BRIDGEWATER -- The Mansfield defense didn't allow Bishop Feehan a first down until late in the fourth quarter as the Hornets emerged with a 22-6 triumph in an Eastern Mass. Division 2 playoff semifinal at Bridgewater-Raynham High School.

Check out our live blog below to relive the action, or check out postgame reaction in the video above.

Lawrence Academy senior tight end/defensive end Darryl Cato-Bishop confirmed this afternoon that he has verbally committed to NC State.

Cato-Bishop, a Dorchester native, cited several factors in his commitment, including his relationship with head coach Tom O’Brien and recruiting coordinator/special teams coach Jerry Petercuskie.

“Going out there and seeing how beautiful the campus was, and how academics come first, I loved the campus,” the senior said. “But the main reason was the coaches and players. The players were cool. Everyone was real good.”

Cato-Bishop, a 6-foot-4, 248-pound senior, chose the Wolfpack on Monday morning over a number of suitors, including Boston College, Kentucky, Miami (Fla.) and Oregon. But he also excels as a forward for the Spartans’ basketball team, and there is the possibility he may have a dual role on the Wolfpack hoops squad.

“I plan on walking on,” he said when asked about his basketball future in Raleigh.

The Spartans went 7-1 this season, losing to Buckingham, Browne & Nichols in a thrilling ISL Championship game last month at Russell Field.

Interestingly enough, Cato-Bishop showed remarkable athletic ability despite first year head coach Mike Taylor’s affirmations that he’d never been through a weight training program.

“He’s never lifted a weight in his life. He wouldn’t know what a barbell looks like,” Taylor said. “Once he starts lifting weights, he could get another 30 pounds of muscle easily. With his strength, speed and agility, I think he’d be a phenomenal defensive tackle.”

The reason for his absence from the weight room?

“I guess I’m gifted as an athlete, but I haven’t been able to get in the weight room much,” he said. “With my two schedules crossing, it was so hard to get in there. I will get in there in the spring, though.”

Two other seniors at Lawrence are being courted by Division 1 schools. Taylor’s son, Ollie, is a wide receiver with 4.5 speed who is getting looks from Syracuse, Holy Cross and Dartmouth, among others. Quarterback Charley Loeb impressed a number of SEC coaches in camps this summer, and while there are no offers yet Mike Taylor said, “I think within the next week there’ll more news for you guys.”

FOXBOROUGH -- Here's the rundown on game times for Saturday's Super Bowls. All Eastern Mass. games are here at Gillette Stadium, except for the Division 3A game, which is at Bentley College.

Comcast SportsNet will telecast the Divisions 2, 3, and 4 Super Bowls produced by Kraft Sports Productions, on Saturday. Gary Tanguay and former New England Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak will call all three games, in addition to the Division 1, 1A, and 2A title games beginning at 3:30 p.m. on WSBK-TV 38.

Division 1

BC High vs. Brockton, 6 p.m.

Division 1A

Dracut vs. Marshfield, 8 p.m.

Division 2

Bishop Feehan/Mansfield vs. Walpole, 1:30 p.m.

Division 2A

Gloucester vs. Duxbury, 3:30 p.m.

Division 3

Arlington Catholic vs. Norton, 11 a.m.

Division 3A

Amesbury vs. Martha's Vineyard, 1 p.m.

Division 4

Manchester-Essex vs. Tri-County, 9 a.m.

***

And here are the Central vs. West Super Bowls:

Division 1

Longmeadow vs. Fitchburg, 12:30 p.m. at Worcester State College

Division 1A

Westfield vs. Holy Name, 12:30 p.m. at Westfield State College

Division 2

South Hadley vs. Tantasqua, 3 p.m. at Westfield State College

Division 2A

Auburn vs. Wahconah, 3 p.m. at Worcester State College

Division 3

Putnam vs. Littleton, 10 a.m. at Westfield State College

Division 3A

Easthampton vs. Assabet, 10 a.m., Worcester State College

Last night BC High finally turned back the Crimson Tide of Everett, 9-0, in nothing short of a heart-stopper. So who (besides yours truly) saw this upset coming?

Seventy-four BC High players did, according to coach Jon Bartlett.

“Coming in here, as the underdogs (and winning), it was real nice,” said Bartlett. “We told the guys as long as all 74 of us, every single one of us, believed coming on this field we could win this game, that's all that mattered.”

Looking back, it really was not that hard to see why.

BC High was the third-ranked team in Eastern Mass., while Everett came in at No. 2. Granted, the Eagles only loss on the season was an absolute drubbing at home at the hands of Everett, but no team was going to beat the Crimson Tide the game after they suffered their first regular-season loss in seemingly eons to St. John's Prep (the same Prep team that BC High would defeat later in the year).

Need more convincing this was game was miscast as the second coming of Super Bowl XX? Look at the numbers:

FULL ENTRY

MIAA spokesman Paul Wetzel confirmed this morning that the organization will not file an appeal against yesterday's Superior Court ruling that granted the Mansfield football team a temporary injunction in order to play its Eastern Mass. Division 2 semifinal playoff football game against Bishop Feehan.

Wetzel said Mansfield officials will meet with an MIAA subcommittee or the organization's Board of Directors sometime after Saturday's Super Bowls to discuss the ineligible, fifth-year player that originally led the MIAA to cancel Tuesday's game.

Bishop Feehan and Mansfield will tangle tonight at 7 p.m. at Bridgewater-Raynham High School. The winner meets Walpole in Saturday's Super Bowl.

Wetzel said the MIAA's leadership committee convened this morning with lawyers and, after examining the written ruling handed down yesterday by Taunton Superior Court judge John P. Connor Jr., decided against filing an appeal, which the organization previously hinted it would do in a press release distributed last night.

"Once we got the judge's written ruling, he emphasized the organization's rules that allow for an appeal of any punishment handed down by the MIAA," said Wetzel. "We talked with our lawyers and decided, especially given the timing of the situation, to not file an appeal."

"We were running into a situation like yesterday, where time was a factor. You can't just walk into an appeals court at 10 a.m. and ask to sit down with a judge."

Wetzel also confirmed that Saturday's Division 2 Super Bow will be played as scheduled at Gillette Stadium after both Bishop Feehan and Mansfield agreed to the short schedule.

The MIAA's medical advisory group does not particularly like the playoff schedule that sees Super Bowl teams play three games in a 10-day span from Thanksgiving until the Super Bowls, but procedures are in place (shortened quarters, lightened practice loads) to ensure the safety of student-athletes.

A reminder to join us tonight for a live blog from the Mansfield-Feehan game.

The Globe's Mike Grossi is at the John Adams Courthouse in Boston this morning where the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association is expected to file paperwork to appeal the temporary injunction granted to the Mansfield football team yesterday in Taunton Superior Court.

Grossi reports that the MIAA has yet to file any paperwork this morning and that, even if they do, the case might never make it to a judge if it's determined there's no merit to an appeal based on what the MIAA submits.

In fact, the MIAA has reportedly convened its Board of Directors this morning to decide if it will even file the appeal that it hinted at in last night's press release.

Mansfield earned an injunction that should allow it to meet Bishop Feehan in an Eastern Mass. Division 2 playoff semifinal this evening at Bridgewater-Raynham. The game was originally scheduled for yesterday, but was canceled by the MIAA when it learned on Monday that Mansfield had used a fifth-year ineligible player in two regular-season wins.

For more on the story, check out this article from today's Globe.

Should there actually be a football game tonight, join us live here on the High School Sports Blog for our in-game live blog.

TAUNTON -- The Mansfield football team earned a temporary injunction Tuesday that will allow it to play in an Eastern Mass. Division 2 high school football semifinal playoff game against Bishop Feehan.

