ESPN

A source told ESPNBoston.com this afternoon that two more Class of 2013 recruits will be joining the UMass football program as walk-ons: Running back Shadrach Abrokwah of St. John's of Shrewsbury, and athlete Mike Rapoza of New Bedford High.

The 5-foot-8, 205-pound Abrokwah was one of the state's most productive backs last fall for the Pioneers, as they advanced to the MIAA Division 1 Central Super Bowl. In 2012, his first season as the Pioneers' full-time starter, he carried the ball 213 times for 1,540 yards and 22 touchdowns, with just one fumble; he also caught 21 passes for 437 yards and two more scores. Abrokwah has reportedly run a hand-timed 40-yard dash in the 4.5 range.

Rapoza was one of the more decorated quarterbacks from the South Coast region in 2012, most notably winning the Otto Graham Award as the best overall player in Southeastern Massachusetts. He threw for 15 touchdown passes, ran for two more, kicked 20 extra points, and was among the Whalers' leading tacklers at linebacker.

NO. 3 XAVERIAN (1-1) AT NO. 15 BROCKTON (1-1)
The Skinny: Both teams are going to be seeing red after their respective performances last week with the Hawks taking an ole fashioned whooping at St. Joseph's Regional in New Jersey and the Boxers being shut out by the likes of Reading. This matchup will see some of the state's premiere lineman matching up with Michigan-bound Mo Hurst lining up across from preseason All-State Watch Lister Joe Previte of Brockton.

Barboza: The question might be is if the Boxers get back on the board again this week. I think they do, but it's still no enough. Xaverian, 27-14.

Hall: I want to know what St. Joseph's Regional alum Devin McCourty thinks of the New Jersey school's 62-0 beatdown of Xaverian last weekend. Xaverian, 24-17.

NO. 22 BC HIGH (0-2) AT DARTMOUTH (1-1)
The Skinny: The beleaguered Eagles might enjoy of bit of a reprieve if rumors are true that quarterback Brendan Craven will return for the tilt against the Indians. These will be two hungry squads as BC High looks for its first win on the season and Dartmouth hopes to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Attleboro last week. This could be a coming-out party for Dartmouth RB/LB Mitch Loranger, one of the more underrated talents in the state, while Tim Smith provides a nice change of pace running.

Barboza: Coach Rick White puts these games on the schedule when he feels like he has something in the bag, so you can't look past that. I think the Eagles escape the South Coast with their first win of the season, however. BC High, 16-14.

Hall: I'm in need of a bailout from North Attleborough Credit Union after picking the Eagles last week. Sorry, in this dire times of financial brevity, I can't take on too much more water. Dartmouth, 17-10.

WHITMAN-HANSON (2-0) AT FOXBOROUGH (2-0)
The Skinny: These are two traditional powers who have had some leaner years in recent memory, but seem again to be headed back in the right direction. The Panthers opened up their season with wins over ACL powers Plymouth North and Marshfield, with QB Tom Sapienza tallying over 400 yards on the air and ground in the victory over the Rams. The Warriors steamrolled their first two opponents (East Longmeadow and East Providnce, R.I.) by a combined 74-16 with running back Kiivone Howard putting his name into early Hockomock Player of the Year talk.

Barboza: The offensive weapons are there, but I wouldn't be surprised with a defensive struggle here. Foxborough makes the stops when it needs to behind linebacker Luc Valenza. Foxborough, 21-14.

Hall: Kiivone Howard has been one of the nicest surprises of the early season. Of course, folks in Foxborough will tell you that's no surprise. Foxborough, 30-25.

NO. 5 DUXBURY (2-0) AT NEW BEDFORD (2-0)
The Skinny: The Dragons put their state-best winning streak on the line against the Whalers after rolling through Plymouth North last week. Marshall McCarthy has been as good as he's ever been for Duxbury's defense, registering 26 tackles through two games. New Bedford will look for a big game from quarterback Mike Rapoza, who's a multi-dimensional threat having played running back and wide receiver as well.

Barboza: Jon Hurvitz and the Duxbury line could be primed for a big day. Duxbury, 28-10.

Hall: I fully expect the Dragons to head into October 5's showdown with Xaverian on a 30-game win streak. Duxbury, 21-0.

NO. 2 ST. JOHN'S PREP (2-0) AT NO. 1 EVERETT (2-0)
The Skinny: For the first time since 2010, we have the top two teams in ESPNBoston.com's statewide poll squaring off. Everett is 7-0 against the Catholic Conference since the 2009 MIAA Division 1 Super Bowl loss to Xaverian; that streak features three wins over the visiting Eagles, including the 2010 D1 Super Bowl. To snap the streak, Prep will have to play lockdown defense and get big production from its star running back Jonathan Thomas. For Everett, it's anyone's guess who will be lining up at quarterback this week, but Gilly De Souza has been very serviceable.

Barboza: I think both offenses are going to get theirs, but it's going to be decided by the defenses and who's able to force a fumble, come up with a pick, something to steal the game. Everett, 30-23.

Hall: No truth to the rumor Everett Superintendent of Schools Fred Foresteire was taking snaps under center this week. Everett, 23-21.

NO. 9 ST. JOHN'S OF SHREWSBURY (2-0) AT CATHOLIC MEMORIAL (1-1)
The Skinny: St. John's can lay claim to one of the state's most prolific offenses after an impressive showing the first two weeks, outlasting No. 24 Holy Name (47-40) and cruising past No. 16 Longmeadow (35-14). However, neither team has an individual as talented on the defensive side of the ball as CM's UMass-bound linebacker/defensive end Peter Ngobidi, one of the state's best off the edge. Conversely, the Knights struggled against Westford last weekend, and may have their hands full against a Pioneers squad with similar spread principles but at a breakneck tempo.

Barboza: I like the Knights' defense with Ngobidi and Kevin Bletzer, but too many options for them to stop. St. John's, 31-17.

Hall: Going forward, I'm suddenly very intrigued at how St. John's will be calling in its plays. St. John's, 30-14.

BB&N AT BELMONT HILL
The Skinny: Belmont Hill is entering its first season in decades without Kevin Fleming on the sidelines, and it comes out of the gate going right into the fire. BB&N took a 17-14 humbling at the Hillers' hands in the opening week of ISL play last year, and they have one of the best individual athletes this season in Wake Forest-bound tight end Brendan O'Neil.

Barboza: I'm still syphoning water from my boots after last year's "Car Wash" game. The memory will be fresh in the minds of the Knights as well. BB&N, 20-14.

Hall: Plain and simple, John Papas gets his revenge here. BB&N, 21-7.

THAYER ACADEMY AT GOVERNOR'S ACADEMY
The Skinny: ISL season opens up with plenty of hype behind Thayer and its numerous athletes, including Bryan Vieira, Aaron Gilmer and Ikenna Nwokeji. The Governors had runaway success last season under first-year head coach Jim O'Leary, and return arguably the most valuable player in the league in quarterback Tate Jozokos, a UNC lacrosse commit who was a dual-threat nightmare for many opponents.

Barboza: Simply stated, Gov's are running the table again this year. Governor's, 23-17.

Hall: Tate Jozokos can play on my Tuesday night Charlestown flag football team any day. Governor's, 28-13.

SHREWSBURY, Mass. -- Although New Bedford and St. John’s of Shrewsbury have already punched their respective tickets to the Division 1 baseball postseason tournament, there was still plenty at stake as the two powers met this afternoon in a non-divisional showdown.

In the final regular-season game for both teams, the last thing either wanted was to head into next month’s tourney with a loss. With that notion in the back of their collective minds, something had to give.

From St. John’s standpoint it did. Behind Mike Sullivan’s 5 RBI outing, the Pioneers clipped the Whalers 9-3 at Pioneer Field to improve to 20-2 having now won 12 straight. St. John’s, which lost to the New Bedford back on April 25th, avenged that defeat by putting this contest away early, scoring three times in the second inning and adding three more the following frame.

“We wanted to go into the tournament with some momentum,” said Pioneers coach Charlie Eppinger, who team was playing its third game in as many days after defeating Algonquin and Wachusett on Friday and Saturday, respectively. “We had games Friday, Saturday and Sunday so we knew this weekend was going to be a testament to our mental toughness. You’ve got graduation going on here and other things and these guys are tired.

