Walpole 41, Needham 7 — Ryan Izzo scored five touchdowns as the Rebels won easily. The senior back is 4 points away from tying the state scoring record. Walpole plays unbeaten Natick next week.

What's more, Izzo pulled off the feat sick. He was allegedly puking on the sideline through the game.

Also, Doug Flutie stopped by to check out the game. He told the Globe his brother helps out with the Natick team.

Whittier 30, Manchester Essex 16 — A Nate Allen run followed by a fumble recovery in the endzone had Whittier on top, 16-0, after three quarters. A wild fourth quarter ended with Whittier a winner, 30-16.

From Globe Correspondent Mike Carraggi:

Last year’s No. 1 team gave this year’s top squad a run for its money, but in the end, a strong second half performance by Xaverian resulted in a 14-6 Catholic Conference victory over BC High at Viola Stadium.

In a tense finish, BC High (4-4, 1-1) stopped the Hawks on a fourth-and-one with 16 seconds left, and a 30-yard pass from Brendan Collins to Brandon Cippola followed by a spike set up a Hail Mary situation with two ticks on the clock. However, the stubborn wind that fueled a cold night knocked the ball down short of the goal, where Xaverian’s (9-0, 2-0)Chris Tamasi intercepted it to end the suspension.

"I thought we really dominated the second half," Xaverian coach Charlie Stevenson said.

Xaverian unleashed its punishing rushing attack after halftime, breaking a scoreless tie with two third-quarter touchdowns.

From Globe Correspondent Amara Grautski:

As the sunlight continued to fade on a blustery day at White Stadium, so did Brighton’s chances of clinching a Boston South title and securing a trip to the playoffs.  

Although Latin Academy turned the ball over three times on a fumble and two interceptions, it was the Bengals miscue at the end of the third quarter that changed the tide of the game, helping the Dragons hold on to a 14-0 victory. 

When Latin Academy (3-1, 7-2) punted on fourth down from its own 19-yard line, Brighton mishandled the ball on the return. Senior Ohimai Aisiku, who had already caught an interception at the end of the first quarter, recovered for the Dragons.  

“I think Brighton could have had a situation where they could have gained some momentum,” said Latin Academy coach Rocco Zizza. “The ball bounced our way on that kick…the wind was a factor. The ball actually came back about 6 (or) 7 yards in the air and hit the ground and hit a kid. And the kid was doing what he was supposed to be doing, but because of the weather that’s what happened.” 

The Bengals weren’t able to retaliate on their only fourth-quarter possession. Brighton (3-1, 3-5) put the ball into the hands of Kevin DePina five of its last nine plays. And aside from an 18-yard rush, the running back had to fight for short gains. There was only one pass attempt made by quarterback Jonathan Rosa during the final possession, which fell incomplete.  

“You win some you lose some,” said Brighton coach James Philip, who believes the Dragons are strong competitors. “It’s a matter of not blocking and tackling and not running the ball well.” 

When Brighton turned the ball over on a failed fourth down conversion, Dragons running back Cuong Nguyen ran the ball 50 yards downfield and the clock down to zero.   

Before tomorrow's SAT challenge, here's a look at the top games we'll be at tonight. Good luck on the tests tonight ... and tomorrow.

Cohasset 14, Abington 0: A long touchdown pass with 40 seconds to play in the half put Cohasset on top at the break and the Skippers went on to take a 14-0 win.

Xaverian 14, BC High 6: Both offenses stagnant in scoreless first half but Xaverian scored twice in the third quarter to take control and went on to win.

Lincoln-Sudbury 7, Acton-Boxboro 0: An Owen Pagano touchdown was all L-S needed to spoil the night for A-B and Bill Maver.

Latin Academy 14, Brighton 0 Final: LA stays alive in playoff hunt.

Dighton-Rehoboth 29, Fairhaven 8: Each team scored second-quarter touchdowns at it was tied at halftime, 8-8. But three Greg Croteau touchdown passes put the Falcons up, 29-8, and that's the way it ended.

Natick 35, Weymouth 12: Weymouth jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead thanks to an opening kickoff return but the Red & Blue have scored three times and lead 21-6 after three quarters. Natick went on to a 35-12 win. Walpole is next for Natick.

Michael Grossi and Mike Carraggi of The Boston Globe pick this weekend's high school football games. Think your high school football knowledge is mightier than that of the Mikes? Feel free to agree, disagree, or pick your own games in our comments section.

Abington at Cohasset

Grossi – Two unbeatens face off in this dandy on the South Shore . Whichever team wins this game will have a stranglehold on the South Shore League. Abington has advanced to the playoffs each of the last four seasons and Cohasset was the last team other than the Green Wave to make the playoffs. Other than pitting two undefeated teams against each other, this game also features a duel between two talented running backs. Dana Valentine has led the way for the Skippers this year while Kristian LaPointe has been a factor back for Abington. I’ll take Abington’s experience in this battle.

Carraggi – In Jim Kelliher's first year as coach of Abington, Johnny Bench led Major League Baseball with 45 homers. In Peter Afanisiw's first year as coach of Cohasset, the artist formerly known as David Ortiz hit 54 bombs. With the talent gap being so small between the teams (and probably in the Skippers' favor), I'll take the experience and coaching of the Green Wave as they head toward their 5th straight league championship.
 
Xaverian at BC High

Grossi – Although Xaverian is considered the class of Massachusetts football, the Hawks still have to go through reigning Catholic Conference and Division 1 champ BC High. The Eagles seem to have hit their stride as of late, scoring 90 points in their last two games. While the offense has gotten it going, the defense is still a little shaky. Xaverian is coming off a victory over St. John’s ( Shrewsbury ) that established it as the top team in Massachusetts. I think Xaverian keeps its quest to get to the playoffs by dethroning the Eagles.

Carraggi – Much will be made of this game, but Xaverian couldn't be on more of a roll. Teams simply don't run over the state's best only to fall to a team with as many vulnerabilities as BC High. If you stop one aspect of Xaverian's game, the rest of the machine doesn't miss a beat. Stop the pass? Meet Joe Colton. Slow the run? Alex Phelan time. To have a chance, the Eagles will need to build an early lead, which has been perhaps the Hawks' only chink in their armor.

Whittier at Manchester Essex

Grossi – Commonwealth (Large) supremacy is on the line in this clash between two offensive juggernauts. Manchester Essex has put up 48 points or more in three of its last four games, including dropping 64 on North Shore . Whittier is fresh off handing Chelsea its first loss of the season. The difference in this game will be the defense. Whittier allows 13 points per game while Manchester Essex allows 22. I think Whittier gets one more stop and beats the Hornets
 
Carraggi – I lived in Everett for 19 years. I have driven everywhere from Gloucester to Attleboro to Nashua to Springfield. But if I had to drive to Manchester, I simply wouldn't know where to go. There, I said it. Don't tell my boss.

Uh, Hornets win this one.

Fairhaven at Dighton-Rehoboth

Grossi – With a win, Fairhaven takes the South Coast League crown. The Blue Devils have won its last four games, including an upset of King Philip. Dighton-Rehoboth is undefeated in league play and got back in the win column last week after losing to Coyle and Cassidy two weeks ago. My pick is Fairhaven . The Blue Devils have too many weapons for Dighton-Rehoboth to corral.

Carraggi – I have a feeling that if Dighton-Rehoboth wasn't victimized by a fluky fumble return and a missed extra point and had a perfect record to show for it, then the Blue Devils wouldn't be such a chic pick. The Falcons will be one step closer to the playoffs after this one, but it won't come easy. Fairhaven's Taylor Motta, the division's leader in touchdowns with 14, is said to be a relentless runner.

Central Catholic at Methuen

Grossi – Central Catholic travels to Methuen in an interesting crossover between Merrimack Valley Large and Small schools. Central Catholic is on a seven game win streak and controls its own destiny. Methuen has been rolling thanks to quarterback Cal Carroll. Bank on Central Catholic to win this one. The Raiders have stingy defense and if they can stop Carroll, they have a good chance of winning.

Carraggi – Methuen does not boast as much star power as other MVC contenders, but it has been a strong all-around team all season. Unfortunately, that won't be enough to stop a Central Catholic team on a mission. Quarterback Andrew Oullette is one of the more well-rounded athletes around, and with the two defenses so evenly matched (both allowing about 12 points per game), he will be the difference.

Carraggi - 7-3 (3-2 last week)
Grossi - 7-3 (4-1 last week)

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, we’ll 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.

Michael Grossi and Mike Carraggi of The Boston Globe pick this weekend's high school football games. Think your high school football knowledge is mightier than that of the Mikes? Feel free to agree, disagree, or pick your own games in our comments section.

Falmouth at Marshfield

Grossi – This game has the makings of a classic. With a win, Marshfield all but wraps up the Atlantic Coast League title. A Falmouth win moves the Clippers one step closer to the league title. The real question is whether or not the Falmouth defense can get Marshfield off the field. The Rams like to have long, sustained drives that eat up clock. Falmouth needs stops on third down, so it can get the ball in the hands of its explosive triple-option offense. I think the Rams take this one 27-21 because they've been in this type of pressure packed situation before.

Carraggi – Falmouth has been facing questions all year of whether or not they are legit. It doesn't get more legit than taking down a Rams team that was a preseason favorite to take the Atlantic Coast League. Give me the hungry Rocky over the experienced Apollo any day.

Lynn English at Gloucester

Grossi – Except for Masconomet, Gloucester has swatted away all of its opponents with ease. Lynn English has posted gaudy numbers out of its spread attack. The Bulldogs only loss came to Beverly , which Gloucester shut out 41-0. That is why I think Gloucester takes this one 34-19.

Carraggi – Gloucester's offense is downright scary. It has scored 33 points per game this season en route to a perfect 7-0 start. And it still looks up to Lynn English's 34 ppg. The difference, as is with most championship teams, is defense. And when the Fishermen need a big stop tonight to win in a shootout, they'll get it.
 
King Philip at Mansfield

Grossi – Mansfield has its back against the wall. The Hornets need a win to stay alive in the playoff race. Assuming Franklin wins its next three games (which it should), King Philip needs to beat Stoughton and either Mansfield or Foxboro to make the winner of the Warriors Turkey Day game against Franklin the league champ. Also, a win over Mansfield could solidify King Philip’s standing as a top team. I don’t think that will happen. I think Mansfield takes the game 33-25.

Carraggi – What does King Philip have to do to be respected? Maybe a win against Mansfield? Nope. Followed by one over Xaverian? Meh. Then beating the New Orleans Saints? Close. Fine, King Philip, beat the 2007 Patriots, then we'll talk. Prediction: Mansfield 1,000,000, King Philip 0. (Translation: King Philip lost a good team, which even the best teams do at times. They have throttled mostly every other team. What more can they do? King Philip shuts up the doubters tonight....or at least some of them.)

Natick at Needham

Grossi – This game pits two unbeaten teams against each other. Natick hasn’t been challenged at all this season. The Red and Blue score nearly 41 points a game and gives up only 7 points a game. Needham has the best chance so far to give the Red and Blue a game. The Rockets will have to have their best day defensively to have a chance. However, I think Natick is too much, on both sides of the ball, for Needham and takes this one 34-7.

Carraggi – Too much is being made out of the records in this one. Natick wins, and to quote the great Stan Lee, “'nuff said.”
 
St. John’s ( Shrewsbury ) at Xaverian

Grossi – This game is, unofficially, for the title of best team in the state. Both teams are similar in terms of scoring. Both score around 30 points per game and both give up around 10. St. John’s ( Shrewsbury ) has a terrific quarterback, a big receiver and a space eating defensive tackle. Xaverian will have to be hitting on all cylinders in this game. Xaverian’s tough schedule has to catch up to it some time and I think that is this week. I’ll take St. John’s ( Shrewsbury ) 21-17.

Carraggi – Bob Holmes would have you think Xaverian is overrated because a hellacious schedule and enormous expectations may finally be bogging down the Hawks (who still win.) Don't let him fool you, he just wants Reading to be No. 1. To spite him, Grossi, and everyone west of 495, Xaverian pulls this one out.

Carraggi - 4-1 (4-1 last week)
Grossi - 3-2 (3-2 last week)

As we attempt to go an entire blog without making a lame Halloween reference....

On November's doorstep, the landscape of Division 1 will start to be carved out this week. We already know who the contenders are, but there are teams who can single-handedly shape it with one big upset.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR...

Game of the week:

(Nonleague) – St. John's (Shrewsbury) at Xaverian, Saturday at 1:30

In most cases, a nonleague game would take a backseat to a Division 1 game. But this contest is an early Christmas gift to any high school football fan. Heck, at the rate some cities and stores are decorating for Christmas (it's still October people), we might have jolly ol' St. Nick show up for the coin toss.

These two schools are unquestionably the best their respective part of Massachusetts has to offer at this level. Can Xaverian compete with what is being called by many the best St. John's team in years?

The Hawks may end up thankful they have had their will tested with back-to-back nail-biters, because they may find themselves in another this weekend. Both teams are statistically identical, boasting immaculate records and outscoring their opponents 3:1.

Here's a quick preview of the Pioneers for those who haven't picked up a Worcester Telegram & Gazette in a while (all stats courtesy of maxpreps.com):

Quarterback Griffin Murphy, who has thrown for 20 touchdowns and over 1,000 yards, also leads the team in rushing. Along with Christian Dulmaine and John Vassar, St. John's rushes for over 200 yards a game. Richard Rogers has been a ball magnet, hauling in 23 receptions for 381 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Others to watch:

(Merrimack Valley Large) – Central Catholic at Chelmsford, Friday at 7

The MVC (Large) crown may not be attainable right now for Chelmsford, but the Lions are arguably the most dangerous team out of the playoff race right now. Central Catholic needs a win to stay afloat in the ultra-competitive conference.

(Greater Boston League) – Medford at Everett, Friday at 7

Coach John DiBiaso will welcome former line coach and current Medford head coach Rico Dello Iacono back to the home of the defending GBL champs. Medford has three wins this season, which is a significant improvement over last year's zero. Dello Iacono has his kids believing that anything is possible, but beating the Tide is a tall order for even the most battle-hardened teams, never mind a team that is just getting its legs back under it.

(Catholic Conference) – BC High at Malden Catholic and St. John's Prep at Catholic Memorial, Friday at 7

Malden Catholic has a real chance to solidify itself as a player in the Catholic Conference if it can beat BC High. A loss for the defending Division 1 champs would be a severe disappointment and an earlier exit from the playoff picture than was expected.

Catholic Memorial's hot start is all but a distant memory now, as are St. John's Prep's dominating teams of years past. Still, a win puts either team in contention to knock Xaverian off its manifest destiny.

GOING FOR TWO

Every week, your trusty, neighborhood reporter covers one or two games a week. This year, we’ll be breaking the game down and making observations in ways that the hectic weekend schedule does not allow.

Last week's game – Xaverian 28, Bridgewater-Raynham 26 (3 OT)

SIDELINE PERSPECTIVE

It is that time of the year again. Over the course of the next four weeks, league title races will clear up and the playoff contenders will be separated from the pretenders.

Click on the following link to view a post game interview of Scituate Football coach Herb Devine after his team beat Whitman-Hanson 21-16.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f9vm4xAyNI

One playoff contender is Reading and the Rockets might be going forward without running back Tino Perrina. Perrina injured his knee in the second quarter of last week’s rout over Belmont. Perrina is, by far, the leading scorer in Eastern Mass, with 25 touchdowns and 150 points. The loss of him takes a huge dimension away from the Rocket attack. Perrina was a threat running and in the passing game. He was also a ball hawk in the secondary.

However, the loss of Perrina shouldn’t slow down Reading as much as some think. The coaching staff will keep the team focused and will prepare them for the weeks to come. Also, Reading already had a multitude of other offensive options. Ryan Pollock will step in as the primary back. He is good enough to be the number one option on any other team around. Pollock is quick yet has the power to run over others. Reading might also resort to passing more. Stanley Andre is a more than capable passer (he can also beat you with his legs). The Rockets have a couple of receivers including Brian Bourque, who is fast and tall (nearly 6’ 4”). It is safe to assume that Reading still should represent the Middlesex League in the Division 2 playoffs, but the Rockets might not be as explosive.

Another star back in Division 2 has been fighting injuries. Ryan Izzo missed last week’s game against Dedham with an ankle injury. Izzo was held out of the game mainly due to the poor weather conditions. Another factor that could have played into that decision is that the Rebels have some tough games at the end of the year against Natick and Needham and a healthy Izzo will be necessary if Walpole hopes to win them.

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.

Michael Grossi and Mike Carraggi of The Boston Globe pick this weekend's high school football games. Think your high school football knowledge is mightier than that of the Mikes? Feel free to agree, disagree, or pick your own games in our comments section.

Xaverian at Everett

Grossi - This brawl showcases two contrasting teams. Xaverian has an explosive offense and a punishing defense. Everett has some dangerous weapons on offense but has yet to find a groove. The real question in this game is which offensive line will protect the quarterback best and open holes for the running backs. I think Xaverian will have more success doing that and will win 27-17.

Carraggi – For an in-depth preview of this game, check out the Division 1 Dish on our high school sports blog. The Tide and the Hawks are both deep, complete teams, but Everett's rushing attack is based more on speed than Xaverian's, and with inclement weather on the forecast, that may be the difference. Xaverian will have little room for error, but Everett will have even less. The X-Men take this one.
 
North Attleboro at Franklin

Grossi – Franklin is riding high after knocking off Foxboro. The Panthers have a complete offensive attack with Nick Colson and Matt Carini. North Attleboro is a team predicated on speed and will have to use that speed to set edges on defense and bottle up the Panther running attack. However, I say Franklin pulls it out in the end with a 25-14 victory.

Carraggi – A Franklin win would mean the Hockomock League gets a little clearer. Which all but guarantees a North Attleboro victory.
 
Marshfield at Plymouth North

Grossi – Plymouth North comes into this game with a spotless record. However, the Eagles have yet to be tested this season. The Rams, on the other hand, played a brutal non-league schedule to prepare itself for ACL play. These two teams usually play each other close. Marshfield won three years ago and last year while the Eagles won two years ago. I think that the Eagles continue the back and forth nature of the rivalry by winning this one 17-13.

Carraggi – All signs point to this one being a grinder for both teams. Marshfield has put itself through a gauntlet thus far, and the toughness and perseverance garnered in the first five games will do the Rams a huge favor in this one.
 
Mashpee at Cohasset

Grossi – Another week, another undefeated opponent for Mashpee. The Falcons blanked Norwell 21-0 last week and now face Dana Valentine and 5-0 Cohasset. Like last week, I think Mashpee pulls out the win. The Falcon defense has been better than Cohasset's and their offense is nearly are potent.

Carraggi – The Skippers are going to feel right at home in the rainy conditions, steering the ship to a 6-0 start. Not that it matters, because Abington is going to successfully defend its South Shore League crown.
 
CM at Bishop Guertin

Grossi – After traveling out to Longmeadow last week, Catholic Memorial endures another long drive up to New Hampshire . This week, however, the long drive back won’t be a pleasant one. I think Guertin upends the Knights bid for a perfect season. Guertin has spanked all its opponents so far, outscoring teams by an average of 39 points per game.

Carraggi – Catholic Memorial's win over Longmeadow was impressive, but Bishop Guertin is truly among the best New Hampshire has to offer. If the Knights pull off the upset, they will come back to West Roxbury as a legitimate threat to Xaverian's Catholic Conference stranglehold. But I wouldn't count on that.

Michael Grossi and Mike Carraggi of The Boston Globe pick this weekend's high school football games. Think your high school football knowledge is mightier than that of the Mikes? Feel free to agree, disagree, or pick your own games in our comments section.

Xaverian at Everett

Grossi - This brawl showcases two contrasting teams. Xaverian has an explosive offense and a punishing defense. Everett has some dangerous weapons on offense but has yet to find a groove. The real question in this game is which offensive line will protect the quarterback best and open holes for the running backs. I think Xaverian will have more success doing that and will win 27-17.

Carraggi – For an in-depth preview of this game, check out the Division 1 Dish on our high school sports blog. The Tide and the Hawks are both deep, complete teams, but Everett's rushing attack is based more on speed than Xaverian's, and with inclement weather on the forecast, that may be the difference. Xaverian will have little room for error, but Everett will have even less. The X-Men take this one.
 
North Attleboro at Franklin

Grossi – Franklin is riding high after knocking off Foxboro. The Panthers have a complete offensive attack with Nick Colson and Matt Carini. North Attleboro is a team predicated on speed and will have to use that speed to set edges on defense and bottle up the Panther running attack. However, I say Franklin pulls it out in the end with a 25-14 victory.

Carraggi – A Franklin win would mean the Hockomock League gets a little clearer. Which all but guarantees a North Attleboro victory.
 
