ESPN

WEST ROXBURY, Mass. -- Following last week's season-opening loss to Milton Academy, St. Sebastian's knew one slipped through its fingers — due, in part, to some costly turnovers which led to their demise.

On Saturday, the Arrows saw things from a different perspective — bearing witness to advantages one can have when they are on the receiving end of turnovers. Roxbury Latin was the gracious gift giver, coughing up the ball on its first three possessions. That led to three touchdowns for the Arrows as they went on to roll, 37-7, in an ISL contest held at Schoolhouse Field.

Still stinging from Milton Academy defeat, St. Sebastian's, who finished 9-0 a year ago and took home the Arthur Valicenti Bowl trophy, set a precedent all week that its season begins now.

Such attitude appeared to work. The Arrows (1-1) proved highly-effective on both sides of the ball against the Foxes. They limited Roxbury Latin's offense to 153 yards, just 49 in the opening half. Offensively, they finished with 290 yards — much of that coming from its strong ground attack consisting of Connor Strachan, Blake Gallagher and Edosa Onaiwu.

"Last week, we made three big mistakes and it costs us," Arrows longtime coach Bob Souza said. "This time, Roxbury Latin made the mistakes. We did a lot of good things against Milton and our kids knew it. I told the kids this league is still up for grabs and we still have our destiny under our control. I think we'll be in the hunt for a title throughout the year."

After shutting out St. Paul's last week, the Foxes (1-1) were feeling good about their chances entering this one. But confidence suddenly turned to panic after a pair of miscues in the opening minutes gave the Arrows a short field to work with.

The first mistake came after punter John Baron couldn't handle the snap, losing control of the ball that was recovered by Miles Hunter, allowing St. Sebastian's to set up shop on the Roxbury Latin 20. Four plays later, Strachan (52 yards on 8 carries) scored from a yard out giving the Arrows a 7-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Foxes returner Parker Kent failed to field the ball cleanly, allowing an alert John McNamara to pounce on it.

Standing the at the Foxes' 15-yard line, St. Sebastian's needed only one play to go up by two scores as Strachan busted through for the score with 4:11 still left in the initial quarter.

"We knew coming off our loss last week that we needed to be firing for this game," said Strachan, a Boston College commit. "We have a bunch of kids on this team playing both ways so we need to go heavy in the first half like we did today and set the pace for ourselves."

The two turnovers left Roxbury Latin deflated, as it could never get anything going thereafter. The Foxes’ run game was held in check throughout and quarterback Peter Cahill (8-of-16, 91 yards, 1 TD) was under constant pressure throughout by the Arrows' massive front line.

Things didn't get much better for Roxbury Latin to start the second quarter. Cahill was picked off by Strachan, which led to a 74-yard, 11-play drive culminated in Matt Daniel hauling in a 27-yard scoring pass from quarterback Geoff Wade and go up by 20.

"We told the kids all week leading up to this game that we needed to start fast," said Souza, who was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2010. "We can't let up and not give Roxbury Latin any kind of an opportunity to gain momentum. Now we just need to build on this win and continue to get better."

With under two minutes remaining before the half, St. Sebastian's offense was back at it. Following a Foxes punt, the Arrows drove 65 yards behind Gallagher (9 carries, 86 yards) and Onaiwu (64 yards on 10 rushes) before Strachan was given the ball from the 1-yard line and dove across for his third touchdown to send St. Sebastian's into the break well in-command at 27-0.

"Anytime the defense can come out and do what they did and put the offense in good positions to score that's huge," said Wade. "We aren't looking to gain 500 yards a game, we just want to put the ball into the end zone."

With this contest in his control, Souza began substituting other players in. But the Arrows never lost a beat. Running back James Fiore scored on a 3-yard run to begin St. Sebastian's first drive of the second half, pushing the margin to 34 points.

The Arrows added three more early in the fourth on Kevin Ginns' 27 yard field goal.

Roxbury Latin avoided the shutout in the closing minutes as Cahill connected with receiver Sean Lowrie in the back corner of the end zone.

"That's a tough team to come back against," Foxes coach Pat Ross said. "I dreaded all week in hoping we wouldn't give up something quick to them but after our first one things began to snowball. But our guys never quit and fought the entire game. We know we aren't as big as St. Sebastian's and we knew we needed to play near-perfect football against them and unfortunately it didn't work out."

On Thursday, we found out which MIAA and ISL hockey teams will be playing during this winter's Frozen Fenway event.

The Fenway Sports Group unveiled a MIAA tripleheader for New Year's Eve that will kick off with Boston Latin boys' hockey playing DCL/MVC rival Lincoln-Sudbury at 10:15 a.m. South Shore girls' hockey rivals Duxbury and Hingham will square off at 12:15 p.m.

That all leads to the premiere matchup in which three-time defending Super 8 champion Malden Catholic will tangle with Catholic Conference rival St. John's Prep at 2:30 p.m.

On Jan. 8, the focus shifts to ISL hockey with a full slate of four games.

St. Paul's and Governor's Academy girls will skate at 1:30 p.m. followed by three boys' games.

Brooks School and BB&N face off at 3:15 p.m., followed by Groton School and St. Mark's at 5:30 before Belmont Hill and St. Sebastian's close out the night at 7:45.

