Daily Item 2018 Thanksgiving Football Preview

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