Marshfield at Plymouth North

Grossi – Plymouth North comes into this game with a spotless record. However, the Eagles have yet to be tested this season. The Rams, on the other hand, played a brutal non-league schedule to prepare itself for ACL play. These two teams usually play each other close. Marshfield won three years ago and last year while the Eagles won two years ago. I think that the Eagles continue the back and forth nature of the rivalry by winning this one 17-13.

Carraggi – All signs point to this one being a grinder for both teams. Marshfield has put itself through a gauntlet thus far, and the toughness and perseverance garnered in the first five games will do the Rams a huge favor in this one.
 
Mashpee at Cohasset

Grossi – Another week, another undefeated opponent for Mashpee. The Falcons blanked Norwell 21-0 last week and now face Dana Valentine and 5-0 Cohasset. Like last week, I think Mashpee pulls out the win. The Falcon defense has been better than Cohasset's and their offense is nearly are potent.

Carraggi – The Skippers are going to feel right at home in the rainy conditions, steering the ship to a 6-0 start. Not that it matters, because Abington is going to successfully defend its South Shore League crown.
 
CM at Bishop Guertin

Grossi – After traveling out to Longmeadow last week, Catholic Memorial endures another long drive up to New Hampshire . This week, however, the long drive back won’t be a pleasant one. I think Guertin upends the Knights bid for a perfect season. Guertin has spanked all its opponents so far, outscoring teams by an average of 39 points per game.

Carraggi – Catholic Memorial's win over Longmeadow was impressive, but Bishop Guertin is truly among the best New Hampshire has to offer. If the Knights pull off the upset, they will come back to West Roxbury as a legitimate threat to Xaverian's Catholic Conference stranglehold. But I wouldn't count on that.

SIDELINE PERSPECTIVE

Click on the following link to view postgame reaction from Franklin's Brad Sidwall, Matt Carini and Nick Colson on their win last week over Foxboro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxcWrBxC_Qw

At the beginning of the season, Burlington coach Shawn Maguire knew that his team would experience growing pains. However, those pains have been relatively dormant so far. The Red Devils are 4-1 on the young season and have impressive wins over Woburn and Belmont. Those young players, who Maguire knew would need to produce, have. Against Woburn, sophomore Kyle Shields rushed for 205 yards and four scores. With the early success, Burlington has gained a lot of confidence. The Red Devils will have to use that confidence in the next three weeks. Burlington faces Melrose this week before facing Watertown and Reading the next two.

Of the six teams that allow the least points per game in Eastern Mass., four of them are in Division 2 (King Philip, Natick, Reading and Walpole). Tri-county and Westwood are the other two.

Of the top five teams in scoring average, four of them hail from Division 2 (Natick scores 37.4 ppg, which is tied with Holliston for highest average, Reading, King Philip and Mansfield).

In three games prior to its match against Waltham, Arlington allowed a total of 48 points. Against Waltham, the Spy Ponders allowed 56.

Plymouth teams (North and South) have a 9-0 combined record and have recorded four shut outs.

Cape Ann Large teams have a combined record of 20-5.

While Division 2 boasts many of the top teams in Eastern Mass., it also has six winless teams.

As we send out an APB for Tom Brady.....

One of the most exciting aspects of Division 1 football this year has been the addition of the Merrimack Valley Conference (Large). Billerica, Chelmsford, Central Catholic and Andover all stand tall at 4-1, but with league play starting up, that will all change.

The MVC was already so powerful that the MIAA broke up the conference into the Large and the Small, the latter of which resides in Division 2. Maybe the powers that be should break the Division 1's portion into a MVC (Supersize)?

Please note that, unlike other conferences, the Large will not have a champion based off league record, but instead league points. A Large team that defeats a Small team gets one point, and a victory against a fellow Large team gets two points. At the end of the season, the Large team with the most points gets in.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR...

Game of the week:

(Nonleague) – Xaverian at Everett, Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Any swagger that the Crimson Tide may have lost over the last season-and-a-half could be earned back with a win over top-ranked Xaverian. The Hawks have been the favorites to win the division since training camp, and as long as they don't get completely annihilated, they should remain the favorites.

As far as the X's and O's go, Everett has a little less size in the trenches than in the past, which may present matchup nightmares against Xaverian's line of wooly mammoths. The Hawks should feature a steady diet of running backs Joe Colton and Matt Tuleja to begin the game, and when the linebackers start cheating up, quarterback Alex Phelan may see an opportunity to show off his golden arm.

Everett has won the first two of a three-game Catholic Conference gauntlet, but this will be its toughest test. Linebacker Mike LaRochelle could be a key defensive player for the Tide in this one, as Phelan will go across the middle as often as he will down the sidelines. Everett's running back by committee will keep fresh bodies in the backfield, but 6-5, 280-pound Cam Colwell will swallow up gaps, allowing linebackers Mike Hyatt and Cal Cuff to get to business.

Others to watch:

(Nonleague) – Brockton at Pinkerton (N.H.), Saturday at 1 p.m.

Just minutes away from yours truly, powerhouse Pinkerton Academy is to New Hampshire what Brockton is to Massachusetts. And you thought all the Granite State had to offer was dashing high school sports reporters.

(Nonleague) – Catholic Memorial at Bishop Guertin (N.H.), Friday at 7 p.m.

Think Expedia.com knows CM coach Alex Campea by name? Of course, the Longmeadow trip makes the visit to Bishop Guertin seem like a hop, skip, and jump away. And don't forget to add this juggernaut to the list of top teams up north. The 6-0 Cardinals have outscored opponents by an average score of 43-4. CM is officially for real is they pull this one off.

(Merrimack Valley Large) – Chelmsford at Andover, Friday at 7 p.m.

Andover has not beaten Chelmsford since 1998, and in the last 26 years are 4-21-1 against the Lions.

This game could have huge implications in deciding who will be the champion of the quietly dominant Merrimack Valley Conference (Large). Both squads are 4-1 and facing another MVC (Large) team for the first time this year.

GOING FOR TWO

Every week, your trusty, neighborhood reporter covers one or two games a week. This year, we’ll be breaking the game down and making observations in ways that the hectic weekend schedule does not allow.

Last week's game – Everett 14, BC High 13

As we send out an APB for Tom Brady.....

One of the most exciting aspects of Division 1 football this year has been the addition of the Merrimack Valley Conference (Large). Billerica, Chelmsford, Central Catholic and Andover all stand tall at 4-1, but with league play starting up, that will all change.

The MVC was already so powerful that the MIAA broke up the conference into the Large and the Small, the latter of which resides in Division 2. Maybe the powers that be should break the Division 1's portion into a MVC (Supersize)?

Please note that, unlike other conferences, the Large will not have a champion based off league record, but instead league points. A Large team that defeats a Small team gets one point, and a victory against a fellow Large team gets two points. At the end of the season, the Large team with the most points gets in.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR...

Game of the week:

(Nonleague) – Xaverian at Everett, Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Any swagger that the Crimson Tide may have lost over the last season-and-a-half could be earned back with a win over top-ranked Xaverian. The Hawks have been the favorites to win the division since training camp, and as long as they don't get completely annihilated, they should remain the favorites.

As far as the X's and O's go, Everett has a little less size in the trenches than in the past, which may present matchup nightmares against Xaverian's line of wooly mammoths. The Hawks should feature a steady diet of running backs Joe Colton and Matt Tuleja to begin the game, and when the linebackers start cheating up, quarterback Alex Phelan may see an opportunity to show off his golden arm.

Everett has won the first two of a three-game Catholic Conference gauntlet, but this will be its toughest test. Linebacker Mike LaRochelle could be a key defensive player for the Tide in this one, as Phelan will go across the middle as often as he will down the sidelines. Everett's running back by committee will keep fresh bodies in the backfield, but 6-5, 280-pound Cam Colwell will swallow up gaps, allowing linebackers Mike Hyatt and Cal Cuff to get to business.

Others to watch:

(Nonleague) – Brockton at Pinkerton (N.H.), Saturday at 1 p.m.

Just minutes away from yours truly, powerhouse Pinkerton Academy is to New Hampshire what Brockton is to Massachusetts. And you thought all the Granite State had to offer was dashing high school sports reporters.

(Nonleague) – Catholic Memorial at Bishop Guertin (N.H.), Friday at 7 p.m.

Think Expedia.com knows CM coach Alex Campea by name? Of course, the Longmeadow trip makes the visit to Bishop Guertin seem like a hop, skip, and jump away. And don't forget to add this juggernaut to the list of top teams up north. The 6-0 Cardinals have outscored opponents by an average score of 43-4. CM is officially for real is they pull this one off.

(Merrimack Valley Large) – Chelmsford at Andover, Friday at 7 p.m.

Andover has not beaten Chelmsford since 1998, and in the last 26 years are 4-21-1 against the Lions.

This game could have huge implications in deciding who will be the champion of the quietly dominant Merrimack Valley Conference (Large). Both squads are 4-1 and facing another MVC (Large) team for the first time this year.

GOING FOR TWO

Every week, your trusty, neighborhood reporter covers one or two games a week. This year, we’ll be breaking the game down and making observations in ways that the hectic weekend schedule does not allow.

Last week's game – Everett 14, BC High 13

SIDELINE PERSPECTIVE

*** This segment is a mash up of random thoughts and observations over the past week in High School Football.

One of the biggest surprises so far has been the play of the Watertown Red Raiders. Watertown enters the fifth week of the season with a 4-0 record after defeating Weston 14-10 last week. This is amazing considering the fact that Watertown’s program was so down just a couple years ago that it needed to move out of the Middlesex League and become an independent. Much of the turnaround can be credited to coach John Cacace. Cacace has improved the football culture in Watertown and the system he has implemented has really worked.

After recording one win in the past two years (the win was by forfeit), Brian Chamberlain has Sharon at a .500 record this year (2-2).

King Philip is outscoring its opponents 140-0 in the first half. The Warriors lead Division 2 in scoring offense and scoring defense.

Mansfield has yet to score a point in the third quarter this season.

When Cape Ann (Large) teams are playing at home, they are nearly impossible to beat. Masconomet, Pentucket, Triton, North Andover and Wilmington have a combined 12-1 record at home.

Every team in the Patriot (Keenan) League has at least one victory on the road.

There are seven teams from Division 2 in the Globe's Top 20. Five of those seven are in the Top Ten. Two Division 2A teams are in the Top 20.

As we wonder who got the worst deal: the Patriots going to London or Catholic Memorial going to Longmeadow.....

It took us a couple weeks to crank out the first Division 1 Dish this year, but good things come to those who wait.

With the addition of the Merrimack Valley Conference Large, Division 1 has proved to be even deeper than last year. The MVC Large boasts three Globe Top 20 teams (No. 5 Billerica, No. 17 Chelmsford, and No. 16 Central Catholic), the same amount as the vaunted Catholic Conference (No. 1 Xaverian, No. 15 BC High, and No. 14 Catholic Memorial).

In addition to those heavyweights, D-1 is also home to No. 2 Brockton and No. 8 Everett, a pair of perennial EMass contenders.

If the past four weeks have taught us anything, it's that anything can happen. We've had defending champion BC High stumble out of the gate, last year's laughingstock Medford climb out of the gutter, and even the Detroit Lions won a game. (Oh, wait. Detroit isn't a high school team?)

With league schedules just starting to kick into gear for most of squads, there is much to be won and lost. In essence, the season is just starting.

And remember to check back all season as we review the week that was, preview the week that will be, and toss in a couple of trick or treats along the way.

(NOTE: If you might recall, last year the top individual performances in Division 1 would get a shout-out in this space. This year, we encourage you to read about the shining stars in every Monday's edition of The Boston Globe.)

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR....

Game of the week:

(Nonleague) – BC High at Everett, Saturday at 2 p.m.
Thanks to question marks on both teams, this grudge match isn’t quite as juicy as it should be. Last year, Everett beat the Eagles in the regular season, only to be bounced by the eventual champs in the semi-finals. Now both teams hook up having lost a combined three games after losing just two in the entire regular season last season.

Still, both programs boast some of the best coaching minds in the state, along with enough talent to make most teams green with envy. Neither team has enjoyed the success they envisioned at the season’s start, but we may still have another potential postseason matchup on our hands.

Falmouth pulled off the upset, going into BC High and defeating the defending Division 1 champs, 22-20.

Jordan Ervin and John Lavin stuffed BC High's Preston Cooper on what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion with 1:25 left in the game.

Nelson Baptiste scored on two long touchdown runs for Falmouth.

The loss drops No. 9 BC High to 2-2, while upstart Falmouth is riding high at 4-0.

At halftime, No. 4 Walpole is holding off Wellesley, 12-0, in a Bay State Herget matchup of 3-0 teams.

Ryan Izzo (who else?) has scored twice for the Rebels, once from nine yards out and once from 66 yards. Izzo has now accounted for 575 points in his career, tying the immortal Joe Fuller of Greater Lowell for second place on the Massachusetts all-time scoring list.

Up north, No. 5 Billerica leads No. 8 Dracut, 14-7. Sophomore quarterback Nick LaSpada, looking for revenge after getting ravaged by Dracut's defense last year, has thrown for a score and intercepted another.

Thanks to Mother Nature, this weekend's slate of high school football games is in constant flux.

In addition to Brockton at St. John's Prep being moved to Sunday at 3 p.m., tomorrow's Gloucester at Beverly game has been moved to Sunday at 2 p.m.

If you are a coach and your game has been rescheduled, please contact us at 617-929-2860.

Keep checking back tonight as we update you on some of the biggest games that are still being played.

DANVERS -- St. John's Prep couldn't muster much of anything in the way of offense and a young Everett squad did enough to help the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide emerge with a 17-7 triumph at Cronin Stadium.

Manny Asprilla scored his second touchdown of the game -- this one a 4-yard jaunt -- on the first play of the fourth quarter to put the Tide out front by two scores. It seemed like an insurmountable margin for a Prep offense that couldn't get its option game going.

Sure enough, the Prep fumbled the ball away with less than five minutes to play on an errant option toss and Rodman Noel recovered at the Eagles 23.

In a microcosm of the game, the Tide marched to the Prep 3, but couldn't get into the end zone and simply settled for letting the clock run out in a rather anticlimactic nonleague clash.

But a win is a win for a rebuilding Tide squad, particularly after last year's upset win by the Prep in Everett.

We'll have highlights and postgame reaction a little later this afternoon. Stay tuned.

SECOND-HALF UPDATES

Final: Everett 17, Prep 7.

More to come.

***

Everett 17, SJP 7 (10:54, 4th)

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Manny Asprilla takes a pitch back for a 4-yard TD.

***

Playing it a little closer to the vest than previous years' teams, Everett still boasts a 10-7 advantage over a St. John's Prep squad struggling to generate offense at halftime here at Cronin Stadium.

Everett still has its hallmark big-play ability and Manuel Asprilla took the second play of the Tide's second drive (an inside reverse) 65 yards for the game's first score.

But when an Everett signature lengthy trek stalled inside the red zone later in the half, the Tide elected for the boot and freshman Gully DeSouza kicked a 20-yard field goal for a 10-0 advantage midway through the second quarter.

That seemed like it might be enough against a stagnant Prep offense.

St. John's Prep mustered (by our unofficial halftime tally) 71 yards of total offense in the first half, 48 of which came on a touchdown trot by George Sessoms, in which the bowling ball of a back spun through a pack of Everett tacklers en route to the end zone with three minutes to play in the second quarter.

The Prep took over on the Everett 37 with little less than a minute to play in the half after forcing a turnover on downs (a 4th-and-1 stop), but couldn't cash in (despite getting a receiver behind coverage on a wheel play on first down.

More to come in the second half.

FIRST-HALF UPDATES

HALFTIME: Everett 10, SJP 7

Tide turn the ball over on downs late in their own territory, but Prep can't turn it into points.

Everett 10, SJP 7 (3:00, 2nd)

George Sessons spins his way to through a 48-yard TD run. A jolt of momentum for the Prep, but the Eagles need a stop before the half.

***

Everett 10, SJP 0 (5:44, 2nd)

Gully DeSouza boots a 20-yard field goal for the Tide. An amazing grab by Matt Costello on the drive. Can't wait to provide the video.

***

END of 1st QUARTER: Everett 7, SJP 0

Fast-moving first quarter. Not a lot of offense from the Prep.

***

Everett 7, SJP 0 (0:59, 1st)

Manuel Asprilla takes an inside reverse 65 yards for the game's first score.

***

We're making the trek north to Danvers for two reasons today: 1) To watch 11th-ranked Everett visit St. John's Prep and 2) We hear the lines at the new Sonic in Peabody have finally calmed down and it's time to (finally) enjoy some chili cheese tater tots.

So stick with us throughout the afternoon for updates from today's nonleague clash (and to see if we wash it all down with an Oreo Sonic Blast).

More to come from Cronin Memorial Stadium around kickoff (1:30 p.m.)

BROCKTON -- Top-ranked Xaverian struck for two touchdowns less than five minutes apart in the second half and escaped with a 14-7 triumph over host and second-ranked Brockton Friday night at Marciano Stadium.

In what has become one of the state's top nonleague rivalries, the two football powerhouses engaged in a defensive battle with the title of Eastern Mass.'s top dog (early season, anyhow) at stake.

Despite mustering little in the way of offense in the first half, Xaverian put together a sustained scoring drive late in the third quarter (capped by an 18-yard touchdown reception by Joe Colton on a screen pass from Alex Phelan with 15 seconds to play in the frame), then watched Chris Tamasi punctuate their next offensive series with a 25-yard touchdown run with 6:35 to play.

"It was an off-counter pitch, where the quarterback pulls the ball from the running back and has me out on the pitch," said Tamasi. "The pitch was there, the guy downfield was thrown off, so the whole field was open. I just kept running, i wanted it bad."

How did all that open field look?

"It looked damn nice," said Tamasi with a wide smile.

Brockton's next possession sputtered early and a miscommunication led the team to go for a fake punt on 4th and 14 from its own 33. A pass attempt fell short and, while the Boxers would get the ball back with 2:23 to go and one last chance, they never came close to tying the game.

"Those are the kind of football games that Xaverian and Brockton have been playing for a long time," said Xaverian coach Charlie Stevenson. "The intensity and phsyicality of the game was really high tonight and we were very fortunate that we came out in the second half and we were really able to put our act together better than the first half."

Check out video highlights inside this entry (more to come in a bit), and check out postgame reaction video at the top.

SECOND-HALF UPDATES

Xaverian forces a turnover on downs and will win this game, 14-7. More to come postgame.

***

Boxers with a final chance. They have ball at own 37 with 1:03 to play.

***

Brockton fake punt fails at own 33. X with the ball with 3:20 to go.

***

Xaverian TD: Chris Tamasi 25-yard run. Hawks up, 14-7, with 6:25 to go.

***

End of 3rd quarter: Tied, 7-7.

Offley, who was examined by the trainer (shoulder) during Xaverian's last drive is back on the field for Brickton's current drive.

***

Xaverian TD: Joe Colton 18-yard TD reception on a screen pass from Alex Phelan. Tied with 29 seconds to go in third quarter. Six-play, 67-yard scoring drive.

***

Second half underway. Brockton punts on 1st possession.

Defense the story of the first half, but Brockton puts together a 12-play, 56-yard scoring drive late in the half after recovering a Xaverian fumble and Trevon Offley scores on a four-yard pitch on fourth down to put the Boxers out front, 7-0, at the intermission.

FIRST-HALF UPDATES

Trevon Offley 4-yard TD run on fourth down. Brockton, 7-0, 3:03 to go in first half.

***

End of the 1st quarter ... Scoreless. Defenses owning this game.

***

Xaverian with ball at its own 47 and a new set of downs with 1:48 to go in the first quarter.

***

Xaverian fumbles away first possession, but doesn't hurt the Hawks.

Scoreless, late first quarter.

***

BROCKTON -- We'll be live from Marciano Stadium tonight where No. 1 Xaverian visits No. 2 Brockton in an early season, nonleague showdown of area powers.

It's a lovely day in these parts right now. Temperature hanging in the low 60s as the sun begins to fade, but temperatures will drop into the 50s by game time. Virtually no chance of precipitation.

Remember to check back later tonight for video highlights from the game (we might even try to sneak something up at halftime).

Back with more after kickoff.

It's been too long since we checked in with our friends in Central Mass. to see how teams in that part of the state were faring early in the 2009 football season.

Here's the latest Telegram & Gazette media poll and, honestly, we're not posting this to revel in the fact that the Auburn Dandies* are No. 2:

Dropped out: Shrewsbury (0-2)

Also receiving votes (record, points): Groton-Dunstable (2-0, 8), David Prouty (2-0, 1), Nashoba (1-1, 1).

(*Note: This alumnus fully understands Auburn's nickname is the Rockets. We're all about history here).

No. 1 vs. No. 2. These are the weekends we live for as high school football fans.

After a few early season appetizers, we get our first legitimate blockbuster of the 2009 season when No. 1 Xaverian visits No. 2 Brockton tonight at Marciano Stadium. You can read all about the game in this morning's Globe.

What's more, we'll be live in Brockton tonight with in-game updates and video highlights from tonight's tilt. Be sure to check back throughout the evening for coverage.

But before we dive into the action, here's this week's predictions:

• No. 1 Xaverian (2-0) over No. 2 BROCKTON (2-0)

  It'd be too easy to dismiss Brockton's chances after last week's struggles against Taunton. Did the Boxers get caught looking ahead? Maybe a little, particularly coming off an opening-week triumph over defending Division 1 Super Bowl champion BC High. But take away last year's lopsided loss and the Boxers have always made this one competitive and entertaining (in fact, Brockton won the previous four meetings, including a battle in the 2005 Super Bowl). Now, all that said, we ranked Xaverian No. 1 for a reason. And we fully expect the Hawks will show why when they march out of Marciano with a hard-fought victory.

• No. 8 Mansfield (2-0) over No. 16 FRANKLIN (2-0)

  Hard to ignore the fact that Franklin is averaging 32.5 points per game through two wins, but in the same breath Mansfield is averaging 37.5 points per game and has given up only a single touchdown. We're mighty high on these Hornets and think they remain the team to beat in an absolutely stacked Hockomock League.

• No. 18 Acton-Boxboro (1-1) over No. 9 BC HIGH (1-1)

  We'll take the upset here. Having seen both of BC High's games this season, we think the Eagles are still finding their legs on defense (graduation hit really hard on Morrissey Blvd.) Springfield Central showed an ability to move the ball -- particularly through the air -- against them last week and we think Acton-Boxborough could put some points on the board with a balanced attack. The key for the Colonials is being able to slow BC High's running game. A-B can't let the Eagles eat up the clock with sustained drives that often ended with Ra'ees Wingard in the end zone last week.

• No. 5 Dracut (2-0) over CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-1)

  Fresh off an upset of St. John's Prep, we're simply not sure that Central Catholic has another one in them. As good as the Raiders have been on defense, they're simply unfit to put up the type of points necessary to compete with a team like Dracut. The Middies find the end zone enough tonight to easily emerge with the W.

• No. 4 Everett (1-1) over No. 10 ST. JOHN'S PREP (1-1)

  1) We can't envision an Everett team starting the season 1-2. 2) We can't imagine the Tide has forgotten about last season's shocker. We think the Tide get back on track and emerge with a victory that helps a young team start to mold.

Last week: 7-2 (.778)
Year to date: 13-5 (.722)
Career to date: 381-137 (.736)

On a personal note, this will be the final Forsberg 5 in this space. It's been an amazing experience covering high school sports here on Boston.com for the past three-plus years (and dating back to my days as a college co-op with the Globe). I'm certain I'll be tossing the keys to a more-than-capable colleague who will keep this space (along with the Boston.com High School Sports Page vibrant and informative. Thanks for indulging me in all the shenanigans we engaged in in this space, particularly the Monday football recap columns from past years. Thanks, too, to all the athletic directors, coaches, players, and parents that made this such an enjoyable part of my job.

BC High scored on every possession but its final one (a series of kneeldowns running out the final two minutes) with junior running back Ra'ess Wingard rushing for five scores as the No. 9 Eagles topped visiting Springfield Central, 42-14, at Viola Stadium.

The final score isn't quite indicative of how the game played out, though Springfield Central's inability to at least slow BC High surely turned this battle of Eagles into a laugher. Facing a pivotal fourth down on the opening series of the second half, Springfield Central watched senior quarterback D'Shane Smith float a desperation 11-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Damien Jones to slice BC High's lead to 21-14 with 5:20 to go in the third quarter.

BC High wasted little time putting the game away. Wingard scored his fourth touchdown of the day on an 11-yard jaunt less than two minutes later. The Western Mass.-based Eagles quickly went 3-and-out and Wingard found pay dirt again early in the fourth frame for a 35-14 advantage.

The wheels came off for Springfield Central. After its offense sputtered on the ensuing drive, the Golden Eagles attempted to punt the ball out from the shadow of their own end zone. The punter had to go low to scoop a low snap and put his knee on the ground, forcing a turnover on downs at the 5.

Fullback Chris Besse rumbled in from 4 yards with 4:54 to go to cap the scoring.

Check out highlights at the top of the blog (we'll have more from Andrew Tallman later), or read the game blog below.

FINAL: BC High 42, SC 14
BC High wins it easily. More to come in a bit, including a Q&A with Andrew Tallman.

BC High 42, SC 14 (4:54, 4th)
This one has turned into a laugher. Fullback Chris Besse plows in from 4 yards for the Eagles.

BC High 35, SC 14 (8:55, 4th)
BC High forces a punt, then punches in another score when -- surprise, surprise -- Wingard takes a fourth-down toss in from the 1. That's now five touchdowns on the day for Wingard.

BC High 28, SC 14 (3:11, 3rd)
First team to show a semblance of defense is going to win this one. Eagles respond with a fast scoring drive, capped by an 11-yard TD run by Wingard (following the block of Tallman). Wingard with four TDs today.

BC High 21, SC 14 (5:20, 3rd)
Damien Jones hauls in an 11-yard TD pass from D'Shane Smith on fourth down as SC crawls within a score.

HALFTIME: BC High 21, SC 8
Springfield Central dented the scoreboard and their deficit as senior Nathan Shea turned on the jets along the sideline off a little swing pass and rumbled for a 58-yard score with 2:55 to play in the half. Central added a 2-point conversion rush to make it a six-point game.

Unfazed, BC High, despite its run-heavy offense, showed it can move quick by marching right back upfield and junior running back Ra'ess Wingard scored his third touchdown of the half on a 1-yard plunge with 47 ticks remaining for a 21-8 advantage.

Wingard now has 101 yards on 13 trots with three touchdowns. What's more, BC High has only had the ball for three possessions. Take away an interception thrown by Springfield Central to end the half and the only possession not to end in a score came when Central turned the ball over on downs at the BC 2 late in the first quarter.

Lot of offense -- particularly on the ground for BC High -- and not a lot of defense out there today.

Back with more later in the second half. Remember to check back later for some game highlights and more on Miami-bound Andrew Tallman.

BC High 14, SC 0 (4:57, 2nd)
After a goal line stand, BC High marches 98 yards on 14 plays culminating with a 1-yard plunge by Wingard. The 5-8 junior back has 100 yards and two TDs on 12 trots on two possesions. SC simply can't match BC's size up front.

BC High 7, SC 0 (5:04, 1st)
Ra'ess Wingard caps a long opening scoring trek for the Eagles with a 19-yard touchdown run. All 56 yards of the drive came on the ground.

***

Greetings from sun-splashed James Cotter Field at Viola Stadium, where No. 9 BC High hosts Springfield Central in a nonleague clash at 1:30 p.m.

We're here for two reasons: 1) To see if the Eagles can rebound from last week's loss to No. 2 Brockton and maybe get a better read -- given the better conditions -- on just how good the Eagles could be this fall and 2) To really focus on Miami-bound Andrew Tallman. Earlier this week, Tallman verbally committed to The U and he's an interesting story given his lack of game action at the high school level.

The plan is to get some video of today's action, including Tallman, and we'll pass that along after the game. We'll also try to post some in-game updates from this one.

Keep an eye on today's scoreboard for more results, particularly from tonight when a number of top 20 squads are in action (including an intriguing Everett-Dracut matchup).

Back with more throughout the day.

Senior captain Wayne Bolz returned an interception 50 yards for the deciding score late in the third quarter as No. 6 Billerica edged host Woburn, 20-14, in a nonleague clash.

Woburn's Justin Flores scored two touchdowns, including a 70-yard jaunt little more than a minute into the third frame to give Woburn its only lead, but the Indians tied the game on a 25-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Nick LaSpada to junior wide receiver Ryan Donahoe a short time after.

In the fourth frame, Donahoe intercepted an errant offering from Woburn QB Joe Burnham at the Billerica 33 with 2:05 remaining to help seal the victory.

"We needed a big play and as a senior captain, I wanted to step up and make that play," said Bolz.

Check out the highlights at the top of this entry. You can also peruse the game blog below.

GAME BLOG

Donahoe INT

Ryan Donahoe INT at Billerica 33 with 2:05 remaining. Indians can put it away with a first down or two.

Billerica 20, Woburn 14 (3:46, 3rd)
Wayne Bolz 50-yard INT return for Indians. Billerica back on top, but missed PAT.

Woburn 14, Billerica 14 (8:11, 3rd)
Billerica answers quickly with a 25-yard TD chuck from LaSpada to Clark.

Woburn 14, Billerica 7 (9:59, 3rd)
Justin Flores bursts through the line on a 70-yard TD run just over a minute into the second half.

Halftime recap / analysis
Billerica can't be happy with how things stand after dominating the early portion of the first quarter and settling for a 7-7 tie with host Woburn at the break.

The sixth-ranked Indians easily marched down the field on their first possession and a 25-yard pass from Nick LaSpada to Jimmy Holland set up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Chris Clark less than three minutes in.

Billerica got the ball back with quality field position and again marched. But a short touchdown run was negated when a lineman tried to help push the ball carrier into the end zone. The Indians ultimately turned the ball over on downs at the Woburn 2.

The Tanners showed more life after the stop and mounted a 74-yard scoring drive late in the second quarter capped by a 4-yard run by Justin Flores with 3:23 to go.

A previously fast-moving game then ground to a halt. Zach Thomas picked off LaSpada near midfield and Woburn looked to take a lead, but the Tanners were intercepted on a long chuck to the end zone.

Taking over with 44 ticks left, Billerica fearlessly marched to the Tanners 15 before LaSpada was again picked as time expired.

More to come in the second half.

HALFTIME: Billerica 7, Woburn 7
Scoring chances for both teams before the break, but three interceptions highlight a second quarter that slowed to a grind. More thoughts to come.

Billerica 7, Woburn 7 (3:23, 2nd)
Flores caps a 74-yard trek with a 4-yard TD run to tie the game.

Billerica had a second score erased by a penalty in the first quarter. Now it's a game as halftime nears.

Billerica 7, Woburn 0 (7:55, 1st)
LaSpada 25-yard chuck to Holland sets up a 1-yard TD plunge by Clark on opening drive.

***

We're en route to Woburn, where the Tanners host No. 6 Billerica in a nonleauge clash this evening. The plan will be to check in with occasional scoring updates. After the game, we'll check back with a longer recap / analysis and post video highlights from the game.

In the meantime, keep an eye on tonight's scoreboard for the latest results and box scores as they roll in.

Tony Wood paces the sideline for Bishop Feehan. (Robert E. Klein / Globe File Photo)

A lackluster 2-2 performance in last night's Forsberg 5 (one game got pushed to tonight) leaves us scrambling like a true gambler to recover our losses. That doesn't happen very often in real life, so let's see if the prep gridiron is friendlier than your neighborhood casino.

In advance of tonight's games, here are five more predictions (starting with the game postponed to tonight):

• No. 6 Billerica (1-0) over WOBURN (0-1)

  After a rare rebuilding year, it seems Woburn is back on the right path, having taken Acton-Boxborough to the wire last week. Now we just need to see if this is the Billerica squad that shined through the first six games of last season, or the one that faltered down the stretch, dropping four of five to end the year. If healthy, the Indians appear to be the real deal again and their young team continues to mold tonight with a win over the gritty Tanners.

• NORTH ATTLEBORO (1-0) over No. 14 Bishop Feehan (1-0)

  Can't help but wonder if we should have ranked North Attleboro this week. The Red Rocketeers were technically 8-2 last season and won the Hockomock League title (once the Mansfield penalty was handed down). Their only losses came to Feehan (which ironically lost to Mansfield in the opening round of the playoffs) and Attleboro. What's more, North Attleboro brought back a solid nucleus of talent this fall and flattened Wakefield, 34-13, on opening night. Well, one surefire way to at least get us to consider you in our rankings is to beat a ranked team, which might just happen tonight (though, Feehan brought back many of its weapons from last year's playoff squad).

• No. 8 MANSFIELD (1-0) over Minnechaug (1-0)

  Speaking of Mansfield... the Hornets couldn't find a taker for their Week 2 vacancy (and, after a 34-0 blanking of Dartmouth in Week 1, it's easy to see why schools weren't exactly lining up for a crack). Instead, Mansfield turned what would normally be a scrimmage into a game and, well, it could very well look like a scrimmage if things go like they did last week for the Hornets.

• No. 2 Brockton (1-0) over Taunton (0-1)

  A slam dunk you say? Well, OK, we agree. But we like to applaud any team that plays at 6 p.m. on these busy Friday nights. Let's utilize the sunlight while we've got it, people. Long winter ahead.

• Martha's Vineyard (0-1) over Charlestown (0-1)

  Call it a hunch, but we'll take the Vineyarders, 2-0. The Globe's Bob Holmes provides the real scoop:

  It was a strange week for the Martha's Vineyard football team. On Wednesday the school got word that it would play Providence Country Day on Nov. 21. That game replaces the annual Island Bowl against Nantucket. But the next day the news wasn't so good. Charlestown had to forfeit its game Friday against the Vineyard because the team had less than 10 healthy bodies. Officially, Martha's Vineyard is 1-1 and will have another week before playing its first-ever Eastern Athletic Conference game at home against Coyle & Cassidy.

Week to date: 2-2
Year to date: 6-3

BB&N football coach John Papas relayed that Stanford-bound tight end Blake Barker will participate in the 2010 Under-Armour All-American Game on Jan. 2, in Orlando. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN.

What's more Papas will serve as an assistant coach in the game.

Swampscott meets Winchester tonight. (Aram Boghosian / Globe Photo)

Rosh Hashanah seems like Christmas for high school football fans as the Jewish New Year ushers in a robust slate of games tonight on what otherwise would be a quiet evening for the sport.

In celebration, we've cooked up a special Rosh Hashanah edition of the Forsberg 5 with five games from tonight's menu (home teams in caps; NOTE: Billerica-Woburn has been moved to Friday). Also, be sure to check out the picks by Globe High School Sports Editor Bob Holmes.

Mazel tov!

• No. 16 ACTON-BOXBOROUGH (1-0) over No. 15 Chelmsford (1-0)

  One of our favorite games of the year. This one never, ever disappoints. This year, we're eager to get a better read on these two teams as both squads struggled slightly in Week 1 (Chelmsford edged Waltham, while Acton-Boxborough slipped past Woburn). Chelmsford QB Sean Harrington is an intriguing player, particularly after leg injuries sidelined him the past two seasons. But he's 6-foot-3, 220 pounds with plenty of potential. Acton-Boxborough seems to boast some returning talent (and big boys) in the trenches. Aided by that -- and home-field advantage at Leary Field -- we'll give the nod to the Colonials (though, as usual, there's no way this game is decided by anything more than a touchdown).

• No. 3 Walpole (1-0) over MILTON (1-0)

  If Ryan Izzo runs for 163 yards on 28 carries with a bum shoulder, what's he capable of with two healthy head holsters? We probably won't find out for sure for a couple more weeks, but whatever he's able to offer should be enough to get his Rebels past Milton. After reading about the Wildcats' win over Brookline in Week 1, the key for Walpole seems to be not putting the ball on the ground or Daejon Simpson might return it for a touchdown (as he did twice last week).

• No. 5 READING (1-0) over No. 19 Masconomet (1-0)

  It's hard to recall now given all their success last season, but Masconomet lost its first three games of the 2008 campaign, while loading up their schedule with competitive games. Fast-forward to 2009 and the challenges are still there, including a Week 1 tussle with Division 1 Lowell (a 35-12 triumph). The playing field is leveled slightly this week (the Rockets compete in Division 2), but Reading is ranked No. 5 for a reason. The two-headed monster of Tino Perrina and Ryan Pollock prove too much for the Chieftains to contain.

• No. 10 St. John's Prep (1-0) over CENTRAL CATHOLIC (0-1)

  The kids at Xaverian were quite complimentary of Central Catholic after the two teams scrimmaged at a preseason football camp in the woods of New Hampshire, but the Raiders stumbled out of the gates, falling to Marlborough in their opener. Coach Chuck Adamopolous always has his troops in the mix, but graduation hit hard and we're simply not sure this team is at a point to compete with the Prep quite yet. As usual, St. John's Prep has plenty of individual skill position talent like running backs George Sessoms and Tyler Coppola, while QB Chris Coady had an impressive debut last week vs. Peabody.

• No. 6 Billerica (1-0) over WOBURN (0-1)

  After a rare rebuilding year, it seems Woburn is back on the right path, having taken Acton-Boxborough to the wire last week. Now we just need to see if this is the Billerica squad that shined through the first six games of last season, or the one that faltered down the stretch, dropping four of five to end the year. If healthy, the Indians appear to be the real deal again and their young team continues to mold tonight with a win over the gritty Tanners.

Last week: 4-1
Year to date: 4-1

South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Shandel Richardson, the paper's University of Miami beat writer, relays to us this afternoon that BC High's Andrew Tallman has committed to the Hurricanes. He is the school's 17th commitment for the 2010 season.

Andrew Tallman (Globe File)

The 6-foot-6, 260-pound tight end / defensive end only appeared in the final two games of BC High's Super Bowl season a year ago and saw even less action his sophomore year.

Even still, Tallman -- a Malden native -- hauled in offers from Miami, Virginia, Utah, Southern Methodist and Tulane.

Why the interest? As colleague Brendan Hall noted in a recent Globe North feature: [Tallman] can play on the interior, runs a 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds, and does sprint hurdle events for the Eagles' track-and-field squads.

Tallman was an All-Scholastic for spring track in discus. Here's his bio:

Tallman was impressive all season in the circle, winning the State Coaches meet (162-5) and the Division 1 meet (162-9). He shattered the previous All-State record of 176-4 with a throw of 178 feet, out-throwing the field by nearly 12 feet.

Our friends at Eastern Bank passed along the final version of the commercial that includes members of the Everett football team (and scenes from their scrimmage vs. Lynn English). The commercial is very well done and it's nice to see our local athletes in the spotlight.

We've got some behind-the-scenes video that colleague Julian Benbow captured during the filming. We'll post some of that later this week.

Brockton got an electrifying 76-yard, third-quarter touchdown run by Trevon Offley -- one of his two touchdowns on the night -- and senior defensive end Greg Hilliard returned an interception 16 yards for another score shortly after as the No. 2 Boxers motored away for a 27-3 triumph over host and No. 4 BC High in a rematch of last year's Division 1 Super Bowl.

Photo gallery

"I'm 0 for 3 in this park," said Brockton coach Peter Colombo. "We didn't want to lose three in a row to the same team and they're the defending Super Bowl champs, so it feels good to beat them."

Junior speedster Albert Louis-Jean took the opening kickoff of the second half 92 yards for a score that helped Brockton start stretching out a 7-3 halftime advantage. It was the second special teams breakdown of the night for the Eagles, who fumbled away the game's opening kickoff, allowing the Boxers to strike for an early score three plays later.

"When we went back in the locker room at halftime, all I had on my mind was, 'If I get that ball, I'm bring it back to the house, I'm going to break this game open,' " said Louis-Jean, who was shaken up in the third quarter on a reverse, but looked no worse for the wear after the game. "It felt good, but even then I couldn't relax because it was only 13-3 at that point."

BC High found itself forced to try to pass its way back into the game and -- hindered by the rainy conditions and a graduation-stripped roster -- couldn't muster any sort of offensive consistency.

Even when Brockton's starting quarterback Sam Previte was shaken up in the third frame, freshman Austin Roberts entered and showed poise beyond his years. After Offley's electrifying dash to pay dirt, Roberts floated a 2-point conversion pass to put the Boxers out front, 21-3, with 50 seconds remaining in the quarter.

A blown up screen pass led BC High quarterback Brendan Collins to deliver an ill-advised throw and the 6-foot, 2-inch Hilliard simply stepped in front of the intended receiver before fighting his way through Collins (with help from the linemen that had pressure on the QB) and into the end zone.

For more in-game updates, click "full entry" to see the live blog. Complete game highlights and a photo gallery can be found at the top of this entry.

BC High trumped Brockton in last year's Division 1 Super Bowl. (Barry Chin / Globe Staff)

A new season brings a clean slate for pigskin prognosticators, but totaling up our record from three previous years of prep predictions, we were quite amused to find we've put (un)educated guesses on exactly 500 games.

Each season we set the bar at .750 and last year we missed our goal by a measly win (going 149-50 overall). Even still, we take a great deal of pride in our mark of 368-132 (.736) over the past three years.

Picking games doesn't get any harder than Week 1 when everyone seems like an unknown. It's a lot of guesswork and luck -- though we rely on those assets throughout the year. Here's our take on five of the tonight's biggest games (home teams in caps):

No. 2 Brockton over No. 4 BC HIGH

A Super Bowl rematch to kick off the new season? Not even the NFL could script something like this. So what's changed since the last time these two teams met nine months ago? A lot, actually, and that's why BC High needs to be concerned. Graduation hit the folks in Dorchester (only three returning starters) harder than it did in Brockton. The Boxers bring back much of their defense, and the team's offense features veteran quarterback Sam Previte and junior wide receiver Albert-Louis Jean, who might eventually be the top recruit in all of Massachusetts. Brockton has struggled at Viola Stadium, but not this year.

No. 3 Walpole over No. 20 FRAMINGHAM

If quarterback Sonny Mastromatteo didn't transfer to a prep school and if Ryan Izzo didn't injure his shoulder in the offseason, the Rebels could have easily stated a case to be the preseason No. 1. Instead, we're left wondering if there's a chance for them to struggle out of the gates in 2009. It really doesn't matter, though. Junior running back Troy Salvatore proved last year he's more than a capable backup behind Izzo and the Rebels have enough big-game experience to mask the loss of key players all over the field. (And it helps that Framingham takes a step backwards without All-Scholastic QB Danny Guadagnoli). First-year coach Barry Greener doesn't wait long for win No. 1 with the Rebels.

No. 5 EVERETT over Leominster

Not to wake a potentially sleeping giant, but here are some of the whispers we've heard this preseason: "Everett doesn't deserve to be in the Top 1." Or how about, "I thought I was watching Everett's jayvee team. Their varsity is small." To be fair, Everett's jayvee team would have beat the snot out of most area first teams in recent years. So maybe the bar has simply been set too high in Everett. We'll reserve judgment until we see the Crimson Tide in action. Everett beat Leominster by 30 points last season and, while the Blue Devils are ranked No. 4 in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette's preseason football poll, we're not letting those whispers detour this pick.

No. 7 DUXBURY over Bridgewater-Raynham

It's been a while since Duxbury tasted defeat and, despite that fact, we heard some grumbling about ranking the Green Dragons so high this preseason. The defending Division 2A Super Bowl champs usher in a new season tonight with a visit from an always hard-nosed Bridgewater-Raynham squad. Superstar Shane DiBona graduated, but we see plenty of talent at Duxbury's skill positions. Much like last year's surprise win over Xaverian, we envision the Dragons finding a way to emerge with a narrow victory over a higher division opponent.

No. 10 Mansfield over DARTMOUTH

The headaches and hoopla surrounding Mansfield's march to the Super Bowl last year (which ultimately ended with the team forfeiting wins for using an ineligible player) won't go away this fall because head coach Mike Redding will be suspended for the first four games of the season. What could unfortunately be overlooked is the fact that the Hornets bring back a very talented squad and should make waves for what they do on the field this fall. After three seasons in the sun, Dartmouth comes back to Earth a bit after graduating 18 starters. The Indians should remain competitive, but Mansfield wins the first of four for their sidelined gipper.

2009 season: 0-0
2008 season: 149-50 (.749)
3-year total: 368-132 (.736)

Charlene Larracey found herself struggling to hold back the tears with each word she spoke. A year after tragedy struck the community of Holliston with the sudden passing of her son Joey, the outpouring of support she and her husband Jim receive to this day has yet to slow.

Tonight, it continued with what was being dubbed the First Annual Joey Larracey Bowl, a scrimmage between the Holliston High Panthers and Brookline High Warriors that, for all intents and purposes, was an exhibition merely by name. At this time last year, Joey collapsed suddenly during a scrimmage against Apponequet Regional, and was later pronounced dead. Forty-eight hours after Joey's death, eight-year-old honorary captain Tim O'Connell succumbed to leukemia.

A capacity crowd watched as Jim and Charlene Larracey were presented with a red home jersey bearing his number 73 at the 50-yard line. During the coin toss, Brookline captains Irvin Scott and Arthur Azatyats held up their team's white 73 jersey.

"I'm absolutely overwhelmed. I'm just incredibly proud to be here right now," Charlene said softly from the sidelines, choking up with each word. "I think Joey would be very honored to have this happen to him."

Added Jim, "Holliston is a very special community, and they've been very supportive throughout. You couldn't write enough good things about this team."

And that was just the start.

The Nantucket Boosters Club is sponsoring a cookout Sunday to honor longtime football coach Vito Capizzo. Capizzo was Nantucket's head football coach for 45 years before stepping down this off-season. The cookout will be held on the football field, which will be renamed in his honor at 2 p.m. Nantucket opens at home against Bishop Connolly next Friday.

Walpole senior running back and two-time Globe Player of the Year Ryan Izzo is headed to UMass-Amherst -- to play lacrosse. Izzo, who was a key figure on Walpole's Division 2 state champion lacrosse team, enters this football season as the fourth leading scorer in state history with 506 points. Last fall he led the Rebels to a state title in football as well.

It ain't high school football season until the Brockton Boxers and St. John's of Shrewsbury Pioneers have met -- for me, at least. The two state powerhouses kicked off their annual preseason series (now in its third decade) this morning at Marciano Stadium. This is usually one of the better scrimmages of the preseason, if not for the talent than at least for the familiarity -- St. John's head coach John Andreoli and Brockton's Peter Colombo were teammates at Holy Cross in 1979.

But this had to be one of the most physical battles between the two in recent years. For two teams that have played a combined six practices in pads, they were very aggressive at the line of scrimmage and in the open field. Both teams should benefit down the road from this kind of exposure, particularly the Boxers, who have just three seniors in their starting lineup.

"All in all, I was very satisfied, going against a veteran team that expects to be pretty good," Colombo said. "We got what we needed out of this."

If your team broadcasts games on the radio (or online) and you'd like to send along a schedule, we'll post it in this spot. (Last updated: Sept. 7, 2009):

Our friends at MWLSports.com passed along the following:

Sept. 11 -- Wareham at Taunton, 7 p.m. (mwlsports.com)
Sept. 18 -- Taunton at Brockton, 6 p.m. (mwlsports.com)
Sept. 19 -- Coyle-Cassidy at Middleboro, 1 p.m. (WVBF 1530 AM)
Sept. 25 -- Taunton at Durfee, 7 p.m. (mwlsports.com)
Oct. 2 -- Barnstable at Taunton, 7 p.m. (mwlsports.com)
Oct. 9 -- Taunton at Dartmouth, 7 p.m. (mwlsports.com)
Oct. 16 -- Attleboro at Taunton, 7 p.m. (mwlsports.com)
Oct. 17 -- Coyle-Cassidy at Bishop Feehan, 1 p.m. (WVBF 1530 AM)
Nov. 6 -- New Bedford at Taunton, 7 p.m. (WSAR 1480 AM/mwlsports.com)
Nov. 13 -- Taunton at B-R, 7 p.m. (WSAR 1480 AM/ mwlsports.com)
Nov. 26 -- Taunton vs. Coyle-Cassidy 10 am (WVBF 1530 AM / mwlsports.com)

Our friends at WNTN passed along the following:

Sept. 11 -- Newton North at Natick, 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 -- Newton South at Arlington, 6 p.m.
Sept. 17 -- Newton South at Wayland, 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 -- Newton North vs. Framingham, TBA (recorded)
Sept. 25 -- Newton North at Walpole, 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 -- Newton South vs. Concord-Carlisle, 7 p.m. (recorded)
Oct. 2 -- Newton North at Needham, 7 p.m.
Oct. 9 -- Newton South at Weston, 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 -- Newton North at Wellesley, 6 p.m. (recorded)
Oct. 16 -- Newton South vs. Bedford, 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 -- Newton North at Braintree, 7 p.m.
Oct. 30 -- Newton South at Boston Latin, 7 p.m.
Oct. 31 -- Newton North vs. Milton, 6 p.m. (recorded)
Nov. 6 -- Newton South vs. Waltham, 7 p.m.
Nov. 7 -- Newton North vs. Dedham, 4:30 p.m. (recorded)
Nov. 13 -- Newton South at Acton-Boxboro, 7 p.m.
Nov. 14 -- Newton North vs. Norwood, 4:30 p.m. (recorded)
Nov. 26 -- Newton North at Brookline, 4:30 p.m. (recorded)
Nov. 26 -- NS vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, 7 p.m. (recorded)

BC High celebrates its Division 1 Super Bowl victory at Gillette Stadium. (Barry Chin / Globe File)

The high school football season is officially upon us as teams across the state opened practice today. It's a bit of a soft launch, however, as teams must conduct three days of conditioning (non-contact, non-pads) sessions before launching into the more grueling two-a-days the end-of-August calendar. All of this ramping up to the first full slate of games on Friday, Sept. 11.

Our plan is to start visiting camps this week and we'll start a revamped Postcards from Camp series next Monday and run up until the Globe's football preview in September.

We'll have more details on what to expect as we get going. For now, be sure to check out all of our content from last season to get yourself ready for the 2009 campaign.

BB&N RB Derek Papagianopoulos runs against Lawrence Academy. (Jay Connor / Globe File)

BB&N coach John Papas passed along some summer news on a pair of the school's multi-sport standouts:

Derek Papagianopoulos finished fifth in the heavyweight class at the National Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Fargo, N.D., earning All-American status and producing the best finish of a Massachusetts grappler. Papagianopoulos, a 5-10, 245-pound RB/LB during the football season, remains undecided on his college choice, but Papas relays that he'd like to tackle both wrestling and football at at Ivy League school.

Alex Farkes verbally committed to a baseball scholarship at Penn State. Farkes is a 6-4, 215-pound catcher, who drew diamond interest from schools like Boston College, Virginia, and Vanderbilt. Farkes is also a standout outside linebacker for Papas and enjoyed gridiron interest from the likes of Rutgers and Duke.

"Derek and Alex are great examples of how the multi-sport athlete is still favored by college recruiters," Papas said via e-mail. "Both guys are outstanding athletes in two sports and, as a result, had numerous college options in either/or both sports. Alex has decided on a Big Ten program that he can play at right away. Derek still has some decisions to make, but they're all good. We're really proud of both of them."

Everett's quarterback Joe Conti (14) pitches the ball during a game last season. (Aram Boghosian / Globe File)

The Everett football program won a write-in contest to appear in a TV commercial for Eastern Bank. The Crimson Tide, along with fellow finalist Lynn English, will be filmed for the spot during a preseason scrimmage.

Here's the press release from Eastern Bank:

Everett High School’s football team has thrived on the field for generations, but now that success will be carried over to television after the team won the opportunity to appear in Eastern Bank’s next TV commercial, the bank announced today.

In addition to a little more fame, the school’s athletics department will receive $5,000 for winning the contest, which generated entries from more than two dozen high schools across eastern Massachusetts.

Everett was one of five finalists selected last week. Each finalist underwent site visits by Eastern Bank marketing officers or representatives of its advertising agency and production company. In the end, the competition was so close that the bank awarded two runner-up prizes to Lynn English and Middleboro high schools, whose football teams will be featured in posters in more than 80 branch locations.

Lynn English will also appear briefly in the TV commercial, because it will be filmed playing Everett in a scrimmage. Lynn English will be awarded $2,500, while Middleboro will receive $2,000. The other two finalists, Tewksbury and Hull high schools, earned $1,000 for their athletics departments.

The contest, which ran from July 24 to Aug. 7, asked entrants to answer the question: What makes your team special? Everett’s video entry featured its football players talking about the importance of teamwork, tradition and pride. The team showcased highlights and special moments in Everett’s football history, which dates back to the late 1800s.

“Eastern Bank congratulates Everett High School and every school that entered our contest,” said Richard E. Holbrook, chairman and CEO of Eastern Bank. “After reviewing responses to our question, it became clear to our review committee that each team was special in its own way, so we decided it was appropriate to acknowledge everybody’s efforts.

“As a result, I am happy to announce that we will award more than $20,000 to high school athletics departments in Eastern Massachusetts,” added Holbrook.

The bank announced last week that it decided to reward each qualified, non-finalist entrant with a $500 prize. In order to qualify, applicants needed to answer the question in the form of videos, essays or photos. Most of the entries can be viewed at www.easternbank.com/teamwork and the public is encouraged to follow future updates on Facebook (search “Eastern Bank”).

The commercial, scheduled to launch in mid September, will be part of a broader advertising campaign to illustrate the value Eastern Bank’s team of banking, investment and insurance professionals brings to its customers.

Natick High quarterback Scott McCummings made a verbal commitment to the University of Connecticut at high noon today, officially putting a stamp on a high level interest that had been stirring for a while.

The Huskies first offered a scholarship the 6-foot-2 senior last January, and kept the offer on the table even as other prospects made their commitments, and still other suitors from rival Big East schools came and went on their offers to McCummings. During a visit to the Storrs, Conn. campus this weekend, and following an intrasquad scrimmage, McCummings told offensive line coach Mike Foley of his decision; a half-hour later, he broke the news to head coach Randy Edsall.

"They were so patient with me, and they were the first team to show interest in me," McCummings said tonight via cell phone. "I just felt like they wanted me to be there. They really believe I can be a player that can make a difference in their program. It's nice for them to have that confidence in me."

McCummings joins Doherty linebacker/running back Yawin Smallwood on the list of in-state prospect to commit to the Huskies, and might not be the last. The Huskies have reportedly shown interest in several other highly-touted area prospects, including Brookline quarterback/safety Irvin Scott, Everett safety Rodman Noel and BC High tight end/defensive end Andrew Tallman, though they have not yet offered any of the three.

Aside from the Huskies' early interest in the quarterback, McCummings said the other big factor was where they see him lining up. Some schools thought he'd have to transition to wide receiver at the college level. UConn, looking to go to more of a spread-oriented attack this season, sees him as a great fit under center.

"I didn't want to go any place where I'd be considered an athlete," said McCummings, whose older brother Thad is an incoming freshman defensive back at UMass. "UConn is the school that saw me as a quarterback the whole time. I still want to be seen as a quarterback, not just an athlete."

McCummings was an All-Bay State conference selection in 2008 for the Red and Blue, putting up over 2,000 yards of offense (1,232 passing, 980 rushing) and 19 touchdowns (14 rushing) despite being hampered in the final three games by a high ankle sprain.

Five EMass. high school football programs: Everett, Hull, Lynn English, Middleborough, and Tewksbury, are finalists to be featured in the next Eastern Bank television commercial.

More than two dozen schools applied for the opportunity, which will bring attention to the school and its football team, and a $5,000 grand prize for the winner’s athletics department. The deadline for submitting an application was August 7.

“I want to congratulate every school official, parent, fan and student-athlete who spent their valuable time to work together as a team to produce compelling essays and creative videos that amazed our review committee,” said Richard E. Holbrook, chairman and CEO of Eastern Bank.

The finalists will at least receive a $1,000 prize. Also, each qualified contest entrant will receive $500 for its athletics department.

“We were so impressed – and in some cases awed – by the time and effort that went into these applications, that we decided each qualified applicant should receive $500 and we should increase the finalists’ prize from $500 to $1,000,” said Joe Bartolotta, Eastern Bank’s marketing director. “There was very little separating the top five from the next five. It was that close.”

In order to qualify, applicants needed to answer the question: “What makes your team special?” in the form of videos, essays or photos. Most of the entries can be viewed at www.easternbank.com/teamwork and the public is encouraged to follow future contest developments on Facebook (search “Eastern Bank”).

The winning team will be selected in the coming weeks, with production of the television commercial scheduled for the end of the month. The commercial is scheduled to launch in mid September.

Ryan Izzo suffered an offseason shoulder injury. (Aram Boghosian / Globe Photo)

Brendan Hall, Globe Correspondent

Walpole High senior tailback Ryan Izzo is on the mend after suffering a dislocated right shoulder at a lacrosse camp in Baltimore last week, according to his father, Ron.

The Globe's two-time Division 2 Player of the Year, Izzo is aiming to be ready for the Rebels' regular-season opener, Friday, Sept. 11, at Bay State Conference rival Framingham. Walpole, along with schools across the state, can open preseason camp on Monday, Aug. 24.

The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Izzo scored 38 touchdowns as a junior, including three scores, along with 193 rushing yards, in Walpole's 41-21 win over Mansfield in the EMass Division 2 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. He enters his senior season needing 177 points to break the state's all-time scoring record.

One Eastern or Central Mass. high school football squad will be featured in Eastern Bank’s fall TV commercial – an honor that will bring attention to the team’s program and $5,000 to support the school’s athletics department.

Teams are encouraged to submit videos, photos, audio recordings or essays that answer the question: “What makes your team special?” The contest opens today and entries must be received no later than August 7, 2009. The submissions, which can be sent to a.ravens@easternbank.com, will be posted at www.easternbank.com/teamwork for the public to view.

“At Eastern Bank, our team is focused on working together to provide our customers with banking, investment and insurance solutions,” said Richard E. Holbrook, chairman and CEO of Eastern Bank. “We’ve decided to illustrate this point by featuring a high school football team, which needs offense, defense and special teams to be successful.

“However, rather than just randomly pick a team, we thought we’d have a little fun and allow the teams to tell us what makes them special,” Holbrook said.

A select number of teams will be invited to send several players to a casting call in August. The winning team will be selected based upon its players’ performance in front of the camera, the interest level shown by the team, coach and school, and its response to the question regarding what makes the team special, among other considerations.

In addition to the $5,000 award, Eastern Bank will award $500 prizes to support the athletics department of every team whose players are invited to the casting call. The commercial is scheduled to air in September.

The winner must be willing to allow the videotaping of two practices in late August. The team’s coach and the head of the team’s school must approve the entry, and each participant in the commercial must provide Eastern Bank with a full release. A complete list of contest rules is available on Facebook (search “Eastern Bank”).

Blake Barker (bottom left) and teammate Alex Barber (54) combine for a sack against Lawerene Academy in November.

BB&N's Blake Barker verbally committed to Stanford Friday.

"The BB&N football program is thrilled with Blake's decision to attend Stanford," BB&N coach John Papas said via email. "It was a very difficult decision for him as he had numerous offers but, in the end, Stanford had everything Blake was looking for. He is and outstanding student (2000 on his SAT's) and a nationally ranked football player. Stanford is one of the few places in the country that allows him to pursue his goal at the highest level, both academically and athletically."

Papas said the competition for Barker's services included more than 20 offers, including Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Penn State, and Boston College.

Barker, ranked among ESPN's top 150 recruits in the class of 2010, is a 6-foot-6, 238-pound tight end. A Wellesley native, he also shined at defensive end for BB&N last year, registering 14 sacks.

Papas notes that Barker is the eighth BB&N player in the last three years to commit to a Division 1 program.

The second annual Massachusetts Vocational Senior Bowl will be held Saturday at Greater New Bedford. Top senior vocational football players from across the state will be split into East and West squads. Proceeds will go to a scholarship fund for a deserving senior student-athlete. The game is sponsored by the U.S. Army and will include a halftime show by The Spirit of America.

Kickoff is 7 p.m., or as the Army folks announced it in a press release, 1900 hours.

The 31st annual Shriners Football Classic kicks off Friday night at 7 p.m. at Bentley University. Tickets are $10. Here's a look at the updated (and sortable) rosters:

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's Board of Directors voted Thursday morning to approve the agreement with Mansfield High School and its football coach Mike Redding.

As a result, Redding will be suspended for the first four games of the 2009 season, Mansfield will repay the Association $9,700 in legal fees, and Mansfield will submit a detailed process for certifying player eligibility to the MIAA.

The Board was the last hurdle in a dispute that started last Thanksgiving when Mansfield admitted using an ineligible player for two games. Mansfield and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Council came to an agreement May 7 pending the Board's approval. That approval came Thursday.

BB&N's Jimmy McCaffrey (22) committed early to Boston College.

BB&N wide receiver / defensive back James McCaffrey today committed to Boston College.

According to BB&N coach John Papas, McCaffrey -- a junior who will not enter college until the fall of 2010 -- was offered by the Eagles on Friday afternoon and, after talking to his parents over the weekend, called Sunday to announce his attentions. This morning, McCaffrey visited The Heights to offer an in-person commitment to coach Frank Spaziani inside the Eagles' football office.

"This is a tremendous choice for Jimmy, as Boston College has been his No. 1 choice since his unofficial visit in January," Papas said via email. "He loves the coaching staff and players, and looks forward to helping BC continue their quest for an (Atlantic Coast Conference) championship. On the flip side, BC is getting an explosive football player that can help on both sides of the ball as well as a returner in the kicking game. His 4.4 speed, combined with a great work ethic, is something the Eagles will love to have for the next four years."

McCaffrey sparked BB&N to undefeated 2009 campaign that culminated with a 20-13 triumph over Lawrence Academy in the ISL championship tilt.

Former Chelsea High School football coach James Atkins was convicted Thursday on larceny charges for withdrawing thousands of dollars from the team’s booster club account to pay for personal expenses.

From the Globe Correspondent Jenna Nierstedt:

A Superior Court jury found James Atkins, 43, of Revere guilty of five counts of larceny over $250 and one count of larceny by check, the office of Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. Atkins was acquitted of a sixth charge of larceny over $250.

His sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Prosecutors said Atkins, a Chelsea police sergeant currently suspended from duty and a former Medford High School football coach, used his position as coach of the Chelsea team and president of that team’s booster club to withdraw more than $8,000 from the team’s bank account between 2004 and 2007.

Withdrawal records indicated that Atkins withdrew $500 at an ATM in Revere; made three-figure withdrawals near the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut and the Seabrook Greyhound Park dog racing track in New Hampshire; and paid a $634 bar tab at the Champions Sports Bar at Boston’s Marriott Copley Place hotel.

In January 2007, at a meeting with Chelsea High School parents and the school's athletic director, Frank DePatto, Atkins agreed to repay $8,200 over a series of installments, prosecutors said. Instead, Atkins asked for a charitable donation from a respected community member to put toward his outstanding debt.

Read more HERE.

Nantucket football coach Vito Capizzo, the third winningest coach in state history, announced his retirement Wednesday night after 45 years.

Capizzo ranks only behind Armond Colombo (323-104-7) and Bill Broderick (304-68-43) on the state's list of all-time coaches. Capizzo finishes with a record of 293-129-8.

While many thought Capizzo would continue coach until he reached 300 wins, recent seasons have proven winning seven more games wasn't going to be easy. Last year Nantucket finished 0-10. In 2007, the Whalers went 3-6. With increased competition on the island for a limited supply of athletes, a winning season became increasingly difficult.

Everett defensive back Rodman Noel earned the only Massachusetts nomination for the US Army All-American Bowl as one of the top 400 senior prep athletes.

Rodman Noel (10) vs. Lynn English (File)

Here's more on the game from the press release announcing Noel's nomination:

WHARTON, N.J. -- Over 400 of the nation’s top prep athletes have been nominated for consideration to play in the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Featuring the nation’s top prep football stars, the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl will be played on Saturday, January 9, 2010, at 1:00 PM (ET) in San Antonio’s Alamodome and broadcast live on NBC. Throughout the past decade, this premier all-star game has featured the nation’s most elite football players, providing a launching pad for college and NFL stars such as Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Tim Tebow and Terrelle Pryor.

For a decade, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has produced memorable moments for numerous players as they take the national stage for the first time. This year, eight players who took the field as U.S. Army All-Americans were drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft with 21 players overall being drafted. With a deep talent pool of 400 nominees to choose from, 90 athletes will ultimately be selected to continue this proud tradition.

Mansfield football coach Mike Redding will be suspended for the first four games of the 2009 season and the Mansfield school system will repay $9,700 in court costs after a verbal agreement was reached with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Wednesday night.

The agreement, announced Thursday morning, potentially ends a dispute between the MIAA and Mansfield over the use of an ineligible football player for two games last fall. The agreement still must be approved by the MIAA’s Board of Directors at its June 4 meeting.

Mansfield was scheduled to appear before the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Council (MIAC) at 1:30 p.m. Thursday to appeal the January decision by the MIAA’s Board of Directors to suspend Redding for five games as a result of his failure to report in a timely manner the use of the ineligible player. The school was also going to appeal the MIAA decision to assess them legal fees incurred in the matter.

But attorneys for both parties reached an agreement Wednesday night, removing the appeal from the MIAC’s agenda. Instead of the five-game suspension, the MIAA agreed to four games and the two sides agreed on the $9,700 figure.

Redding will miss the opener against Dartmouth (Sept. 11), Minnechaug (Sept. 18), Franklin (Sept. 25) and Stoughton (Oct. 2). His first game back will be Sharon on Oct. 9.

Assuming the Board signs off on the agreement, it will end a process that has taken almost seven moths from start to finish.

The long dispute between the MIAA and Mansfield High School should come to an end Thursday at 1:30 p.m. when football coach Mike Redding's appeal will be heard by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Council (MIAC).

Mansfield is appealing the MIAA Board of Directors' January vote to suspend Redding for the first five games of the 2009 football season, as well as the MIAA ruling that Mansfield must reimburse the association for all legal expenses.

Mansfield admitted to using an ineligible player for two games last fall and forfeited those games, as well as the Hockomock League title. The MIAA Board of Directors ordered Mansfield to punish Redding because it took him five days to report the violation. But Mansfield has refused and the school will state its case Thursday.

The MIAC, which meets twice a year, is the final rule-making and appeals body of the MIAA. They are expected to issue a decision Thursday afternoon, although they could delay their decision.

Former Proctor Academy football coach Chuck Reid relayed that junior Harris Williams (Class of 2010) has verbally committed to attend Stanford University.

The 6-foot-4, 290-pound Williams -- a Lynn native -- was recruited as both an offensive guard and defensive tackle.

"The combination of academics and athletics was the No. 1 factor in Harris's choice," Reid said in an email.

Marblehead athletic director Michael Plansky relayed yesterday that Jim Rudloff has accepted the head football coaching position at the school.

Rudloff, a special ed teacher at the high school, had been on Dan Bauer's staff for the past four seasons.

"I am truly looking forward to the future of Marblehead football," Planksy wrote in an email announcing the move.

Austin Prep's Bill Maradei with his troops in 1996. (Globe File Photo)

The Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association will hold its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony on April 26 at Lantana’s in Randolph.

The following coaches will be going into the Hall of Fame:

• Phil Carlino – Randolph High School
• Don Dellorco – Duxbury High School
• Jan Gebo – Westboro High School
• Bruce Jordan – Marblehead High School
• Bill Maradei – Austin Preparatory School
• John Morris – Westford Academy

For detailed biographies on each inductee, follow the "full entry" link below.

Two New England companies will join forces this fall to help bring more high school football video to the web as the Kraft Group and Cambridge-based YouCastr recently announced a partnership that will provide area schools the opportunity to broadcast their games.

From the Kraft Group's press release:

The Kraft Group announced a partnership with YouCastr of Cambridge, Mass., today. Together, they will provide high schools throughout New England an opportunity to broadcast their football games over the Internet.

The Kraft Group will utilize its Web site, newenglandfootball.com, as a central locator and promoter of high school football video. YouCastr will provide the tools to schools to broadcast on-demand video, and help them monetize content geared to families, boosters, alumni and the general public. Each school’s content will be available on newenglandfootball.com, where every high school football team in New England has its own team information page, and the school’s Web site, if it chooses.

All the team information pages on newenglandfootball.com also feed interactive kiosks in The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon, the New England Patriots’ 36,000-square-foot hall of fame and interactive experience. The kiosks are part of The Hall’s “New England Football” exhibit, where visitors can find information not only on high school football, but the complete history of football in the six-state region.

And, remember, you can always check out all of our own football video as part of our high school video collection.

When all is said and done next February, BB&N's Blake Barker might be one of the only players in the state's history to lay claim to having offers from both the University of Florida and University of Tennessee.

The 6-foot-6, 235-pound junior tight end/defensive end from Wellesley went down for a visit to Gainesville from Tuesday to Thursday of this week and came back with a scholarship offer from Florida head coach Urban Meyer. A little while later, Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin made an offer.

That brings Barker's scholarship offers to a grand total of 10, including Boston College, Penn State, Syracuse, Rutgers and North Carolina. Should he sign with either UT or UF, that would mark the second straight year this state has sent a tight end to the SEC. Dartmouth's Arthur Fontaine, a 2008 Globe All-Scholastic, signed with Georgia this past February.

Barker's teammate and co-captain, Winchester native Jimmy McCaffrey, also has an offer from Stanford, a school he is considering heavily. Northwestern, BC, Oregon, UConn and UNC have also shown interest.

Igor Garcia (4) boots a field goal from the hold of J.W. Forte. (Aram Boghosian / Globe File Photo)

With an assist to the Globe's Mike Carraggi: Everett's Igor Garcia will attend Milton Academy next year... Just not the Milton Academy you're familiar with. The strong-footed kicker will do a prep year at the New York-based school while continuing to explore his college choices.

The MIAA Board of Directors voted yesterday, 8-6, not to allow the Tri-Valley, Hockomock, and Middlesex Leagues to have a second playoff berth. The Board’s vote supported the decision made by the Tournament Management Committee last month to not allow the extra playoff spots. The Football Committee was appealing the TMC decision and the Board’s vote on their appeal ends the issue for the next two years. MIAA Executive Director Dick Neal wasn't against adding new playoff berths but called the process used by the Football Committee "flawed."

Dracut quarterback Matt Grimard, the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year and the Globe’s Division 1A Player of the Year, will attend Saint Anselm according to a release Friday from the Manchester (N.H.) school.

Grimard, who had been leaning toward attending Prep School earlier this month, will have company at Saint Anselm. Teammate and fellow All-Scholastic Chris Bent will also attend Saint Anselm along with Manchester Essex quarterback Pat Orlando and former Andover quarterback Mike Pierce. Pierce is transferring from the University of New Hampshire.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's Tournament Management Committee this morning voted down a proposal that would have drastically altered the landscape of Eastern Mass. football.

With a vote of 8-3, the TMC rejected the football committee's request to split the Middlesex, Tri-Valley, and Hockomock Leagues into two divisions. Instead, the TMC approved the alignment previously agreed upon in December.

The football committee plans to appeal the decision on March 5 before the MIAA's Board of Directors. For now, here's how the 2009 season looks:

Division 1

Big 3
Merrimack Valley Large
Catholic Conference
Greater Boston

Division 1A

Dual County Large
Old Colony
Northeastern
Bay State Carey

Division 2

Merrimack Valley Small
Hockomock
Middlesex
Bay State Herget

Division 2A

Patriot Keenan
Cape Ann Large
Dual County Small
Atlantic Coast

Division 3

Northeastern Small
Eastern Athletic
South Coast
Patriot Ficher

Division 3A

Tri-Valley
Cape Ann Small
Catholic Central Large
South Shore

Division 4

Boston North
Commonwealth Large
Mayflower Large

Division 4A

Boston South
Catholic Central Small
Mayflower Small
Commonwealth Small

The MIAA Tournament Management Committee will vote tomorrow to realign the landscape of Eastern Mass. football. Below is the proposal by division, and it features nine potential divisions -- eight with four leagues each and Division 2B, which will have just two leagues.

Of the 34 total leagues, only 10 would remain as they were last fall. Here's the Eastern Mass football alignment proposal with average school enrollment figures and a note on which teams are north and south aligned.

Division 1
Big Three 1720 (South)
Merrimack Valley Large 1241 (North)
Catholic Conference 971 (South)
Greater Boston 805 (North)

Division 1A
Dual County Large 839 (North)
Old Colony 808 (South)
Northeastern Large 764 (North)
Bay State Carey 905 (South)

Division 2
Merrimack Valley Small 680 (North)
Hockomock Large 679 (South)
Middlesex Large 640 (North)
Bay State Herget 539 (South)

Division 2A
Patriot Keenan 548 (South)
Cape Ann Large 513 (North)
Dual County Small 443 (North)
Atlantic Coast 587 (South)

Division 2B
Hockomock Small 477 (South)
Middlesex Small 414 (North)

Division 3
Northeastern Small 477 (North)
Eastern Athletic 413 (South)
South Coast 391 (South)
Patriot Fisher 469 (North)

Division 3A
Tri-Valley Large 437 (South)
Cape Ann Small 314 (North)
Catholic Central Small 314 (North)
South Shore 289 (South)

Division 4
Boston North 522 (North)
Commonwealth Large 750 (North)
Mayflower Large 491 (South)
Tri-Valley Small 305 (South)

Division 4A
Boston South 368 (South)
Catholic Central Small 140 (North)
Mayflower Small 379 (South)
Commonwealth Small 414 (North)

Westford Academy announced today that former Merrimack College assistant Rich McKenna has been named its new head football coach. McKenna was in charge of the defensive line and linebackers at Merrimack. Before Merrimack, he was at Framingham State. The Tewksbury resident is a physical education teacher in the Billerica school system. McKenna replaces Mike Parent.

Down the road, Concord-Carlisle announced the appointment of Mike Robichaud
as its new football coach. Robichaud has been a member of the CC football staff since 2000, was a two-year starter and captain at UNH and a graduate of Concord-Carlisle.

He follows Dick Kerr (1991-2008) and his dad Al Robichaud (1972-1990) as head coach
of the Patriots.

Everett's Jim Noel made it official this morning, signing to play his next four years of football at Boston College. Noel, a Greater Boston League All-Star defensive back, had visited Penn State recently and didn't sign early Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA signing period. But this morning Noel made it official and will join former Everett teammate Isaac Johnson at the Heights.

New BC football coach Frank Spaziana noted Noel's impending decision during a news conference to unveil the Eagles' 16 other college recruits yesterday.

"Cyberspace," Spaziani joked, saying the Eagles were simply waiting on the paperwork to make Noel's decision final.

BB&N football recruits Austin Capaviella, Philippe Panico, Xander Frantz, Steve Grassa, and Mike DiChaira

A couple of scenes from today's Signing Day. BB&N football recruits (above) pose for a group photo, while Natick standouts (below) put their names on the dotted line.

Natick athletes Shannon Foley (Elon, soccer), Rebecca White (Quinnipiac, track), Tim and Tom Brandt (UMass, football)

Catholic Memorial's Brennan William is bound for North Carolina. (Jim Davis / Globe Staff)

A look at where some of the area's biggest football standouts will play next season. If you have an addition from your school (even if it's not football), leave a comment with the details.

ALL-SCHOLASTICS

OTHERS

Thanks to Globe correspondent Brendan Hall for his efforts in helping to compile this list, along with the entire Globe school sports staff.

FRANKLIN -- Some closure was expected when the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s football committee met this morning at the governing body’s headquarters to discuss realignment for postseason games this fall.

Instead, there are now more questions.

Committee members awarded three more postseason berths to three conferences, bringing the total of Eastern Mass. Playoff teams to 34, up from 28 last season.

Members voted an extra berth for both the Tri-Valley and Middlesex Leagues, after each league decided to split into five-team “Large” and “Small” divisions. The Hockmock League, which has stated plans of expansion, was given an extra berth by a 10-6 vote after splitting into a four-team “Large” division and five-team “Small” division.

With extra berths previously granted this offseason to the Merrimack Valley Conference, Dual County League and Patriot League, the committee needed to approve at least one more playoff berth to make an even eight divisions with four teams in each. Instead, members of the realignment subcommittee will meet once again Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. at MIAA headquarters in Franklin to align what will likely end up being nine divisions.

“I think it’s great for the Middlesex League that we were able to get the extra berth,” said Stoneham High Athletic Director and football committee member David Pignone. “I just think there’s been a lack of complete understanding and confusion out there, about the process. We followed the process, and it worked in our favor. We’re thrilled.”

Pignone’s comments touch upon some ambiguity that came to light over the qualifications of a league to get two berths. In the past, the general agreement was that six teams were needed in each division. But the MVC was awarded two berths after splitting into five-team “Large” and “Small” divisions for football earlier this offseason, touching off some confusion.

Both the TVL and Middlesex had missed the deadline for the upcoming meeting, but were overwhelmingly granted a motion to state their case before the committee. Medfield athletic director Jon Kirby was first to state his case on behalf of the TVL, which last week gained two new members in Milford and Dedham (principals will meet next week to finalize the move). The league was awarded two berths by a vote of 14-4.

Middlesex and Melrose High Principal Joe Dillon were next to state their case. The league, which will once again have 10 teams with the return of previously independent Watertown, was also granted a berth by a 14-4 vote.

The Hockomock League was denied its first attempt of the day, by a 10-6 vote. But following the Middlesex’s approval, the Hockomock was voted on again, and was granted another berth by a 10-6 vote.

This prompted Bridgewater-Raynham Athletic Director Dan Buron to then propose to throw out these three votes, and keep the alignment as it currently stands until Plymouth South coach Bill Burkhead’s statewide playoff proposal is ready to be presented before the MIAA.

“I think we’re in worse shape today than we were yesterday,” Buron said. “And I mean that with no disrespect to anybody here.”

Earlier in the day, Natick Athletic Director and head football coach Tom Lamb presented an appeal before the committee to make Bay State crossover games count towards playoff positioning. It was voted at the last league meeting that those games would no longer count. Lamb won his appeal by a 13-4 vote.

Five Central Mass. Teams presented appeals before the committee, all of which were rejected. Algonquin Regional was denied a proposed move into Division 1B from a decidedly tougher Division 1A, while both Gardner and Nashoba Regional were denied appeals to move down from Division 1B. Auburn and Bartlett were both denied appeals to move from Division 2A to 2B.

Globe correspondent Brendan Hall was down in Franklin today where the MIAA is discussing realignment for the 2009 season. However, it seems the committee left with more questions than answers after granting three additional playoff berths to the Tri-Valley, Middlesex, and Hockomock League -- all three of which will split into two divisions this season.

A couple of details below. Hall will check back with more later this afternoon.

• The Tri-Valley League will split into two five-team divisions with both divisions getting a playoff berth. The vote passed, 14-4.

• The Middlesex League will split into two five-team divisions with both divisions getting a playoff berth. The vote passed, 14-4.

• The Hockomock League will split into one four-team and one five-team division with both divisions getting a playoff berth. The vote passed, 10-6.

• Principals from the Tri-Valley league will meet next week to approve the splits.

• Earlier in the meeting, the Bay State Conference won a vote to keep crossover games between the Herget and Carey as league games. Natick coach and athletic director argued that the BSC's rules suggest that each team must play one another and the overall record determines division champion(s).

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's football committee will meet Monday to plot a new course for the next two years for the 325 schools that play football in the Bay State. For Eastern Massachusetts, that could mean a new division, which would bring the total to eight for the 2009 and '10 seasons. The extra division is a result of the splitting of the Dual County and the Patriot leagues.

The Globe's Bob Holmes details some of the potential changes, while also touching on a more drastic proposal that would feature the following:

A seven-game regular season with options for additional games.

Fifty percent of the teams would make the playoffs based on a rating system that includes records and strength of schedules. That means 96 teams in the Eastern Mass. playoffs compared with 28 last fall.

The playoffs would be structured along the lines of other sports, with North and South sectionals and six divisions in each sectional.

Sectional championships in Week 10 with Eastern Mass. championships the Friday before Thanksgiving.

No change to traditional Thanksgiving games.

Super Bowls at Gillette Stadium would be statewide, giving Central and Western Mass. teams the opportunity to play there for the first time.

Read more from the story, or check out the proposal.

By Evan MacDonald, Globe Correspondent

Medford has hired Rico Delloiacono to replace the departed James Atkins as head football coach.

Delloiacono spent the last eight years as an assistant at Everett, where he coached the offensive and defensive lines.

Delloiacono applied for the position and went through a formal interview process, during which he met with four committee members and athletic director Robert Maloney.

"The position presented itself and Medford is a fantastic community with a great tradition in their football program," Delloiacono said. "The opportunity to become a head coach at the varsity level was tremendous."

Antonio Valdepenas, who was previously an interim head coach at Cathedral, will join Delloiacono at Medford as a defensive coordinator.

Medford finished 0-11 (0-4 Greater Boston League) in 2008.

BB&N's Steve Grassa runs for a big gain against Lawrence Academy (Jay Connor / Globe Photo)

BB&N coach John Papas passed along the following commitments (and junior offers) for his football program:

Senior commitments

• Steve Grassa (SS) -- Columbia
• Xander Frantz (OG) -- Columbia
• Mike DiChiara (QB) -- Cornell
• Philippe Panico (PK) -- Yale
• Romaine Waite (DT) -- Penn (walk on)
• Austin Capaviella (WR) -- Amherst

• Blake Barker (TE) -- BC, Stanford, Duke, UNC, Maryland
• Jimmy McCaffrey (WR) -- Stanford

Said Papas, "We are thrilled with the college choices of our seniors and the offers our juniors presently have. These opportunities have come about because of these boys dedication, not only on the football field, but also in the classroom. Next year there will be 12 BB&N alumni playing college football, something we are very proud of."

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Directors was given an update this afternoon by attorney Robert Fraser regarding the organization's ongoing dispute with Mansfield High School and its football coach Mike Redding.

The purpose of the meeting, held in executive session, was to update board members as well as answer any questions they had.

A subcommittee of the board had said that Mansfield must punish Redding for taking five days to inform the association of the use of an ineligible player in two games this fall. In response, Mansfield's attorneys sent a letter to the MIAA late last week regarding the subcommittee's decision and asking for clarification. Because yesterday's discussion was held in executive session, the specifics of Fraser's update were unknown.

In other news, the board discussed a number of topics:

• Preliminary fall tournament review showed attendance at all tournaments was up approximately 6,000 fans over the previous year and that tournament net was iup approximately $70,000.
• Topics for the April 3 association meeting were discussed. Among the issues discussed were league realignment, alcohol abuse by students, the need for consistent standards for deciding on whether to approve cooperative teams, and the potential budget cuts that schools across the state are expecting.

Mike Moverman (right) (Globe File Photo)

In other school news today, Gatorade and ESPN RISE Magazine, announced that Mike Moverman of Oliver Ames is the 2008-09 Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Moverman is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Oliver Ames High School. The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse. Moverman is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in February.

The 5-foot-9 senior won the Division 2 state meet with a time of 16:04.3, leading the Tigers to a second-place finish as a team this past season. The 2008 Boston Globe Runner of the Year, Moverman recorded the fastest time of the season at Franklin Park in Boston, winning the Bay State Invitational with a time of 15:48. Moverman finished sixth at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional in 15:48 and placed 19th at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 15:54.

Catholic Memorial’s All-Scholastic lineman Brennan Williams is one step closer to his dream of playing professional football.

Williams has committed to the University of North Carolina where he expects to play offensive tackle. He made the commitment at the Army All-American Game earlier this month. Williams will major in computer graphics but has aspirations to follow in his father, Brent’s, footsteps and play in the NFL. Brent played for the New England Patriots for seven years.

The 6-foot-7, 275-pound lineman was an All-Scholastic at CM and paved the way for more than 2,000 yards rushing while helping the Knights come just one win short of a Catholic Conference title.

He chose UNC over Notre Dame, Boston College, and Wake Forest. ‘‘Really it was just that everything seemed right with the school and it fit.’’

With the decision made, Williams is looking forward to the fall.

‘It’s definitely a big deal. It’s very cool to be doing what I love and going to school for it.’’

The Globe's Mike Grossi checks in with some quick notes about recent commitments, as Natick twins Tim and Tom Brandt have committed to the University of Massachusetts, while Wakefield's Martin Hyppolite is headed to the University of Connecticut.

Natick coach Tom Lamb on what the Brandts will bring to UMass

"They will bring speed and great defense," said Lamb. "They are the new type of linebacker that everyone is looking for to play against the spread offense. They are half strong safety, half linebacker."

"Tommy might be the fastest kid and Timmy isn't far behind. They love to play the game."

On why they chose UMass

"They really liked their visit there and they were very impressed with the high level of play there the last few years."

Wakefield coach Mike Boyages on what Hyppolite brings to UConn

"He is a phenomenal athlete. He has all the intangibles; he has a great attitude, is committed and is unselfish," said Boyages. "He plays with dignity and respect. He also trains and prepares hard. He will put in the work to go the extra mile."

On why he thought Hyppolite chose UConn

"UConn is a Division 1 school in the Big East and is up and coming. They showed quite a bit of interest in Martin."

Mansfield principal Dr. Joseph Maruszczak released the following statement this afternoon in response to the MIAA's punishment handed down earlier this week.

MANSFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS STATEMENT ON MIAA CORRESPONDENCE OF 1/5/09

Mansfield High School is in receipt of the correspondence from MIAA President James C. Peter to MHS Principal Dr. Joseph Maruszczak delineating the MIAA Board Subcommittee motions based upon the school's appeal hearing of December 18, 2008. As stated in the letter, the athletic department and school administration have acknowledged that an ineligible player played in two football games during the 2008 season due to a clerical oversight. Per Rule 84 of the MIAA Rules and Regulations Governing Athletics, Dr. Maruszczak has sent letters of forfeiture to the principals of the schools (Oliver Ames High School and Sharon High School) against whom the ineligible student participated.

The school has also surrendered the MIAA Superbowl runner-up trophy to MIAA officials. The athletic department and school administration are committed to strengthening the school's process in determining student athlete eligibility as well as developing an enhanced coach's handbook which clearly details the communication procedures when student eligibility may be in question. We look forward to collaborating with the MIAA Board of Directors and accepting their guidance.

However, there are several additional aspects of the subcommittee's ruling which are ambiguous, inappropriate, or not supported by the MIAA's rules. These include the placement of the entire Mansfield High School athletic program on probation, the subcommittee's order that Dr. Maruszczak take punitive action against Head Football Coach Michael Redding, and the requirement that the Mansfield Public Schools reimburse the MIAA for its legal fees. Mansfield officials will be in communication with the MIAA in the near future to seek clarification of and communicate their concerns over these aspects of the ruling.

It is troubling that the subcommittee's ruling appears to take on a strong, personal agenda against Coach Michael Redding. Michael is a highly respected educator and coach, with 45 seasons of varsity coaching experience in football and other sports over the past 21 years. He has consistently demonstrated the highest regard for MIAA rules and policies, as his team policies and procedures often exceed the baseline parameters established by the MIAA. Mansfield High School will continue to support Coach Redding and his commendable work with Mansfield's student-athletes.

It is unfortunate that the MIAA and Mansfield Athletics Program, both designed to provide positive opportunities for students, are the source of any negative focus. It is our hope and commitment that this issue will be resolved professionally and respectfully.

While awaiting the release of the school's official statement, Mansfield football coach Mike Redding expressed frustration with the MIAA’s recent ruling, announced Tuesday, that resulted in the Hornets forfeiting two football games and the Hockomock title for using an ineligible player this fall.

Redding and his players. (Globe File Photo)

Mansfield Superintendent Brenda Hodges, high school principal Dr. Joseph Maruszczak, and the Mansfield School Committee met Thursday, according to Redding, and a press release was expected some time today. But before that, Redding expressed his frustration for his team first and himself as well in an email last night.

“I am disappointed that our players will lose the recognition they earned this season based on the fact that our school system did not apply for a waiver. We certainly would have applied if our athletic department was aware that this was the student's fifth year. Since the self-report of ineligibility, we have successfully applied for the student's eligibility and he is participating in a winter sport and he continues to do well with his attendance and academics. This is one of the most positive aspects of this whole ordeal. The other positive aspect is how maturely our players have handled all of these challenges, for which they are responsible for none of them.

“Secondly, I am disappointed by the MIAA's characterization of me as someone who has 'disregarded' their rules. I think this is unfair and I am proud to be part of the Mansfield athletic department which has always maintained the highest standards of integrity and sportsmanship.’’

Mansfield also must surrender its runner-up trophy from the Eastern Mass. Division 2 Super Bowl - a 41-21 loss to Walpole - and the athletic program has been put on probation for one year. Because of the regular-season forfeits - against Oliver Ames and Sharon - North Attleboro was declared champion of the Hockomock League.

In a letter dated Monday, MIAA president James Peters delivered the punishment to Mansfield principal Dr. Joseph Maruszczak.

The letter stated "given Coach [Michael] Redding's continued disregard for MIAA rules and policies . . . the Board charges the Principal to create and apply corresponding consequences to the Coach. If the Board considers the penalties to be inadequate, the Board will take such additional actions as it deems appropriate."

The letter also demanded the Mansfield School Committee reimburse the MIAA for its legal costs within 60 days of the conclusion of litigation, "as a result of having to defend its member schools in this case [Rule 29]."

The MIAA forced Mansfield to forfeit two regular-season games and canceled its semifinal playoff game against Bishop Feehan when the school reported the use of a fifth-year senior, Andy Rapp, just days before the playoffs.

Mansfield was awarded an injunction from Taunton Superior Court, and the team defeated Bishop Feehan, 22-6, to land a Super Bowl berth. Mansfield stated its appeal before the MIAA Board of Directors Dec. 18.

Bob Holmes, High School Sports Editor

Mansfield coach Mike Redding talks to his team. (Robert E. Klein / Globe File Photo)

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association today released its ruling that the Mansfield football program must forfeit two games for the use of a fifth-year, ineligible player during the 2008 season.

The team will also surrender its runner-up trophy from this year's Eastern Mass. Division 2 Super Bowl -- a 41-21 loss to Walpole -- and the athletic program has been put on probation for one year. Due to the two regular-season forfeits -- games against Oliver Ames and Sharon -- North Attleboro will be declared the champion of the Hockomock League.

In a letter dated Jan. 5, MIAA president James Peters delivered the punishment to Mansfield principal Dr. Joseph Maruszczak.

Coach Mike Redding

The letter also states that, "given Coach (Michael) Redding's continued disregard for MIAA rules and policies... the Board charges the Principal to create and apply corresponding consequences to the Coach. These penalties must be reported to the Board without delay. If the Board considers the penalties to be inadequate, the Board will take such additional actions as it deems appropriate."

The letter also demands that the Mansfield School Committee will reimburse the association for its legal costs within 60 days of the conclusion of litigation, "as a result of having to defend its member schools in this case (Rule 29)."

The MIAA originally forced Mansfield to forfeit the two regular-season games and canceled its semifinal playoff game against Bishop Feehan when the school self-reported the use of a fifth-year senior, Andy Rapp, just days before the playoffs.

Mansfield sought and earned an injunction inside Taunton Superior Court, which allowed the team to compete in that semifinal matchup, where the Hornets defeated Bishop Feehan, 22-6, to land a Super Bowl berth.

Mansfield stated its appeal before the MIAA Board of Directors on Dec. 18.

For a look at the letter, follow the "full entry" link below.

L-S standout Mark Hogan reels in pass against Hingham. (Wiqan Ang / Globe File Photo)

Former Lincoln-Sudbury football standout Mark Hogan became the first scholarship player to enroll at Georgia State on Monday.

From the Associated Press:

Georgia State has a football player, and his name is Mark Hogan.

Georgia State, which will play its first football season in 2010, on Monday enrolled Hogan as its first scholarship athlete.

Hogan is the son of Mark Hogan Sr., who played for Georgia State coach Bill Curry at Georgia Tech in the 1980s. The younger Hogan, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound receiver and running back, graduated from Lincoln-Sudbury High School in Sudbury, last spring.

The elder Hogan was a starting safety on Georgia Tech’s 1985 team that finished 9-2-1.

Curry plans to sign a full class in February, and the team will begin practicing next fall.

“This is a unique situation, being the first and only football player at Georgia State,” Hogan said. “I am excited to get in the weight room and get stronger so I can be ready for next fall.”

Hogan said he met Curry for the first time this fall. He said he had heard much about the coach from his father.

“I had heard a lot of stories from my father about what a great coach and great person he is,” Hogan said. “My father was fortunate to be part of a special team at Georgia Tech, and now I have a chance to do that at Georgia State.”

Here's Hogan's All-Scholastic bio from 2007:

The Dual County League Offensive Player of the Year scored 13 touchdowns, ran for 953 yards, and had 425 receiving yards. The three-time DCL All-Star became the school’s all-time rushing (2,622 yards) and points (254) leader.

Check out some highlights of Hogan during a game against Hingham from the 2007 season.

Cambridge Rindge & Latin quarterback Ray Doucette has verbally committed to Bryant University.

(Patricia McDonnell / Globe Photo)

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound senior made the commitment within the last hour of this posting (7:30 p.m.). While he had no other scholarship offers at this time, he was drawing considerable interest from Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Penn, Maine and UMass.

But with the amount of attention the Smithfield, R.I.-based school has given him, the decision appears to be a no-brainer. Doucette was at the top of the Bulldogs’ list, and had been getting significant attention from them since his performance at Boston College’s camp last summer.

Doucette was offered a scholarship by the school during his official visit during the second weekend of December.

“They had a lot of interest in me early on,” Doucette said tonight. “They said I was their guy. They were up front with me from the start – no ifs, ands, or buts about it – and told me I was their guy.”

Said Cambridge head coach Joe Papagni: “Coach (Marty) Fine had been on top of him since August. They liked him a lot.”

The Falcons went 20-13 over their last three seasons with Doucette under center. They failed to make the Division 1 playoffs, but he still turned in one of the state’s most prolific passing careers.

Doucette leaves Cambridge as the school’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (64), good enough for sixth all-time in the state. He has over 7,100 yards for his career, including roughly 2,200 this season. He also showed off previously unseen mobility in 2008, racking up 264 rushing yards with seven rushing touchdowns.

The Bulldogs are in their first season of Division 1 athletic competition, and will join the Northeast Conference and be eligible for postseason in 2012, upon completion of the five-year NCAA Division 1 reclassification period. They went 7-4 on the gridiron this season under Fine.

Four Globe Players of the Year, two Independent School League stars, and a running back from one of the highest scoring teams in state history highlight the 14th annual All-State Super-26 Football team.

More than 100 players were nominated and a committee of coaches from the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association selected the 26 all-state players.

The offense is led by Dracut quarterback Matt Grimard. Grimard was the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year and the Globe’s Division 1A Player of the Year. The other quarterback selected was Framingham’s Danny Guadagnoli. The four running backs selected were Wakefield’s Martin Hyppolite, Brockton’s Khalil James-Offley, Milton Academy’s Josh Scott and Longmeadow’s Alex Scyocurka. Led by Scyocurka’s 2,647 yards rushing, Longmeadow scored 533 points, the second most in state history.

Two receivers earned all-state status, Minnechaug’s Jeff Lingenfelter and Dartmouth’s Justin Mello. The five members of the offensive line are Fitchburg’s Keith Bourne, Everett’s Ralph Faia, BC High’s Nnamdi Obukwelu, Dover-Sherborn’s Ted Ouellet, and Malden Catholic’s Mark Sylvester.

On defense, the line is composed of Robert Blanchflower of St. John’s (Shrewsbury), Dartmouth’s Arthur Lynch, Xaverian’s C.J. Parsons, Walpole’s Adam Riegel, and Catholic Memorial’s Brennan Williams. The four linebackers include Division 2A Player of the Year Shane DiBona of Duxbury and Division 1 Player of the Year Tyler Horan of BC High, along with Bishop Feehan’s Tom Efler and Longmeadow’s Nico Sierra.

The secondary includes Division 3 Player of the Year Sean Ryan of Norton, along with BB&N’s Steve Grassa, Coyle & Cassidy’s Conor Henry, and Salem’s Melikke Van Alstyne.

The players will be honored at a banquet March 1 at Lantana’s in Randolph.

Quarterbacks -- Matt Grimard, Dracut; Dan Guadagnoli, Framingham.

Running backs -- Khalil James-Offley, Brockton; Martin Hyppolite, Wakefield; Josh Scott, Milton; Alex Scyocurka, Longmeadow.

Wide receivers -- Jusitn Mello, Dartmouth; Jeff Lingenfelter, Minnechaug.

Offensive line -- Ralph Faia, Everett; Nnamdi Obukwelu, BC High; Ted Ouellet, Dover-Sherborn; Mark Sylvester, Malden Catholic; Keith Bourne, Fitchburg.

Defensive line -- Arthur Lynch, Dartmouth; CJ Parsons, Xaverian; Adam Riegel, Walpole; Brennan Williams, Catholic Memorial; Robert Blanchflower, St. John's (Shrewsbury).

Linebackers -- Shane DiBona, Duxbury; Tom Effler, Bishop Feehan; Tyler Horan, BC High; Nico Sierra, Longmeadow.

Defensive back -- Conor Henry, Coyle-Cassidy; Sean Ryan, Norton; Melikke Van Alstyne, Salem; Steve Grass, BB&N.

From the Globe's Local News Updates:

By Benjamin Paulin, Globe Correspondent

The former coach of the Walpole High football team that won a state football championship earlier this month has turned himself in to police in Tucson, Ariz. last night after he was charged with raping a student at the school.

Daniel Villa, who is originally from Arizona, turned himself in just before 9 p.m. after police spent almost two days trying to coax him into surrendering.

A former professional who played six years for the Patriots, Villa faces three counts of rape of a child over 14, and three counts of enticing a minor, police said.

The warrant for his arrest was issued Friday in Wrentham District Court.

Police believe the only victim was a Walpole High student-athlete.

The crimes occurred in the past several months, said Walpole Police Chief Richard Stillman. He would not elaborate on the details of the case.

Yesterday afternoon, Walpole High School principal sent a note to parents, saying the school administration "will do everything that we can to support our students, protect any and all alleged victims, and keep the orderly operation of the high school as our highest priorities," according to a copy of the message provided to the Globe by a former student.

He added that guidance and counseling staff will be available at the high school on Monday, Dec. 29, for students. The school is currently closed for the holidays until January 5.

Police thought Villa, 44, a Walpole resident, was going to turn himself in late Friday, said Stillman, but he did not show up. A source close to the investigation said that Walpole had issued a nationwide "lookout" for Villa, and that by Saturday police believed he was not in Massachusetts.

Then, just before 9 p.m. yesterday, Tucson police sent Walpole investigators a teletype saying they had the former pro football player in custody.

"It's what we needed to have happen," Stillman said. "To be that far away from here was not a good place to be and it definitely gave us reason to believe he might not come back. We're gratified he's now in custody."

Villa's lawyer, Heather V. Baer issued a statement by e-mail last night saying that Villa had originally planned to surrender Dec. 29.

"On learning this afternoon that Arizona police were nevertheless seeking to arrest him on the Massachusetts charges, Mr. Villa turned himself in to local authorities," the statement said. "Mr. Villa intends to plead not guilty at his arraignment in Massachusetts."

The Globe's Mike Grossi reports from Franklin that Mansfield officials met with the MIAA today to voice their side of the story regarding the use of an ineligible player during the 2008 football season.

The meeting, which lasted about two hours, adjourned without a decision. A ruling will be handed down within 10 days.

For more, check out Grossi's recap in Thursday's school roundup.

The MIAA will hear Mansfield's appeal of punishment handed down by the organization for using an ineligible, fifth-year player during a hearing in Franklin on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 1 p.m.

A 10-person subcommittee of the Board of Directors will conduct the hearing, which is open to both the media and the public.

The MIAA originally forced Mansfield to forfeit two games in which it used the ineligible player and initially canceled the Hornets' first-round playoff matchup against Bishop Feehan. Mansfield earned a temporary injunction in court, that ultimately allowed them to play that semifinal game (and win) before falling to Walpole in Saturday's Division 2 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

As any regular visitor to this space knows, we're super fanboys for The Killers and the past few weeks have felt like an early Christmas with the release of the band's third studio album, Day and Age. Given that this is the final Further Review column of the 2008 season, you can say we saved the best album of the year for last.

We'll reserve our thoughts on the album for later. For now, we'll simply note that BFlo (Brandon Flowers) and the boys (Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer, and Ronnie Vannucci) are dropping by with a fresh copy of Day and Age to help us recap the 2008 Super Bowls.

Let's dive right in:

First down and the (potential) Top 10

Truth be told, the Globe high school sports staff hasn't sat down to hammer out a final Top 20 quite yet. Those rankings will be unveiled later this week (running in Saturday's Globe, along with the final Top 20s for boys' and girls' soccer). But here's a glimpse at the 10 teams that will top my ballot when we open discussions.

1. BC High (11-1) -- It's hard to deny the Eagles, who avenged their only loss of the season by blanking Everett in the first round of the playoffs, but a colleague brought up a great point when we talked about my final ballot Monday night: Does it always have to be a Division 1 team atop the poll at the end of the year? It's an interesting thought as we often rush to crown the Division 1 champ (not that Everett and Brockton haven't deserved it in recent years). But is there any reason to think that -- on any given Friday -- Duxbury or Walpole couldn't give BC High a run for its money?

2. Walpole (13-0) -- We've said it since last year's Super Bowl loss and we'll say it again now, we're not certain Ryan Izzo will lose another football game during his high school career. What a 2008 season for the Rebels and there's no reason to think the winning will stop in 2009.

3. Duxbury (13-0) -- We were hoping the Dragons would knock our socks off Saturday and give us the ammunition to vault them directly to No. 1. Alas, while you could certainly still make the case, a top 3 finish is mighty impressive for this Division 2A juggernaut.

4. Everett (9-2) -- It's hard to criticize a team that put up 28.6 points per game this fall, but can we agree this wasn't the Everett offense we've come to know? Injuries certainly played a role, but the Tide very easily could have lost to three Catholic Conference schools this year. Expect a redemption tour next fall.

5. Dracut (11-2) -- Sometimes we wonder how anyone ever stopped Matt Grimard. That's about as impressive a season as we'll see from a quarterback (54 combined touchdowns; 33 rushing, 21 passing). Take away the Methuen loss and you could potentially justify a higher ranking, but it would still be tough to jump them higher than No. 5 considering the loss to Everett.

