Daily Item 2018 Thanksgiving Football Preview

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4 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP THANKSGIVING FOOTBALL 2018 St. Mary’s will have a lot at stake By Harold Rivera ITEM SPORTS EDITOR St. Mary’s football coach Sean Driscoll feels his team’s in a special place at this point in the season. Prior to Thursday’s Thanksgiving game between his Spartans and Fenwick, which is for the Catholic Central League title, St. Mary’s won the Division 7 North championship at Nashoba Valley and played against Cohasset in the state semifinal. “We talked about that as coaches. We’re hoping to carry some momentum into Thanksgiving,” Driscoll said. “That’s what we’re preaching. We’re playing for three championship games in a row. It’s quite the challenge for the kids to be able to compete at a high level for three weeks in a row.” ST. MARY’S (7-3) 9/7............ St. Mary’s 30 Millis 12 9/15.......... St. Mary’s 39 So. Boston 22 9/21.......... St. Mary’s 14 Cath. Mem. 42 9/29.......... St. Mary’s 40, Spellman 22 10/6.......... St. Mary’s 28 Arl. Cath. 12 10/13........ St. Mary’s 20 Williams 27 10/19........ St. Mary’s 24 Mashpee 30 10/26........ St. Mary’s 49 Georgetown 6 11/2........... St. Mary’s 30 Gr. Lawrence 24 11/9........... St. Mary’s 39 Nashoba Tech 14 11/16......... vs. Cohasset (at Medford, 7) 11/22......... at Fenwick (10) The Crusaders aren’t the same team St. Mary’s saw last season. Fenwick earned the No. 4 seed in the Division 5 North state tournament and reached the sectional semifinal before falling to No. 1 Stoneham. The Crusaders made quick work of Ipswich the following week in a non-playoff tilt. “I’ve seen them a couple of times in person,” Driscoll said. “I think they’re very good. (David Cifuentes) is one of the better backs we’ll face. On defense they get to the ball pretty quick. They make plays. I didn’t see their playoff game against Stoneham but I can say Fenwick’s one of the better teams we’ll play all year.” Offensively, the Spartans will look to control the line of scrimmage and move the chains in hopes of keeping Fenwick’s offense off the field. Running backs Jalen Echevarria, George Freeman and Connor Donohue have done the bulk of the damage on the ground this season. “I think we have to keep their offense off the field and control the line of scrimmage when we have the football,” Driscoll said. “I always think kickoff returns and punt returns are important this time of the year. We played a game before this and Fenwick had a week off. I know St. Mary’s dealt with that last year but still prepared well and got a win at home. I’m hoping we do the same. I know it’s going to be a challenge getting ready to play for this game.” Defensively, Mathias Haley and Freeman lead the Spartans in tackles. Driscoll said he’s looking forward to his first go-round in the St. Mary’s-Fenwick rivalry. “I think every coach in general loves Thanksgiving football,” Driscoll said. IITEM FILE PHOTO Jalen Echevarria (10) has been a key cog in St. Mary’s backfield. “For me it’s new. Getting a chance to play at their place on Thanksgiving, it’s cool. It’s exciting to play for a share of the CCL title. It’s important for us to get off to a good start and be healthy to be able to compete with them.” Kickoff for Thursday’s game is scheduled for 10 p.m. at Donaldson Field≠≠≠. Good luck to the players and coaches GO SPARTANS! Joan McGovern Regan • 617-529-1785 joan.regan17@gmail.com • century21hughes.com Happy Thanksgiving!
THANKSGIVING FOOTBALL 2018 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP 5 Bishop Fenwick has league title on line Steve Krause ITEM STAFF After being the Thanksgiving football version of “A Man Without a Country” for more than a decade, seeing St. Mary’s from across the 50-yard line Thursday will do coach Dave Woods’ heart a lot of good. The fact that the game will be for a Catholic Central League championship makes it even better. “Anytime we play St. Mary’s in anything, it adds a little extra,” said Woods, on the eve of Thursday’s game (10) at Donaldson Field against the Spartans. “But with a league title on the line, it adds extra implications.” The fact that the value of winning a league title has been de-emphasized in terms of qualifying for the Super Bowl is of no consequence when it BISHOP FENWICK 8-2) 9/7................. Fenwick 28, Ham-Wen 0 9/14............... Fenwick 20, Dedham 29 9/21............... Fenwick 33, Pentucket 7 9/28............... Fenwick 42, Arl. Cath. 14 10/ 5.............. Fenwick 28, Williams 0 10/ 12............ Fenwick 13, Malden Cath. 7 10/ 19............ Fenwick 56, Spellman 6 10/ 26............ Fenwick 55, Gr. Lowell 0 11/ 1............... Fenwick 20, Stoneham 48 11/9................ Fenwick 46, Ipswich 27 11/22.............. vs. St. Mary’s (10) comes to playing the game. “It’s two good programs, and whoever wins is going to be (Catholic Central League) champion,” Woods said. “It’s going to be fun.” Fenwick has run the table in the CCL up to now, but that’s a bit deceiving. Austin Prep dropped out of the CCL Large and right now there are only five teams in the division. The Crusaders have beaten the three they’ve played — Williams, Spellman and Arlington Catholic — with St. Mary’s left. The Spartans lost to Williams. A St. Mary’s win would leave each team at 3-1 in the league, with the Spartans having the tiebreaker in head-to-head. In the world of the CCL, the lord giveth and taketh away for Fenwick. The Crusaders celebrated the return in Week 4 of quarterback Cory Bright, who, in the half-season since, has thrown for 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns. “That’s a season for most kids,” Woods said. “He’s been phenomenal.” However, all-everything-else Keegan O’Connor broke his arm last Friday night against Ipswich, and that’ll be a tough loss for the Crusaders to absorb. “He wants to (play),” said Woods, “but I don’t know. It might be too soon to talk about doing that. It’s a tough break. He’s a senior.” Also playing their last games are Derek DelVecchio, George Fiskatoris, Ian Connor and Tommy McDonald. All six have been invaluable, Woods said. Underclassmen who have emerged as key contributors are David Cifuentes and Joe Rivers. “They’re our 1-2 punch at tailback,” said Woods. “David gets the ball more, but Joe scores about 20 percent of the time he touches the ball. We have to get him the ball more.” The Crusaders went into the Division 6 playoffs at 6-1 with the fourth ITEM FILE PHOTO David Cifuentes emerged this season as key runner for the Crusaders. seed, and defeated Greater Lowell in the quarterfinals before falling to No. 1 Stoneham in the semis. “Stoneham is a great team,” said Woods. “I think they could play with anyone from Division 3 on down. Maybe not a team like St. John’s Prep, but from 3 down, they can play.” Fenwick tuned up for St. Mary’s with a win over Ipswich to enter Thanksgiving at 8-2. St. Mary’s, not counting its state semifinal game with Cohasset, is 7-3. WISHING ALL THE PLAYERS THE BEST OF LUCK AND A HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL! Charles Gaeta, Executive Director and the LHAND staff Where opportunity and achievement meet Bishop Fenwick High School, Peabody, MA www.fenwick.org • 978-587-8300
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Daily Item 2018 Thanksgiving Football Preview

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