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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.”

EVERETT, Mass. – One would have thought Xaverian’s offense would be behind the 8-ball entering Friday night’s showdown with No. 1 Everett. Without starting running back (and linebacker) Shayne Kaminski in the lineup, lost to a leg injury suffered during a scrimmage last week, the Hawks were playing without perhaps their best athlete.

No sweat.

Junior quarterback Jake Farrell was nearly perfect in the passing game, while junior Noah Sorrento (15 carries, 98 yards) picked up the slack in the backfield as the No. 14 Hawks surged past the top-ranked Crimson Tide during the second half in a 20-8 win.

With the victory, Xaverian (1-0) ended Everett’s 10-game winning streak against Catholic Conference foes and, in the process, started 2013with bang for a squad coming of a sub-.500 2012 campaign.

“It’s a huge statement for everybody on our team,” said Farrell, who started the game going 9-for-9 in completions, a streak extending into the third quarter. “We showed we can beat one of the elite teams in Massachusetts, and people are going to know about this.”

Sorrento, who worked in two-back sets with Kaminski throughout the preseason, set the Hawks off in the right direction with a 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

Xaverian would maintain the 7-0 lead until 4:13 remaining in the half, when Everett quarterback Raheem Wingard (149 rushing yards) broke off a 29-yard touchdown on an option keeper. Although the point-after try was blocked, an offsides penalty against Xaverian gave the Crimson Tide (1-1) another crack. Another yard closer, Marquis Holman ran in the 2-point conversion over left guard.

The scoring drive was enabled by a fourth-down stand by Everett’s defense at their 40-yard line.

The Crimson Tide’s one-point lead stood until the fourth quarter, when another crucial fourth-down decision from the Xaverian sideline would come into play.

Facing a fourth-and-11 at the Everett 25, and with a little more than eight minutes remaining, the Hawks broke huddle looking for something special. When the play broke down around Farrell, he improvised and took off toward the end zone. Twenty-five yards later, the first-year starter scored what would prove to be the game-winning touchdown.

After the Hawks defense came away with another key fourth-down stop on the ensuing Everett possession, Farrell capped his evening with a perfectly thrown 23-yard fade to D.J. Sperzel for an insurance strike.

“It was just reading the quarterback,” Sperzel said. “I knew I had the receiver in front of me and broke on the ball.”

“We felt like that was the time to take a shot,” Hawks head coach Charlie Stevenson said. “He went up and got it, and Jake put it right where he needed to.”

For added measure, Sperzel closed out the special evening with an interception of Wingard on the following drive.

Shuffling the deck: While Kaminski’s absence forced Stevenson to alter his offensive game plan, the Hawks still played to their strengths.

“We lose a lot of firepower without Kaminski in the backfield,” Steveson added. “But I thought Noah Sorrento did an unbelievable job.”

Also key to the victory was the play of Xaverian’s offensive line. Anchored by senior captain Jeff Perez, the line created holes ample for any running back to walk through.

“If we block like that and Shayne’s with us, I think we’ll be OK as we go forward,” Stevenson said.

They also drew rave reviews from their quarterback.

“The O-line was excellent,” Farrell said. “I had a ton of time to throw and the receivers just ran good routes. They made it easy for me.”

Work in progress: Meanwhile, after a sloppy Week 1 win over another Top 10 foe in Springfield Central and Friday night’s loss, Crimson Tide head coach John DiBiaso was less than enthused with his team’s work thus far.

“There were no positives,” DiBiaso said of Friday’s loss. “They kicked our butts up and down the field, in every aspect of the game – special teams, offense, defense.

“We didn’t play well, we didn’t execute.”

EVERETT, Mass. -- Springfield Central understands the realization that teams from Western Mass. do not get the same kind of respect as those who hail from the eastern half of the Commonwealth. Afterall, the only way to gain respect is to earn it.
Friday night it appeared as though the Golden Eagles took a positive step in that direction.

Although Central came out on the short end of a hardfought 31-23 decision to the Crimson Tide, Everett coaches and players alike came away with the understanding that the Golden Eagles can now sit at the table among the state's elite programs.

“They’re a great team,” said defensive tackle Josh Palmer, who flourished on the defensive side for the Crimson Tide all night long and forced a key fumble midway through the third quarter. “They’re very humble and don’t talk trash. I knew I needed to make big plays tonight because I really wanted to win this. A lot of people thought we would lose this so I wanted to prove everyone wrong.”

Echoing Palmer's sentiments, there were many who did feel this might be a rebuilding year for Everett (1-0). This off-season, the Crimson Tide needed to replace their entire offensive line and fill the void left by some primary offensive weapons who graduated.

But when you are a program as tradition-rich as Everett is, winners of three straight Eastern Mass. Super Bowls, you don’t rebuild, you reload. A daunted running attack spurred the Crimson Tide in this one. Senior back Joe D’Onofrio led a strong ground assault, rushing for 143 yards on 16 carries and 1 TD. When D’Onofrio wasn’t summond to push the ball upfield, Everett looked to junior Jonathan Freitas, who bullied his was for 89 tough yards.

“I thought our backs ran very well, especially in the second half,” Everett coach John DiBiaso said. “We know Springfield Central is a very good team and we are very lucky to come out with the result that we did. I thought our defense as a whole did a good job. It was sort of a bend but don’t break defense tonight. Williams is a great player for them you we probably aren’t going to run into a much-better quarterback in high school other than him.”

While the Crimson Tide did most of their damage on the ground, the Golden Eagles did theirs through the air. Highly-touted senior quarterback Cody Williams looked in mid-season form, riddling the Crimson Tide defense having passed for 304 yards on 21-of-33 attempts and 3 touchdowns. Williams, engineering the spread offense, also did it with his feet, rushing for 72 yards on 12 carries.

“We know Everett is a great team but I feel we came out and showed them what Western Mass. has,” said Williams, who is committed to Monmouth University. “We came out and gave it all we got.”