6. Brockton (9-4) -- Hard to argue that any team finished the season stronger than the Boxers. After taking down previously top-ranked Dartmouth in the Division 1 semifinals, Brockton came within a 4th-and-1 conversion of potentially being Super Bowl champions.

7. Dartmouth (11-1) -- Despite spending much of the 2008 season at the top of our poll, the Indians never quite clicked. They clawed their way through a perfect regular season, but came out very flat against Brockton and didn't seem prepared for their speed (maybe not a surprise given Dartmouth's schedule). We're not certain why Dartmouth never hit its stride, because the talent was there (though the injury to QB Sean Sylvia didn't help matters).

8. Xaverian (7-4) -- Two four-loss teams in our Top 8? That's just the kind of 2008 season it was. You can very easily argue that Xaverian should have beaten the teams ranked No. 1, 3, and 4 in this poll. Bottom line is that the Hawks were clearly the best team not to go to the playoffs and we'll reward them for a killer schedule (something they navigated even after losing their starting quarterback midseason).

9. Acton-Boxboro (10-2) -- The Colonials only lost to No. 1 BC High and No. 5 Dracut, while giving those Middies their biggest postseason challenge. A-B didn't allow opponents more than a single touchdown over the final eight weeks of the regular season. That's mighty impressive.

10. Reading (11-0) -- The Rockets took No. 2 Walpole to the wire during their only loss of the 2008 campaign. We wish the Rockets had played another Top 15 squad (we're not sure Melrose and Wakefield should finish that high) so we'd have more to gauge them on, but a Top 10 finish is nothing to sneeze at.

A few thoughts on the rest of the (potential) Globe top 20: Mansfield, Gloucester, and Marshfield -- all three Super Bowl losers -- would probably be my next three teams in the rankings, this despite subpar efforts in the big game... Catholic Memorial showed us a little something on Thanksgiving Day, but I'm not sure it was enough to warrant a spot in the Top 15... Arlington Catholic, Amesbury, and Manchester-Essex, will occupy spots No. 18-20 (in that order, no less) on my final rankings to reward those squads for Super Bowl seasons.

Your turn

One simple question for you this week (Sorry the numbers have been reset from yesterday as the original poll got deleted):

They said it

"This is the way we felt after the Giants game." -- Patriots owner Bob Kraft to the Mansfield football team captains after the Hornets fell to Walpole in the Division 2 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. A very classy message from an owner, who not only opened the door to his home Saturday, but served as a great host by appearing at many of the morning trophy presentations before departing for Seattle to watch his Patriots tangle with the Seahawks.

Day and Age

While The Killers' latest disc has earned mixed reviews (please stop judging it against Hot Fuss, people), we're completely smitten by the effort. We chuckle now at the early studio reviews that called it a return to the wall-of-sound that littered Fuss, as it's a disc that rocks even softer than 2006's Sam's Town.

But what it lacks in a crunch of guitars, it makes up for in creativity. The band sprinkles in saxophone and samba drums during the irresistible "Joy Ride", employs a Carribbean vibe on "I Can't Stay," and channels the Pet Shop Boys on the lead single, "Human."

Amidst it all, there are classic Killers cuts like "Neon Tiger" and "Losing Touch" that show the band hasn't lost a step since Fuss, but instead confirms that only time with tell whether the album will be as revered as the band's debut disc.

Not that Rolling Stone is the be-all, end-all of reviews, but we can't help but note that both Fuss and Day received 3 1/2 star rankings from the magazine. Maybe that only makes the comparison harder to avoid.

Regardless, we implore you to enjoy the disc for what it is. And that is awesome.

Today we use the 10 tracks to recap the seven Eastern Mass. Super Bowls, the two Vocational Super Bowls, and the Paul Revere Bowl.

• Losing Touch -- We don't like to harp on the bad in this space, so let's flip this to "Winning Touch," which is exactly what Manchester-Essex quarterback Pat Orlando had as he completed 9 of 13 passes for 172 yards with three touchdowns to lead the Hornets to a 36-6 triumph over Tri-County in the Division 4 title game at Gillette Stadium. Speaking of touch, Orlando said after in regards to his offensive line: "I wasn't touched. I didn't get sacked all day. The receivers ran awesome routes and everyone was just connecting."

• Human -- Though he rarely showed it during the 2008 season, Dracut's Matt Grimard is supposedly human. The tank of a quarterback lost a fumble during the Middies' 27-0 triumph over Marshfield in the Division 1A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium and asked afterward to confirm that it was his first fumble of the season, Grimard said: "I think I fumbled in the season-opener against Brockton, but we recovered it." Is he human? No, Grimard is dancer.

• Spaceman -- Flowers sings, "You know that I was hoping / That I could leave this star-crossed world behind." Well, the kids from Gloucester were hoping they could leave this Cross-starred world behind. Duxbury quarterback Sean Cross completed 14 of 25 passes for 334 yards with four touchdowns as the Dragons punctuated a perfect 13-0 season with a 46-26 triumph over the Fishermen in the Division 2A title game at Gillette Stadium. Duxbury gained 442 yards from scrimmage, mostly on the arm of Cross, who set a career high for passing yardage. The Spaceman says, "Everybody look down!" and Cross obliged by looking downfield all night long.

• Joy Ride -- The soaring chorus shouts, "When your chips are down / When your highs are low / Joy ride." With the chips down, it was all highs for Bay Path quarterback Matt Hall, who rushed for two scores and threw for another in a 26-6 triumph over Bristol-Plymouth in the Vocational Large School title game at Quincy's Veterans Memorial Stadium. You could say Hall moved across the night like a separate wind.

• A Dustland Fairytale -- This track includes the lyrics, "He's getting ready for the showdown / I saw the ending where they turned the page." Well, poor Bedford probably saw the ending when Hanover turned to Matt Page for two first-quarter scores that helped the Indians emerge with a 19-18 triumph in the Paul Revere Bowl at Quincy's Veterans Memorial Stadium. Clearly, Page was ready for the showdown between the Patriot League runner-up and Dual County League Small champion.

• This is Your Life -- The chorus implores, "Wait for something better / No one behind you / Watching your shadows / This feeling won't go." This seems like a good one for the ball carriers on Amesbury, the only difference being that instead of no one behind them, it was more like the entire Martha's Vineyard defense chasing their shadows. Senior quarterback Jared Flannigan rushed for 150 yards on 11 rushes, Jesse Burrell added 117 yards on 12 carries, and Kevin Johnston rushed 13 times for 67 yards as the Indians trampled the Vineyarders, 40-19, in the Division 3A title game at Bentley College. The track also includes the lyrics, "And the sky is full of dreams / But you don't know how to fly." Well, the Indians certainly seemed to do just fine reeling in their dreams on the ground.

• I Can't Stay -- This track includes the lyrics, "The emotion it was, electric / And the stars, they all aligned / I knew I had to make my, decision / But I never made the time." Seems perfect for Arlington Catholic quarterback Corey Spencer, who made perfect decisions with plenty of time to throw as he completed 14 of 27 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns to pace the Cougars past Norton, 32-20, in the Division 3 title game at Gillette Stadium. The stars aligned for Arlington Catholic late in the year as the Cougars overcame a 2-3 start to win their final eight games.

• Neon Tiger -- This track include the verse, "Took to the spotlight like a diamond ring / Came from the woodwork in the hopes they might / Redeem themselves from poor decisions to win big." Sure sounds like the orange-clad Walpole Rebels, who erupted for 27 second-quarter points to redeem themselves for last year's Super Bowl loss with a 41-21 pounding of Mansfield in this year's Division 2 title game at Gillette Stadium. Oh, and speaking of Tigers, Ryan Izzo sure looked good out of that Wildcat formation.

• The World We Live In -- This track includes the lyrics, "I gotta believe it’s worth it / Without a victory, I’m so sanctified and free." South Shore Voke endured a quartet of losses during the 2008 season, but set itself apart from the pack by topping North Shore, 38-18, in the Vocational Small School title game at Quincy's Veterans Memorial Stadium.

• Goodnight, Travel Well -- These lyrics include the line, "The unknown distance to the great beyond stares back at my grieving frame." Sorta sounds like the pain Brockton running back Jamal Johnson must have felt when BC High swarmed him on a pivotal 4th-and-1 situation late in the Eagles' 13-7 triumph in the Division 1 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. Said soft-spoken Eagles linebacker Pat Moynahan, who made the tackle on the play: "[Defensive lineman] Rob McCourt did the real dirty work, he fought over the tight end's block. Then when Johnson tried to cut back, I was right there." With no way to stop the clock, BC High pretty much told Brockton, "Goodnight, travel well."

  And for the record, we don't mind Brockton's call in that situation. Everyone in the building probably expected a QB sneak or a straight-ahead run by Khalil James-Offley. To BC High's credit, the Eagles didn't get caught leaning.

The Forsberg 199

You can't make this stuff up. Our goal for the past two seasons has been to finish with a .750 winning percentage. Last year we weren't even close, but we knew that, with a solid Super Bowl outing this year, we'd likely hit our mark. So when we went 6-1 overall this past weekend, we felt pretty good about our chances.

Then we added up our season totals and didn't even need the calculator when we saw we got 149 out of 199 correct to know that we were going to miss it by measly percentage points. What's more, we forgot to jokingly pick our hometown Auburn to win the Division 2A Central/West Super Bowl, a triumph that would have vaulted us to the .750 mark when the Dandies discarded Wahconah, 17-0.

Oh well, there's always next year. Here are our final numbers:

Super Bowls: 6-1
Postseason: 16-6
Regular season: 127-43
2008 season overall: 149-50 (.749)

Thank you!

A gigantic thank you to everyone who visited the site this fall. We hope you had as much fun as we did during the football season and we hope you stick with us as we move to the winter sports.

We also appreciated your patience this fall. Increased duties away from high school sports coverage meant less time for your humble blogger to devote specifically to this space, but we're hoping to take what we learned this year and make better use of our time in 2009.

As always, your feedback is much appreciated. Did you like the streaming video of games? Would you prefer we stream more games? Or do you prefer we post higher-quality highlights following our in-game live blogs? What did you love about the site this fall, what did you hate? As football fans, what do you want to see more of?

Post your thoughts in our comments section below and help us shape the coverage of the 2009 season and beyond.

But again, thank you for a great season!

In case you didn't see this spectacular one-handed grab in person during Saturday's Division 3 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium, check out the video of Chris Elbag's spectacular catch during Arlington Catholic's 32-20 triumph over Norton.

For more highlights from this past weekend's Super Bowls, check out these short clips from our friends at NECN. Or send us your clips.

(John Tlumacki / Globe Staff)

We've uploaded the Globe's entire collection of Super Bowl photos, including shots from all six games at Gillette Stadium, along with Amesbury's triumph over Martha's Vineyard at Bentley College.

At right, Manchester-Essex head coach Michael Athanas gets the Gatorade shower following his team's 36-6 triumph over Tri-County in the Division 4 title game at Gillette Stadium.

Check out all the photos.

FOXBOROUGH -- Check out all of the results from Super Saturday (and Sunday), along with Eastern Mass. recaps below.

Replay our all-day live blog for in-game updates and analysis from all six games. Hop to our daily scoreboard for box scores as they are entered into our database.

Division 1

BC High 13, Brockton 7 -- BC High put together a monster 18-play, 72-yard scoring drive culminating in a late first-half score that ultimately lifted the Eagles to a 13-7 triumph over Brockton in the Division 1 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

Tyler Horan, who finished that long trek with a 1-yard plunge, piled up 139 yards on 27 carries to pace the Eagles. Brockton mustered only 116 yards of total offense, largely because BC High dominated time of possession by holding the ball for nearly the entire second quarter.

Khalil James-Offley finished with 55 yards on 13 carries with his team's lone score.

Horan also caught a 48-yard screen pass for the Eagles' other score.

Division 1A

Dracut 27, Marshfield 0 -- Matt Grimard rushed for a pair of first-half scores, then threw for another in the third quarter as Dracut blanked Marshfield, 27-0, in the Division 1A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

Marshfield mustered only 92 yards in the first half and struggled to generate scoring chances all night.

Jordan Murphy caught a third-quarter touchdown pass, while Jonathan Rivera rushed for a fourth-quarter score.

Division 2

Walpole 41, Mansfield 21 -- Ryan Izzo found the end zone three times, including once out of the Wildcat formation and another on a perfect hook-'n'-ladder play late in the first half as the Rebels emerged with a 41-21 triumph in the Division 2 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

Izzo finished with 193 yards on 29 carries. Overall, Walpole piled up 366 yards of total offense and cruised to the finish after lead 34-7 at the intermission.

Walpole avenges a loss to Bishop Feehan in last year's Division 2 title game and finishes the 2008 season a perfect 13-0. Mansfield was hampered by 11 penalties.

Division 2A

Duxbury 46, Gloucester 20 -- Duxbury scored a trio of fourth-quarter touchdowns to motor away for a 46-20 triumph in the Division 2A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

The Dragons piled up 442 yards of total offense, including 334 yards through the air.

Quarterback Sean Cross completed 14 of 25 passes for 334 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Iowa-bound Shane DiBona rushed 14 times for 79 yards.

Gloucester trailed 25-20 entering the fourth quarter, but Duxbury quickly left the Fishermen in the dust.

Division 3

Arlington Catholic 32, Norton, 20 -- Arlington Catholic senior quarterback Corey Spencer completed 14 of 27 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Cougars past Norton, 32-20, in the Division 3 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

Wide receiver Ricky Douglas hauled in a pair of touchdowns as AC overcame an early 12-6 deficit with four consecutive scores to motor away from the Lancers.

Norton star running back Sean Ryan rushed 19 times for 159 yards with two scores, but also had two costly fumbles, one that was recovered for an AC touchdown and the other inside the AC 5 to short-circuit a potential second-half scoring drive.

Division 3A

Amesbury 40, Martha's Vineyard 19 -- Amesbury scored three times in the first 11 minutes and breezed to a 40-19 triumph over Martha's Vineyard in the Division 3A Super Bowl at Bentley College.

Holding a 21-0 lead just one minute into the second quarter, and a 34-7 advantage by the half, the Indians (12-1) erased any chance for a competitive contest, holding the Vineyarders (11-2) in check on both the offensive and defensive line throughout.

In turn, the gaping holes created by Amesbury led to three memorable rushing performances -- Jared Flannigan’s 150 yards on 11 rushes (to go with 56 yards passing as well), with Jesse Burrell (12 carries, 117 yards) and Kevin Johnston (13-67) as support.

Division 4

Manchester-Essex 36, Tri-County 6 -- Manchester-Essex senior quarterback Pat Orlando completed 9 of 13 passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns as the Hornets stung Tri-County, 36-6, in the Division 4 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

With the three touchdowns, Orlando overtook his brother, Vinny, for the school's career leader in that category with 54. Doug Kenerson hauled in two of those touchdown passes, including a brilliant grab in the back of the end zone in the first half, while Ben Kekeisen caught the other.

Tri-County was limited to 161 total yards as quarterback Lucas Mistler was 5 of 13 passing for 101 yards with a touchdown.

And here are the Central vs. West Super Bowls:

Division 1

Longmeadow 35, Fitchburg 21

Division 1A

Holy Name 20, Westfield 7

Division 2

Tantasqua 17, South Hadley 14

Division 2A

Auburn 17, Wahconah 0

Division 3

Putnam Voke 24, Littleton 21

Division 3A

Assabet 24, Easthampton 16

FOXBOROUGH -- Six games, one day, one live blog.

Relive all of Saturday's action from Gillette Stadium in our all-day live blog below.

OK, that was a cheap headline to make you look. But for those of you planning on going to the Central Mass./Western Mass. Super Bowls originally scheduled for Saturday at Worcester State College, be advised they have been delayed until Sunday (at the same time) due to a water main break at the college.

We've updated our Super Bowl schedule to note the change.

Before we dive into our Super Bowl predictions, allow us to hit rewind for a little prognostication housekeeping.

We'll start with the Beat Forsberg: Thanksgiving Pick'em 2008. As you know by now, I didn't even come close to winning my own contest as 90 different visitors predicted more correct winners than me. But one man in particular shined above the rest and he is taking home an iPod Nano for his stellar efforts: Fox 25's Ryan Asselta.

Yep, I got schooled by a fellow media member. So after a week of "Maybe we should hire this guy to do your job" jokes around the office, we offer Ryan the heartiest of congratulations. Be sure to check out his winning ballot. The only three games he whiffed on were Lowell Catholic vs. Pope John; Melrose vs. Wakefield; and Wilmington vs. Tewksbury. An impressive effort.

As always you, The People, may be the ultimate winners. Ryan and I are hoping to join forces as part of both outlets' Friday night hoops coverage this winter, so stay tuned for more on that.

Moving on to our playoff predictions, we went a dismal 1-3 in our Division 1-1A picks (the divisions we saw the most of during the regular season), but finished strong in the lower divisions for an overall mark of 10-5 (with a bonus Central Mass. pick thrown in on our hometown Auburn Rockets).

Of course, all of the interns wanted to show they were so much smarter than me, too, so they submitted their own ballots for Tuesday's games. Here's how they finished up:

• Mike Carraggi - 10-4
• Emily Wright - 9-5
• Mike Grossi - 9-5
• Jon Raymond - 7-7
• David Carty - 9-5

See guys, not so easy. Let's see how you do in the Super Bowls. And, without further ado, here are my Super Bowl predictions (so the interns can simply copy my picks):

Division 1

BC High over Brockton -- Here's our new rule: You shut out Everett in the playoffs, we pick you to win the Super Bowl. No questions asked. BC High's defense has been phenomenal all year long, but we remain absolutely stunned at the Eagles' ability to blank the Tide on Tuesday night. We do have a small bit of concern about the Eagles putting up enough offense, especially considering the way Brockton and star running back Khalil James-Offley can score from anywhere on the field, but Brockton's defense has shown it can be scored upon and an early lead should propel the Eagles to the Super Bowl crown.

Division 1A

Dracut over Marshfield -- Both teams will be aided by their first-round matchups as each team sort of mirrors the other's Tuesday night opponent. But we still believe Dracut QB Matt Grimard is the X-factor. Can Marshfield's stout defense keep Grimard behind the line of scrimmage and challenge him to beat them through the air (something he's quite capable of even if you take away his ability to run). Much like against Acton-Boxboro, we simply think the Middies will score enough points to walk away with the Super Bowl title.

Division 2

Walpole over Mansfield -- It's probably not fair to either team to call this a matchup of Walpole's offense vs. Mansfield's defense, not when Mansfield is averaging 26.6 points per game, and Walpole's defense is allowing only 10.9 points per contest. That said, we do believe this one comes down to whether Mansfield can bottle up Walpole star running back Ryan Izzo, particularly on a fast track at Gillette Stadium. This could be one of the most exciting Super Bowls of the day, particularly given the wild week the Hornets have endured. But feel-good story aside, Walpole's on a redemption tour (and it might not end until December 2009).

Division 2A

Duxbury over Gloucester -- It's hard to believe this is the Division 2A Super Bowl considering the amount of talent on the field. Both teams have shown they could easily compete with talented schools in the divisions above them this fall, but with wins over the likes of Xaverian and Marshfield, Duxbury has proven its not only the best team in 2A, but one of the best in the state. Sound familiar? Gloucester laid a similar claim last year, but this is the year of the Dragon.

Division 3

Arlington Catholic over Norton -- Arlington Catholic is allowing nearly three touchdowns per game and that doesn't seem to bode particularly well going up against Norton and star running back Sean Ryan, who rushed for a school-record 1,747 yards and 34 touchdowns this fall. But we're simply not certain if Norton can match the size of Arlington Catholic in the trenches, and we think the Cougars have an advantage in the passing game. The Gillette scoreboard gets its biggest workout of the day, but AC prevails . . . barely.

Division 3A

Martha's Vineyard over Amesbury -- It's a shame that the focus of this rotation game each year inevitably becomes the fact that the teams don't get to play at Gillette Stadium. If you keep the focus on football, you'll notice the Vineyarders are averaging 42 points per game their last three contests and haven't scored fewer than three touchdowns since their season opener. Amesbury stifled a solid Whittier squad in the opening round of the playoffs, posting the shutout in a 34-0 triumph. So what gives here? Martha's Vineyard travels by sea and land to get here, then goes to the air to claim the Super Bowl title.

Division 4

Manchester-Essex over Tri-County -- The highest scoring offense at Gillette? Dracut? Nope. Gloucester? Guess again. Manchester-Essex? Yep, the Hornets boast the top scoring offense in Eastern Mass. at 37.5 points per game. In fact, Manchester-Essex hasn't scored fewer than four touchdowns in a single game this year (think about that). Tri-County needs to bring another brilliant defensive effort in order to stick with the Hornets, but -- on this rare occasion -- we'll take offense over defense.