Players and coaches in Mansfield loaded buses moments after the verdict was announced at 4:38 p.m. inside Taunton Superior Court in case the game was to be played as scheduled at 5:15 p.m. at Bridgewater-Raynham.

Instead, the game will be played Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the same location.

"We were hopeful all day," said Mansfield football coach Mike Redding. "We're not surprised, I think it's the best decision. It allows us to play and it's a chance for the school system to appeal the [Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's] decision, hear all the circumstances involved, and maybe reduce the penalty and avoid forfeiture. Hopefully we get to play and have a great game with Bishop Feehan, then sort this out in next few days."

The MIAA is not going down without a fight, however.

The organization announced Tuesday night it has instructed its lawyers to file a motion with the Massachusetts Court of Appeals to overturn Tuesday's decision made in Superior Court. Should the MIAA's motion be granted, Wednesday's game would be canceled for the second time and Bishop Feehan would advance to Saturday's Super Bowl to meet Walpole.

The MIAA originally declared the Mansfield-Feehan game a forfeit Monday evening after it learned earlier that day that Mansfield used an ineligible, fifth-year player in two of its regular-season wins this fall.

FULL ENTRY

Here's tonight's final scores:

Division 1

BC High 9, Everett 0 (final)
Brockton 20, Dartmouth 13 (final)

Division 1A

Dracut 28, Acton-Boxboro 21 (final)
Marshfield 14, Framingham 7 (final)

Division 2

Walpole 20, Reading 12 (final)

Division 2A

Gloucester 26, Masco 7 (final)
Duxbury 31, Apponequet 13 (final)

Division 3

Arlington Catholic 22, Swampscott 9 (final)
Norton 14, Abington 6 (final)

Division 3A

Martha's Vineyard 42, South Boston 14 (final)
Amesbury 34, Whittier 0 (final)

Division 4

Manchester Essex 29, O'Bryant 21 (final)
Tri-County 20, Pope John 18 (final)

BROCKTON -- Brockton scored the game's first three touchdowns, then staved off a comeback from top-ranked Dartmouth en route to a 20-13 triumph at Marciano Stadium. Relive the game through the instant replay of our live blog by following the "full entry" link below.

FULL ENTRY

The Globe talked with Bishop Feehan athletic director Paul O'Boy and he suggested that, regardless of the outcome of Mansfield's injunction hearing this afternoon at Taunton Superior Court, it's unlikely a game could be played tonight.

"I don't know how we could play a game today,'' said O'Boy.

According to O'Boy, after speaking with Bridgewater-Raynham athletic director Dan Buron, police detail and workers set to staff the Feehan-Mansfield matchup were called off (the game was originally slated for 5:15 p.m., while a 7:45 p.m. game between Abington and Norton will still be played at the site).

In addition, because the Feehan players were told of the forfeit last night, many left football equipment at home today.

The MIAA canceled the game and ruled Feehan the winner by forfeit after Mansfield disclosed it used an ineligible, fifth-year player during two regular-season games.

Mansfield principal Joseph Maruszczak appealed the decision to the MIAA this morning, but executive director Richard Neal declined the request on the basis that there was not enough time to assemble the organization's review board.

Members of the Feehan staff were planning on heading to Reading tonight to scout Saturday's opponent by watching the other Eastern Mass. Division 2 semifinal between Walpole and Reading.

You can't help but wonder when this game would be played, especially after the MIAA already showed trepidation in postponing the game with the idea of allowing North Attleboro -- the new champion of the Hockomock League -- to take Mansfield's place in the semifinal matchup.

Officials at Taunton Superior Court confirmed for the Globe this morning that Mansfield officials will appear before Judge John P. Connor Jr. at 2 p.m. to seek an injunction against the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.

The Mansfield football program is making a last-minute effort to preserve its appearance in an Eastern Mass. Division 2 football semifinal tonight at Bridgewater-Raynham High School. The Hornets were scheduled to meet Bishop Feehan, but the MIAA declared the game a forfeit after Mansfield reported to the organization this week that it had used an ineligible fifth-year player during two regular-season games.

By MIAA rules, the Hornets must forfeit those two games and would no longer be champion of the Hockomock League. For more on this story, check out our previous entry on the saga.

Tuesday's scheduled Eastern Mass. Division 2 semifinal playoff matchup between Mansfield and Bishop Feehan has been canceled.

Feehan -- the region's defending Division 2 Super Bowl champion -- earned a forfeit victory and will advance to Saturday's Super Bowl after it was discovered that Mansfield use an ineligible player in two of its regular-season victories, according to a press release distributed by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association on Monday evening.

However, Mansfield coach Mike Redding said Monday night that the school's legal counsel will file an injunction against the MIAA's ruling Tuesday morning and that the team is hoping to play against Feehan at Bridgewater-Raynham as planned.

"It seems like the decision has been rushed," Redding said. "I would have hoped that much more discretion would have been made with an important decision like this that affects so many student-athletes."

If the forfeit is upheld, Feehan will meet the winner of Tuesday's other Division 2 semifinal between Reading and Walpole.

Mansfield, which reportedly used an ineligible fifth-year reserve in wins over Sharon and Oliver Ames (teams with a combined 1-19 record this fall), will drop from 8-0 in the Hockomock League to 6-2, vaulting North Attleboro (7-1 in conference play) to the top of the league standings.

The late announcement, however, will prevent the Red Rocketeers from competing in Tuesday's playoff in place of Mansfield. The Hornets defeated North Attleboro, 13-7, on Nov. 7.

From the MIAA's press release:

The decision was made by representatives of the Board of Directors and the Football Committee late this afternoon after an investigation into the facts of the situation and a presentation by senior staff officials. Administrators at Mansfield H.S. notified the MIAA earlier in the day of their discovery that a fifth-year student had played in games on Oct. 10 and 17, which Mansfield won. Under MIAA rules those games had to be forfeited dropping Mansfield's record in the league to 6-2, which was no longer the best in the league.

In reaching its decision to cancel the game officials considered replacing Mansfield with another team but concluded that this would be impractical for a number of reasons including:

• Concerns for the health and safety of a substitute team which had not practiced or worked out in four to six days.

• Concerns that a substitute team would not have had an opportunity to practice and prepare for the game.

• Postponing the game a day would impact the winning team's time to recover and prepare for Saturday's Superbowl game.

The MIAA handbook states in Rule No. 60 that:

A student shall be under 19 years of age, but may compete during the remainder of the school year, provided that his/her 19th birthday occurs on or after Sept. 1 of that year. For Freshman competition, a student shall be under 16 years of age but may compete during the remainder of the school year provided that the 16th birthday occurs on or after Sept. 1 of that year. Principals must exercise great care in determining age of contestants, and in all doubtful cases, must secure birth certificates from the town clerk of the pupil's place of birth.

Earlier this season, the Lawrence football team forfeited a series of games for using an ineligible player.

Redding said the school’s administration was not 100 percent sure a violation had occurred with the student, who played three downs at the conclusion of the Sharon game and four at the conclusion against Oliver Ames, and that they were hoping to further investigate the situation and present more detailed information to the MIAA.

Redding did not know which court the injunction would be filed in, and said the athletic program was unaware the student-athlete was in his fifth year.

The Mansfield players were notified of the ruling at practice. Redding said he will have a team meeting Tuesday morning, and that he has told his players to be prepared to play Tuesday night as planned.

"We're hopeful, we're optimistic. Certainly both teams deserve to play in the playoffs. I think the violation, if there is one, had no affect on the outcome of our games and shouldn't tarnish anything the kids have accomplished this season. Hopefully a sense of reason will win out here," he said.

(Globe correspondent Jon Raymond contributed)

Ninety people beat you in one Pigskin Pick'em contest and suddenly everyone's a pundit. Listed below are the postseason prognostications of the Globe's high school sports staff (including all the the folks listed in the contributors section at right). For my picks, hop to the previous entry.