MILTON, Mass. –- If St. Sebastian’s and Milton Academy had played five minutes longer on Saturday afternoon, we could very well have seen a different result. In a fast-paced offensive game that was back-and-forth the whole second half, Milton was able to pull out the victory over the visiting Arrows, 31-27.

Drew Jacobs anchored the Mustangs’ (1-0) offensive attack with 139 yards, making his presence felt during Milton’s furious second half comeback.

St. Sebastian’s (0-1) Boston College-bound two-way star Connor Strachan (13 carries, 110 yards, TD) made his presence felt right off the bat on the Arrows’ first two drives. St. Sebastian’s finished with two touchdowns on the opening drives to show for their effort. Strachan ran in a three-yard touchdown, while quarterback Geoff Wade (8-10, 118 yards, 3 TD, INT) threw a touchdown pass to Matt Daniel (4 rec, 53 yards, 3 TD) to put the Arrows up 14-3 early on.

Enter Jacobs.

Playing hurt and with his team in desperate need of a big play, Jacobs came up with just that, bringing a kick return back 74 yards, setting up the Mustangs in prime position at the Arrows' six yardline. On the next play, Jacobs ran in a touchdown to bring the score to 14-10.

“The guys blocked for me well, I was able to keep my feet. I’m too slow so I couldn’t get in the endzone,” he joked.

Minutes later, St. Sebastian’s extended the lead once again, on Matt Daniels’ second touchdown catch of the day. The play was made possible by tight end Tyson Mattox, who laid down a big block to open up a hole for Daniels. The Mustangs were able to answer before the end of the half though, on a beautifully thrown ball by Anthony Scurto to receiver Domenic Cozier. Cozier, a re-classified sophomore who came to Milton by way of Milford High School, made an awe-inspiring catch in the back of the endzone to bring the lead down to four right before halftime.

“He’s gonna be good, he’s a 4.5 40 guy; he’s got wheels," Milton coach Kevin MacDonald said. "He’s fast, he’s a good player. He’s a repeat sophomore from Milford High, but he was a running back there, and we’ve got him playing receiver and a little defense too. He’s a very good player."

The Mustangs made a couple slight defensive adjustments at halftime, and the changes paid dividends immediately, as freshman defensive back Michael Silva picked up a St. Sebastian’s fumble and brought it back 45 yards to the end zone, giving Milton their first lead of the ballgame.

“We did a horrible job in the first half, but we did a nice job in the second half," MacDonald said. "We switched a couple guys from defensive end to tackle, that helped, and we went to a four-point stance and we got under them. That second half defense was great."

Wade found Daniel once again minutes later. It was their third hookup of the day, giving the Arrows back the lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Milton’s offense answered one last time though, as Scurto threw an 18-yard touchdown pass with 9:16 left in the fourth quarter, giving Milton a 31-27 lead.

“The offense played well the whole game, we didn’t get stopped too many times," MacDonald said. "Our running game was good the offensive line did a great job, and our quarterback is a veteran -- he’s a good player and he made plays when he had to."

It was Milton’s defense though, that gave the Mustangs possession with just over three minutes to go, following an interception by Luke MacDonald. Thereafter, Milton fed Jacobs the ball in hope that a few more first downs would help them seal the win.

Once again, the senior answered the call, breaking off for three straight first downs.

“Drew Jacobs was terrific. He was not 100 percent we didn’t know if he was going to play, but he did a great job,” Maconald said. “He’s a great player, he’s been a great player for three years. He’s arguably the best player in the league, so it’s not a shock. What was shocking is that he wasn’t able to practice all week, he was banged up, but it didn’t seem to affect him much.”

Jacobs said the emotion of playing a St. Sebastian’s team which has beaten Milton two years in a row was all the motivation he needed to step on the field.

“It was all adrenaline. We’ve been talking about this game all summer, we lost to them the last two years in close games, so this is the greatest win ever, this is awesome,” Jacobs said, with a bottle of ibuprofen in hand. “We’ve got St. George’s next week, so we’ll enjoy it tonight and get back to work Monday.”

BOSTON LATIN ACADEMY (2-0) at DORCHESTER (1-0), Friday 6 p.m.

Scott Barboza: The other day when we visited Dragons QB Kyle Dance for our Player of the Week interview, he was wearing a Cam Newton t-shirt. He does his best on-field impression again. Latin, 22-14.

Brendan Hall: Everything we’re taught in this business cautions against cliché, pun-filled headlines. But when you have a quarterback as elusive and fleet-footed as Kyle Dance, you can’t help yourself. Latin Academy, 22-12.

ACTON-BOXBOROUGH (1-0) at No. 7 NATICK (1-0), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: Hate to upset loyal reader and former A-B gridder Mark Martin after picking against the Colonials last week in their win over Cambridge, but I just don’t think this is the week to change my tune. Natick, 34-24.

Hall: Just wait until Troy Flutie really gets untracked. Natick, 31-20.

BARNSTABLE (0-1) at BC HIGH (1-1), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: Red Raiders are going to enter hungry and desperate not to fall to 0-2, but Eagles defense wins out. BC High, 20-17.

