Further Review XI

Before we dive headlong into the postseason coverage, let's take one last look back at another memorable Thanksgiving Day in the Bay State.

The theme for Week 11? Some friends passed along a great idea to utilize the soundtrack from the rockumentary, This is Spinal Tap, because of this memorable scene:

That led to us simply watching the movie and ignoring our writing responsibilities this past weekend. And, while the movie's soundtrack and lyrics might not be extremely conducive to a high school sports-related blog, we've toned down the song titles and lyrics utilized to keep things as PG as possible. But, like Spinal Tap, we guarantee this entry continues to rock.

Click the link below to read the full Further Review XI entry...

First down and the Top 11

1. Everett (11-0) -- The Tide haven't played a game decided by less than two touchdowns since 2005. During this current 23-game winning streak over the past two seasons, they've defeated opponents by an average of 23.6 points per game. Can BC High give Everett a rare four-quarter challenge? Cambridge certainly couldn't.

2. Mansfield (10-1) -- Four scoring plays of over 59 yards during Thanksgiving Day's shellacking of rival Foxboro shows how explosive the Mansfield offense can be. Couple that with a defense that allowed little more than 10 points per game this season and you can see why the Hornets are undefeated in Massachusetts.

3. BC High (11-0) -- With the league title already wrapped up and a date with top-ranked Everett looming, it's easy to understand how the Eagles might have got caught looking ahead on Thanksgiving Day. But credit BC High for still putting together a quality effort to wrap up a perfect regular season that will send them into the postseason with momentum intact.

4. Brockton (9-1) -- We can't help but chuckle when we see that quarterback Vaughn Askew ran another kick back for a touchdown. Maybe it's the image of, say, Tom Brady trying to do the same thing. Kudos to Brockton's coaching staff for fearlessly throwing Askew out there on special teams because he's clearly a game-changer in that department.

5. Gloucester (11-0) -- Take away the Lynn Classical nail-biter on Oct. 26, and the Fishermen haven't played a game decided by less than 31 points the past six weeks.

6. Dartmouth (10-1) -- I remember being skeptical of Dartmouth last fall given the schedule they play. A year later, I'm stunned anyone would think Brockton is just going to waltz past the Indians. We're banking on another tight game.

7. Chelmsford (10-1) -- Watching quarterback Tim Rich run with the ball is a thing of beauty. Well, unless you're an opponent, like Billerica, which saw Rich find the end zone four times on Turkey Day as the Lions emerged with a 28-20 triumph.

8. Wayland (10-1) -- We totally feel Acton-Boxboro's pain as the Colonials watch both Wayland and Chelmsford -- two teams it beat during the regular season -- advance to the postseason. But we think the Warriors are going to represent the Dual County League mighty well and their defense gives them a tremendous chance at defending that Division 1A Super Bowl title.

9. Walpole (10-1) -- Walpole's defensive domination in a 14-7 win over Weymouth on Thanksgiving reminded us that the Rebels have given up just 9.3 points per game this fall. Conversely, sophomore Ryan Izzo is averaging 17.3 points per game for the Rebels. Dangerous combination.

10. Woburn (9-2) -- Best team not going to the playoffs? How about we get a non-sanctioned jamboree going on Saturday with Natick, Acton-Boxboro, Lincoln-Sudbury, and Tewksbury to decide this for certain. We can even hold it on Woburn's shiny new field.

11. Lincoln-Sudbury (9-2) -- Despite being about 35 miles apart, Lincoln-Sudbury's first-half struggles gave rival Acton-Boxboro a jolt of energy at halftime in Westford. Alas, both teams must lean on Thanksgiving Day triumphs as consolation after failing to earn the Dual County League's postseason berth.

A few thoughts on the rest of the latest Top 20: Weymouth falls back a bit, but a healthy Royce Terrell could have made a big difference in how Thanksgiving Day played out... After punching its postseason pass, Melrose moves back into the Top 20.

Play of the Week

Click here for the Week 11 Play of the Week

You couldn't ask for a better Thanksgiving story.

Melrose senior kicker Sean Morris -- son of head coach, Tim Morris -- atoned for a missed PAT earlier in the game by drilling a 23-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to lift the Raiders to a thrilling 15-14 triumph over Middlesex League rival Wakefield.

The win ended the Raiders' 14-year hex against Wakefield and pushed Melrose onto the postseason.

"It's a great feeling," said Sean Morris. "It's what [my father] always wanted. We've been down before, but we've always been able to come back."

This is Spinal Tap

For those unfamiliar with the movie, we'll let the good people at Wikipedia give you the breakdown:

This Is Spinal Tap (which is officially spelled with a non-functional umlaut symbol over the N and dotless i) is a 1984 mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner and starring members of the semi-fictional heavy-metal glam rock band Spinal Tap. The film is a mock rockumentary that satirizes the wild personal behavior and musical pretensions of metal bands.

In simpler terms, it's 82 minutes of hilarity, parodying all the things that make rock bands rock.

Oh, and for those of you wondering, that is indeed the album's cover art at right. Often imitated, never duplicated.