For a complete list of the matchup, check out the Playoff Picture.

Mike Carraggi

Emily Wright

Mike Grossi

Jon Raymond

David Carty

Bob Holmes

(Note: The Mansfield-Feehan game was ruled a forfeit Monday night).

Football

Forsberg 5 (Playoff edition)

Link|Comments (18) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff December 1, 2008 09:51 AM

Our ego dented after watching 90 strangers put us to shame in the Beat Forsberg: Pigskin Pick'em 2008 contest, we're back for another round of punishment with our predictions for the 14 Eastern Mass. high school football playoff games on Tuesday night.

Our overall winning percentage teetering ever-so closely to our season goal of .750, we need a solid postseason to bring this thing home. With no iPod to win, here goes nothing:

Division 1

• Everett over BC High -- As impressed as we were with what BC High accomplished this fall (that's one killer schedule, both inside the Catholic Conference and out), we just haven't seen enough to suggest the Eagles will narrow the 26-point gap that existed in October. We fully expect it to be closer than the first meeting of the 2008 season, but we fear a repeat of last year's playoffs where BC High didn't have a play from scrimmage on Everett's side of the field until the third quarter in a 26-6 loss. It's the postseason, this is the Tide's time.

• Dartmouth over Brockton -- Perfunctory wins over its Big 3 brethren notwithstanding, Brockton has been quite impressive during this seven-game winning streak to close out the 2008 regular season. Enough so that we even toyed ever-so slightly with the idea of picking the upset here, if only because we cringe at the idea of Dartmouth having to kick it to another gear after a rather breezy regular season. Fortunately, the Indians have experience and talent (Justin Mello has quietly put together a phenomenal fall, while a healthy Sean Sylvia is absolutely invaluable), and that should be enough for them to ramp it up in the postseason.

Division 1A

• Dracut over Acton-Boxboro -- Don't let the Middies hiccup against Methuen fool you. They still scored 33 points in that Thanksgiving Day loss and, while A-B's defense is surely better than the Rangers, it's going to be very tough for the Colonials to match Dracut blow for blow. A-B needs to own the clock to be successful (and 10-minute quarters will aid that cause), but we still see the Middies prevailing by putting enough points on the board to get to the big dance.

• Framingham over Marshfield -- It's hard to ignore the fact that Marshfield has struggled mightily against ranked squads as its two losses came against Mansfield and Duxbury. That said, that's two Top 10 squads, a level we're not ready to boost the Flyers to quite yet, but we're not sure we've seen enough from the Rams to suggest they're much more than a champion of a weakened Atlantic Coast League. Now, they can sure change our minds in a hurry with a win over a beatable Framingham squad, but it all starts with defense.

Division 2

• Walpole over Reading -- Someone asked us the other day about Ryan Izzo and we opined that there's potential here for him to close out his career with back-to-back 13-0 seasons and Super Bowl titles. Yep, we got a wee bit ahead of ourselves, but that should tell you all you need to know about how we think the Rebels will fare in this one (and beyond). Consider the 2008 season a redemption tour after Walpole fell to Feehan in the 2007 Super Bowl.

• Mansfield over Bishop Feehan -- If Mansfield got caught looking past Bishop Feehan last year, history certainly won't be repeating itself Tuesday. The Hornets have been locked in on this game since wrapping up the Hockomock League title and the Shamrocks will need another magical game plan from coach Tony Wood in order to topple a Hornets squad that's flown comfortably under the radar this fall. (Note: The Mansfield-Feehan game was ruled a forfeit Monday night, though Mansfield is contesting it).

Division 2A

• Gloucester over Masconomet -- 39-0? Ain't happening this year. But we're still willing to give the Fishermen the edge based on past results (including a 20-13 triumph in September). We're not sure the Chieftains could have done anything more to prepare for this game, but we're left wondering if they're set to run into a mental hurdle against Gloucester. These two squads are so familiar with each other, we don't expect many surprises. Then again, we all know how hard it is to beat a good team three times in one (calendar) year.

• Duxbury over Apponequet -- Coach Bob Lomp opined in our game preview that the Lakers will need to "play our best game of the year," and "make no mistakes." Well, make no mistake that's true, but we're not sure even the Lakers' best game would even be enough to top these Dragons. They're that good.

Division 3

• Swampscott over Arlington Catholic -- We're wondering if these two squads have anything left in the tank after some exciting late-season games. But unless the Big Blue have run out of gas, their high-octane offense should be enough to get them back to the Super Bowl. Swampscott defeated the Cougars, 33-7, last year. We suspect things will be closer this time around, but the end result won't change.

• Norton over Abington -- Seeing purple on the opposing sideline instead of Medfield blue will be a welcome sight for Abington, but the Tri-Valley League still has the Green Wave's number.

Division 3A

• Amesbury over Whittier -- Amesbury and Whittier co-op for winter sports like wrestling and hockey. That tells you all need to know about how well these schools know each other. In the end, Amesbury has seen the better competition and that will help the Indians prevail.

• Martha's Vineyard over South Boston -- When in doubt, look for a common opponent. In this case, MV defeated Charlestown, 42-8, while Southie took down the Townies, 34-0. Okay, not much help there. But the Vineyarders did topple Old Rochester and Bristol-Plymouth with a slight bit more ease, so we'll take the island-dwellers (long boat ride and all).

Division 4

• Manchester-Essex over O'Bryant -- With wins over teams like Division 3A playoff squad Whitter, Manchester-Essex seems to have prepared itself just a slight bit better for this time of year. We're not sure O'Bryant has seen an arm like Pat Orlando this year, someone who can match the ultra-talented Josh Carrington under center.

• Pope John over Tri-Country -- We don't bet against Everett-based football teams in the postseason. It's one of our rules to pick by.

Bonus pick:

• Auburn over Northbridge -- Just a hunch. Hypothetically, office bragging rights could be on the line here. Go Dandies! Don't let me down.

Last week: 22-9
Year to date: 117-38 (.755)

Football

Izzo on Izzo

Link|Comments (0) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 29, 2008 10:19 PM

From the Patriots notes in Saturday's Globe:

Walpole star running back Ryan Izzo, the Division 2 scoring leader with 34 touchdowns, is not related to Patriots special teams captain Larry Izzo. "No, we are not relatives, but we might be if you go back all the way to the old country," Larry said. "I've followed him a little bit and from what I've read, he's a heck of a football player, and I wish him well." Ryan has led his team to a Division 2 playoff game against Reading.

Football

Paul Revere Bowl

Link|Comments (2) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 28, 2008 04:24 PM

The Dual County and Patriot Leagues sent out the following release on this week's Paul Revere Bowl, featuring the runners-up from both leagues meeting in a postseason game.

The Dual County and Patriot Leagues will hold their playoff game on Wed., Dec. 3 at Quincy’s Veteran’s Memorial Stadium with kickoff at 7pm. The Bedford High School Buccaneers will face the Hanover High School Indians.

Bedford earned the spot as co-champion of the DCL Small Division having defeated Arlington High School in their head-to-head, regular-season matchup. The Hanover Indians were the league runner-up, having lost to Duxbury High School in the Patriot Bowl.

The MIAA granted a waiver to each league to play this postseason contest for the 2008 season. Both the DCL and Patriot leagues have 12 schools in their leagues with MIAA playoff berths going to Acton-Boxboro Regional High School and Duxbury High School.

Football

Playoff picture

Link|Comments (32) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 28, 2008 12:51 PM

Following Thursday's action, the Eastern Mass. playoff matchups are finalized. All playoff games will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Winners advance to the Super Bowls, which will be held at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6, except for Division 3A, which is at Bentley College.