Hall: Barnstable is going to need to show a lot more aggression, and discipline, on both sides of the ball if it is going to stay afloat in the competitive D2 South standings. Eagles could use the points for this win, considering the tough road ahead. BC High, 20-10.

No. 15 ST. JOHN’S OF SHREWSBURY (0-1) at CATHOLIC MEMORIAL (1-0), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: Kevin Bletzer is the type of player an offensive coordinator will have fits about, but ultimately too much to stop with the Pioneers. St. John’s, 32-28.

Hall: After some early struggles, the St. John’s passing game came alive in the second half, thanks to a flurry of screens and a couple of deep completions down the sidelines from returning All-Stater Andrew Smiley. There are some excellent individual talents at CM, but how good they are on the whole remains to be see. St. John’s, 28-14.

No. 6 SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL (0-1) at EAST LONGMEADOW (2-0), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: This will be a one-possession game with Ju’an Williams being the difference for the Eagles. Central, 23-20.

Hall: Spartans proving they are an underrated bunch, after a solid win last weekend, but there is too much perimeter speed to harness here. Central, 25-14.

WEYMOUTH (0-1) at No. 11 BROCKTON (0-1), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: A game of turnovers, or at least whichever team is able to hold onto the football best. I’m sure it was a point of emphasis for both squads coming off their performances last week. Brockton, 30-21.

Hall: Wildcats licking their chops after Brockton gassed them for 432 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the Division 1 playoffs last year. Flat out, to be perfectly blunt, I just don’t see Brockton losing to a team from the Bay State Conference. I can’t recall the last time they did. Brockton, 27-13.

No. 12 WALPOLE (1-0) at NEEDHAM (0-1), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: As I wrote in our Roundtable earlier, I really think this classifies as a near must-win for Needham in the stacked Division 2 South sectional. Think the Rebels are too well-rounded though. Walpole, 36-28.

Hall: Wouldn’t be surprised to see an upset here, considering the Rebels’ relative inexperience. But they’ve had two weeks to prepare for this one. Walpole, 17-10.

No. 4 ST. JOHN’S PREP (1-1) at No. 13 CENTRAL CATHOLIC (2-0), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: A defensive struggle in its truest sense. Prep, 17-14.

Hall: That was some vintage defense by the defensively-sound Raiders in last weekend’s shutout of Haverhill. I don’t see Central doing the same to Prep, but I’m curious to see what kind of gameplan Chuck Adamopoulos devises for Johnathan Thomas. The last two defensive coordinators failed. Expect the Raiders to muck it up here. Prep, 17-14.

No. 8 LEOMINSTER (1-0) at No. 9 LOWELL(2-0), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: Brian Dolan and the Red Raiders offense opposes their greatest competition – and, most likely – the best secondary they’ll see all season. They find a way to squeak by the Blue Devils. Lowell, 28-21.

Hall: I’ve been saying for a few weeks now that Leominster has the best safety tandem in the state, between Neil O’Connor and Jarell Addo. Lowell is about to find out on Friday night what kind of pass defense they’re up against. Going the other way, I’m intrigued to see how Jack Galvin squares up with Addo at tight end. Leominster, 35-31.

ST. SEBASTIAN’S at MILTON ACADEMY, Saturday 3 p.m.

Barboza: I like the Mustangs’ backfield depth with Luke McDonald and Drew Jacobs; they’re the difference. Milton Academy, 24-14.

Hall: Connor Strachan gets the job done. St. Seb’s, 19-15.

LAWRENCE ACADEMY at GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY, Saturday 1 p.m.

Barboza: Gov’s streak will end this year, just not this week. Governor’s, 17-14.

Hall: LA’s Chris Garrison might be the most impressive player on the field on either side of the ball, and the Spartans will surely get him involved in a variety of ways. Still, I think the sum of the Govs’ lacrosse-bred talent will win out here. Governor’s, 24-14.

GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 1 BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM (2-0) at No. 10 XAVERIAN (1-0), Saturday 1 p.m.

Barboza: The Trojans make it four in a row over the Hawks and break out of the early season curse of the ESPN Boston No. 1. B-R, 16-14.

Hall: First there was #CropTopOverTheTop, then came #FakeCropTopOverTheTop. Can we get some #CropTopOverThePylon action to complete the cycle here? B-R, 16-10.

Last Week’s Picks

Barboza: 10-2 (15-8 overall)

Hall: 7-5 (14-9 overall)

The St. Sebastian's School football team has to ask itself a tough question heading into the 2013 season.

“How do you duplicate perfection?”

After a 9-0 season, which saw the Arrows win their seventh ISL title and first NEPSAC championship, head coach Bob Souza will head back to the drawing board with yet another talented team. Despite losing nine offensive starters and four on defense, St. Sebastian's looks ready to attack a schedule that's a little tougher than last year's.

“We have a pretty good nucleus of kids coming back, including two of the best kids from last year. We think we're going to be a pretty solid team in the league, but this year the league is more balanced than it has been in previous years,” said Souza, the 2012 Massachusetts High School Football Coach of the Year.