1. Hell Hole -- It's not so much that Foxboro's football field at the Ahearn Middle School isn't a nice place, it's simply like walking into a lion's den for rival Mansfield. Even still, the Hornets were unfazed on Turkey Day. Mansfield struck for a trio of big scoring plays (a 59-yard run by Mike Abany, a 67-yard run by Mike Morrill, and a 60-yard pass from Mark Gilson to Powell Simpson) as part of a 21-point, second-quarter explosion that propelled the visitors to a 31-7 victory. The win avenged a loss to Foxboro on the Hornets' home turf last year.

2. Tonight I'm Going to Rock You Tonight -- Manchester Essex could have taken this track and changed it to, "Today I'm Going To Rock You Today," during its Thanksgiving tussle with rival Georgetown. Aided by a pair of second-quarter touchdowns by Brian Ciccone, the Hornets grabbed an early advantage then pulled away in the fourth quarter with two scores fueled by quarterback Pat Orlando. Opined Orlando after the game, ""We were ready to play all four quarters against these guys, ever since we finished our last game almost two weeks ago. I knew we were ready, but I thought it was going to be closer."

3. Heavy Duty -- Sounds a bit like the offensive attack Tyngsboro unleashed on poor Alvirne (N.H.) as senior quarterback Colin Halloran (12 for 19 passing, 191 yards) tossed a quartet of touchdown passes to classmate Mike DePasquale (12 receptions, 191 yards) in a 45-21 thrashing.

4. Rock & Roll Creation -- This track includes the line, "When there was silence and the hush was almost deafening." A similar scene likely unfolded in Holliston, where visiting Westwood scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns -- an 8-yard run by Matt White and a 7-yard jaunt by Connor Walsh -- as part of a 28-14 upset that kept the Panthers out of the postseason.

5. America -- This track includes the line, "And the people stood and stared." Seems appropriate for Bishop Fenwick's Bobby Tarr, who graces this space one last time after piling up 133 yards and a pair of scores in the Crusaders' 28-16 win over Austin Prep. Tarr finished his stellar high school career second on the state's all-time rushing list with 5,583 yards.

6. Cups and Cakes -- Judging by records alone, you would have thought Greater Lawrence had a cupcake on its hand on Turkey Day. But the previously undefeated Reggies (10-1) watched Lawrence's Devin Mantanez score a pair of second-quarter touchdowns to lift the Lancers (3-8) to a 28-21 triumph.

7. Big Bottom -- This posterior-centric track includes the line, "How could I leave this behind?" Well, Madison Park's Davaughn Goss left everything behind him -- mostly O'Bryant defenders -- while rumbling for 215 yards and two touchdowns on a mere 10 carries as the Cardinals topped (or bottomed?) the Tigers, 22-14.

8. Farm -- As not to offend anyone, we'll chop off the first word of this song. But this track includes the line, "Don't you see my silo risin' high." After enduring some lopsided defeats in the Dual County League, Boston Latin got its day in the sun and showcased its offensive talents in a 33-6 thrashing of rival Boston English. Despite a mere 1-10 record to finish the year, the Wolfpack savored the win. "We knew it was a big game and we gave it everything we had," said senior running back Ryan England. "At reunions, they don't talk about records, they talk about what you did against English."

9. Stonehenge --This track includes the lines, "We'll go back in time to that mystic land." Minds well have been talking about Malden-based Mystic Valley. The Eagles hosted Minuteman in a barburner on Turkey Day, but it was the Mustangs who scored a pair of late fourth-quarter touchdowns (a 3-yard run by Anthony Deangelis and a 31-yard fumble return for a score by John Baronofski) to come from behind in a 35-28 triumph.

10. Gimme Some Money -- This track includes the line, "Stop wasting my time, You know what I want." Durfee wasted no time during an improbable scoring trek over the final 51 seconds of play that culminated with junior quarterback Ronnie Thomas chucking a 12-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Bobby Hall for a 37-34 triumph over New Bedford. The Hilltoppers have now won three consecutive Thanksgiving Day battles in this storied rivalry.

11. (Listen to the) Flower People -- This song includes the line, "Listen, it's like a bolt out of the blue." Poor Marblehead endured a jolt from the Big Blue as Swampscott quarterback Peter Kinchley passed for 154 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-16 triumph.

12. Christmas with the Devil -- An appropriate song for this time of year and the track includes the line, "Don't be left out in the cold, You don't need no invitation." For Shawsheen, South Shore, and Southeastern, they won't be left out in the cold after receiving an invitation to the annual state Vocational Tech Bowls to be held Thursday in Quincy.

South Shore -- which topped Southeastern, 12-0, on Turkey Day -- will meet Franklin Tech (of Turners Falls) at 7 p.m., while Shawsheen will battle the Hawks at 4:30 p.m.

Your turn

First, a look back at last week's results:

What is the worst tie-breaker scenario in the region?

No need to flip a coin on this one. More than half of the votes (52.1 percent) registered suggested that someone calling heads or tails was the worst way to break a league tie. The last-to-go tiebreaker garnered 37.4 percent as users clearly feel this process penalizes younger players that might not have been a part of the previous championships team.

With all the talk in the Dual County League about how the conference must tinker with its current tiebreaker -- first-half point differential against league opponents -- that option, ironically, finished with the lowest vote total at 10.6 percent.

This week's poll question: