Division 2 and 2A Notes
SIDELINE PERSPECTIVE
We have now passed the midway point of the high school football season and the races for league crowns are beginning to take shape. Here is a midseason report for each league in Division 2 and 2A and what to look forward to in the weeks to come.
DIVISION 2 – Division 2 might be the deepest division in the state. D2 boasts four undefeated teams, including Natick, Walpole, Reading and Franklin. All of those teams reside in the Globe’s top 20 with the first three all ranked in the top five. With that much talent at the top, the playoffs should be very entertaining.
BAY STATE (HERGET)
It is a two horse race in the Bay State (Herget). Natick and Walpole are both undefeated at this point and are on a collision course for the league title. The two play each other the second to last week of the season in Walpole. However, before that, both teams have to play undefeated Needham and 5-1 Weymouth, the class of the Bay State (Carey). Wellesley has a good chance to finish the season above .500 and the Raiders turkey day clash against Needham is always a good one. Milton and Norwood have both fallen on tough times and start the latter portion of their schedules with 2-4 records. Dedham has had a tough season so far and will look to pick up a win or two in the second half.
HOCKOMOCK
The Hockomock League can make a case as the toughest league in Eastern Mass. Six teams currently sport above .500 records, led by 6-0 Franklin. The Panthers have the inside track to the league title. The remaining teams on Franklin’s league schedule have a combined record of 7-17. One of those teams left on the Panther schedule is King Philip. The two play on Thanksgiving in game that could decide the league crown. Speaking of King Philip, the Warriors were stunned last week when they fell to Fairhaven. However, that game doesn’t have any effect on league standing. The Warriors face a gauntlet of tough games as they play the crème of the crop of the Hockomock League in the following weeks. Other interesting games on the Hockomock League slate the next couple of weeks are King Philip at North Attleboro, North Attleboro at Mansfield, King Philip at Mansfield and Mansfield at Foxboro.
MERRIMACK VALLEY (SMALL)
Dracut seems to be the frontrunner so far, but the Middies can’t over look Methuen (which beat them last year) and an explosive Lawrence team. The Middies have beaten the likes of Everett and Marshfield this year, but also stumbled to two straight losses to Billerica and Central Catholic. Dracut faces Chelmsford and Andover the next two weeks. Methuen starts the second half of the season with a surprising 4-2 mark. The Rangers face a tough schedule the rest of the way and will have to pull off an upset or two to have a shot at the play offs. Lawrence is an explosive team that others will have to look out for and Tewksbury has already acted as giant killers, taming Lincoln-Sudbury and Billerica.
MIDDLESEX
It is pretty safe to expect to see Reading in the playoffs come December. The Rockets are one of the most complete teams in the state and could possibly be the best team in the state. Tino Perrina leads the Rockets high octane offensive attack. Perrina is averaging nearly four touchdowns a game. No other team is undefeated in Middlesex League play except Watertown, which hasn’t played a league game yet. Watertown has been a great story; winning its first five games before dropping last weeks contest against Archbishop Williams. Belmont, Lexington, Winchester and Burlington all enter the second leg of the season with above .500 records, but those teams don’t have enough talent to compete with Reading.
DIVISION 2A – Division 2A is a division filled with parity. Each league boasts multiple contenders for league titles and 19 of the 24 teams in the division are .500 or better.
ATLANTIC COAST LEAGUE
The race for top dog in ACL is shaping up to be a good one. Five of the seven teams have a shot at the league title. Falmouth is 6-0 and upset BC High earlier in the year. The Clippers play two tough opponents in a row in Plymouth North and Marshfield. Marshfield beat Plymouth North last week and the Rams are always a contender when it comes down to it. The Rams made the Division 1A Super Bowl last season and front loaded their schedule with tough non-league opponents to ready themselves for the ACL. Plymouth North, Plymouth South and Dennis-Yarmouth all have one loss in league play so far. But with all of the parity in the ACL either of them has a chance to go to the playoffs if the ball bounces their way.
CAPE ANN (LARGE)
Like the ACL, the race for the Cape Ann (Large) title is destined to be a slugfest. All five teams in the league are 4-2 or better. Masconomet is the traditional power in the CAL Large, and this year has been no different. The Chieftains have a dynamic duo in Chris Splinter and Evan Bunker. The Chieftains’ losses have come to two undefeated teams, Reading and Gloucester. North Andover, Triton, Wilmington and Pentucket are all gnawing at the heels of Masconomet. North Andover, Triton and Wilmington are all led by their running backs (Zac Iovanella, Brendan O’Neil and Evan Butters respectively). Some dates to circle on your calendars are this week when Triton travels to Masconomet and Thanksgiving when North Andover travels to Masconomet.