Leading the way is all-everything senior Connor Strachan, who will play both running back and linebacker for the Arrows. Souza, entering his 36th year, said Strachan is one of the best players “and one of the better people” he has ever coached.

Strachan, who verbally committed to Boston College, is considered one of the top football prospects in New England. However, Souza is confident that his Arrows aren't a one-player team.

“At our level, he's been a special player, but as good as he is, we still have kids that are really good players,” he said. “We're a solid team, so it's not all on Connor. We think our depth is going to make it difficult for other teams. You can't just stop Connor. You have to pay attention to a few other guys.”

Several of those “other guys” will play in St. Sebastian's backfield this season. Running out of the I-Formation, the Arrows have three running backs capable of carrying the load. Strachan is the headliner, but senior James Fiore and junior Edosa Onaiwu will split carries.

Sousa is also particularly impressed with Blake Gallagher, a freshman fullback who is playing well beyond his years.

“He's a lot like Connor. He just has tremendous instincts. I would have to think he's one of the top players in his age group, and not just in Massachusetts,” he said. “I can't imagine seeing too many kids who are as physical with better instincts than him.”

There is a quarterback competition going on at St. Sebastian's, and Sousa thinks both guys could be a good fit. Junior Geoff Wade and senior Andrew Corcoran are duking it out for the top spot, and so far Wade has the edge.

“He's a very talented kid, but until you start playing and get into games, you're never quite sure how people are going to respond. He has to respond to make us good offensively,” he said.

Tight end Dan Fulham, who plays both tight and defensive end for the Arrows, will be a big target for whoever starts under center.

Defensively, St. Sebastian's will come out in its traditional 4-4 base set and hope to duplicate its performance last year. The Arrows allowed the least points in the ISL and did so behind a hulking defensive line, which needs to be replaced.

“We were a good defensive team last year. We gave up the fewest points out of everybody last year. Luckily we got a lot of kids back, but what we're missing is guys on the defensive line,” Sousa said. “We lost three guys to graduation, and all three of those guys are really good football players.”

While there are some questions on the line, the Arrows have a ton of young talent ready to step in. Factor that in with three returning linebackers – including Strachan, the team's leading tackler – and St. Sebastian's looks to be on steady ground.

ST. SEBASTIAN'S SCHOOL AT A GLANCE

Coach: Robert Souza (36th season, 154-104-9)
Last season: 9-0
Returning Starters: 9
Key Returnees: Sr. RB/LB Connor Strachan, Sr. TE/DE Dan Fulham, Sr. RB James Fiore, Jr. RB Edosa Onaiwu, Fr. FB Blake Gallagher.
Strengths: Senior leadership, depth at running back, experienced linebackers, culture of winning
Weaknesses: Inexperience on offensive/defensive line, new quarterback.

Overview: There's little doubt that the Arrows are facing a tougher schedule this season. Games against Buckingham, Browne & Nichols and Governor's Academy are tough tests for anyone. However, St. Sebastian's has good depth at its skill positions, and if it can find some continuity in the trenches, Souza may have himself another championship-caliber team. Of course, it helps when your best player is one of the top athletes in the region. Strachan is the best linebacker in the state, and Souza said “Boston College is going to be very happy with the kid they recruited.” Strachan is a stud, and is the type of kid that can change a game by himself. The quarterback position needs to get settled, but in a run-first offense, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. There is a ton of depth at running back, and St. Sebastian's is going to grind a lot of teams down the old-fashioned way. Factor in freshman phenom Blake Gallagher, and it looks like the Arrows are simply reloading.

ESPNU has updated its player rankings for the Class of 2014 in Massachusetts, and there are a few changes of note.

St. John's Prep running back Johnathan Thomas and St. Sebastian's linebacker Connor Strachan maintain the top two spots. Meanwhile, Doherty athlete Isaac Yiadom (3), Everett defensive back Lubern Figaro (4), Millis/Hopedale lineman Jon Baker (5) and Tabor Academy athlete Miles Wright (6) all move up one spot from the previous update in July.

Roxbury Latin linebacker Kevin Cohee and Leominster safety Jarell Addo both move up two spots to Nos. 7 and 8, respectively. Rounding out the Top 10 are two newcomers, Dexter lineman James Hendren (9) and Catholic Memorial defensive athlete Kevin Bletzer (10).

To see the full list of top prospects in Massachusetts, CLICK HERE.

Below is the Top 10, with college commitment in italics. You can also see the updated Top 10 list on our homepage:

1. Johnathan Thomas, RB, St. John's Prep - Maryland
2. Connor Strachan, LB, St. Sebastian's - Boston College
3. Isaac Yiadom, WR/DB, Doherty - Boston College
4. Lubern Figaro, DB, Everett
5. Jon Baker, OL, Millis/Hopedale - Boston College
6. Miles Wright, ATH, Tabor Academy
7. Kevin Cohee, LB, Roxbury Latin - Boston College
8. Jarell Addo, S, Leominster - UMass
9. James Hendren, OL, Dexter - Boston College
10. Kevin Bletzer, LB, Catholic Memorial - Boston College

Earlier tonight, St. Sebastian's linebacker Connor Strachan verbally committed to Boston College, becoming the ninth commit for Steve Addazio's 2014 recruiting class, and fourth in-state pledge.