"But I thought we showed a lot of heart and a lot of self-discipline to win our last three ball games. I’m really impressed with my team in how they handled these last three days.”

St. John’s starter Ben White (5-0) was not as sharp as in previous outings. But nonetheless, the junior righthander had enough in the tank on this hot afternoon to last six innings, allowing 2 runs on 9 hits and striking out 4.

Like St. John's, New Bedford also had a grueling stretch of contests on its schedule. Playing their third game in 24 hours, having defeated Oliver Ames Saturday morning before falling to Brockton later that evening, the Whalers (13-7) were able to mount some pressure on White early.

They blew a chance to score a run in the opening inning after Chandler Debrosse was gunned down at the plate by St. John’s center fielder Jimmy Smith after trying to score from second on a Rick Moraes single. The next inning New Bedford left three on base with nothing to show for it.




In the Pioneers' half of the second, they refused to let their opportunities on the base paths slip by. With two out and Owen Shea on second, Sullivan cracked a single to center plating Shea with St. John’s first run. Connor Kurtz followed with a triple extending the lead to two, and moments later PJ Browne grounded a single past second baseman Jake Souza sending Kurtz home with the Pioneers' third run off of Whalers' starter J.T. Sylvia (3 IP, 6 runs, 7 hits, 1 K).

After coming away empty-handed in their first two times at bat, New Bedford finally answered the call in the third. Javier Lozada started things with a lead-off single. White would retire the next two batters before walking Jon Finnerty. Kyle Prudhomme came to the plate next and grounded a single off of Kurtz’s glove at second base scoring Lozada. Finnerty would follow Lozada in a short time later thanks to Sylvia's single cutting the deficit at 3-2.

But any momentum gained by New Bedford had soon vanished in the bottom of the frame as the Pioneer offense continued to wreak havoc on Sylvia. Smith opened with a bunt single and proceeded to steal second and third. Two outs later Scott Manea lofted a soft single to center scoring Smith. Jake Byrne kept things alive with another single. Up stepped Sullivan, whose hot bat stayed that way, as he launched a shot off the top of the right field fence for an two-run double extending the Pioneers lead to 6-2.

“I saw the ball good today but we got the win and that’s all that matters,” said Sullivan, a junior. “In practice we work a lot on two-out, situational hitting. We do things like bunt runners over and then try to get them in. Today we were able to do that very well.”

With Finnerty on in relief of Sylvia to open the fourth, the senior was able to stop the bleeding as he kept the Pioneers off the board over the next four innings. But in the St. John’s eighth, the offense re-awoke. Sullivan blasted a two out, two-run triple and Kurtz followed with an RBI single which put the Pioneers ahead by seven.

"Mike has a great swing," Eppinger said. "Earlier in the year we saw a great swing during batting practice but not in games. It just wasn't translating. It was just a matter of confidence with him I feel and him going up to the plate with a mentality that I can hit and I am going to do this. He's been really swinging the bat well lately which is a credit to him and also a credit to his teammates for pushing him."

New Bedford managed a solo run in the ninth on a Mike Rapoza RBI single against Browne, who had come on in relief in the seventh. But the Whalers slim chances at a comeback were just that as they drew no closer.

"You can't give good teams extra outs and at times I thought we did that," New Bedford coach John Seed said. "We also left a lot of runners on base early on and couldn't come up with that big hit. That's going to hurt you. You need to take advantage of those opportunities.

"When we get chances to score like that we have to. St. John's is a good team and obviously you need to play at your best to beat them. But now the pre-season, as I call it, is over and it's time to get ready for the tournament. I think we'll be ok. Everyone is 0-0 to start so we'll see what happens."

HYANNIS, Mass. -– There were no words of wisdom, motivational message, or encouragement of any kind that Barnstable baseball coach Joe DeMartino offered pinch-hitter Tim Biliouris with the game on the line. He simply inserted his back-up first baseman, certain that the senior slugger would work his magic.