Last week: 10-5
Year to date: 127-43 (.747)

FOXBOROUGH -- The captains and coaches of the 12 teams competing in Saturday's six Eastern Mass. Super Bowls at Gillette Stadium descended on Patriot Place this afternoon for a tour of the facilities and a chance to meet with the media before the championship games.

Players had a chance to shake off some of the awe that comes with playing on the same field as the Patriots idols. Check out our video above as we talked with some of the key players from many of the participating teams.

Our videos features interviews with BC High's Nnamdi Obukwelu; Brockton's Khalil James-Offley; Dracut's Matt Grimard; Marshfield's Zach Triner; Mansfield's Jeff Mallett; Duxbury's Shane DiBona; Tri-County's Lucas Mistler; and Manchester-Essex's Pat Orlando.

FOXBOROUGH -- Gatorade today named Dracut quarterback Matt Grimard its 2008 Massachusetts football Player of the Year.

Grimard, who joined his teammates this morning at Gillette Stadium for the MIAA's Super Bowl Breakfast, said he was honored to receive the award, but his thoughts were clearly on Saturday's Division 1A Super Bowl where the Middies will joust with Marshfield.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior has rushed for 1,412 yards on 204 carries, with 31 touchdowns this season, while also completing 147 of 241 passes for 2,239 yards and 20 touchdowns with three interceptions.

"Of all the teams I’ve seen, he by far makes the most difference," said Everett coach John DiBiaso, whose team defeated Dracut earlier this season. "He can do everything. He can run, he can throw. He’s them. They’ve played at the highest level of competition they could play, and he’s excelled in the biggest games. He’s the best player we’ve seen this year."

For the press release, follow the "full entry" link below.

BRIDGEWATER -- After a couple of sleepless nights wondering if his football team would ever get a chance to play in the postseason, Mansfield coach Mike Redding took a moment to savor Wednesday's 22-6 triumph over Bishop Feehan that ensures his team will play yet another game when it meets Walpole in Saturday's Division 2 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

But don't expect Redding to sleep any sounder after a week that saw his Hornets prevail in the courtroom and on the gridiron.

"I haven't slept the past two nights worrying about whether we were going to play this game," said Redding. "Now I'm probably not going to sleep for two nights worrying about Ryan Izzo."

But worrying about how to stop Walpole's star running back is a welcome problem if ensures 40 more minutes of football. The MIAA ruled Monday that Mansfield must forfeit two regular-season games for using an ineligible, fifth-year player and the organization canceled Tuesday's scheduled semifinal before the Hornets earned a temporary injunction in Taunton Superior Court.

With the focus back on the gridiron, Mansfield looked anything but a team riding an emotional roller coaster. The Hornets defense didn't allow Feehan a single first down until the final minutes of the game and completely dominated the defending Division 2 champs.

Check out the video above for postgame reaction from key Mansfield players, including junior running back Shawn Doherty and senior quarterback Jeff Mallett.

For more on the game, check out the game story from Thursday's Globe. To replay our in-game live blog, follow the "full entry" below.

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.”

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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:

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.

Some athletes are blessed with all the physical skills it takes to succeed. Some are driven by a fire that has burned within them all their lives. Some learn skills and values from prominent influences in their lives and apply them to athletics.

And some rare athletes have a conglomeration of all three, such as Malden Catholic two-way lineman Mark Sylvester.

Towering at 6 feet, 4 inches and weighing 260 pounds, Sylvester was seemingly born to man the trenches. His speed, footwork, and agility are what MC first-year coach Robert Almeida calls “special.”

“You can talk about all the technique in the world,” said Almeida. “But sometimes it really comes down to knocking someone off the ball, and he can do that.”

What keeps someone of Sylvester's hulking dimensions a force on the football field is what separates good athletes from great athletes. Sylvester has a motor that simply cannot stop.

“I go hard at practice all week. I treat it like a game situation, focusing all week on what I need to get done,” said Sylvester. “I never give up. (I'm) hard-working, every single play.”

Of course, Sylvester also has someone who keeps him going. Someone who played football himself a city away in Everett.

“My father,” he said. “He's been coaching me all my life, I look up to him for advice. He's told me footwork is the most important thing on the line.”

See more of what Mark Sylvester and Robert Almeida had to say by following the "full entry" link below.

Our friends at PrepNation released their Week 13 football polls today and Massachusetts slides a representative back into the Northeast Top 10.

Globe No. 1 Dartmouth and its 9-0 record checks in at No. 10 in the regional poll. Everett, Dartmouth, and Longmeadow have all spent time in the back end of the regional poll, and this is the second appearance for Dartmouth this season.

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

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

Here's the schedule for the Patriot League Bowl Weekend, culminating with the conference championship game to determine who advances to the postseason:

Friday, Nov. 14 at Scituate

Hingham vs. Middleboro, 4:15 p.m.
Scituate vs. Rockland, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 14 at Quincy Stadium

Quincy vs. Randolph, 4:15 p.m.
Silver Lake vs. North Quincy, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 15 at Whitman-Hanson

Whitman-Hanson vs. Pembroke, 1 p.m.
(Championship game) Duxbury vs. Hanover, 5 p.m.

Here's a look at the Globe's early-edition football roundup that will appear in Sunday's paper, along with snippet from today's other gridiron game stories. Check back tomorrow for more:

DiChiara, BB&N pass another test

By Michael Grossi, Globe Correspondent

In its usual fashion, Buckingham Browne & Nichols passed its way to victory yesterday, beating Roxbury Latin, 34-14.

BB&N got out to a fast start, scoring 21 points in the first quarter as Mike DiChiara tossed three touchdown passes.

DiChiara finished with five touchdown passes, three to Steve Grassa. DiChiara has gashed every defense he has seen this year, tossing 27 touchdown passes in seven games. BB&N (7-0) will play Lawrence Academy in the ISL championship game Friday night.

Lawrence Academy improved to 7-0 after throttling St. Paul's, 46-3.

Lawrence Academy also passed its way to victory, Charlie Loeb throwing for 286 yards and five touchdowns. Loeb sliced through St. Paul's pass defense like a surgeon. Three of his touchdown passes came in a decisive second quarter, during which Lawrence Academy scored 21 points to increase its lead from 13-3 to 34-3. Ollie Taylor had 174 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Lawrence Academy equaled its win total from last year thanks in large part to its overpowering defense.

BB&N and Lawrence Academy are evenly matched. Both average around 40 points per game and allow around one touchdown per game.

Milton Academy 37, Nobles 14 - Josh Scott ran for 234 yards and two touchdowns for Milton (7-1), which will await today's NEPSAC bowl selections. Scott finished the regular season with more than 1,800 yards on the ground.

Belmont Hill 20, Governor's 14 (OT) - Tyler West threw for a touchdown and rushed for the winner in overtime.

Brooks 42, Rivers 7 - Jordan Johnson carried eight times for 127 yards and two touchdowns. He also passed for 60 yards and returned a kick 95 yards for a score.

St. George's 24, Middlesex 22 - In the teams' 103d meeting, Charlie Fleming ran for two touchdowns, including the winner with 11 minutes to go.

Follow the "full entry" link below for more.

WESTWOOD -- BC High senior Tyler Horan put the Eagles on his back and helped his squad rally from a two-touchdown deficit to top rival Xaverian, 28-21, in a Catholic Conference showdown Saturday at the Hawk Bowl.

Check out the video highlights at the top of this entry, or follow the "full entry" link below to watch postgame reaction and read our in-game blog.

Six schools clinched MIAA playoff berths last night. Today ... stay tuned.

Beverly 20, Swampscott 16: Mark Hannable scored with 18 seconds left to give Beverly a stunning 20-16 win over the Big Blue. It was tied after one at Hurd Stadium and then Chris Cameron went to work, scoring on a 10-yard second-quarter run and Swampscott held a 13-7 lead after three quarters. With Marblehead's win last night over Winthrop, the Magicians are now alone atop the Northeastern Small standings.

Vineyard coach Donald Herman talks to his charges. (Rose Lincoln / Globe Photo)

A look at the early edition of Friday's high school football roundup, and snippets from the stories you'll find online tomorrow (and in Saturday's Boston Globe). For scores and summaries from tonight's games, check out our scoreboard.

Duxbury to play for Patriot title

By Jonathan Raymond, Globe Correspondent

Duxbury used one win to accomplish two things last night. The Dragons downed visiting Silver Lake, 17-7, to remain undefeated and clinched a berth in the Patriot League championship game.

Duxbury (9-0) wrapped up first place in the Keenan Division. Silver Lake (6-3) had also been undefeated in league play at 4-0.

Shane DiBona scored on a -yard run in the second quarter to give the Dragons a 7-0 lead at halftime.

Duxbury added to its lead in the third, with Sean Cross connecting with Ian Whitney for a 41-yard touchdown pass. Cross was 12 of 22 for 262 yards.

Jake Luque ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth to put Silver Lake on the board. Ben Startzell added a 21-yard field goal for Duxbury.

The Dragons will face Hanover in the Patriot League championship game Nov. 15 at Whitman-Hanson. Nick Hocking caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Matt Johnson in the third quarter as Hanover topped Rockland, 7-0, to earn its spot in the game.

Follow the "full entry" link below for the rest of Friday's roundup and much more:

SUDBURY -- Spearheaded by a stingy defense, Acton-Boxboro effectively silenced the Lincoln-Sudbury offense and -- even after the Warriors' lone score -- produced the biggest play of the evening by returning a blocked PAT for a 2-point conversion en route to a 15-6 triumph at Myers Field.

Click the "full entry" link below to watch video reaction from Acton-Boxboro players and coaches, or to replay our live blog from Friday's game.

The first playoff berths will be clinched tonight. Who's in? Who's out? Was the long trip worth it for Martha's Vineyard?

• Martha's Vineyard 28, Blue Hills 12 -- It's a final in Canton. The Vineyards early points came from a 12-yard run by Erik Dolliver and two keepers by Mike McCarthy, one of 10 yards, one from 3 yards out. With the win, Martha's Vineyard clinches the Mayflower Large title and a playoff berth.

• No. 1 Dartmouth 35, No. 20 Attleboro 21 -- Dartmouth came back from a 14-0 deficit to tie it at the half on a Sean Sylvia TD pass to Arthur Fontaine and a Sylvia touchdown run. In the third quarter, another Sylvia scoring run has put Dartmouth on top and the Indians went on to beat Attleboro, 35-21. With the win, Dartmouth clinched the Old Colony title. The Bombardiers have touchdowns from Matt Campbell and Tyler McCarthy.

• No. 8 Mansfield 13, North Attleboro 7 -- A Kevon Rogers 63-yard scoring run has Mansfield on top at the half and that's the way it ended. Mansfield is headed to the Division 2 playoffs.

For updates from Acton-Boxboro vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, check out our live blog above.

We'll skip the hyperbole, as this week's games speak for themselves. For all intents and purposes, league champions will be decided and postseason passes will be punched. Our crystal ball gets murkier this time of year, but one thing we do see is our win-loss record floating downward like the season's first snow as these games get more difficult to forecast. Here are this week's picks (home teams in caps):

• No. 9 Acton-Boxboro (7-1) over No. 19 LINCOLN-SUDBURY (7-1) -- We truly believe this will be the most competitive (and exciting) game of the night, which is why you'll find us in Sudbury this evening for the monster Dual County League clash (the Globe's Mike Carraggi will be live from Dartmouth and relaying news, so stick with the High School Sports Blog for updates from all of the evening's biggest matchups, including Mansfield at North Attleboro).

  So who wins this one? We've been saying it all year that the 2008 campaign is a bit of redemption tour for the Colonials. A-B could have erased a mountain's worth of DCL drama if it had simply topped L-S during last year's meeting that spilled into overtime (where the Warriors prevailed, 14-13, at Leary Field). The Colonials had troubles scoring in the red zone last year, but we think it's L-S that will have trouble putting points on the board tonight as Acton-Boxboro prevails in another nail-biter.

• No. 8 Mansfield (7-1) over NORTH ATTLEBORO (6-1) -- The Hornets have owned this series in recent years and we've seen nothing to suggest that trend won't continue. Mansfield has quietly put together one of the more impressive 2008 campaigns, with its lone blemish being a rain-soaked loss to top-ranked Dartmouth in its season-opener. Playing at North (where the Red Rocketeers are 3-0 this season) is never easy, but the Hornets find a way to prevail and, essentially, lock up the Hockomock League title.

• No. 1 DARTMOUTH (8-0) over No. 20 Attleboro (7-1) -- We'll admit Attleboro's loss last week took a touch of the luster away from this matchup. Whether the Bombardiers got caught looking ahead, or were simply beaten by a better team, we can't help but think they needed every ounce of momentum possible heading into this game. Dartmouth seems like a team about to flip the switch (yes, we've been waiting all season) and we see the Indians really setting a tone heading into the playoffs.

• No. 4 DRACUT (7-1) over Chelmsford (5-3) -- The Middies have a bit of a safety net in the Merrimack Valley Conference, so even if the Lions pull off the upset, it shouldn't detour Dracut's march to the postseason. But we just don't seen any upset in our crystal ball. Not when Dracut is averaging better than 50 points per game its last three games.

• No. 3 BC High (6-1) over No. 15 XAVERIAN (5-3) -- We went back and forth on this one all week. There's really no scenario that could unfold that would surprise us (well, maybe an offensive shootout, but we can see either team prevailing in a defensive battle). We'll chalk up BC High's lopsided loss to Everett as the exception, not the rule, and this week's win starts the Eagles' march to the Catholic Conference title.

And now this week's quick-picks:

• Martha's Vineyard (7-1) over BLUE HILLS (7-1) -- The ride home will feel longer for the Bulldogs than the Vineyarders.

• MASCONOMET (5-3) over Pentucket (5-3) -- A win for the Sachems could put the Cape Ann Large on tilt, but we don't see the Chieftains falling again during the regular season.

• GLOUCESTER (7-1) over Lynn English (5-2) -- Fishermen put the Northeastern Conference Large in a stranglehold. Not that they didn't have it in one before.

• No. 14 Swampscott (7-1) over BEVERLY (6-2) -- Big Blue can't get caught looking too far ahead (to, say, Thanksgiving) with four squads hovering near the top of the NEC Small.

• No. 7 DUXBURY (8-0) over Silver Lake (6-2) -- With the Keenan Division title up for grabs, Silver Lake should have plenty of motivation to keep this one close. But Duxbury's talent wins out. And keep an eye on the Fisher Division, where someone's gotta emerge when North Quincy meets Middleboro and Hanover tangles with Rockland (all four squads are 3-1 in the league).

Last week: 7-3
Overall: 78-23 (.772)

With the beginning of the season in the rear view mirror and the end in sights, it is about time that some playoff races got figured out. The Patriot League has one of the most intriguing battles to sort out. The league is split in two divisions and only one team can get a playoff spot. Therefore, the Patriot League has decided to have a playoff to determine which team will get the spot in the playoffs.

The No. 1 team from the Keenan Division will play the No. 1 team from the Fisher Division for the right to play in the playoffs. The winner of the Silver Lake-Duxbury game gets the top spot in the Keenan Division. The Fisher Division, however, is much more unsettled. Hanover, Rockland, Middleboro and North Quincy are all 3-1 in the Fisher right now. The good thing is that the Rockland faces Hanover and North Quincy faces Middleboro. The scenario for the No. 1 spot is this: if Rockland wins, it needs a North Quincy win to be No. 1. If Hanover wins, it needs Middleboro to win to be No. 1. If North Quincy wins, it needs Hanover to win to be No. 1. If Middleboro wins, it needs Rockland to win to be No. 1.

Usually there's a clear-cut choice for Game of the Week (or we really like a restaurant in a particular town) and that makes picking the game we broadcast live from easy. But, in the spirit of an election week, we figured we should actually take into consideration what our visitors would like to see.

We'll monitor your votes over the next 24 hours and, combined with the input of the high school sports staff, keep you posted on where we'll be on Friday. If you have a particularly compelling reason to be at one game over the other, leave a comment below.

Here's a look at the early edition football roundup recapping all of Saturday's action. Check back later (or Sunday's Globe) for game stories from yesterday's biggest contests and an updated roundup:

Magicians end Beverly's hex

The Magicians' opening quarter wasn't an illusion, and the magic that followed broke long curse as Marblehead defeated Beverly for the first time in 18 years.

"I think it was our kids that finally realized we've had enough of four years with no one respecting us," Marblehead coach Doug Chernovetz said yesterday after his team's 33-30 victory. "They came out with an attitude to prove to this conference that they're a good football team. It was a great quarter for us."

Connor Carey, Hayes Richardson, and Sam Perlow each scored in the first quarter as Marblehead (5-3, 2-0 Northeastern Small) took a 21-0 lead.

The Panthers (6-2, 2-1) rallied in the fourth, scoring 23 points, but Marblehead hung on, scoring a touchdown and field goal to seal the win.

Beverly's Rashad Sims scored three touchdowns.

The Panthers host Swampscott next weekend. Marblehead has Winthrop, Saugus, and Swampscott (on Thanksgiving) left on its schedule.

Division 1A

Dual County (Large): Newton South 34, Boston Latin 14 - Derek Russell connected on three touchdown passes and ran for a TD for the Lions (4-4, 2-0).

Bay State: Brookline 20, Wellesley 0 - Scott Irvin scored a pair of touchdowns.

Division 2

Bay State: Dedham 25, Weymouth 7 - John O'Connell threw three touchdown passes, passed for more than 180 yards, and ran for another 101 and a touchdown for Dedham.

Middlesex: Lexington 24, Winchester 21 - Myles Adley threw three touchdown passes for the Minutemen (3-5, 2-3).

Division 2A

Cape Ann (Large): Pentucket 36, Lawrence 22 - Chris Modlish propelled Pentucket past Lawrence with a trio of touchdowns.

Division 3

Northeastern (Small): Swampscott 42, Saugus 21 - Quarterback Chris Cameron stole the show, completing 20 of 26 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns.

Tri-Valley: Westwood 6, Dover-Sherborn 0 - It came down to the wire, when James Berluti hit PJ Pender with a 25-yard touchdown pass.

Division 3A

Cape Ann: Newburyport 21, North Reading 0 - Joe Clancy threw three TD passes for the Clippers, and totaled more than 180 passing yards.

Commonwealth (Large): Whittier 26, Greater Lowell 0 - Carlos Candelario and Bryan Trickett split up the offensive responsibilities, each scoring twice for Whittier (6-2, 3-0).

Mayflower (Large): Blue Hills 26, South Shore 20 - Kevin Murphy's trio of touchdowns, inclduing one in overtime, contributed to a victory for Blue Hills (6-1, 2-1).

Division 4

Central Catholic (Small): Pope John 44, St. Clement 6 - Justin Nascimento owned the game, scoring four times for Pope John and finishing with 205 all-purpose yards.

Matignon 14, Cathedral 6 - Davidson Peguera scored the first and last touchdown, clinching a win for Matignon (3-4, 1-2).

Commonwealth (Small): North Shore Tech 27, Minuteman 13 - Jesse Wilkins scored a pair of touchdowns for North Shore. Greg Young scored twice for Minuteman.

Northeast Regional 58, Mystic Valley 36 - Corey Kean ran for 190 yards and three touchdowns and Northeast scored 34 points in the second quarter. Mystic Valley's Nick Martorano ran for 251 yards and four touchdowns.

Mayflower (Small): Tri-County 31, Nantucket 6 - Lucas Mistler tallied three touchdowns for Tri-County (5-2, 2-0).

NEPSAC

Evergreen: Proctor Academy 42, Kimball Union 40 - Proctor stepped out early with a 26-7 halftime lead, and held on to win.

St. John’s of Shrewsbury scored a huge win today with its 19-7 upset of Catholic Conference power Xaverian. It’s the Pioneers’ first win over the Westwood school on its home turf since 1965, and should give them plenty of momentum headed into the rest of their Division 1 North slate.

John McGuirk will have the full story in tomorrow’s Globe, but for now here’s a few quick notes from the game.

“We were able to find a couple of cracks, continue moving the ball and move the clock, and our defense once again stepped up,” St. John’s head coach John Andreoli said. To hold an offense like this to seven points, we’re real proud of our guys.”

-The key in today’s game was St. John’s signal-caller Zak Kofos (14 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD). Through the air, he was just 2-of-8 passing for 31 yards; but on the ground, he was tough to tackle.

Witness his touchdown run late in the second quarter, a 61-yard scramble around the right side. With Xaverian linebacker Colton Martin shooting into the backfield from the blind side, Kofos rolled right for a waggle, but saw a running lane, tucked the ball and sprinted for the sideline. There, he shed off a few tackles while managing to stay in bounds, before running in the final 25 yards.