Coming off a season in which he recorded 70 tackles in nine games, Strachan is high on the recruiting radar, named earlier this year to the ESPN 150 Watch List, and ranked a four-star recruit by both ESPN and Rivals.

He last visited the Chestnut Hill campus on April 18, his third such unofficial visit to school. He also visited during the Notre Dame game last year, and attended their camp last June, where he was initially offered a scholarship by the staff of former coach Frank Spaziani.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Wellesley resident talked to ESPNBoston.com tonight for some additonal comments about his commitment to The Heights.

Biggest factors in his decison: "I like how close it is, and I want to be a part of the program that they're building. Coach Addazio has done a great job building up the program so far. He talked to me about the possibility of playing early, and that's important to me. Being able to play early is important to me."

On the influence of the lineage (his uncle, Steve, played wideout for the Eagles in the early 80's): "He [Steve] didn’t push me to go anywhere, he said he would always support me wherever I want to go. It would be amazing to bring BC back to what it was back there when he played. That's an awesome goal, and special to be a part of."

On head coach Steve Addazio's energetic approach: "He's got a lot of energy. I went to a practice, and practice was totally different. It's high tempo. They move around a lot. [Don] Brown coaches the defense and he moves guys around a lot -- pass rushing, drop back passes -- that’s the way I like to play."

On his intended role as middle linebacker: "They see me as being able to have the size and speed to play early."

On the difficulty of his decision: "In the beginning it was probably overwhelming to make the decision. But once I got down to it, it was a pretty easy decision to do it."

St. Sebastian's linebacker Connor Strachan verbally committed to Boston College tonight, he confirmed to ESPNBoston.com.

Strachan, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound two-way player, was an integral part of last year's Arrows squad, which went 8-0 and earned a berth in the Arthur Valincenti Bowl, beating King Low Heywood Thomas 40-7.

The Wellesley resident is graded as a four-star recruit by ESPN, and reportedly tests well. Per Scouts Inc.'s database, he runs a 4.48 40-yard dash, a 4.18 20-yard shuttle, and measures a 36.5 inch vertical leap.

Wake Forest, Virginia, UConn and UMass had also offered Strachan at the time of his commitment. He is the fourth in-state commitment for Steve Addazio's 2014 recruiting class, joining Millis lineman Jon Baker, Doherty defensive back Isaac Yiadom and Roxbury Latin tight end/linebacker Kevin Cohee.

There are thick bloodlines with Strachan. His brother, Brian, is currently a wide receiver at Brown University. Their uncle, Steve, starred at Burlington High in the early 80's before going on to Boston College and the Los Angeles Raiders.

Scouts Inc.'s evaluation of Strachan considers him "a physical and athletic prospect capable of seeing early action at the BCS level of play. Could possibly contribute on offense as a fullback and on special teams. Falling under the radar due to lack of ideal length."

Below are some of Strachan's highlights from last season:

BYFIELD, Mass. – Governor’s Academy lost their first game of the season on Saturday to a St. Sebastian’s team who has been playing its best lacrosse in the second half of the season.

Gov’s midfielder Tate Jozokos knew that they needed to come out strong on Tuesday against fellow top ISL opponent, Noble and Greenough.

“We were down coming off that big loss but with the one practice he had in between we knew that it was going to make us better in the long run,” Jozokos said after the game.

In a defensively charged game, it was Governor’s Academy (12-1, 11-1 in ISL) who would come out on top as they held Nobles (11-4, 9-3 in ISL) to a season-low four goals to earn a 6-4 victory and remain tied at the top of the ISL with Belmont Hill.

“This was a big game and an important game for both teams,” Gov’s head coach Peter Bidstrup said. “We knew we were facing an excellent team today.”

Nobles would jump out to an early 1-0 lead as star middie Morgan Cheek scored in transition at the 7:29 mark in the first quarter.

Gov’s would net two goals in the final three minutes of the first quarter on scores from Jozokos and Teddy Bettencourt to take a 2-1 lead into the second quarter.

With both teams struggling to execute possessions early it was the work of both team’s defenses that kept each opposing offense at bay.

“We defended very well but they also defended very well,” Bidstrup said. “Toward the end of the season these games can get a little defensive between these good teams.”

Gov’s middie Drew Pirie would give the home team some minor breathing room as he scored with 7:10 remaining in the second quarter on a dodge from the top. He would also add another two minutes later on a man-up strike assisted from attack Larsen Bidstrup.

Nobles middie P.J. Bell would score a crucial goal on a beautiful dodge, with 24 seconds remaining in the half, to cut the Gov’s lead to 4-2 and give Nobles some much needed momentum headed into the half.

The third quarter would begin with a burst of rare offense as Gov’s would get goals from middie Jesse Gwozdz and attack Ben Stafford and Nobles would get one back on a strike from middie Parker McKee.

Gov’s goalie Eddie Gilman would do his best work in net in the second half and neither team would score in the final 15 minutes of the game as Gov’s would hold on for the narrow win.

Despite the loss the Nobles defense, led by sophomore goalie Teddy Strzetelski (14 saves), stood tall all evening. Strzetelski made numerous big saves to help keep Nobles in the game throughout.