Last year, Central lost to Everett in its season opener and went on to win 11 straight, culminating in a Division 1 Western Mass. Super Bowl victory. Williams believes it could be déjà vu all over again this year.

“We’re not losing anymore this year,” he said. “We still plan to go to the (Division 2) state championship and play it one game at a time and one practice at a time.”



After a scoreless opening quarter, the Crimson Tide got on the board first at 10:23 of the second frame as C.J. Parvelus hauled in a 5 yard scoring pass from quarterback Raheem Wingard. Five minutes later, the Golden Eagle answered with Williams connecting with Tysean Williams in the end zone to knot the game at 7-7.

With under a minute to go before halftime, Everett re-took the lead at 14-7 thanks to D’Onofrio’s 19 yard scamper. However, Central made a final second push to set up Ju’an Williams’ 36 yard field goal to make it a four point game.

On their first possession of the second half, the Golden Eagles grabbed their first lead. Marching 94 yards and facing a third down at the Everett 20 yard line, the Everett defense forgot to cover receiver Malik Johnson, who was left wide open for a 20 yard scoring catch putting Central ahead 17-14 with 7:21 left to go in the third.

This tilt had its share of miscues by both clubs. Ill-advised penalties, wrong substitution packages and forgetting plays were evident throughout. One of the biggest mistakes of the evening came with 3:31 of the third. With the Golden Eagles in the shadow of their own goal post, a bad snap went out of the back of the end zone resulting in a safety for Everett, who now trailed by a point.

“We had a lot of guys where this was their first game against a strong team in Everett,” Central coach Valdamar Brower said. “Hopefully we got some things out of our system tonight. Now these kids have some experience under their best and who better to play again and have that experience then Everett. There were still a lot of good things to take away from this game. We’re going to grow from this. We have a lot of confidence but we need to stay humble and hungry.”

Getting the ball back following the safety, the Crimson Tide needed just two plays to move back in front. Wingard’s 60 yard pitch and catch to Michael Lopes followed by Freitas’ conversion run had Everett now ahead 24-17. The Crimson Tide managed to extend the advantage to 31-17 early in the fourth on a Marquis Holman 8 yard carry.

But Central (0-1) would not go quietly. Following the touchdown, Williams completed four passes as part of a 76 yard drive with the final completion being a 31 yard scoring pass to Johnson with 5:37 to go.

But that would be the last time Central would touch the ball. Everett was able to convert three key first downs to run out the clock.

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."

BEVERLY, Mass. -– Even when the shots aren’t falling for Stevie Collins, his confidence never falters and his swagger goes untouched.

“Like Kobe,” he said with a smirk, referencing his favorite NBA star. “Keep shooting, keep shooting,”

‘Keep shooting’ enabled Collins to punch his team’s ticket to the Division 1 North final against Central Catholic. Thanks to 34 points on 14-for-15 shooting from the charity stripe from the sophomore guard, Lynn English (18-5) knocked off Everett (15-8) 94-87 in a fast-paced offensive game.

Everett guard Tyree Gregory dominated the first half, scoring 15 points over the first two quarters and giving the Tide a strong presence off the dribble. However, Gregory mustered just two points after halftime.

The two teams were knotted at 45 at halftime, and then started the game of runs. English had a 9-0 run over the course of the first two minutes of the third quarter, and after a timeout, Everett matched with a run of their own—going on a 10-0 run, keyed by junior guard Timmance McKinney (17 points) to take a 55-54 lead.

Then Collins caught fire. The sophomore knocked down two straight three pointers in the third quarter, and finished an acrobatic layup to beat the third quarter buzzer, giving his team a 67-61 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Bulldogs’ senior forward Ben Bowden (13 points), who is committed to Vanderbilt to play baseball, stepped up and took a little pressure off of Collins in the beginning of the fourth quarter -- he scored seven straight points to start off the period to give English a commanding 74-63 lead with five minutes to go.

“Ben Bowden, who I tease about being a great baseball player and maybe not being a fantastic basketball player, was outstanding," Lynn English head coach Mike Carr said. "He had a spurt there where he scored for us and did things that maybe he hasn’t been able to do consistently all year--but in the big game, he stepped up.”

Moments later, Collins canned his fourth 3-pointer of the night, and with the 14-point lead, the Bulldogs had all but sealed the victory.

But Everett wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“We got [the lead] to fourteen midway through the fourth and my kids were starting to get comfortable there. As a coach, you never get comfortable until that final horn goes,” Carr said.

Thanks to a quick 9-0 run following Collins’ fourth trey, Everett built momentum, forced Collins and Erick Rosario (17 points) into several turnovers down the stretch via their full-court press, and were able to chip away at English’s lead thanks to some late-game heroics from sophomore Gary Clark (20 points, 7 rebounds). Bulldogs glue-guy Danny Lukanda (8 points, 14 rebounds) and Rosario both fouled out of the game with just under two minutes to go, forcing Carr to put in 6-foot-6 sophomore Johnny Hilaire.

A long-armed, physically-gifted forward, Hilaire went 3-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minute of the game, and also helped seal off the paint with a big block that helped English hold a 90-87 lead.

“We had a little left in the tank at the end we made a nice comeback, got it down to two points, got the ball, and the kid made a great block,” Everett coach John DiBiaso said. “I told my kids in there, ‘It showed a lot of guts, that kid coming off the bench hitting free throws’.”

Carr added: “With the foul trouble, I put him in at the end thinking he would give us some rebounding, and maybe a defensive presence. Thankfully, he stepped up and hit some big foul shots.”

Outrunning the Crimson Tide: Carr and Collins both attributed the Bulldogs’ impressive late-season run to their brutal in-season conditioning. Even despite carrying the majority of the offensive load for most of the game, Collins and Rosario never showed to tire even in the slightest late in the second half, when they were able to build a lead that Everett wasn’t quite able to come back from.