With his coach's confidence behind him, Biliouris came through in the clutch, hitting a two-run single back up the box in the bottom of the seventh as the Red Raiders rallied for a 4-3 non-league win over New Bedford under cloudy skies on the Cape Monday.

DeMartino had eight other subs he could have called on to get the job done, but the decision to send Biliouris to the dish was an easy one.

"Tim has had a bunch of big pinch-hits for us the past couple of years, so I trust him in any situation to go up there and put a good swing on the ball, and he did," said DeMartino. "He's done it before so I knew he could do it again."

Biliouris' heroic hit made a winner out of classmate George Bent. The fast-working righty scattered five hits, two walks and struck out nine batters. He was also superb down the stretch, retiring the final nine batters he faced, six by way of the K.

"We've gotten walked-off twice this year [against Falmouth and Bridgewater-Raynham] and it felt awful, so it's nice to be on this side of it for a change," said Bent. "It's pretty awesome."

Righty Mike Rapoza absorbed the tough-luck loss for New Bedford. Up until the fateful final frame he carried the Whalers, allowing just six hits while also collecting two himself, including a towering two-run home run in the first inning.

"They got that bomb in the first, but we said we weren't going to let that sink us," said Biliouris. "We just kept chipping away and chipping away, and we got it done."

Barnstable (10-3) wasn't nearly as challenged in its previous meeting with New Bedford, cruising to an 8-0 win on April 5. But the Whalers (10-4) have improved ten-fold since then and came into Monday's match-up having won six of their last seven games.

New Bedford seemed intent on getting revenge and continuing its red-hot streak right from the start. Speedster Jon Finnerty connected to deep left and pulled in for a sliding triple, followed by Rapoza's 370-foot blast to left-center that gave the Whalers a 2-0 first-inning lead.

The Red Raiders cut the deficit in half when Luke Besse (2-for-3) singled in the home half of the first, moved over two bases on a botched pick-off and scored on a wild pitch. The Whalers got the run back in the third when Rapoza doubled to left and scored on Ricky Moraes' single to the same field.

Barnstable closed the gap to 3-2 in the fifth thanks to Dennis Beynor's sacrifice fly that plated Everett Walsh, giving the hosts a little hope.

In the seventh, Walsh ignited the Red Raiders' rally, drawing a one-out walk. Sam Holway then smacked a double to left, setting the stage for Biliouris.

After working the count to 2-1, Biliouris connected on a hanging curveball that skipped over second base, just past the diving glove of shortstop Chandler Debrosse for the game-winner, the first of his career.

"I've been called on to pinch hit for two years now, so I know you've got stay focused, keep it simple and try to rip it up the middle just like I did," said Biliouris. "We were on him [Rapoza] all day, it was only a matter of time until we got to him."

Barnstable wouldn't have been in a position to come back if not for Bent, who settled down after a shaky start. He struck out the side in the fifth before working a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth and seventh.

"When Rapoza hit the home run I just said 'whatever, I can't change it,' so I've got do what I can to help my team win," said Bent. "As a a pitcher, you've got to have a short memory."

Taking the advice of his coach to "stop throwing fastball over the plate," Bent used his curveball on "85 percent" of his pitches over the final few innings. "I was able to hit the outside corner with it and it that was huge," said Bent.

DeMartino was particularly proud of his playoff-bound club responded with its back against the wall.

"At the beginning of the season we really struggled to keep our focus throughout every inning," he said, "but we're coming into our own as a team now and are learning how to finish games."

WEYMOUTH, Mass. -– For the first time in school history, the Needham Rockets are headed to the Division I Super Bowl, as they defeated the New Bedford Whalers in the semi-finals on Tuesday evening at Weymouth High School, 42-14.

“It feels great, it feels great,” exclaimed Needham head coach Dave Duffy. “We’ve never won a playoff game, [and] it’s always hung over our heads a little bit.”

“They’re a good football team for sure, there’s no question about it, and we certainly respect them,” said New Bedford head coach Dennis Golden.

Needham sophomore quarterback Ryan Charter (183 passing yards, 3 total TD) led the way, while senior running back Mike Vespa (12 carries, 34 yards) and sophomores Mike Panepinto and Rashawn Wise each provided the Rockets with a score each.