Gov’s has three ISL games remaining on their schedule. They will take on Thayer, Brooks and Middlesex to conclude the season. Despite defeating Belmont Hill, 12-7, earlier in the season, Gov’s shares the top spot with BH as both squads head into the final stretch run of their schedules.

D-Middie Dominance: Gov’s controlled the possession edge in the game, winning 7-of-8 draws in the first half and 11-of-14 in the game.

Gov’s long-stick middies Andy “Bug” Carper and Eli Morrissey were instrumental in both the midfield defense and the faceoff edge.

“We definitely focused on our defense today,” Jozokos said. “On the faceoffs, we had our double poles going and wanted to put pressure on whoever was taking the faceoff for them. We were strong with the checks today.”

Jozokos, Bettancourt, Gwozdz and the rest of the Gov’s middies also did a great job of playing two-way midfield as they helped neutralize one of New England’s top midfield units of juniors Cheek (1 Goal, 1 Assist), Bell (1G, 1A), and McKee (1G) throughout the game.

“We are really athletic in the midfield,” Bidstrup said. “We are a group of guys who can play hard, tough defense and we did that today against a team that has a group of very good dodgers.”

St. John's Prep standout and soon-to-be NHL Draft hopeful Brian Pinho led a deep pool of local skaters selected in Tuesday's "Phase 2" of the United States Hockey League's Draft.

Pinho was one of 13 skaters with ties to MIAA hockey who were taken on the day, including 10 who played for member schools last season.

Here's a list of players with New England ties who were selected Tuesday, listed by overall selection:

6. Brian Pinho (North Andover), C, St. John's Prep - Indiana

15. Ryan Segalla (Hanover), D, Salisbury - Dubuque

18. Merrick Madsen, G, Proctor - Des Moines

22. Connor Light (Sudbury), D, Phillips Andover - Omaha

25. Anthony Petruzzelli, LW, Brooks - Green Bay

28. Zach Sanford (Auburn, N.H.), LW, Islanders (EJHL) - Waterloo

30. Liam Coughlin (South Boston), C, Catholic Memorial - Dubuque

34. Danny Tirone (Trumbull, Conn.),G , Loomis-Chaffee - Cedar Rapids

37. James Winkler (York, Maine), RW, Berwick - Muskegon

53. Jake McCarthy (Dedham), D, St. Sebastian's - Muskegon

56. Garrett Hehir (Auburn, Mass.), C, Cushing Acacdemy - Lincoln

59. Shane Starrett (Bellingham), G, Selects Academy (Catholic Memorial) - Sioux Falls

66. A.J. Greer, LW, Kimball Union - Des Moines

93. Kevin Duane (New Canaan, Conn.), RW, Boston Junior Bruins (EJHL) - Des Moines

94. Terence Amarossa, D, Holderness - Sioux City

100. Aaron Titcomb (Charlestown), D, Salisbury - Cedar Rapids

105. Shane Kavanaugh (E. Providence, R.I.), RW, Cushing Academy - Dubuque

111. Connor Brassard (Fitchburg), D, Cushing Academy - Chicago

120. Mark Hamilton (Winthrop), D, Salisbury - Dubuque

140. Mark Dufour (Winthrop), RW, Kents Hill - Cedar Rapids

165. David Belluche (Andover), D, Phillips Andover - Dubuque

177. Carl Hesler (Boxborough), F, Belmont Hill - Waterloo

191. Miles Gendron (Shrewsbury), C, Rivers - Lincoln

192. Shane Bennett, C, Milton Academy - Waterloo

210. Evan Smith, C/LW, Salisbury - Dubuque

211. Ryan Collins (Newton), C, Ottawa (CJHL) - Indiana

213. Brendan Shane, C, The Gunnery - Des Moines

220. Niko Rufo (Stoneham), LW, Kimball Union - Green Bay

225. Mitchell Smith, C/LW, Salisbury - Dubuque

226. Michael Turner, LW, Cushing Academy - Indiana

230. Tyler Sifferlen (North Andover), F, Malden Catholic - Cedar Rapids

237. Mason Krueger (Nashua, N.H.), LW, Avon Old Farms - Waterloo

246. Vincent Ditmore, D, Choate Rosemary Hall - Chicago

257. Tyler Bird (Andover), RW, St. John's Prep - Tri-City

266. Nick Rutigliano (Shrewsbury), D, Boston Advantage AAA - Lincoln

272. Andrew Cross (Saugus), D, Austin Prep - Tri-City

274. Tyler Drevitch (Middleborough), RW, Boston Bandits (EJHL) - Sioux City

279. Colin MacGillivray (Peabody - Malden Catholic), D, N.H. Junior Monarchs (EJHL) - Youngstown

285. Will D'Orsi (Sudbury), F, St. Sebastian's - Dubuque

300. Nolan Vesey (North Reading), F, Austin Prep - Dubuque

307. Joel Daccord (North Andover - North Andover), G, Cushing Academy - Chicago

309. Sam Tucker (Wilton, Conn.), G, Choate Rosemary Hall - Youngstown

310. Charlie Corcoran (New Canaan, Conn.), C, Berkshire School - Green Bay

366. Jack Adams (Boxford), F, Malden Catholic - Chicago

367. Luke Stevens, F, Duxbury - Omaha

382. J.J. Layton (Peabody), D, Austin Prep - Omaha

384. Charley Borek (Durham, N.H.), F, Choate Rosemary Hall - Youngstown

Three Massachusetts natives have confirmed today they've been offered spots on the United States National Team Development Program U-17 roster for 2013-14.

