Division 1 Dish
As we enter year 1 of the Curse of Teixiera....
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR...
Game of the week:
(Catholic Conference) Xaverian at BC High, Friday at 7
BC High should once again be respected after a pretty slow start, but Xaverian will not fear the Eagles. The Hawks have dropped a bomb on the Massachusetts football scene, and have a bigger goal than just the Catholic Conference that eluded them last year and went to BC High.
That being said, BC High can effectively end Xaverian's stellar season with a home win, while at the same time start viewing a successful title defense as a possibility. The Eagles, though, need to find a way to consistently move the ball against good defenses, and Xaverian is the best.
Other to watch:
(Merrimack Valley Conference) Central Catholic at Methuen, Friday at 7
Methuen has made its mark in the MVC this year, and with the points system in the Merrimack Valley Conference, this game has huge implications. Central Catholic may very well be the front-runner in what is a stacked MVC (Large), and Methuen can continue to make waves in the MVC (Small).
GOING FOR TWO
Every week, your trusty, neighborhood reporter covers one or two games a week. This year, well be breaking the game down and making observations in ways that the hectic weekend schedule does not allow.
Last week's game Xaverian 42, St. John's (Shrewsbury) 14
What more can be said of the X-Men? Truth be told, many saw them as an underdog to St. John's, but a quick 21-0 first-quarter lead quenched any worries in Westwood.
Quarterback Alex Phelan is the most poised player, on and off the field, that we have seen this year. He rarely misses a throw, and though he may not look like a Michael Vick, he has surprising speed in the open field.
Various nicks here and there have forced the Hawks to plug role players into more prominent roles, especially the receiving corps. But Xaverian hasn't slowed down yet. The only three teams to put a scare into the Hawks have been Brockton, Everett, and Bridgewater-Raynham, all ranked in the Globe Top 20.
Joe Colton amazed on the ground, but his defense was equally astonishing. He made 6-4 receiver Richard Rogers a non-factor, despite giving up six inches. Rogers rarely, if ever, got off the line cleanly.
Not that the Hawks have needed it yet, but if a game comes down to a big kick, there might be no better guy than Jules Murphy. Reliable on extra-points and kickoffs, Murphy has the leg to make a 50-yarder, which it might just come down to in playoff time.
KING (AND THE REST) OF THE HILL
1.Xaverian (8-0) The best high school football team in the state of Massachusetts. It's officially Division 1 championship or bust for the Hawks.
2.Brockton (7-1) Dominique Williams is unquestionably one of the most underrated playmakers in the league. Coaches plan all week to contain the senior lightening bolt, but are usually left scratching their heads after Williams does his thing on offense, defense, and special teams. His contributions in the return game have won more than one game for the Boxers, the most recent example being his 79-yard scoring kick return in a two-touchdown performance against Leominster.
3.Everett (4-2) The knock on Jonathan DiBiaso is his throwing mechanics, which can be painful to watch. If the sophomore southpaw can work out some of the kinks, he can be a very dangerous weapon in the coming years.
4.Billerica (7-1) Did someone say very dangerous weapon? We hate to harp on it, but Nick LaSpada is simply incredible. By this time next year, don't be surprised if Al Davis ends up with the soon-to-be junior quarterback, and Billerica has a couple of first-rounders to show for it.
5.Central Catholic (7-1) Ball control wins games? What a clichι. Central put up 24 points up against Chelmsford...in the span of three minutes.
6.BC High (4-3) Slowly getting that championship swag back, and just in the nick of time.
7.Andover (5-3) Andover followed up a huge win against Chelmsford with duds against Methuen and Dracut. The Golden Warriors will have to end the season with a bang to stay in the hunt.
8.St. John's Prep (3-4) We know the schedule hasn't been kind (in fact, it's been downright vicious), but much like Everett, the Eagles are held to higher standards around these parts.
9.Chelmsford (4-4) All the Lions have to fight for now is a plus-.500 season.
10.Malden Catholic (3-5) Malden Catholic still has Quinn McDonough and a win over CM to its name. In such a tough division, things could be worse.
11.Catholic Memorial (4-3) Is Catholic Memorial better than MC? Despite the head-to-head loss, probably. But for the second straight year, the Knights have disappointingly fallen from contenders to pretenders.
12.New Bedford (4-3-1) The Whalers have quietly improved since last season, mainly thanks to Jon Williams, whose 13 touchdowns and 78 points are good for third in the division.
13.Malden (4-4) It's over halfway through the season and Malden finds itself in first place. At least until Nov. 14, when Everett fulfills its birthright.
14.Medford (3-4) The GBL was always going to be quite a stretch for the Mustangs, but they still have plenty to fight for this year. A .500 season is not out of the question.
15.Somerville (2-5) Somerville is not as bad as its record indicates, but has regressed from last season.
16.Lowell (1-7) This could end up being the worst year in head coach Al Pare's three seasons at the helm.
17.Durfee (1-7) High school football isn't all fun and games. Any Hilltoppers that began their career last season as a junior could experience just one win before graduating.
18.Cambridge (0-8) The Falcons finish with Everett on Thanksgiving, so the next two weeks (Medford and Somerville) are crucial if they want to finish with a W.
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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.