DUAL COUNTY (SMALL)
The DCL Small is another league filled with parity. All of the teams are around .500, with Weston the leader of the pack at 5-1. The Wildcats start league play this week and have rebounded nicely this season after a sub-par season last year. The Wildcats have the best chance to take the league title due to their stingy defense. While all of the other DCL Small teams allow more than 20 points per game, Weston allows a mere 5.5. This week, the Wildcat defense will be tested when they travel to Bedford. The Buccaneers have a pass happy offensive attack that could put strain on any team’s secondary. Wayland is another team that has a shot at the title. The Warriors are another team with a pass first attack. That could spell doom once the weather gets colder but so far it has worked. An interesting tilt on Thanksgiving between Weston and Wayland could decide the league crown.
PATRIOT KEENAN
This weekend’s clash between Whitman-Hanson and Scituate could go a long way in deciding the frontrunner for the league title. Both teams enter the game with identical 5-1 records. Both teams are 3-0 at home and 2-1 away. However, don’t count out Duxbury. After losing their first two games of the season, the Dragons have won four straight and have allowed 12 points in those four games. Duxbury plays Marshfield on Thanksgiving in what should be another great game. If Duxbury and Marshfield win their respective league titles, the two would play each other in the first round of the playoffs. That means that they would play twice in a span of six days. Other teams to watch out for are Hingham and Silver Lake. Both are dangerous teams with talent that could muck up the race for the league crown with some cleverly placed upsets.
DIVISION 2 TOP 10
1. Reading (6-0) – Tino Perrina added five more touchdowns to his total and now has 23 on the season.
2. Walpole (6-0) – Ryan Izzo injured his ankle in a win over Norwood. He might miss this week’s game against Dedham and his race for the all-time scoring title could be in jeopardy.
3. Natick (6-0) – There is another Flutie in Natick and he goes by the name of Brett. Brett had two touchdowns and seven extra points last week against Wellesley.
4. Franklin (6-0) – Franklin swept the Big Three of the Hockomock league for the first time since 1982. Coincidentally, that was the last time the Panthers reached the playoffs.
5. Dracut (4-2) – Matt Silva had a hand in five touchdowns last week against Tewksbury. That is downright Grimard-like.
6. Mansfield (5-1) – The Hornets have scored more than 30 points in five games this season. The only time they didn’t, they lost.
7. King Philip (5-1) – The Warrior faithful hopes that last weeks loss to Fairhaven was just a blip on the radar screen.
8. North Attleboro (4-2) – North Attleboro hung tough against Franklin but couldn’t make the plays when it needed to.
9. Foxboro (4-2) – After losing to Franklin, Foxboro was sluggish out of the gates against Stoughton. Mike Delaney’s two fourth quarter touchdowns woke the Warriors from their slumber.
10. Lexington (4-2) – The Minutemen cracks the top 10 for the first time this season. However, their stay could be a short one with Woburn looming tonight.
On the Bubble: Canton, Methuen and Winchester.
DIVISION 2A TOP 10
1. Falmouth (6-0) – The Clippers face a tall task when they play Plymouth North this week.
2. Marshfield (4-2) – The Rams win over previously unbeaten Plymouth North shows that they are a force to be reckoned with in the ACL.
3. Masconomet (4-2) – Despite its loss against Gloucester, Masconomet showed fight by pulling within a touchdown against the Fishermen.
4. Plymouth North (5-1) – The Eagles lost to Marshfield but also showed the rest of the ACL that their defense is one of the best in the league.
5. North Andover (5-1) – North Andover trounced North Reading last week and has Newburyport this week before starting league action.
6. Wilmington (5-1) – Chris Frissore lifted the Wildcats past Newburyport last week with a fourth quarter field goal.
7. Triton (5-1) – Lynnfield upended Triton’s bid for a perfect season. The Vikings did discover another weapon in Matt Pearson however.
8. Duxbury (4-2) – The Dragons enter the top 10 on the strength of their four game win streak and defense that has allowed 3.0 points per game in those four wins.