Malden Catholic defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, St. Sebastian's defenseman Noah Hanifin and Noble & Greenough forward Colin White were among those making the cut coming out of the 52 players invited to last week's evaluation camp in Ann Arbor, Mich. All players invited were of the 1997 birth year.

Fitzgerald had 5-17-22 totals while helping the Lancers to their third straight MIAA Super 8 tournament championship.

All three players are committed to Boston College, with Hanifin scheduled to land in Chestnut Hill in 2015, with Fitzgerald and White following in 2016.

CANTON, Mass. -- Jonathan Sheedy swooped around the goal, arms raised in the air. A look of incredulousness was written on the senior captain’s face as he looked for his nearest teammate to hug.

With the figures “5:05” emblazoned on the scoreboard, Sheedy stopped time, delivering a 4-3 overtime win for Thayer Academy Wednesday at the Canton SpotsPlex.

Reflecting on his game-winner against St. Sebastian’s in the NEPSAC Martin/Earl Tournament quarterfinal tilt between ISL rivals, all Sheedy could think of is the last couple seasons and how far the Tigers have come.

“We’ve had two losing seasons in the last three years,” Sheedy said. “The fact that we were in the tournament this year, I was wicked happy for that. Now, we get to go to Salem, play in the semifinals Saturday. It’s just amazing.”

Thayer held a 3-0 lead in the second, despite the Arrows carrying play in the period. But Seb’s kept at it and finally solved Tigers netminder Bob McGovern (29 saves), scoring three unanswered goals, including two goals from senior forward James McLaughlin, to tie it in the third.

It was a familiar script.

“It was almost a mirror image of the other day, it was the same kind of game that we played on Saturday,” Tigers head coach Tony Amonte said of his team’s 3-1 win over the Arrows in last weekend’s Valicenti Cup game. “They won the second period, the only difference today was that they won the third.”

The Tigers jumped to a 2-0 lead at 14:19 of the second with freshman Ty Amonte tallying his second of the game on the set-up from Lincoln Griffin off a 2-on-1 break. Thayer struck again exactly one minute later on defenseman Jack Judge’s blast from the point.

However, the Arrows countered with an important goal just 17 seconds later with Tommy Kelley ripping off a one-timer on Corey Ronan’s feed.

“We needed to get one before the end of the period,” St. Seb’s head coach Sean McCann said. “We were fortunate to have a bang-bang play near the crease. It was a nice play by our guys and that helped us carry momentum into the third period.”

After being held scoreless on five previous power-play opportunities, the Arrows found the back of the net for the first time with the man-advantage to start the third. McLaughlin scored his first of two goals at 6:10 of the third. He then scored the equalizer with 7:31 remaining in regulation.

KEEP IT SIMPLE
After being outplayed for the bulk of two periods, Thayer brought its skating legs to the overtime session. Spurred on a by a key save by McGovern in the opening minute of overtime, the Tigers began getting pucks to the Arrows’ net with greater consistency.

It was all part of Amonte’s message to his team at the break: don’t make it too fancy.

“How many pretty goals do you see in an overtime?” the 16-season NHL veteran and Thayer alum said. “A la today, there’s no pretty goals in overtime at any level. So I told them to relax, go out there, play their game and just get pucks to the net.”

As the Tigers advance to play Avon Old Farms in Saturday’s tournament semifinal at the The Icecenter in Salem, N.H. (5:30 p.m.), they feel as though they’re playing with house money.

“This is all gravy,” Amonte said. “For us, we didn’t even expect to make the tournament, so we’ll give it our best and see what happens.”

AN IMPOSING FIGURE
In Thayer’s net, McGovern presents a conundrum for opposing players. That is, where exactly can you shoot?

The 6-foot, 3-inch, butterfly-style netminder affords snipers little space to shoot. And, with his sound positional play in the crease, seldom will you find the Tigers’ backstop out of place.

McGovern’s effort in the last two games against St. Seb’s even drew the praise of the opposing coach.

“He’s played really well this year,” McCann said. “We played them on Saturday and he was outstanding. He was so good today, so going down three-to-nothing, we were a little concerned about what we were going to be able to do.”

Dexter Class of 2014 lineman James Hendren picked up an offer today from UMass, his head coach Casey Day told ESPNBoston.com.

On Wednesday, Day said that Rutgers and Holy Cross had offered the 6-foot-7, 305-pound Brookline resident. He has also received varying degrees of interest from Boston College, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia, Vanderbilt and Stanford.

A source also confirmed that UMass has also extended an offer to St. Sebastian's linebacker Connor Strachan, a Wellesley resident in the Class of 2014.

From a New England standpoint, perhaps the most noteworthy item on national signing day was Tim Boyle's decision to remain in his home state and sign with the University of Connecticut.