“It’s huge. Running the stairs for 15 minutes after practice: we’re exhausted—coach tells us ‘fight through it’. If we don’t, he adds time. So we just gotta’ get through it,” Collins said.

Added Carr: “We are what we are, we’re team that’s built on our guards, we’re built on our press. If a team that’s similar to us takes us down to the wire, then so be it...we’re not tired, and I certainly feel that they (Everett) maybe were. “

Lynn English has played its best basketball over the last month, and though Carr and his staff had limited expectations for how far his young team could come, he also exuded a confidence in his gameplan and the ability of his players to execute said plan.

“No one wants to run with us —- this was the first team all season who did. For the most part I thought we did a pretty good job of handling it,” Carr said.

Missed opportunities: Everett had several opportunities to chip away at the lead earlier in the fourth quarter, but was unable to convert on several easy lay-ups inside. The Tide also shot 21-for-32 from the line -— not a bad number, but one that DiBiaso used as an example of opportunities that Everett had to regain the lead—something they were unable to do after they held the mentioned 55-54 lead early in the third quarter.

“We didn’t make our layups and we didn’t make our free throws -— enough of them," DiBiaso said. "They’re a tough team, we battled, we were always coming from behind.

“We dug a whole too many times; you can’t come from behind that many times. We got it down to 89-87 and we had the ball, that’s all we can ask for. But you’ve got to make your free throws in games like this; I don’t think we shot well from the line.”

Cinderella no longer: After beating Springfield Central and St. John’s Prep to win the IAABO 130 Classic by surprise, the verdict was no longer out on the young, but talented Bulldogs. They moved on to beat Somerville in the opening round of the Division 1 North tournament, crushed Haverhill in the quarterfinals, and following Tuesday night’s win over Everett, English will go into Saturday’s showdown with Central Catholic having not lost a game in nearly a month.

Collins said beating Central and Prep, who at the time were considered two of the top Division 1 teams in the state, gave them exactly the fuel they needed to make the unexpected burst.

“It gave us huge momentum, we felt like nobody could beat us after that. I still feel like nobody can beat us, I think we’re the number one team in the state.”

Gameplanning and conditioning can only go so far, and Carr said his team’s chemistry is perhaps the biggest reason why they have been able to make a run all the way to the D1 North finals.

“We never thought 'This group, this year'," Carr said. "We thought, 'Maybe next year', but we just gelled at the right time. That’s the whole thing."

But his star sophomore, killer instinct and all, refused to admit the same.

“I expected it,” the always-confident Collins said, straight-faced. “I think nobody could beat us and I still feel like nobody can beat us. We practice hard, the only way we lose is if we beat ourselves.”

EVERETT, Mass. -– Everett's transition offense created a slippery slope for East Boston tonight.

The host No. 7 seed Crimson Tide (15-6) created turnovers in both teams' territories, then consistently beat the Jets down the court to score 21 straight points between the second and third quarters. Trumping No. 10 Eastie (12-8) 77-55, Everett advances to the Division 1 North quarterfinals to play No. 2 seed Lowell (18-3) on Friday.

“The transition game is stuff we live and die by,” said Everett coach John DiBiaso. “We do different drills (with) trapping, converting from offense to defense, (and) looking out for each other. We play at that intensity because we practice at that intensity.”

Senior Tyree Gregory lead Everett with 22 points, while teammate sophomore Gary Clark netted 14 points and grappled five rebounds.

After hitting a layup right before halftime, Gregory finished a wide crossover dribble to lose his defender then hit a deep two-point jumper seconds into the third quarter to start the run at 42-28. Seconds after assisting Clark off a steal, senior Gilly DeSouza converted two steals and a rebound into six points including a one-handed dunk by Gregory for a 51-28 lead with 5:20 left in the quarter.

Everett's standard "Diamond Trap" full-court press aided all three of DeSouza's steals.

“I practice dunking all the time so it is just adrenaline,” said Gregory. “We practice D'ing on the press then running the ball to attack. We put the pressure on them and the offense just came like that.”

Gregory finished a powerful one-handed layup through a foul from a defender then senior Jordan Seldon hit junior Timmance McKinney for a counter attack dunk and the 59-28 advantage at 3:38 in the third.

Jets senior Stanley Harris forced a point off free throws to cut the run 12 seconds later.

“A lot of those points came off turnovers,” East Boston coach Shawn Brown. “You spend a lot of time going over (the press), but there is a difference when you are in the game. When we got in a half court set, we ran good sets”

The Jets trailed since the first basket at 7:03 in the first quarter, but got as close as 25-24 at 3:27 in the second quarter. Seven straight points started with a quick layup off the throw in by sophomore Raekwon Cole and finished on a boxed out layin by senior Will March to cut the score within one.

Thirteen consecutive points including two three-point jumpers by Gregory put the Crimson Tide ahead for good with a 38-24 lead and 1:28 left in the first half.

“We were aggressive, we came out with intensity (and) we kind of physically wore them down a little bit there,” said DiBiaso “We rotate 11 guys so it gives us a lot of options.”

“We always want to go into the locker room at half time with at least a double-digit lead,” added Gregory.

Everett had a 12 man bench, while East Boston only had a five subs.

Much Different Matchup: A lot has changed for the two teams since East Boston won 49-48 in Everett last month.

Eastie entered today with five former JV players and without leading scorers Pat Santos, Kenny Ramos (both seniors) and sophomore Rasheed Bell. Santos did not dress, but was a strong verbal leader throughout from the bench.

“Gets me excited about next year,” said Brown. “We have young guys not used to pressure. You get in a game situation it is different.”

Sophomore Dion Knight lead Eastie with 17 points.

EVERETT, Mass. -- The Tide settled just in time against visiting neighbor Malden High last night.