The Rockets defense complimented their offensive unit by holding the Whalers' offense to just one touchdown in the fourth quarter, and by also recording seven sacks against junior quarterback Mike Rapoza.

“Nothing was going right [for us],” said Rapoza. “I didn’t have any time to read my reads, and it was just tough, really tough.”

Said Needham senior defensive lineman Jamie Arnao, “[The] D-line and linebackers played unbelievable. They were getting penetration all game long, even the second d-line when they came in there and they were dominating, so all around, defense played fantastic, d-backs got a couple coverage sacks, so it was a [good all around effort]."

Overall, Tuesday’s game was by far the best that all three Needham units played this season, and certainly that made Duffy quite pleased.

“Everybody played well,” said Duffy. “Everything went well there right up to the end, and I’m so proud of the kids.”

Charter carries the day: Needham had never won a playoff game until Tuesday against New Bedford, so while many doubted Charter and his chances to lead the Rockets to their first victory in school history, the young quarterback appeared completely unfazed for the entire 40 minutes, and played his best game of the season.

“He was near perfect,” said Burnett, when asked to describe his teammate’s performance. “He played a heck of a game, but he’s been unbelievable, making all the passes, making the right reads, and doing everything that a quarterback should do.”

“He was poised all game long, he didn’t get nervous,” said Arnao. “Having a kid like that in the huddle is awesome and now we know he’s going to make the play. We’ve got the confidence with him, [and] hopefully we can carry it into [Saturday].”

Charter completed 10 of 12 passes, and registered two scores with his legs. He appeared incredibly comfortable on the run, and even when his pocket collapsed too.

“It’s been our goal [to make it to Gillette Stadium, and Ryan] made it happen,” said Burnett.

Controlling the clock: The Rockets offense controlled the clock for a majority of the game and kept the Whalers offense sidelined for literally the entire second half. However, one of the biggest time constraining drives for the Rockets occurred during the third quarter, as Needham ate up roughly nine minutes, and tallied one score on 16 plays.

“We needed to get the ball back right away, [and] we didn’t do it,” said Golden. “They were a better team, [so] good job to them, great job to them.”

Golden also explained that the Rockets defense helped their offense keep the ball in their hands by forcing numerous three-and-outs.

“We had to establish a line of scrimmage, [but] they did it, we didn’t,” said Golden. “It’s frustrating, but they earned it, so hopefully we can earn it in the future.”

Needham’s Super Bowl Goal: Prior to the start of the season, numerous Needham seniors expressed their number one goal for the year was making it to Gillette Stadium. The Rockets clinched a spot in Saturday’s MIAA Division I Super Bowl against heavy favorite BC High, but Arnao he believes his team is mentally prepared for their final opponent of the season.

“We’ve got to play our game,” said Arano. “We’ve got a tough opponent against BC High, they’re going to be good, [and] we know that, so we just got to come out, and all the seniors have got to step up, all the under classman have to step up, and we just got to play our game, so hopefully we can get it done.”

NEEDHAM 42, NEW BEDFORD 14
NE (9-3) – 14 -14 - 7 - 7 --- 42
NB (5-6) – 0 - 0 - 6 - 8 --- 14

First Quarter
NE – Mike Vespa 33 run (Andrew Murowchick kick)
NE – Rashawn Wise 18 run (Murowchick kick)

Second Quarter
NE – Mark Riley 13 pass from Ryan Charter (Murowchick kick)
NE – Charter 1 run (Murowchick kick)

Third Quarter
NE – Charter 1 run (Murowchick kick)
NB – Mike Rapoza 65 kickoff return (rush failed)

Fourth Quarter
NE – Mike Panepinto 17 run (Murowchick kick)
NB – Rapoza 15 run (Kevin Nunes run)

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- Although their postseason fate has yet to be determined, Brockton football can emerge from Saturday’s 38-9 thumping of Big Three rival New Bedford with a couple of certainties.

The first point is that junior quarterback Austin Roberts with 15 carries for 146 yards can shoulder the load, though that’s not all that much of a surprise at this point in the season. The second, and perhaps most encouraging sign, was that the Boxers’ defense was downright dominant in the second half, allowing the offense to score 29 unanswered points with the benefit of turnovers and tremendous field position.