Boyle, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback, led Xavier High School (Middletown) to its third consecutive Class LL state championship last fall. He passed for 2,483 yards and 24 touchdowns during his senior season.

Boyle originally committed to Boston College, and remained committed to BC after Connecticut native Steve Addazio replaced Frank Spaziani as BC's head coach. Addazio's offense requires a dual-threat quarterback, however, and although he ran for 295 yards and five touchdowns on 60 carries last season, Boyle is considered to be more of a pro-style passer.

He decommitted from BC and gave a verbal commitment to UConn earlier this month, and made things official on national signing day.

“This is a good day for me,” Boyle said after signing his National Letter of Intent. “It's been a long process because BC was the first school to offer me a scholarship back when I was a sophomore. I'm happy it's over.”

Boyle is one of five Connecticut residents in the Class of 2013 who signed National Letter of Intent to play at UConn. The others are linebacker Cory Jasudowich (Cheshire Academy), tight end Thomas Myers (Coventry), defensive end Cole Ormsby (Windsor) and fullback Matt Walsh (Daniel Hand).

BLOCKS OF GRANITE
The University of New Hampshire brought in a small class – 11 players – but three of them were in-state linemen: Portsmouth defensive tackle Rick Holt, Souhegan offensive tackle Jake Kennedy and Bedford offensive tackle Will McInerney.

Holt and Kennedy have been playing against each other since they were freshmen.

"There was some trash-talking between us when we were freshmen and sophomores, but we developed a level of respect for one another during our junior year," Holt said. "We've played against each other for a long time, but it's pretty cool that we're both going to UNH as friends and teammates."

McInerney, who is 6-foot-7 and weighs 290 pounds, may be the most intriguing prospect of the three. He had surgery on both knees last year, and did not play during his senior season.

"It was unfortunate that he missed his senior year, but he was very impressive in our camps and clinics last spring, so we knew he was the right fit for us," UNH coach Sean McDonnell said.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Bangor (Maine) wide receiver Matt Cosgrove is one of three players who signed a National Letter of Intent to play at the University of Maine. Cosgrove's father Jack is Maine's head coach.

“It’s exciting, I think, for both of us,” Jack Cosgrove told the Bangor Daily News. “It’s something we talked about up front. Matt gets it -- he knows what we’re all about. He’s seen it growing up with big eyes as a little boy and with small eyes as a big boy.”

Defensive back Spencer Carey (Lawrence) and tight end Dakota Tarbox (Thornton Academy) were the other Maine players who signed with the Black Bears.

DELAY OF GAME
Running back Jerickson Fedrick, who grew up in Lawrence but played high school football in Salem, N.H., said he has accepted a scholarship from the University of Maine, but will redshirt next season.

Fedrick graduated from Salem in 2012 and played prep school football for Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Conn., last season. He ran for a team-high 1,268 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall.

Fedrick, who was also a track standout in high school, rushed for 4,568 yards and scored 75 touchdowns for Salem.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR
Five of the top recruits from New England in the Class of 2014:

• Jon Baker, OL, Millis/Hopedale
• Manny Latimore, RB, Pinkerton Academy (N.H.)
• Arkeel Newsome, RB, Ansonia (Conn.)
• Connor Strachan, LB, St. Sebastian's
• Jon Thomas, RB, St. John's Prep

Strachan and Thomas are both on the ESPN Watch List.

Information about high school or prep school recruits in New England can be sent to Roger Brown at rbrown@nhfootballreport.com.

The Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association (MHSFCA) released its "Super 26" All-State Team yesterday. Selections are below as follows:

OFFENSE

Quarterback
Zach Bartak, Greenfield, 6'1" 200
Mackay Lowrie, Roxbury Latin, 6'5" 210
Nick Peabody, Barnstable, 6’4" 225

Running Back
Vincent Burton, Blue Hills, 6’2” 200
Dylan Oxsen, Plymouth South, 5’9” 185
Quron Wright, Holy Name, 5’6” 165

Wide Receiver
Will Heikkinen, Andover, 6’1” 196
Brian O’Malley, St. Sebastian’s, 6’3” 195

Offensive Line
Aaron Dyke, Auburn, 6’4” 305
John Foster, Scituate, 6’5” 260
Rob Kosharek, Duxbury, 6’6” 265
Jack McDonald, B.C. High, 6’5" 275
John Montelus, Everett, 6’5" 325

DEFENSE

Defensive Line
Matt Comerford, Reading, 6’5” 275
Terrel Correia, Nantucket, 6’7” 275
Joe Previte, Brockton, 6’2” 260
Maurice Hurst, Xaverian, 6’2” 290

Linebacker
Cam Hanley, Walpole, 5’11” 210
Sha’ki Holines, Springfield Commerce, 6’4” 240
Zack Hume , Nashoba, 6’2” 235
Bryan Vieira, Thayer Academy, 6’3” 190

Defensive Back
Brendan Flaherty, Beverly, 6’1” 185
Kiivone Howard, Foxborough, 6’1” 185
Dylan Mann, Masconomet, 5’10” 180
Alex Moore, St. John’s Prep, 6’1” 195
Justin Mount, Westford Academy, 6’2” 205