Ahead for the final 25 minutes, Everett boys' basketball looked to be cruising to its first Greater Boston League victory of the season as it lead by as much as 20 points in the final half. A frenzy of fourth-quarter steals slipped the Golden Tornadoes within a single score late, but the Crimson Tide (4-3, 1-1) steadied in the final minute to best Malden (5-2, 1-1), 61-52.

“We got off to a nice start (at) 2-0 and lost three tough ones by a total of three points to real good teams,” said Everett coach John DiBiaso. “We were a little down on ourselves so it was important to bounce back.”

Leading by its smallest margin since the first quarter, 55-52, guard Tyree Gregory whipped a sideline pass into the paint to set up sophomore Gary Clark for two points off free throws and a 57-52 lead at 1:05 in the final quarter. After Malden sophomore Anthony Gilardi just missed a fade-away, Everett junior Marquis Holman grappled the rebound and whipped the ball across the court for a 59-52 layin by junior Lubern Figaro with 45 seconds left.

A foul shot from senior Gilly DeSouza and junior Timmance McKinney sealed the win at 61-52 in the final seconds.

“We went inside a couple of times with some set plays,” said DiBiaso. “That kind of calmed us down. (We) go some layups and free throws and that got us over the hump.”

Clark, a forward, battled his way through the flu to lead the Tide with 19 points and seven rebounds. Gregory netted 16 points, while forward Jahlil Price buried 13 points and grappled five rebounds (both Everett senior captains).

“All coach said was play defense and attack the basket,” said Clark. “We do a lot of rebound drills for me and close out drills for the zone. Coach wants me to attack the basket really hard”

In The Zone: A patient 2-3 zone and a strong paint presence from six-foot-four center Gilardi helped force turnovers and battle Malden back from a 49-29 deficit at 4:29 in the third quarter.

A 13-2 fourth quarter run by the Golden Tornadoes, including seven steals, finished with senior guard Rodney Morton stripping the ball at mid court and forcing two points from foul shots to gain a slim 55-52 deficit with 1:20 left.

“(Gilardi) has really good court vision and he is able to stay where the ball is,” said Malden coach Don Nally. “When you press the ball and take vision away it makes it a little easier to do it. We did a 2-3 and we pressed off of it.”

Back-to-back three-point-plays by Gilardi and junior Ray Sainstril off steals had previously finished an eight point streak for Malden with the Golden Tornadoes down 53-48 with 2:42 remaining.

Diamond Defense: The Crimson Tide used its standard 1-2-1-1 full-court press (or as coach DiBiaso referred to it, a "Diamond Trap") the entire game. The press was extremely effective early as Everett scored eight of its first nine points off steals rather than set plays.

Gregory, who tallied 13 points in the first half, caught the defense trying to lob over him and countered to both finish a layup and draw an intentional foul for his eighth straight point to put the Tide ahead 9-5 at 5:16 in the first quarter.

“That is our go to defense,” said DiBiaso. “You have to get back if they break it and you have to be aggressive and attack if they make a steal. (Gregory) can stop on a dime, he took the ball too the basket, and he has great body control (to) finish.”

A run of nine points between the first and second quarters pushed Everett farther ahead from a slim 17-16 lead in the final three seconds of the first. With all nine points coming from layups or free throws, McKinney battled under the rim to force a 26-16 foul shot at 6:08 in the second quarter.

“We tried to get the ball in the middle of the floor and not on the sidelines, because that is when we get stuck” said Nally. “You can not go down by 18. It is such a hard battle to come back from.”

A one and a half minute span that included all but one Everett basket coming off a counter attack lead to the Tide outscoring Malden 8-2 for a 49-29 lead at 4:29 in the third quarter.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -– Senior Kenny Calaj never expected he would spend as much time in the swimming pool as on turf this season for Everett football, but a high ankle sprain in the preseason certainly changed his plan.

Finishing last year on a short list of contenders for this fall's ESPN Boston All-State Team, the dual-threat at linebacker and half back was shifting into the lead back role for Everett football on its quest for a third Super Bowl, but after the injury was left playing only a few sporadic plays during the regular season.

Unable to put pressure on his ankle, the senior found the water the perfect place to do the work he could not on the field.

“I told him a long time ago I had seen (Barry Sanders) hurt his knees and ankles in the pros,” said Everett coach John DiBiaso. “(He) did a lot of pool work to get back, because there is no stress on your (ankles).”

At North Suburban Orthopedics, Calaj worked his cuts for the field, practiced rolling his ankle and ran through the resistances of water to keep in shape. Combined with a little ice and some stretching with bands, Calaj was ready on Super Bowl Saturday for not only his first full game, but his biggest play of the season.

“I was in the swimming pool every single second,” said Calaj. “A lot of running back and forth. Trying to swim while rotating all my ankles.”

Calaj may have had only 10 carries for 31 yards against Barnstable (11-1) in the Division 1A EMass Super Bowl, but showed the extra step he gained in training on defense in the last few minutes at Gillette Stadium. The Tides' lead linebacker eyed Barnstable senior quarterback Nicholas Peabody rolling out of the pocket around the Tides' 40-yard line and scrambling for a pass opportunity to cut away at a 20-19 Everett lead. Undercutting a cut-back pass to senior Manny Perry, Calaj grabbed an interception on the Everett 38-yard line to finish the Red Raiders' final possession.

A Tide man-coverage defense fronted by Calaj held a pass-heavy Barnstable team, who averaged 36.69 points per game, to 297 yards and 19 points, while forcing two interceptions.

“I made a read that he was going out so I was going to play off a little bit,” said Calaj. “As soon as he threw it I was going to cut in front of him and intercept the ball. I had been hurt all season so I needed to make this play for me and my teammates.”

Calaj remembered his team's 13-7 overtime loss in September to Barnstable all too well during the interception. The four-year starter had to sit in the rain on the sidelines and watch the 28-game win streak he had help make be snapped. After scoring early on a two-yard run by fellow senior Jalen Felix, the Tide could have used Calaj athleticism as they were held scoreless for the final three quarters.