9. Weston (5-1) – The Wildcats blanked Boston Latin. It is Weston’s third shutout in six games this season.
10. Whitman-Hanson (5-1) – Whitman-Hanson makes its first appearance in the Top 10 after beating previously ranked Silver Lake.
On the Bubble: Scituate, Dennis-Yarmouth and Plymouth South.
GAMES TO WATCH
Plymouth North at Falmouth, Friday at 7 p.m. – This game should be an all out brawl. Both teams employ stingy defenses and effective offenses. Falmouth needs to find a way to penetrate a tough Eagle defense while Plymouth North needs a find a way to slow down a Clipper team that is on a hot streak right now.
Other games to watch in Division 2A (all on Friday at 7 p.m.): Marshfield at Plymouth South, Triton at Masconomet and Whitman-Hanson at Scituate.
King Philip at North Attleboro, Friday at 7 p.m. – It is essential that King Philip bounces back from a huge upset at the hands of Fairhaven last week. Also, a Warrior win keeps King Philip in the race for the Hockomock League title. With two losses in league play, North Attleboro is poised to play the role of spoiler.
PLAYERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON
DIVISION 2
Matt Silva, Dracut – Silva has done an admirable job replacing Matt Grimard and some of his stats have even been Grimard-like (but on a much smaller scale). The quarterback has eight rushing touchdowns and 11 passing touchdowns and took over place kicking duties after Rakeem Shepherd went down with an injury.
Mike Delaney, Foxboro – Delaney is one of the talented slew of backs in the Hockomock League. He leads all Hockomock League players in scoring with 15 touchdowns and 92 points.
Kyle Shields, Burlington – Shields has been an integral part of the youth movement at Burlington High. The sophomore has eight touchdowns this season.
Antone Wilson, Natick – While the Natick offense is run by Scott McCummings, Wilson has been another threat for the Red and Blue. Wilson has six rushing touchdowns this season.
DIVISION 2A
Sean Griffith, Marshfield – Griffith has done it all for the Rams, including almost single-handedly beating Plymouth North last week. Griffith rushed for two scores in that game and on the season he has six touchdowns and two field goals.
Evan Butters, Wilmington – Butters is the sparkplug for the Wildcats. He has nine touchdowns and the only loss for Wilmington this season came when he was sidelined with an injury.
Tyler Park, Scituate – Park is the field general for the Sailors. His eight passing touchdowns rank third in Division 2A.
Kevin Cangiano, Bedford – Cangiano leads the pass happy Buccaneers from his spot under center. Cangiano has nine touchdown passes this season which is second most in Division 2A.
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Look for updates from:
- Bob Holmes: A Reading resident (Go Rockets!) and Boston College graduate, Holmes is the Boston Globe High School Sports Editor. We remind you now that his weekly picks are often made in jest so everyone just calm down when he picks against Everett for 11 straight weeks.
- Mike Carraggi: An Everett native (Go Tide!), Mike attends Eastern Nazarene college and is entering his second year with the Globe. He'll focus on Division 1 this fall, which means he'll spend a lot of time in his hometown, which Forsberg thinks is cool because the Tide have that Fried Dough cart.
- Emily Wright: A Hyannis native (Go Barnstable Red Raiders!), Emily is a senior at Emerson College and has been with the Globe since the end of July. She'll cover Division 1A and will be the first intern we've trusted to navigate her way to Dennis-Yarmouth or any other school on the Cape.
- Mike Grossi: A Lexington native (Go Minutemen!), Mike attends Northeastern and has been with the Globe for two months. He'll cover Division 2 and 2A and unsuccessfully lobbied to include Lexington in the preseason Top 20.
- Jonathan Raymond: A native of Benicia, Calif. (a suburb of San Francisco), Jonathan attends Northeastern and has been working at the Globe since the end of June. He will be focusing on Division 3 and is likely woefully underprepared for covering a game in a foot of snow.
- David Carty: A native of West Bridgewater (Go Wildcats!), David is a senior at Emerson College and has been working at the Globe for a year. He'll cover Divisions 3A and 4 because, "small school ball is in my blood."
- The bench: You'll also catch updates from our regional contributors, including Globe North's Julian Benbow and South's Monique Walker. Correspondent Brendan Hall will have updates from the Globe West coverage area and will often try to sneak in Central Mass. news.