Division 1

• BC High vs. Everett at Lynn, 7:45 p.m.
  
• Dartmouth at Brockton, 7:45 p.m.

Division 1A

• Dracut vs. Acton-Boxboro at Lowell, 7:45 p.m.
  
• Framingham vs. Marshfield at Brockton, 5:15 p.m.

Division 2

• Reading vs. Walpole at Reading, 7:45 p.m.
  
• Bishop Feehan vs. Mansfield at Bridgewater-Raynham, 5:15 p.m.

Division 2A

• Masconomet vs. Gloucester at Lynn, 5:15 p.m.
  
• Apponequet vs. Duxbury at Durfee, 7:15 p.m.

Division 3

• Arlington Catholic vs. Swampscott at Arlington, 7:15 p.m.
  
• Abington vs. Norton at Bridgewater-Raynham, 7:45 p.m.

Division 3A

• Whittier vs. Amesbury at Lowell, 5:15 p.m.
  
• South Boston vs. Martha's Vineyard at Taunton, 4:45 p.m.

Division 4

• O'Bryant vs. Manchester-Essex at Reading, 5:15 p.m.
  
• Tri-County vs. Pope John at Taunton, 7:15 p.m.

Football

Beaten Forsberg

Link|Comments (1) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 28, 2008 09:21 AM

As scores were rolling in to me via text message yesterday, I felt pretty confident I would at least remain in contention to win the Thanksgiving Pick'Em 2008 contest. Then I got back to the office, saw my ballot, and resigned myself to the fact that I'd probably finish somewhere in the Top 25.

Then we got the results this morning and you won't even find my name on the Top 100 leaderboard (though I did tie for spot No. 91).

Embarrassing. So many games I'm left shaking my head about. Hey, sometimes you have to take chances to win the prize. In this case, it didn't work.

Ryan A. of Norwood is your 2008 champion with a dazzling 27 correct entries. We'll have more on Ryan and his ballot in the coming days. But for now, let's make good on my pledge. If you follow the "full entry" link below, you'll find the 90 people that reminded me that I know less than I think I do about high school football.

And I still don't have an iPod.

FULL ENTRY

Football

Thanksgiving roundup

Link|Comments (0) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 27, 2008 06:03 PM

Pick a game below (or click the "full entry" link to see them all) to read abbreviated recaps from 21 of the games we staffed on Thanksgiving Day. Check back later (or in Friday's Globe) for complete recaps, along with divisional roundups and much more.

(Update: All of our stories are now posted on the Thanksgiving 2008 page)

• Abington 29, W-H 14
• Apponequet 35, Old Rochester 14
• AC 19, Arlington 15
• Attleboro 12, North Attleboro 10
• BC High 17, CM 7
• Brockton 35, Waltham 28
• Dartmouth 35, Fairhaven 20
• Methuen 37, Dracut 33
• Everett 35, Cambridge 12
• Boston Latin 36, Boston English 0
• Fitchburg 20, Leominster 17 (OT)
• Mansfield 28, Foxboro 0
• Duxbury 28, Marshfield 0
• Framingham 28, Natick 9
• Needham 26, Wellesley 7
• Norton 54, Bellingham 0
• Reading 28, Stoneham 0
• South Boston 34, East Boston 6
• Swampscott 21, Marblehead 13
• Walpole 20, Weymouth 6
• Xaverian 24, St. John's 17

FULL ENTRY

Football

Thanksgiving snapshots

Link|Comments (2) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 27, 2008 03:31 PM

Check out our Thanksgiving Day photo galleries:

• BC High vs. Catholic Memorial
• Walpole vs. Weymouth
• Duxbury vs. Marshfield
• Dartmouth vs. Fairhaven
• Apponequet vs. Old Rochester
• Swampscott vs. Marblehead
• South Boston 34, East Boston 6

Football

Thanksgiving scoreboard

Link|Comments (0) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 27, 2008 01:53 PM

For all the latest results, keep an eye on our Thanksgiving Day scoreboard. This will update with results as we get them and box scores as they are entered into our database.

Football

Thanksgiving updates

Link|Comments (35) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 27, 2008 09:13 AM

Check out our live blog below as we provided updates from some of the area's top games while taking in the BC High vs. Catholic Memorial tilt.

Follow the "full entry" link below to learn more about signing up to receive scores updates via Twitter.

FULL ENTRY

Football

Forsberg 5 (Thanksgiving edition)

Link|Comments (34) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 25, 2008 09:11 AM

Here's your cheat-sheet for the Beat Forsberg: Thanksgiving Pick'em 2008 contest. Below you'll find the usual Forsberg 5, with our quick analysis on all 30 games in this year's contest.

For a quick glance at my picks, check out this ballot from the VIP section of our pick 'em contest.

Without further ado, here's this year's Thanksgiving Day picks (home teams in caps):

• BC HIGH (8-1) over Catholic Memorial (8-1) -- BC High saves everyone from busting out their abacuses by winning the Catholic Conference title outright. We don't want to belabor the point about schedules, but the Knights simply didn't challenge themselves sufficiently to be competitive in these final weeks of the season. It's too bad because there's plenty of talent on this team. It's simply hard to kick it to another gear when you run into the Xaverians and BC Highs of the world to close out the season.

• Natick (9-1) over FRAMINGHAM (8-2) -- We're concerned about the health of Natick quarterback Scott McCummings (who couldn't finish the Herget battle against Walpole), but we also think the Flyers might be inclined to ensure their own health with a trip to the postseason looming five days after Thanksgiving. That's not to say the Flyers don't want to win this game, but this amounts to the Red and Blue's Super Bowl and Tom Lamb's charges probably wouldn't mind making a statement about how good the Herget was this fall.

• Duxbury (10-0) over MARSHFIELD (9-1) -- We think Duxbury simply has more motivation to take this game for two reasons: 1) A perfect 11-0 season is accomplished with a win and 2) The Dragons haven't exactly been challenged since Week 2 of the season (the Silver Lake game a possible exception). The Division 2A playoffs are loaded with talent and Duxbury really needs to kick it back into high gear, so why not start here. All that said, the Rams wouldn't mind finishing the season 10-1 and getting a quality win before the Division 1A playoffs.

• APPONEQUET (10-0) over Old Rochester (7-3) -- We're not saying it's intentional, but there sure seems to be the perfect amount of room next to the helmet graphic to add "2008" to the list of South Coast Conference championships on the Lakers website. Of course, it'll be sweeter to add that year as an outright championship capping a perfect season.

• North Attleboro (7-2) over ATTLEBORO (8-2) -- We'll crown this the best game involving two teams not heading to the playoffs (a backhanded compliment that also featured St. John's Prep vs. Xaverian, Melrose vs. Wakefield, and Billerica vs. Chelmsford among the finalists for the award). North Attleboro caps a very respectable fall in which its only losses came against playoff-bound teams (Bishop Feehan and Mansfield).

And this week's laundry list of quick picks sure to destroy my glistening season record:

• Walpole (10-0) over WEYMOUTH (4-6) -- Ignore the Wildcats' recent struggles, this one will still be a brawl, but Walpole prevails.
• South Boston (9-1) over EAST BOSTON (5-4) -- South Boston is evidently postseason bound regardless of the outcome . . . that doesn't mean they won't take care of business on Turkey Day.

• Newburyport (5-5) over AMESBURY (9-1) -- Can't fathom that this game means more to anyone than Joe Clancy, who atones for last year's absence by adding at least one more game to the Clippers' 2008 schedule.

• XAVERIAN (6-4) over St. John's Prep (5-5) -- We're not one to throw out idle threats, but as impressive as Xaverian has been in 2008, the Hawks (probably) won't be in our final Top 20 with five losses.

