the Catholic Central small title next week with a win over Marian.

“Thanksgiving is always great,” Sigsbury said, “the next stop in the road for us is a Marian team that’s been working their tails off...They’ll be ready to play on Thanksgiving and we’ll be focused on the playoffs after that.”

Cathedral now has a one game lead over Pope John in the Catholic Central small standings, as Pope John now sits at 5-1 in league. As mentioned, Cathedral will take on Marian on Thanksgiving, while Pope John will play at Lowell Catholic.