That led Boxers head coach Peter Colombo to exclaim that his team had played their finest half of the season in an up-and-down kind of season.

“The defense allowed us to get our bearings and win this football game,” Colombo said. “It was just a tremendous job by the D.”

The Boxers (5-5, 2-0) spotted the Whalers (4-5, 0-1) an instant 9-0 lead with New Bedford’s defense coming up with a safety before quarterback Myles Medeiros took in a 1-yard touchdown run.

Brockton closed the gap with Roberts’ 48-yard bomb to Jerrod Shelby in the second quarter. Then, the Boxer defense made it first of a string of pivotal stops on defense, twice halting the Whalers from getting first downs inside the red zone in the final minute of the half. That kept the score within two points at the half.

“I think, momentum wise, it was huge. We don’t want to come back here, down a touchdown-plus.”

From there, the persistent thumping of Roberts in the ground game and the tenacious defense carried Brockton.

“I’ve never seen a quarterback have to the throw the ball away that much in a game,” Colombo said, “and that’s a credit to Bob O’Neill, our defensive coach, and the kids executing his game plan.”

RUN IT AGAIN, AUSTIN
The Boxers found success in the running game by repeatedly running the option behind Roberts, mixed in with the hard-nosed running of Richard Marsh and the highlight-reel flash of speedster Josh Brewster.

But it was the 5-10, 175-pound quarterback that frustrated the Whalers so. Roberts runs with a low center of gravity, making him hard to tackle. He also carries a running back’s mentality, often initiating contact with defenders and driving for extra yards past the initial hit.

“I just take whatever I’m given,” Roberts said.

IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE … OR IS IT?
With Brockton claiming the Big Three’s regular season title with Saturday’s win, the scenario for Brockton’s postseason prospectus is simple: they win, they’re in.

Having beaten the Whalers, all the Boxers have to do is beat 11-th ranked Bridgewater-Raynham in the team’s Thanksgiving Eve matchup. However, if the Boxers lose to the Trojans, they might not represent the conference in the playoffs, despite being league champions.

Nonsense you could say.

Well, opinions aside, the Big Three football league charter directs that the league’s playoff representative must have at least a. 500 record. So if the Boxers falter against B-R and dip to 5-6 on the season, the Whalers would be playing past Turkey Day, providing they win over Durfee.

“We can’t control anything that any other team does,” Whalers head coach Dennis Golden said. “We have to worry about playing the best Thanksgiving game that we can play … We’ll take it as it comes.”

With offensive playmakers Marcel DePina and Jaraud Wood leaving the game in the second half due to injuries and coupled with the copious amount of turnovers the Whalers committed on Saturday, they have other matters to worry about.

But, somehow, New Bedford might still live to play another day past Thanksgiving Day.

Wild.

Brockton (5-5, 2-0) - 0 7 14 17 -- 38
New Bedford (4-5, 0-1) - 9 0 0 0 -- 9

1st quarter
NB - Safety
NB - Myles Medeiros 1-yard run (Mike Rapoza kick)

2nd quarter
B - Jerrod Shelby 48-yard pass from Austin Roberts (Lucas Depina kick)

3rd quarter
B - Roberts 26-yard run (Depina kick)
B - Richard Marsh 5-yard run (Depina kick)

4th quarter
B - Depina 42-yard pass from Paul Mroz (kick blocked)
B - Josh Brewster 1-yard run (Depina kick)
B - Lucas DePina 30-yard field goal

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- It seemed as though the Barnstable defense was not going to let New Bedford running back Marcel DePina beat them by himself. The shifty Whaler back was limited to just 11 yards on 10 carries through the greater portion of three quarters in Friday night’s game.

But, with New Bedford trailing 17-15, DePina broke loose in the passing game. His 48-yard connection from Myles Medeiros was a Barry Sanders-like highlight to the Whalers’ 31-17 comeback win over the Red Raiders.

“It was a broken play,” DePina said of the game-winning score. “My quarterback [Medeiros] got it off and we got good blocking and then I just found the right spots on the field and got to the end zone.”