• LINCOLN-SUDBURY (8-2) over Newton South (4-6) -- Without having to worry about the out-of-town scoreboard, Lincoln-Sudbury's focus is on the field.

• Everett (8-1) over CAMBRIDGE (4-5) -- Not the same without a playoff berth at stake, but the folks in Malden wouldn't mind a share of the Greater Boston League crown if the Falcons could pull off an upset.

• KING PHILIP (8-2) over Franklin (7-3) -- The Warriors are last year's Panthers.

• Holbrook (6-2) over WEST BRIDGEWATER (5-4) -- Previous results don't guarantee future success, but we can't imagine too much has changed since Oct. 11.

• CHELMSFORD (6-4) over Billerica (7-3) -- We'll take experience over youth here and hope that Billerica can shake off the sting of losing four of its last five to rebound in 2009.

• Melrose (8-1) over WAKEFIELD (7-1) -- All right, we admit it, we simply picked the team that played Reading more competitively.

• SWAMPSCOTT (8-2) over Marblehead (6-4) -- We're still trying to wrap our heads around Marblehead's lopsided loss to Saugus. Maybe the Big Blue should think about focusing on their ground game after the Magicians were torched for 460 yards in that 41-13 loss in Week 11.

• MEDWAY (9-1) over Millis (5-5) -- No reason to believe Medway won't rebound from a loss to Norton in Week 11, but kudos to Millis on a spectacular season after its struggles the past two falls.

• BOSTON LATIN (0-10) over Boston English (3-7) -- Pop quiz: When was the last time this game was decided by fewer than two touchdowns? Answer: My junior year in high school (English won, 8-6, in 1997). The question without an answer: When will the game be competitive again?

• Brockton (7-3) over WALTHAM (3-7) -- This rather unorthodox rivalry (nonleague rivals situated 30 miles apart) continues to thrive, just like the Boxers late in the 2008 season.

• POPE JOHN (6-4) over Lowell Catholic (7-3) -- As we usually do in these situations, we defer to nonleague schedules and we really like how Pope John has challenged itself.

• Bishop Feehan (8-1) over SANDWICH (6-4) -- Mmmmm . . . hot turkey sandwiches. Wait, what were we talking about? Football?

• ACTON-BOXBORO (9-1) over Westford Academy (7-3) -- The wheels have come off a bit for Westford Academy after a fast start, but it would have been an uphill battle versus the Colonials regardless of the Ghosts's record.

• ARLINGTON (6-4) over Arlington Catholic (7-3) -- This first crosstown meeting should be a doozy with both teams playing inspired ball (and both winning conference crowns this fall; though Belmont can still force a tie atop the Dual County League Small). But this is Arlington's postseason, so we'll give the edge to the Spy Ponders.

• TAUNTON (5-5) over Coyle-Cassidy (7-3) -- Taunton played four Top 20 squads this fall and matchups with juggernauts like BC High and Dartmouth help you win games like this.

• MANSFIELD (9-1) over Foxboro (3-7) -- It's a down year for Foxboro, but Mansfield won't be taking it easy on its rival.

• Tewksbury (2-8) over WILMINGTON (9-1) -- Toss aside the records. If Tewksbury can topple a team like Chelmsford, they should be able to bring home a 'W' against Wilmington.

• LYNN ENGLISH (6-3) over Lynn Classical (5-4) -- English proved to be just a little bit more competitive in its losses than Classical was against similar teams.

• Georgetown (8-1) over MANCHESTER-ESSEX (10-0) -- With 18 combined wins for these two teams, it should be one of the better Turkey Day matchups.

• NEEDHAM (5-5) over Wellesley (2-8) -- Neither team comes roaring into this one (Wellesley with five straight losses; Needham with three), but we like the Rockets to close out the year on a high note and secure a winning campaign.

• Fitchburg (6-4) over LEOMINSTER (6-4) -- Buoyed by its recent triumph over Wachusett, the Red Raiders simply want it more than the Blue Devils want to play spoiler.

Last week: 8-5
Year to date: 95-29 (.766)

Football

Thanksgiving rivalries

Link|Comments (3) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 25, 2008 08:44 AM

Check out our Thanksgiving rivalries page, detailing this year's matchups, along with season schedules for every team, and the lifetime series record of each rivalry.

You can also download a searchable PDF version.

Football

Kilcoyne passes away

Link|Comments (4) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 24, 2008 11:27 AM

Kilcoyne in the St. Peter-Marian weight room. (Tom Rettig / T&G Photo)

Legendary area high school football coach Owen Kilcoyne passed away today at the age of 75.

From the Worcester Telegram & Gazette's Jim Wilson:

Owen Kikcoyne, the legendary high school football coach who won over 250 games and five Super Bowls during a career that spanned five decades, died early this morning. He was 75.

Kilcoyne, who had been in the hospital for about a month, coached St. Peter-Marian High from 1989-2005. His Guardians went 53-3 and won 26 straight games from 1992-96, including a perfect 11-0 record in 1995. Beore that, he coached Hudson Catholic, Clinton, Ayer and Framingham North.

Kilcoyne and 10 former athletes were inducted into the St. Peter-Marian Hall of Fame on Nov. 14. He was also inducted into the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1995.

Only eight other Massachusetts high school football coaches won more games than Kilcoyne, who coached former New York Giants running back Joe Morris while at Ayer and former Bears defensive back Jerry Azumah during his time at St. Peter-Marian.

Football

Bourne to BC

Link|Comments (0) Posted by Brendan Hall, Globe Correspondent November 24, 2008 09:22 AM

Fitchburg High Athletic Director and head football coach Ray Cosenza confirmed this morning that offensive tackle Keith Bourne has verbally committed to Boston College.

Bourne, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound senior, has been a starter on the offensive line since 2006, and last year played a crucial role in the Red Raiders' 9-3 season that ended in a last-second loss to Shrewsbury in the Div. 1 playoffs. Fitchburg is 6-4 this season, with a playoff berth again on the line as they await archrival Leominster on Thanksgiving.

He was offered a scholarship Thursday by BC head coach Jeff Jagodzinski, and accepted almost immediately. Bourne chose the Eagles over UConn, Temple and UMass.

Bourne is Fitchburg's first BC commit since Keith Leavitt, a 1998 Parade All-American who played along the Eagles' offensive and defensive lines during his career from 1999 to 2003.

Football

Beat Forsberg

Link|Comments (33) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff November 20, 2008 11:16 AM

Have you seen my iPod?

Last time I saw it was in Michigan. I was on my way back from the Patriots-Colts matchup earlier this month, making a connection in Detroit Rock City, when I believe I left it on a chair in the terminal where my flight was boarding.

I phoned the folks at Northwest Airlines, but, alas, they did not have a black video iPod returned to Lost & Found. I'm left to assume some hipster found it and, tickled by the massive collection of Britpop and 80's arena rock, pocketed my prized iPod.

BC High	BC High	Everett	Everett	BC High	Everett
Dartmouth	Brockton	Dartmouth	Dartmouth	Dartmouth	Brockton
Marshfield	Framingham	Framingham	Marshfield	Framingham	Framingham
Dracut	A-B	Dracut	Dracut	Dracut	A-B
Walpole	Walpole	Walpole	Walpole	Walpole	Reading
Feehan	Feehan	Mansfield	Feehan	Feehan	Feehan
Duxbury	Duxbury	Duxbury	Duxbury	Duxbury	Duxbury
Masco	Gloucester	Masco	Gloucester	Gloucester	Gloucester
AC	Swampscott	Swampscott	Swampscott	Swampscott	Swampscott
Abington	Abington	Abington	Norton	Abington	Norton
Vineyard	Vineyard	Vineyard	South Boston	Vineyard	Vineyard
Amesbury	Amesbury	Amesbury	Whittier	Amesbury	Amesbury
Manchester	O'Bryant	Manchester	Manchester	Manchester	O'Bryant
Pope John	Pope John	Tri-County	Pope John	Tri-County	Tri-County

I've written Santa requesting a new iPod this holiday season, but then we thought of a much sneakier way to replace my missing music machine. Allow me to unveil the Beat Forsberg: Thanksgiving Pick 'em 2008 contest.