“It was just frustrating because I really could not do what I usually could have done,” said Calaj.” “I was playing with two high ankle sprains (so) I really could not hit the holes like I wanted to. I was going to change that today.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- For a brief moment late in regulation, Everett's quest to win a third straight Super Bowl was in serious jeopardy.

“Honestly, this one's been more stressful than any of the previous 10,” Everett head coach John DiBiaso said Saturday after his No. 2 Crimson Tide clinched the Eastern Mass. Division 1A title at frigid Gillette Stadium, 20-19, against No. 1 Barnstable. “I am emotionally, physically, mentally drained.”

Factors that caused DiBiaso to admit exhaustion included five turnovers committed by Everett (11-1), a fortuitous missed fourth-quarter extra point that kept Barnstable from forcing a 20-all, and Kenny Calaj's near fumble while the three-peat champs were killing the clock.

“I knew I was down because I felt my elbow hit the ground,” said Calaj, who intercepted standout quarterback Nick Peabody on Barnstable's previous, and final, offensive possession. “That's when it popped out.”

In real time, it appeared Calaj fumbled with 79 seconds to play. Kevin Hardy pounced on the football. Barnstable (11-1) prepared to take over roughly 30 yards from paydirt – and perfection.

But the officials – without the benefit of replay – quickly convened and ruled Calaj down by contact. The stadium scoreboard showed the replay, and it confirmed Calaj's interpretation of the play.

“It was tough to be on the end of it that we were,” Barnstable head coach Chris Whidden said of the call that saved the Tide from a sixth turnover.

Barnstable – which vaulted to No. 1 with its 13-7 double overtime upset of Everett on Sept. 28 – wasn't without its chances, however. The Red Raiders capitalized on just one of the turnovers they forced. Peabody fired a 9-yard first-quarter touchdown to Tedaro France (3 receptions, 93 yards, 3 TD) that pulled the Red Raiders within 7-6.

After France caught Peabody's perfect back-shoulder throw, the Tide caught their first break. A bad point-after snap led to a failed run.

Jakarrie Washington (9 carries, 121 yards, 2 TD) reclaimed momentum for Everett early in the second. Showing excellent vision, he saw a gap along the right edge, cut back before the hole closed, and raced 53 yards down the sideline.

Washington's 6-yard run inside the right pylon pushed Everett's lead to two touchdowns late in the third.

Barnstable's feverish comeback started with 15 seconds left in the frame – and just 44 seconds after Gilly De Souza split the uprights for a 20-6 lead.

Peabody hit France on a sideline route, and the receiver did the rest. He stayed upright after tangling feet with his press-coverage defender, made the catch, then beat De Souza to the goal line on the strength of a sensational maneuver at the 35.

Everett's fourth-quarter false start on fourth-and-1 led to a punt. Peabody (8-for-28, 205 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) orchestrated a three-play drive that led to points. The QB eluded multiple defenders, buying time for France to slip past the secondary and make a wide-open 30-yard TD grab with 7:26 to go.

Dereck Pacheco's PAT attempt had the height. But it was off-target.

“It's never one kid's fault. It's never the offense, defense or special teams. You win games like this as a team, you lose games like this as a team. Our kids are as strong as they've ever been.”

The Tide? They're just a little bit stronger.

“We earned it. We worked hard all season long, worked hard for the past three years,” Washington said. “We just proved that we're the best.”

EVERETT'S 'D' EARNS AN 'A'
Josh Palmer and Calaj each intercepted Barnstable's gunslinger signal-caller, and both picks were critical in the outcome.

Palmer's INT turned into a 30-yard TD return on the game's seventh play from scrimmage. Calaj ended Barnstable's last-ditch effort.

Those plays were set up by teammates who pressured Peabody without being touched once the ball was snapped.

C.J. Parvelus set up the pick-six with a well-timed blitz. Everett's linebacker rushed untouched over center and forced a quick release by Peabody. The soft, 5-yard toss was intended for France, but Palmer jumped the rout.

Defensive end Jeff Soulouque exploded off the right edge in the final minutes. Peabody felt the pressure and rolled out of the pocket.

“I saw him (off the snap) and said, 'I have to get him. I have to at least make him feel uncomfortable because he is a great quarterback,'” Soulouque said. “I ran him down, he felt uncomfortable and threw it for an interception.”

MOVING THE CHAINS
Overshadowed by the five turnovers was Everett's ability to extend drives. Fueled by Washington's 121-yard performance, the Tide converted third downs at a 40-percent clip (4 of 10).

By contrast, Barnstable was 1-for-12 on third down (8 percent).

“I thought we moved the ball on offense well. We ran the ball real well,” said DiBiaso, who called the numbers of Jalen Felix (12 carries, 40 yards), quarterback Raheem Wingard (11-10), Joey White (7-25) and Calaj (10-31). “We just made some stupid, stupid mistakes.”



No. 2 Everett 20, No. 1 Barnstable 19
Everett (11-1) 7-6-7-0 – 20
Barnstable (11-1) 6-0-7-6 – 19

First quarter
E – Josh Palmer 30 INT return (Gilly DeSouza kick), 7:32
B – Tedaro France 9 pass from Nick Peabody (run failed), 2:42

Second quarter
E – Jakarrie Washington 53 run (kick failed), 9:31

Third quarter
E – Washington 6 run (DeSouza kick), 1:09
B – France 76 pass from Peabody (Dereck Pacheco), :15

Fourth quarter
B – France 30 pass from Peabody (kick failed), 7:26

Lynn, Mass. -- Second-ranked Everett was too tough, too fast, and too strong for Masconomet at Manning Field on Tuesday, as the Crimson Tide knocked off the Chieftains in what was a blowout from start to finish in a 42-14 romp.

