For Flyers, one goal down, one more to go

Framingham High senior quarterback Dan Guadagnoli, with 22 scoring passes, has guided the Flyers to their first playoff berth in eight years. (Patrice Hagen/SportsPix)

The day before, his Framingham High football team had secured the program's first postseason berth in eight seasons, outlasting Needham, 42-34, for the Bay State Conference's Carey Division crown.

On Sunday, Dan Guadagnoli was enjoying "the most relaxing 24 hours of the season," the senior quarterback said. "I took about three naps today."

He certainly deserved a breather.

As he has been all season, Guadagnoli was masterful at the trigger of the Flyers' spread attack, with a hand in every Framingham score against the Rockets last Saturday. He threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 completions and added 52 more on the ground - including four touchdowns - in generating more than 500 yards in total offense.

Framingham (8-2) will play Atlantic Coast League champ Marshfield (9-1) in a Division 1A playoff game Dec. 2.

"That was the culmination of four years of working our butts off," said Guadagnoli, who is leading Division 1A with 22 touchdown passes, along with 15 rushing scores.

"My freshman year, we went 1-10 and got killed. Just to set the goal of making the playoffs and finally achieving that, it's just a huge sigh of relief. These last 24 hours, I've been as happy as I've ever been."

Aside from a few exceptions (Keefe Tech at Assabet Valley Regional, Tri-County at Old Colony), area teams have a bye this weekend in preparation for their traditional Thanksgiving Day rivalries.

Guadagnoli's fellow cocaptain, senior linebacker Pat O'Connell, said this week offers the opportunity to reflect and get some much needed rest. O'Connell spent the second week of October - a bye week for all Bay State teams - nursing a shoulder that was banged up in a win over Dedham.

"It gives us another chance to get healthy," said O'Connell, who along with Guadagnoli is attracting interest from Division 1 college programs. "But it also gets everyone's mind straight. It gives us more focus as well."

After three days off, the Flyers resumed practice yesterday.

"I think they like it," said Framingham coach Gary Doherty. "They get a little bit of a break, and then they get their hunger back."

Had the Flyers not clinched their playoff spot against Needham, the 102d installment of Framingham's Thanksgiving Day rivalry with Natick High would have also carried playoff implications.

"It'd be a really anxious, stressful time for me," said Doherty. "I'd be really antsy."

Which isn't to say it's time to relax. No additional motivation is needed for the Flyers' annual battle against the Red & Blue next Thursday at Bowditch Field, in which one team, 8-2 Framingham, is headed to the postseason and the other, 9-1 Natick, was knocked out only last weekend by Walpole.

"You definitely know it's there," O'Connell said of the Thanksgiving game. "When you walk around town, you're reminded, 'Natick this week.' People definitely remind you about it."

Tension mounts for final scramble

In Shrewsbury, the intensity surrounding the town's two Division 1 teams during the bye week should be greater than expected. Both St. John's and Shrewsbury High are coming off tough, hard-fought losses to divisional foes.

St. John's seemingly had the upper hand headed into its Division 1 North slate, having started 8-0 and scoring upsets of Xaverian and St. John's Prep, and avenging last season's costly loss to Fitchburg. But the Pioneers then dropped two straight, the second one a loss to Wachusett Regional that eliminated coach John Andreoli's squad from the playoff picture.

Shrewsbury's loss to upstart Division 1 East foe Doherty Memorial of Worcester was less costly. The Colonials still sit atop the division, but their Thanksgiving game against Milford is now a must-win. Should the Colonials fall to the Milford Scarlet Hawks, Doherty's Highlanders down cross-city rival Burncoat, and Marlborough beat Hudson, there would be a four-way tie for the division crown.

Considering the explosive defense of Milford, the high-octane offenses of Doherty and Marlborough, and the hard-luck seasons of Hudson and Burncoat (combined 3-16), that's hardly a far-fetched scenario.

"You can implement some wholesale changes, but that's certainly not what we're going to do," Shrewsbury coach Terry Walles said. "Hopefully, the kids come out and have their best game of the season."

Medway, meanwhile, will probably be home after the holiday despite a historic season. The Mustangs came into last Friday's trip to Norton allowing just over 7 points per game - one of the state's stingiest marks - but came away empty-handed in a 16-7 loss. They were shut out in the second half.

With each team suffering one loss in divisional play, Medway has to beat Millis next Thursday and hope Bellingham (0-10) can pull off an upset against Norton in order to make the MIAA playoffs.

In Division 4, Tri-County Regional Vocational of Franklin earned its first postseason berth with a 14-0 shutout of Holbrook, aided by a strong defense and hard running from quarterback Lucas Mistler.

"I'm just so proud of the kids," said T-C third-year coach John MacLean, who was 3-7 in each of his first two seasons. "I have to give a ton of credit to our staff. They really pushed the kids, pushing them to believe that they could win these games. If they worked hard one game at a time, and push themselves in practice, good things will happen."

Mistler, a senior from Norfolk, has played a huge role, rushing for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns while throwing for 765 yards and seven more scores.

The Cougars (8-2, 5-0 Mayflower Small) face Old Colony Regional on Saturday. Their first-round tournament opponent, the champion of the Catholic Central Small Division, will not be determined until Thanksgiving Day. Pope John is the leader, but must beat Lowell Catholic to clinch. Framingham's Marian High is also in the mix.

Brendan Hall can be reached at bhall59@hotmail.com.