This year's grand prize? An iPod Nano. And you better believe I'm winning this contest.

I don't know if you've seen my sterling .766 winning percentage this fall, but if that doesn't send you running scared, why don't you go ahead and take a shot at the prize. Be the user to pick the most games correct and win the iPod.

Back for its third installment, the Beat Forsberg: Thanksgiving Pick 'em 2008 contest is officially open for business. Soon we'll unveil my ballot, which you'll be able to view in the V.I.P. section.

If we're being honest, your best bet is probably to just switch a winner or two and hope I swing and miss on a game. Unlikely, but a solid strategy, nonetheless.

It's easy to play, especially if you've participated in any of our Boston.com pick' em contests in the past (if you have your log-in information from last year, it should work again this fall). Hop over to our friends at SportsBallot and -- if you haven't already -- follow the simple sign-up process.

To add insult to my soon-to-be injured ego, we'll publish the names of all those visitors who pick more games correct than I do. Vincent Orlando, father of Manchester quarterback Pat Orlando, won last year's contest and is back to defend his crown. He correctly picked 34 out of 40 games last fall.

Best of luck to no one.

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The MIAA today distributed the official list of playoff sites. Here's the rundown:

EMass. playoffs

• Lowell High School
  
• Manning Field (Lynn)
  
• Reading High School
  
• Arlington High School
  
• Brockton High School
  
• Taunton High School
  
• Durfee High School
  
• Bridgewater-Raynham High School

Super Bowls

• Gillette Stadium (Division 1-3, 4)
  
• Bentley College (Division 3A)

Games to be played at the Eastern Mass. playoff venues will not be announced until all league titles have been decided on Thanksgiving Day.

West Roxbury football coach Leo Sybertz will be honored at halftime of Friday's games against Latin Academy.

Sybertz, who retired this past August, will receive citations from the School Committee, the Governor's Council, and the Boston City Counsel. There will also be an award presentation from the city's athletic department.

Friends and former players of coach Sybertz are invited to attend the festivities. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

Our friends at PrepNation released their Week 14 football polls today and Dartmouth holds firm at No. 10 on their Northeast rankings.

Here's the full Northeast, with location, school name, and overall record.

1. Monroeville, Pa., Gateway, 12-0-0
2. Ramsey, N.J., Don Bosco, 8-1-0
3. Lansdale, Pa., North Penn, 12-0-0
4. Bethel Park, Pa., 12-0-0
5. West Lawn, Pa., Wilson, 12-0-0
6. Medford, N.J., Shawnee, 9-0-0
7. Bethlehem, Pa., Liberty, 11-1-0
8. Linwood, N.J., Mainland, 9-0-0
9. Orchard Park, N.Y., 11-0-0
10. South Dartmouth, Mass., Dartmouth, 10-0-0

Walpole's Ryan Izzo (Robert E. Klein / Globe Photo)

His team up by five and facing a crucial fourth-down situation with under two minutes to play in Friday's Bay State Herget showdown against host Natick, Walpole coach Danny Villa had all but settled on kicking a field goal.

Then Ryan Izzo came over to the sideline and requested the ball. Undeterred, Villa explained to his star running back that taking the three points -- a pretty sure bet with a 21-yard field goal -- would put the Rebels on top by eight and force Natick to both score a touchdown and produce a 2-point conversion on its final drive to force overtime.

Villa even convinced Izzo on the idea, but, hey, when Ryan Izzo calls for the ball, you just go ahead and give it to him.

So Villa rolled the dice and called for a toss left. Izzo picked up yards Nos. 170-174 on the day and found the end zone for the third time to seal a 21-9 triumph that ensured the Rebels will return to the Division 2 playoffs this winter.

Villa always raves about Izzo's vision. Sometimes you wonder if he can see the future.

This week, the boys from MGMT drop by with a copy of their debut Oracular Spectacular to help us recap all the other top performances from Week 11 of the high school football season. Let's hop right in:

First down and the Top 10

1. Dartmouth (10-0) -- The Indians will get a chance to complete the Big 3 sweep when they meet Brockton in the opening round of the playoffs.

2. Everett (8-1) -- By winning the Greater Boston League title for a 14th consecutive season, the Tide ensured that there are freshmen on the team that have seen no one but Everett on top of the league since they were born.

3. BC High (8-1) -- BC High's win means this reporter only has to make a couple life-threatening dashes across Morrissey Blvd. to catch Turkey Day's biggest matchup.

4. Dracut (9-1) -- Quarterback Matt Grimard has 17 rushing touchdowns in his last four games. It's like trying to tackle a tank.

5. Walpole (10-0) -- The Rebels don't seem to like to play from behind. Walpole fell behind Natick, 9-7, with 5:13 to play in the third quarter and responded with a touchdown just 2:13 later.

6. Duxbury (10-0) -- Will be interesting to see if Duxbury and Marshfield hold anything back on Turkey Day.

7. Mansfield (9-1) -- As focussed as the Hornets must be for a rematch with Bishop Feehan in the opening round of the playoffs, we suspect they won't look too far past a struggling rival (in fact, they'd probably prefer to pounce on Foxboro).

8. Acton-Boxboro (9-1) -- We're not telling coach Bill Maver anything he doesn't already know, but when planning for Dracut, put a hefty focus on ball control. With 10-minute quarters, the Middies can expect a humongous helping of Trevor Jeanson and Akeem Mercury.

9. Marshfield (9-1) -- The Rams haven't played a close game since September. That's bound to change moving forward.

10. Natick (9-1) -- The nine teams above them in the Globe Top 20 are heading to the postseason, as are teams in spots 11-15. The Red and Blue would be a surefire No. 1 seed in a Massachusetts high school football N.I.T.

A few thoughts on the rest of the Globe top 20: Xaverian remains one of the best four-loss teams in recent memory, which is why they hang on in the poll... How do you think Natick and Norwood like the idea of Framingham going to the postseason? ... Welcome aboard, Apponequet. Heck of a season, you've got going.

They said it

"It's the old Boise State play. If you give it to Kristian out in the open like that, he has a chance, and he did it." -- Abington coach Jim Kelliher talking about a key hook-and-ladder play in which quarterback Steve Perakslis connected with Chris Dion on a 15-yard pass and Dion pitched it to Kristian LaPointe, who took it 33 yards for a score. Abington defeated Mashpee, 14-7, on Friday to win the South Shore League title.

MGMT is Andrew VanWyngarden (left) and Ben Goldwasser. (Josh Cheuse / Globe Photos)

Oracular Spectacular

We'll let our friends at Wikipedia handle the introductions:

Oracular Spectacular is the first major label studio album by Brooklyn, N.Y. indie rock band MGMT, released digitally Oct. 2, 2007 on Columbia Records, available in CD & LP formats from Jan. 22, 2008. The album features new versions of both "Kids" and "Time to Pretend," songs from their previous release, Time to Pretend EP (2005), the opening track serving as a "mission statement" and theme continued through the proceeding tracks. Pitchfork Media compared MGMT to Muse and Mew, but weaving in an early 90s Britpop sound. Prefix Magazine said the album "sounds like a college-dorm experiment gone horribly right."

They might not be Wesleyan University's most noteworthy graduates (around here, that title probably goes to New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick), but Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden have making some pretty catchy noise since graduating from the Connecticut school in 2005.