The first touchdown, a 22-yard touchdown reception by senior Jakarrie Washington, appeared to be a pretty clear sign of foreshadowing of how the game was going to go; especially with the fact that it came just 45 seconds into the game.

Everett scored three more touchdowns in that first quarter, and added another in the second quarter, to build the lead to an overwhelming 35-0 halftime lead. Everett took out the majority of their starters for the third quarter, and an 11-yard Joey White touchdown was the icing on the cake.

The Chieftains countered with a couple of touchdowns late in the fourth quarter on passes from quarterback Chris Schleer to Dylan Mann, and Cory Tines, respectively.

There was no rust for Everett, who had five touchdowns scored by five different players in the first half, as head coach John DiBiaso made clear with his squad sprinting out of the gates early on.

“We had a couple real good days of practice, but we were chomping at the bit to play somebody.”

There was a bit of scouting of Masco on the part of Everett, and combining those scouting reports with the overwhelming amount of talent on the Everett side of the ball, the Tide punched a ticket to the division 1A Super Bowl on Saturday.

“We knew they were disciplined…we knew they would try to use hard counts to get us offside, and try to milk the clock,” DiBiaso said, “So part of our defense was to not let them establish a ground game and force them to throw the ball a little.”

Tide Continue 1A Dominance

Everett dominated Masco from start to finish on Tuesday night, as they did against Lynn English last season after being moved down to Division 1A. DiBiaso was brief and careful with his words, but given the blowout, Everett’s alignment was a topic that couldn’t be ignored.

“I don’t want to say something I shouldn’t say, but this wasn’t our decision to go down[to Division 1A], we fought it tooth and nail…we did not want to go down to division 1A, we wanted to be division 1 as we have been for 120 years. This was not our decision, but we try to make the best of the case,” DiBiaso said.

The Crimson Tide, who beat Lynn English 46-0 to make last year’s Division 1A Super Bowl (which they eventually won over Lincoln-Sudbury) have shown to be an overwhelmingly physical presence over 1A opponents in the last two seasons.

“It looked tonight like a big difference on the field was the quickness factor. We’ve got a pretty fast defense,” DiBiaso said, “I don’t know if they’ve faced a defense that’s really that quick. I think that hurt them in the first half.”

Everett will take on No. 1 Barnstable, who defeated Everett on the road earlier this season. The Division 1A Super Bowl will take place on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., at Gillette Stadium.

WESTWOOD, Mass. –- It hasn’t always been pretty, but they’ve gotten the job done.

After taking a rather mundane 24-7 win over Xaverian on Saturday, John DiBiaso characterized the play of his No. 2 Everett Crimson Tide as ‘up and down.’

In recent weeks, Everett has struggled through injuries, playing without five defensive starters last week against Cambridge. The Crimson Tide also went with their fourth string quarterback Raheem Wingard to start Saturday’s game.

Still, Everett has endured. Jakarrie Washington made his presence felt on both sides of the ball against the Hawks, running for three touchdowns and picking off a pass. The Crimson Tide have also relied on their strengths, as they did against Xaverian, winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. On offense, Everett was able to move the pile. On the flip side, the Crimson Tide defensive line was dominant, led by outside linebacker C.J. Parvelus’ three sacks.

Yet, DiBiaso felt compelled to point out some of his teams’ deficiencies, even after the victory.

“Our offense struggled, but our defense played well,” the Everett head coach said.

He added, “We still haven’t developed an identity on offense, and we have to do that in the next couple weeks.”

The consensus is, however, that the Crimson Tide (5-1) can almost move the ball at will when settled into their double wing sets. Washington (12 carries, 87 yards) found success running off the right side of the line.

Everett was also advantaged by great field position against the Hawks (1-5).

For the second straight week, Xaverian was unable to get down the long snapper to punter connection, with two botched snaps setting up Everett drives at the plus-30 and 31, respectively.

Washington capped both of those drives with touchdown runs.

DUAL THREAT
While Washington had a nose for the end zone, his biggest play of the day perhaps came on defense.

Everett’s second offensive fumble lost of the first half set up Xaverian on the plus-side of the 50 with 1:27 remaining in the half. A few plays later, the Hawks had moved the ball to the 26 and eyed the end zone. On first and 10, Xaverian quarterback Austin DeCarr was looking for seven. That’s when Washington, who provided blanket coverage on Hawks wideout D.J. Pagliuca, made one of the more athletic interceptions you’ll see this season.

“They ran a little cross pattern, and we switched guys and I ran with it,” Washington said. “I had [Pagliuca] beat and I became the wide receiver and just caught the ball.”

STIFLE YOURSELF THERE
The Crimson Tide were able to force the Hawks’ offense out of sync with solid pressure throughout. Parvelus (3 sacks) along with Jeff Soulouque (2 TFL, 1 sack, 2 QB hits) set up shop in the Hawks’ backfield.

It was all part of the plan to keep DeCarr (11 of 28, 135 yards, TD) from conducting an air raid.

“We came into this game, we just wanted to put pressure on the quarterback, make him uncomfortable, get them off their game and then give the offense the chance to put as much points on the board,” Parvelus said. “We wanted to bounce back from last week [against Cambridge] and have a good defensive week.”



Everett –- 7 10 7 0 -- 24
Xaverian – 0 0 7 0 -- 7

First quarter
E - Jakarrie Washington 2-yard run (Gilly De Souza kick)

Second quarter
E - Washington 10-yard run (De Souza kick)
E – De Souza 38-yard field goal

Third quarter
X - D.J. Pagliuca 62-yard pass from Austin DeCarr (Kyle Darrow kick)
E - Washington 8-yard run (De Souza kick)

EVERETT, Mass. -- Mother Nature can be a fickle woman at times, and her temper tantrum last night brought enough rain and miserable weather conditions to completely alter a football team's gameplan.