There were a multitude of issues at play as New Bedford (3-2) scored 24 unanswered fourth-quarter points.

First off was a risky maneuver on the behalf of Whalers head coach Dennis Golden. Trailing 17-7, Golden rolled the dice on a fake field goal pass play with the capable Mike Rapoza running on the bootleg left and hitting Nathan Ojuri in the back of the end zone with a 3-yard touchdown pass.

“It came from the fact that they’d blocked the first one,” Golden said of the play call. “It was a good opportunity for us.”

Next, the Whalers forced the potent Barnstable (3-2) offense three-and-out with quarterback D.J. Crook (13 of 19 for 135 yards) throwing his only pass attempt of the second half. Crook later confirmed to ESPN Boston that he dislocated the thumb of his throwing hand, apparently coming on a carry in the third quarter.

Junior Nick Peabody finished the game at quarterback for Barnstable.

“We didn’t know what was wrong with D.J. to start with,” Red Raiders head coach Chris Whidden said. “At first we thought there was something wrong with his elbow and then we realized it was his thumb.”

New Bedford continued their onslaught behind a highly efficient game from Medeiros, who finished 17 of 26 for 227 yards and one touchdown to go along with 53 rushing yards on six carries.

Medeiros put the icing on the Whalers’ victory with a perfectly placed 15-yard touchdown pass to Jaraud Wood, putting up a jump ball that only the rangy receiver could pluck.

SCREEN GAME
The Red Raiders offense was prodigious in the first half and beyond in its screen game. Running back Theo France (11 carries, 81 yards, TD) found big holes underneath on the New Bedford defense with wide receiver Dylan Morris catching everything in sight in the flat.

It looked as though Barnstable had gotten yet another big play with a bubble screen on what would’ve been a 68-yard touchdown by France to tie the score. However, the play was called back on an illegal block penalty. The Red Raiders had yet another huge play whistled dead two plays later.

After those opportunities fell by the wayside, the Red Raiders were done in.

MOVING FORWARD
This Barnstable-New Bedford series has yielded some classics in recent memory with games in each of the last four years being decided in the fourth quarter, along with a couple on the game’s final play.

In the bigger picture, this was a potential season-shifting win for the Whalers. After getting roughed up by Top 10 opponents in Duxbury and Bridgewater-Raynham in the last two weeks, New Bedford was eager to snap a two-game losing skid.

“This gets our wheels turning,” junior end Tyler Arena said. “It boosts our morale and maybe next week we keep on rolling.”

As for Barnstable, the question surely to follow the Red Raiders in the coming weeks is the health of Crook. While Peabody, a natural wide receiver, showed that they’re in capable hands indeed if Crook cannot play, the loss of one of the top quarterbacks in the state would surely hurt.

SHAKE ‘N’ BAKE
As Golden puts it, DePina can simply do things on a football field many cannot.

“That’s what Marcel does best,” Golden said, commenting on DePina’s 48-yard score. “We don’t have anybody who can change directions like him; he can do it with the best of them. We’re fortunate he’s on our team.”

On the play, DePina shook no fewer than three Red Raiders defenders clear out of their boots on the way to rumbling upfield for the game-winning score. He’d also turned in a key 28-yard gain on a screen from Medeiros several plays earlier to set up the score.

While Barnstable, with talented junior linebacker Andrew Ellis, showed that DePina, if contained to running in between the tackles, can be slowed, there’s simply nothing a defense can do when he hits the open field. Coupled with the hard-nosed running of Rapoza (9 carries, 60 yards), that makes the Whalers that much more difficult to stop.

Barnstable (3-2) 7 3 7 0 -- 17
New Bedford (3-2) 7 0 0 24 -- 31



1st quarter
Barnstable Theo France 44-yard run (Tom Mullen kick)
New Bedford Mike Rapoza 7-yard run (Mike Rapoza kick)

2nd quarter
Barnstable Tom Mullen 35-yard field goal

3rd quarter
Barnstable Hayden Murphy 29-yard run (Mullen kick)

4th quarter
New Bedford Nathan Ojuri 3-yard pass from Rapoza (Tyler Arena pass from Rapoza)
New Bedford Marcel DePina 48-yard pass from Myles Medeiros (Jaraud Wood pass from Medeiros)
New Bedford Wood 15-yard pass from Medeiros (DePina pass from Medeiros)

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – The question coming into this season was whether New Bedford football would be able to parlay the momentum from last year’s Big Three co-championship and playoff appearance into big things this year.