Oracular Spectacular's lead track, "Time to Pretend" was a moderate hit in early 2008 and is probably better known for appearances in the movie 21, the Season 1 finale of Gossip Girl, and the series premiere of the new 90210. Their latest single, "Kids," might be the best song of 2008 and, if you need confirmation of that, just look at the Norwegian Singles Charts were it recently peaked at No. 1. Let me tell you, the Norwegians know their music.

Goldwasser and VanWyngarden and their crazy clothes drop by with a copy of Oracular Spectacular to help us recap Week 11 of the high school football season:

• Time to Pretend -- Week 11 saw the contenders separated from the pretenders as seven previously undefeated squads endured their first "L" of the season. The most impressive performance in knocking off an undefeated squad might have come in Newburyport, where Clippers quarterback threw a quartet of touchdown passes, including one with a minute to go, in a 27-26 upset of Georgetown in a Cape Ann Small clash.

• Weekend Wars -- With the Middlesex League title hanging in the balance during one of this weekend's more entertaining wars, Reading's Philmore Phillip reached up and grabbed it (again.. and again). Phillip reeled in three interceptions, including one with nine seconds to go to seal a 14-7 triumph over Melrose. "He was a real hero there on D," Reading coach John Fiore said.

• The Youth -- After starting at tight end as a sophomore, King Philip moved Brandon Howard to quarterback this season and the Warriors can thank that youth movement in part for their 8-2 record. Howard passed for 220 yards and a jaw-dropping six touchdowns in a 56-35 win over Foxboro. Howard leads Division 2 with 16 touchdown passes for the season.

• Electric Feel -- Aleixo Stadium boasted an electric feel after Alphonso Williams returned an errant field goal attempt 108 yards for a score in double overtime to lift Taunton over Bridgewater-Raynham, 19-13. The Trojans attempted a 24-yard field goal in the second extra session, but it came down short of the posts and an alert Williams took off the other way as the Tigers downed B-R for the first time since 1990.

• Kids -- Tri-County welcomed 17 freshmen to the program at the beginning of the season, but these kids seem to be doing just fine with some quality veteran leadership. Starting quarterback Lucas Mistler rushed for a score in helping the Cougars to a 14-0 playoff-clinching win over Holbrook/Avon Saturday. "To be in this situation, it's just amazing," coach Dan McLean said of his team, which won just six games in his two previous seasons as head coach. "I'm so proud of them."

• 4th Dimensional Transition -- This track includes the line, "I am fire, where's my form? Whisper crimson I intrude." Sorta reminds us of Arlington, where running back Matt Willey was on fire and found his form by rushing for 367 yards and six touchdowns to lead the crimson-clad Spy Ponders past Weston, 47-21, to clinch a share of the Dual County League Small title.

• Pieces of What -- This track includes the line, "Shattered and untied, waiting to pick up the pieces." Well, technically Norton and Medway are still tied atop the Tri-Valley League, but the Lancers likely shattered their foe's playoff hopes with a 16-7 triumph Friday night in which Sean Ryan rushed for 102 yards.Norton can claim the league's playoff berth by beating winless Bellingham on Thanksgiving.

• Of Moons, Birds & Monsters -- This track includes the line, "Half the motion, communication, it's easy as the ocean." Down in Dartmouth, along the ocean, quarterback Sean Sylvia and wide receiver Justin Mello had plenty of communication. Utilizing a little run option with Mello motioning into the backfield, the Indians watched their star receiver rush for 140 yards and three touchdowns on six carries in a 33-7 thumping of Durfee.

• The Handshake -- There were plenty of handshakes and high-5s to go around at Arlington Catholic after the team's defensive line turned away Austin Prep on four straight rushing attempts inside the AC 5 with under a minute to play. Arlington Catholic emerged with a 20-14 triumph to clinch the Catholic Central title.

• Future Reflections -- It'll be a quiet Week 12 as most teams gear up for Thanksgiving, but if you're looking for a quality matchup this weekend, may we suggest checking out the 62d annual Island Cup. Forget the records, this one's always fun.

Your turn

We've got questions, you've got answers. We're keeping this one real simple. Here are the teams remaining in playoff contention, you tell us who's going to be playing in December.

Stat of the Week

Austin Prep will likely finish the season holding opponents to less than a touchdown per game (currently an Eastern Mass.-best 5.4 points per game) and not make the playoffs. Arlington Catholic's defense proved to be just a little better when it needed to be... Groton-Dunstable is allowing only 5.5 points per game, but has two losses (including a 25-0 blanking at the hands of Worcester Tech). G-D boasts five shutouts and -- besides the loss to Tech -- hasn't allowed more than eight points in a game (as a newer program that once partnered with Ayer, they are playing out of Division 3 in Central Mass).

The bus dropped off nearly half its load this weekend as seven different undefeated squads fell over the weekend. Only nine teams remains. Hope over to High School Sports Central to check out our new top 20, standings, updated leaderboards, and Stars of the Week.

If Exit (and sidekick Exit Jr.) were upset about the lack of teams falling from the undefeated bus last week, chances are it's like Christmas morning to our friends this week. Here's an updated look at last week's bus, with only nine teams remaining as Thanksgiving Day approaches.

We know BB&N will be there at year's end, but how many others will be with them? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Due to weather, Everett will host Malden tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. The game will decide the Greater Boston League champion.

“I've lost to Everett my whole career. All three years I've lost to them. If there is one thing I want to do, it's beating them for the GBL championship.”

Those are the determined words of Malden running back David Freni. For the first three years of his high school football career, he has watched the Crimson Tide represent the Greater Boston League in the Division 1 Eastern Mass. playoffs, rolling through the Golden Tornadoes on their way.

This year, Freni has run into a roadblock. One of the most under appreciated stars in the division (tied for fifth D-1 in touchdowns, 12, and points, 74, while leading the team in tackles from the linebacker position), Freni was supposed to lead 5-4 Malden into Everett Sunday at 1:30 p.m., attempting to pull of an upset of Rocky-like proportions.

However, Freni has not been cleared to play due to a possible concussion.

The Golden Tornadoes are in this position because, while they didn't start off the season very strong, they started spinning when the league schedule kicked in. Malden shut-out Somerville, 12-0, and rode Freni's heroics to a 24-21 season-changing win in Cambridge.

“Well the way I saw it was we didn't start out season until the GBL. That's when you can win the GBL title and make the playoffs,” said Freni, who scored three touchdowns, including one to tie the game at 21 in the fourth quarter, against Cambridge. “That was definitely the best game I've ever been apart of in my entire life. It was one of the those games where we were just so up for the game. The intensity that we had going into that game, that was the reason that we won.”

Freni has kept an eye on Everett this season, and has used St. John Prep's win over the Tide in the middle of the season an inspiration.

“St. John's beating Everett this year....it proves they are beatable. It's the GBL and anything can happen. Anything's possible.”

Anything's possible.

Sounds like Freni is talking like a champion as well as playing like one.

Read on for a Q&A session with Freni.

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An early look at the Globe's first-edition roundup from Friday night.

Clancy's heroics lift Newburyport

By Bob Holmes, Globe Staff

Newburyport quarterback Joe Clancy threw four touchdown passes, the last with a minute to go in the game, and the host Clippers stunned previously unbeaten Georgetown, 27-26, in a Cape Ann Small contest.

The result leaves Newburyport atop the CAL standings at 5-0 (5-5 overall), while Georgetown dropped to 5-1, 8-1. Newburyport plays Amesbury on Thanksgiving. If the Clippers win they clinch the CAL title and a playoff berth.

Clancy (12 of 22 for 256 yards) hit Andrew Sokol with a 38-yard pass on a fourth-and-10 play. Kyle LeBlanc's extra point gave Newburyport the win.