Fortunately for Barnstable, they already had the tools in place to make the necessary adjustments. Namely, the Raiders had a defense capable of shouldering the load until its potent offense could strike for a big play.

Quarterback Nick Peabody found wideout Dylan Morris twice for touchdown passes and the defense stopped top-ranked Everett twice at the one-yard line to take a 13-7 victory over the Crimson Tide in double overtime at Everett Memorial Stadium Friday night.

Changing the field position game led to Everett's (3-1) first score as Jakarrie Washington came up with a big interception on Barnstable's (4-0) second drive. That helped pin the Raiders deep in their own territory and two possessions later, the Crimson Tide took advantage of the short field for s 32-yard march that ended on a two-yard touchdown run by Jalen Felix.

The defenses played to a stalemate from there until the start of the fourth quarter when Peabody hit Morris with a pretty throw that found the senior wide open for a 37-yard score.

"We were able to tag Dylan on a post corner," explained Peabody. "(Everett) have tremendous athletes so it really would have been tough for Dylan to just burn right by the guy. We tagged him on the post corner, he was able to get his guys hips turned and I had great protection up front and was able to put it out there and he made a great catch."

Added Morris, "The offensive line gave Nick plenty of time to throw the ball and Nick gave me a great throw. I just had to run under it, catch it and I got into the end zone."

Everett had a chance to win it in regulation, moving from its own 39 down to the Raiders one with under seven minutes remaining, but Barnstable's defense forced a fumble that was recovered by Terrence Mudie.

Neither team threatened the rest of the way and the game went into overtime, where the Raiders defense came up with another critical stop as Derek Estes came up to stop Everett fullback Joey White at the goal line on fourth down.

"The defense was just tremendous," praised Peabody. "It was a really great effort. We knew that they had it in them. The offense in the first half, we really weren't getting the job done or moving the ball but it was a great confidence boost to know that we could still be in the game, even as poorly as we were playing in the first half. That was huge."

The Raiders had their own chance to win it on their OT possession, but a 23-yard field goal attempt sailed wide of the uprights. Undeterred, Barnstable came right back and Peabody hit Morris again, this time for an eight-yard score, on the third play of the second OT.

The Raiders missed on a conversion pass attempt, but the defense had one more stop in them. Lineman Jake Palmer cam up with a tackle for a two-yard loss on second down, then safety Kevin Hardy intercepted a Gilly DeSouza pass in the end zone to close out the win.

"Every series we stopped them our defense was gaining more and more confidence," said Barnstable coach Chris Whidden. "They believed all along that we could beat them. We knew we could play with them and it was just a matter of time. We knew our offense was going to get something, it was just a matter of time. The first three games our offense was doing everything they could, they were putting up all the points even though we didn't make a mistake on the defensive end. We proved that it's a total team here."

NOT QUITE WHAT ANYONE EXPECTED
For a team used to scoring in bunches -- Barnstable averaged 40 points per game in its first three victories -- a trip to Everett would undoubtedly bring that average down a bit.

Weather conditions aside, the Raiders were going to go with whatever the Tide's defense gave them, so they tried to come out throwing. And they struggled, as Peabody missed on his first 11 throws and Barnstable finished the first half with just 20 yards of offense.

Rather than keep beating their heads against the proverbial brick wall, the Raiders adjusted and started using tailback Hayden Murphy as a workhorse. After being held to minus-4 yards on six first-half carries, the offensive line started winning the battle in the trenches and giving the junior room to run as Murphy collected 53 yards on his first six carries of the second half.

"(The rain) negates their speed a bit on the outside but it also negates our passing game and we've always said that we're going to take what you give us and we're going to beat you with that," explained Whidden. "They started with a 4-3 look with seven in the box so we tried throwing it at first but it was just difficult with the conditions. so we adjusted to what we could do."

Those adjustments eventually helped open things up for Peabody to throw for 96 yards and two scores over the final 22 minutes.

"I think the biggest thing was getting our running game going. Our linemen were able to block tremendously up front. Once we got the run going, I think they got a little over zealous up front and that opened it up for a couple passes."

UNLUCKY 29
The Raiders snapped Everett's 28-game win streak by frustrating the Tide in spots where they usually excel. Namely, punching the ball in from the one-yard line, something Barnstable stopped Everett from doing twice.

If Everett is going to have a chance at redemption, it will have to come in the Div. 1A Super Bowl, providing both teams manage to win their respective league titles and a semifinal playoff game.

After the game, Everett coach John DiBiaso was asked to reflect back on his squad's three-year run of perfection, but the veteran coach knows this year's team is going to have to carve its own identity before the season is over.

"It was a lot of hard work. It takes a lot to get 28 in a row and that's what I told them all year," DiBiaso said. "I preached to them, 'A lot of kids put in a lot of blood sweat and tears into those 28 games and you have something to uphold.' But this is a team in itself. They have to make their own memories and history and get their own accomplishments."

"They can't rest on what Manny Asprilla or Vondell Langston did," he continued. "They have to make their own accomplishments. We have to gather the troops, circle the wagons, we have to come out against Cambridge, which is a league game, and then Xaverian and BC High. It doesn't get any easier. Win our league and get to the playoffs. Thats our goal."

BARNSTABLE (4-0) 0 0 0 7 6 - 13
EVERETT (3-1) 7 0 0 0 0 - 7

EV - Jalen Felix 2 run (Gilly DeSouza kick)
BA - Dylan Morris 37 pass from Nick Peabody (Terrence Mudie kick)
BA - Morris 8 pass from Peabody (pass failed)

EVERETT, Mass. -- Wednesday afternoon, ESPN Boston High Schools Editors Scott Barboza and Brendan Hall stopped by Everett football practice to take a look at our Game of the Week matchup between the No. 1 Crimson Tide and No. 2 St. John's Prep.

Saturday's game marks the third time in the history of our statewide Top 25 poll that the top two teams have squared off.