So far so good as the Whalers put up 40-plus points for the second week while rolling to a 41-20 win over Silver Lake on Saturday afternoon.

Even though it was a non-league matchup, it was an important early season marker for New Bedford, as the Lakers have held the upper hand in the teams’ recent meetings.

New Bedford (2-0) ran out to a 26-0 halftime lead, outgaining the Lakers with 205 yards of offense compared to Silver Lake’s 11 yards gained. Whalers quarterback Myles Medeiros threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns by the half, giving way to Mike Rapoza in the third quarter as the Whalers continued racking up points.

Whalers running back Marcel DePina also got into the act with a rushing touchdown in the first quarter before returning a punt 82 yards for a score, giving New Bedford a 20-0 lead in the second.

“Marcel has the ability to change directions very quickly,” Whalers head coach Dennis Golden said. “He’s got great vision as a back. “

Medeiros added his third touchdown pass of the game to Jaraud Wood, a 13-yard completion in the third quarter.

Xavier Barros capped New Bedford’s scoring in a 2-yard touchdown run with 5:27 remaining in the third.

Silver Lake (0-2 ) finally got on the board inside of two minutes remaining in the third with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Dana Nemes to John Hurley.

Matthew Pinnetti and Jeffrey Reynolds added late rushing touchdowns for the Lakers in the fourth.

New Bedford now eyes next week’s challenge against No. 2 Duxbury. While everyone is anticipating the Whalers’ eventual date with Brockton, Golden’s team has their attention fixed on a worthy opponent.

“Duxbury’s one of the best teams in the state, everybody knows that,” Golden said. “They haven’t lost in a long time and we have our work cut out for us.”

BUILDING A LINE
The talk of the offseason was how New Bedford would be able to replace their talented bookends on the line from last season in Lance Burlingame and Janny DosReis. Two weeks in, the Whalers are building an identity as capable pass protectors and run blockers, led by returning starter Darian Sousa-Bizarro. Not to mention, the defensive line has been downright dominant, evidenced by a three-sack day for Carl Santos, two sacks by Servulo Pires and a fumble forced by Ricky Moraes. Throw in an impressive junior in end Tyler Arena and New Bedford once again has the makings of a D-line that can hang with the Boxers. “They’re doing well,” Golden said of the group. “Coach [Nick] Salmon and Coach [Marc] Hayes are doing a great job with them every day. They’re giving a good effort in practice. The kids are coming and playing hard consistently. It’s a good thing, it’s a good situation.”

HOLDING IT DOWN


Medeiros stepped into the starting quarterback role midway through last season and hasn’t looked back. He’s become more comfortable in the Whalers’ offense and stated his experience as a prime factor. “Especially with the O-line, they’re giving me great time to throw,” said Medeiros, who has eight touchdown passes through two games. “I’m making good reads, the receivers are where they need to be. Our practices have been good. Everything’s going good this year, everything’s falling into place.” Medeiros is a long, lanky passer with the ability to pull the ball down and take off running. However, his pocket presence has improved, has good arm strength and showed good touch on the ball in his 27-yard touchdown pass to Wood in the second, coming on a fade route to the near side pylon. It also helps having a weapon like Wood, a tall 6-foot receiver with the ability to separate himself from defenders with a long reach.

DePINA SHINES
DePina takes over as the feature back in New Bedford’s offense this year, following talented track star Phito Gondre. However, the Whalers’ aren’t loosing much in terms of speed with DePina, a good athlete in his own regard as a member of New Bedford’s basketball team. Although he’s listed at 5-foot-6, DePina’s not afraid to run inside, but it’s in the open field where his value is found. Consider the 82-yard punt return he fielded on one hop, juking his way past two Laker defenders and then streaking down unabated down the left sideline as evidence.