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Lawrence Academy squared off with Buckingham, Browne and Nichols tonight at Russell Field in a battle of unbeatens. BB&N prevailed, 20-13, in a fashion that is familiar for followers of the Knights.

After a Lawrence punt set up a BB&N first and 10 at the Spartans’ 37, the Knights (9-0) needed just one play to score the game-winning touchdown. With fullback Derek Papagianopoulos coming out of the backfield, James McCaffrey and Austin Capaviella split wide on opposite ends, and tight end Blake Barker lined up tight, head coach John Papas called for all four receivers to run vertical routes.

Papas had called this play a few times earlier, to no avail. This time, McCaffrey beat his man down the right; with the safety cheated over to double-up Barker in the middle, that gave McCaffrey a wide-open shot that he didn’t drop.

“I’ve played well the whole season, but nothing this big,” McCaffrey said. “I can’t even describe how happy I am. (This is the) best day of my life.”

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Walpole-Natick isn't the only game in town tonight. Follow all the matchups and see who's still on the bus tomorrow.

Abington 14, Mashpee 7: A hook'n-ladder play with 10 seconds to play in the first half put the Green Wave on top and Abington held on to win, 14-7. Abington wins the South Shore League title. There was no scoring in the third quarter. Larry Green's 12-yard run gave visiting Mashpee a 7-0 first-quarter lead.
Reading 14, Melrose 7: Two Ryan Pollock touchdowns and a goal-line stand gave the Rockets the win and the Middlesex League title.
BB&N 20, Lawrence Academy 13: It's a final in Cambridge and BB&N is your ISL champion. Steve Grassa was one of many heroes for BB&N. Dan Giovacchini had a 40-yard interception return for Lawrence.
Xaverian 24, Catholic Memorial 7: After a scoreless first half, Xaverian has jumped on top after three quarters and the Hawks held on to upset CM.
BC High 21, St. John's Prep 7: Two Bill Kiley touchdown passes put host BC High on top at the half and the No. 2 Eagles won easily.
Marshfield 41, Sandwich 0: The Rams left little doubt in this one, starting off with a long touchdown pass to Jon Mullin and finishing with the ACL title.

NATICK -- Ryan Izzo carried 33 times for 174 yards and scored all three of his touchdowns as fifth-ranked Walpole emerged with a 21-9 triumph over sixth-ranked Natick to secure at least a share of the Bay State Herget title and a return trip to the postseason.

Natick led 9-7 after a long scoring drive to open the second half, but Walpole responded quickly to retake the lead. In the fourth quarter, the Rebels sat on the ball for the final 8:15 of the game, highlighted by an Izzo-fueled, 15-play, 80-yard touchdown drive.

Izzo capped that crucial drive with a 4-yard, fourth-down touchdown run with 1:50 remaining.

Watch a replay of our live blog below and check back later for video highlights.

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Duxbury's Shane DiBona has verbally committed to Iowa.

Nothing can top Thanksgiving football in Massachusetts, but we truly can't remember a slate of games this close to Turkey Day that could be more exciting than the one we've got this weekend. Just look at all those "-0's" littering the records of teams in our top games of the week below. This weekend could take much of the drama out of Thanksgiving battles, but it shouldn't take any of the luster.

• No. 5 Walpole (9-0) over No. 6 NATICK (9-0) --We've said it many, many times that in battles of offense vs. defense, we nearly always side with the defense. So while this matchup features Ryan Izzo and a potent Walpole offense (35.3 points per game) vs. a stingy Natick defense (6.1 ppg), let's not forget that the Rebels have been no slouches on defense themselves (11.6 points per game). We expect a few fireworks early in this one before the teams dig in. If Ryan Izzo goes over 150 yards, Walpole wins.

• No. 12 READING (9-0) over No. 15 Melrose (8-0) -- Neither of these teams have been involved in a game decided by less than 16 points since Week 1 of the 2008 season. Think about that. It'll be interesting to see how both sides respond if the score remains close into the second half (a time that many starters probably haven't seen much action lately). We'll give the edge to the home squad.

• No. 19 Mashpee (9-0) over No. 18 ABINGTON (9-0) -- We pulled a last-minute flip-flop on our pick here (so we'll be kicking ourselves if Abington pulls this one out), but looking at Mashpee's schedule we're struck by how consistent this team has been. The Falcons' defense has been phenomenal and our eyes fall immediately upon that win over Coyle & Cassidy in October. We do like Abingtnon's experience to help it in this one.

• Xaverian ( 5-4) over No. 11 CATHOLIC MEMORIAL (8-0) -- You could make a pretty strong case that Xaverian could easily be 8-1 right now with tough losses to Everett, BC High, and Duxbury (three top 7 squads). And despite last week's ultra-disappointing loss to BC High, the Hawks still have a glimmer of a playoff hope. Can Xaverian bring the same intensity that the Knights undoubtedly will boast? Therein lies the key to this game. If Xaverian comes out spreading the ball around like it did against the Eagles, it should boot CM from our undefeated bus.

• BB&N (7-0) over Lawrence Academy (7-0) -- The perfect quarterback rating is 158.3 and we're fairly certain that, with a 27-2 TD to INT ratio, BB&N's Mike DiChiara has a passer rating close to that mark. That adds up to a perfect season for the Ampersanders.

And now this week's extended version of the quick-picks (with a focus on games that could decide league champions):

• No. 7 Duxbury (9-0) over Hanover (6-3) -- No offense to Hanover, but, to us, the Patriot League championship game was held last week when the Dragons topped Silver Lake.

• No. 10 MARSHFIELD (8-1) over Sandwich (6-3) -- Plymouth North took some of the fun out of this one by topping Sandwich last week. It probably doesn't matter. Marshfield is playing chess, while the rest of the Atlantic Coast League is playing checkers.

• No. 2 Everett (7-1) over Malden (4-5) -- I know what you're thinking, "Hey Forsberg! Quit running up your record." To be fair, it's a clash for the Greater Boston League title and we're all about spotlighting title games.

• No. 14 BROCKTON (6-3) over New Bedford (2-7) -- See also: Everett over Malden.

• AUSTIN PREP (8-1) over Arlington Catholic (6-3) -- The Cougars have five shutouts and one game in which they gave up only a safety. Yielding only 3.8 points per game, Prep takes the first step towards locking up the Catholic Central Large title.

• Medway (9-0) over NORTON (8-1) -- The number of first-half points given up by Medway this season? 20. The Mustangs could use an early lead if they are going to prevail on the road.

• Georgetown (8-0) over NEWBURYPORT (4-5) -- The Clippers have won four in a row and have a bit of momentum, but the Royals are the class of the Cape Ann League Small.

• Holbrook (6-1) over TRI-COUNTY (6-2) -- The Bulldogs' only loss came against a Martha's Vineyard team that won the Mayflower Large Large in Division 3A. Good enough for us.

Last week: 9-1
Year to date: 87-24 (.784)

The season has flown by and as the weather gets colder, the playoff races start to heat up. It is the second to last week of the regular season and it is about time that a few playoff races got cleared up.

There are great games on the docket in all the divisions this weekend. Many of those are must-win games for certain teams. Tonight, Walpole plays Natick for the chance to play in the playoffs. Tomorrow, Duxbury meets Hanover for a playoff berth. Bishop Feehan is in a position to make it back to the playoffs, as is Masconomet. Here are some thoughts on Divisions 2 and 2A:

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According to sources in the Cape Ann League, the Lawrence football team will forfeit wins from this season due to an ineligible player and that re-opens the race for the Cape Ann League Large title and playoff berth.

Masconomet remains the leader in the clubhouse with a 4-0 record in conference play, but Wilmington and North Andover are expected to have a loss overturned, meaning they'll each have one league loss and jump back into the fray.