Barboza and Hall break down the upcoming game from angles, and also talked with Everett's John DiBiaso, Gilly De Souza, Jalen Felix and Jakarrie Washington about the anticipated matchup:

(Video shot and edited by Greg Story.)

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.

Football in Everett is the constant pursuit of perfection. While Super Bowl seasons are celebrated, they’re also stacked up against each other. Each in the line of champions who roll through the Crimson Tide’s ranks are exalted. But they’re also put to the test of time, with one group’s achievement forever debated against the greats.

With that said, Everett is coming a season for the ages. While running to a perfect record and a Division 1A Super Bowl, the Crimson Tide put forward one of the most dominating performances the city has ever witnessed. Everett’s margin of victory averaged nearly 30 points per game last season, while quarterback Jonathan DiBiaso broke the state single-season touchdown pass record with 44.

Everett loses a few key components from the 2011 squad, including their signal-caller as well as the tough-running Vondell Langston, but its core remains largely intact.

As the Crimson Tide break camp in 2012, questions swirl around the intrigue of who will take over the quarterback duties with a hotly contested battle between Pat Long and Lukas Denis running through the preseason. There was also the speculation Everett might go back its old ways, John DiBiaso's earlier edition, more 10 yards and a cloud of dust – an intriguing option with the Crimson Tide returning a line that averages more than 300 pounds across.

Yet, for all the questions, the Crimson Tide is the runaway favorite to repeat as Div. 1A Super Bowl champions.

And while Everett may have some things to sort out in the early season, John DiBiaso is banking on one of the Crimson Tide’s key returnees to shoulder a load.

The similarities between the aforementioned Langston and senior Kenny Calaj are many, from stature to their styles of play. Langston, now at UMass, was in his Everett career a kind of Kevin Faulk, the player on a successful team who does a lot of little things very well that often goes unnoticed. Whether it was in blitz pick-up, providing DiBiaso time to throw, or his responsibilities at linebacker, Langston was a dependable, heady player.

Of course, Langston and Calaj worked in tandem during the last couple of seasons at Everett.

Calaj has lined up all over the field on offense – from the backfield to the slot – and held down the weak side linebacker role on defense.

But now DiBiaso is counting on the 5-10, 195-pounder to take on a feature role.

“We’re counting on him to replace Vondell [Langston],” DiBiaso said. “We want him to be able to replace the carries Vondell had and with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, we’re able to do some different things.”

Calaj is the only member of Everett’s class of 2013 to have started since freshman year (although jack-of-all-trades Gilly De Souza also place kicked in 2009). His blend of speed, power and good hands make Calaj a tough matchup. When spread out wide, he has the ability to bowl over defensive backs. While running out of the backfield, he’s tough enough to run in between the tackles.

Defenses also have to keep honest with Everett’s talented pass-catchers Jalen Felix and Jakarrie Washington working on the perimeter.

“Sometime [defenses] will overload one side and try to guess our plays,” Calaj said. “But it’s hard to guess who’s going to get the ball with us because we have so many weapons.”

And, of course, there’s the offensive line, led by Notre Dame commit John Montelus.

“They’re the hardest workers,” Calaj said of the line. “They’re big, but they work hard, too. They’re the ones who sweat the most in practice, they’re tough.”

On defense, Calaj comprises a veteran linebacker core alongside returning starters Jeff Soulouque and Omar Graciano and rising junior Angel Duarte.

Calaj has heard from a smattering of both FBC and FCS schools. Boston College has inquired about his defensive talents while Bryant has told Calaj they’d integrate him into the offense.

But that’s all out of sight and out of mind for now. In a place like Everett, all that matters is here and now and the opportunity to claim a third straight Super Bowl title.

“I want to win another championship, that’s it,” Calaj said. “Then I’d have three rings.”

EVERETT AT A GLANCE
Coach: John DiBiaso (21st season at Everett, 252-63-1 overall)
Last Year: 13-0, won Division 1A Super Bowl
Key Returnees: Kenny Calaj, Sr. WR/S, 5-10, 195 lbs; Jakarrie Washington, Sr. WR/DB, 5-10, 175 lbs; John Montelus, Sr. OT, 6-5, 315 lbs; Mark Fils-Aime, Sr. OG, 6-1, 280 lbs; Mike Ottersburg, Sr. OG, 6-1, 310 lbs; Pat Sullivan, Sr. OT, 6-1, 270 lbs; Gilly De Souza, Jr. WR/DB/K, 5-11, 165 lbs; Jeff Soulouque, Sr. OLB/TE, 6-2, 225 lbs; Omar Graciano, Sr. DE, 6-4, 215 lbs.
Strengths: Offensive line, wide receivers, secondary, kicking game.
Weaknesses: Inexperience at quarterback.

Outlook: The $25,000 question with the Crimson Tide is whether they’ll be more run- or pass-oriented this season. When confronted with the question, John DiBiaso said it comes down a matter of numbers. “I think it will be dependent on the game and depend on how many guys they bring into the box. We’ll adapt with whatever they bring to us.” While Everett might not be able to post a 500-point season as it did last year, they’ll be equally adept playing at a hurry-up tempo as they will be able to play ball control. Perhaps the hidden strength of this squad lies in the secondary with De Souza, Felix and Washington. DiBiaso had high praise for De Souza, who contributes in all three phases of the game, likening his football I.Q. to that of former ESPN Boston Mr. Football award winner Matt Costello (Princeton). Once again, the Crimson Tide will play perhaps the state’s toughest schedule; each of Everett’s first six games are against Top 10-ranked opponents. The slate opens with a vengeance in a matchup of defending Super Bowl champions against Leominster on Friday at Doyle. “That’s a big game for us, it’s a big game for them,” DiBiaso said. “You can bet all of Central Mass. will probably be there. We’ll be ready though. It’s going to be exciting.”