Doherty Edges Wachusett on Opening Night

By John McGuirk (@patsfan13)

Holden, Mass. - While many came into opening night enamored with Doherty's potential offensive ceiling, it was the Highlanders' defense which took center stage during Friday night's season-opener against Wachusett Regional.

In a battle between two of the more dominant teams in Central Mass, Doherty managed to pick off Mountaineer quarterback Melke Shabo three times, and also recovered a pair of Shabo fumbles en route to a 14-7 victory at Hal Lane Field.

Fitchburg Breaks Through Against Leominster on Thanksgiving

By John McGuirk (@patsfan1313)

Fitchburg, Mass. - As the brisk, chilly morning descended into its waning hours, two teams with enough history between them to fill 100 playbooks were making one final, desperate attempt to salvage lost seasons.

It is often said that whatever Leominster or Fitchburg does prior to Thanksgiving is insignificant when these two teams meet annually in late November. That theory holds true, especially in these parts, where this game has become folklore.

A victory over the other is enough to make even the worst of seasons more bearable. In the case of this year's contest, the road to the postseason for both the Blue Devils and Red Raiders ended weeks ago. The last salvageable grace remaining for both came down to Thursday's 136th meeting, between these old rivals, the 111th on Thanksgiving Day.

In one of the nation's longest and most-storied rivalries, Fitchburg grabbed a two touchdown lead in the fourth quarter and made it stand, coming away victorious, 34-21, at historic Crocker Field. It marked the first time since 2008 that the Red Raiders (6-5) have defeated their border adversary on Thanksgiving, though Fitchburg did defeat Leominster in the Central Mass playoffs in 2014.

Leominster now holds a slim 66-60-10 all-time lead in the series which began in 1894.

SuiteSports & MassLive Preview the Central vs West MIAA Football State Semifinals

St. John's super soph Eamonn Dennis has emerged as one of the state's best kick returners, and most explosive receivers.

By SuiteSports Staff

The MIAA football playoffs are, for lack of a better word, weird.

Since no Central or Western Mass teams compete in Divisions 1 or 2, the North and South champs for those divisions already know they're going to Gillette.

But, as a new wrinkle of realignment this year, Western Mass teams only compete in four divisions (D3, D5, D7 and D8), which means that Division 4 Central champion Nashoba and Division 6 Central champion Littleton can also start making travel plans for Foxboro.

This new alignment sets up six different Eastern Mass finals in Divisions 3-8 (we'll preview those soon enough), and four Central vs West state semifinals that are always hard to predict. Why? Well, unlike in Eastern Mass where media outlets cover the North and the South pretty evenly, there really isn't an outlet that covers both Central and Western Mass.

That's why we're thrilled that MassLive, who does a fantastic job covering Western Mass high school sports, reached out to our Editor-in-Chief Joe Parello to get his thoughts on all the Central Mass state semifinalists.

Click here to read a full preview of all four games, including Joe's thoughts on the CMass squads, plus MassLive's Mark Chiarelli's break downs of all sectional champions from Western Mass.

Your MIAA Football Sectional Finals Preview: The Central and West

Springfield Central quarterback Aaron Moses-Williams has the Golden Eagle offense humming.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Our Matt Feld got kicked off our sectional championship game coverage earlier today, previewing the North and South sections.

Now I'll take a crack at the smaller regions out in Central and Western Massachusetts, where there are six sectional title games in CMass (Divisions 3-8) and four in WMass (Divisions 3,5,7, and 8).

Let's take a look at the matchups, story lines and players you need to pay attention to this weekend.

St. Peter-Marian Downs Upstart Blackstone-Millville in D6 Central

By John McGuirk (@patsfan1313)

WORCESTER -Three seconds.

That was all it took for St. Peter-Marian to revitalize itself and take control as the Guardians successfully managed to sneak past a very good Blackstone-Millville Regional squad, 28-14, during Saturday's Division 6 Central semifinal.

Down a point in the closing seconds of the first half, the No. 2 Guardians erupted for a pair of touchdowns within that three second frame to snatch a two score lead and, for all intents and purposes, derail the Chargers' first attempt at postseason play.

St. John's (Shrewsbury) Edges Doherty in D3 Central Semifinal

By John McGuirk (@patsfan1313)

Worcester, Mass. - The opportunities were there for Doherty. For an inner-city school destined to prove it belongs in the conversation when talking about the elite programs in Central Mass, the Highlanders were hanging in with the elite of the elite during the first 22 minutes.

But St. John's (Shrewsbury), a team blessed with tremendous depth and talent, took its game to the next level over the course of the second half, able to finally break free for a 32-21 victory in the Division 3 Central semifinal played Friday night at Assumption College.

Postgame Blog: Shrewsbury Rolls Past Shepherd Hill in D2 Central Semis

By Connor Evans (@RonnocEvans)

Shrewsbury, Mass. - CMass playoff football has ARRIVED.

Friday night's match-up featured two strong teams in the Shepherd Hill Rams and the Shrewsbury Colonials, but the result would be lopsided, and the defending champs would prove why they deserve to be back in the championship.

Colonials take it, 33-7.

Let's break it down.

Your Central Mass HS Football Playoff Preview

If you think St. John's (Shrewsbury) is the only CMass team with state title ambitions, you haven't been paying enough attention to the Littleton Tigers.   Photo from Littleton Public School Athletics on Twitter

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

While Eastern Mass' postseason got going last week, this weekend brings the start of the MIAA football playoffs in both Central and Western Massachusetts. We don't have a Western Mass expert on staff quite yet (but we're looking… Holla at me if you're interested at jparello86@gmail.com), I've got (almost) everything you need to know about the six different Central Mass brackets, including which teams have a legit shot at taking home a state championship.

Please note that CMass does not participate in Divisions 1 or 2, only 3-8, an issue that I will discuss in a mailbag blog later in the week.

St. John's (Shrewsbury) Sneaks By Marlboro

By John McGuirk (@patsfan1313)

SHREWSBURY - Say what you want, but this was the type of game St. John's (Shrewsbury) needed to experience before it hit the postseason running.

All throughout the regular season, the Pioneers have barely been tested, averaging just over 50 points per game. For some of them, the basic thinking was that things were coming way too easy. But now, St. John's might alter its attitude some, knowing it cannot simply waltz through the playoffs and expect a free ride to Gillette Stadium for the Division 3 Super Bowl.

Thanks to a solid fight put forth by Marlborough, the Pioneers now realize they can be vulnerable too. The Panthers gave St. John's everything they handle for four quarters, before finally succumbing 24-21 Saturday at Pioneer Field.

St. John's (Shrewsbury) Breaks the Scoreboard Against Shepherd Hill

By John McGuirk (@patsfan1313)

SHREWSBURY - Let's put to bed this notion that the top spot in Division 3 Central is up for grabs.

It is time to face facts folks. There is St. John's (Shrewsbury), and then everybody else. Period!

In a season that has been solely dominated by the Pioneers thus far, Shepherd Hill, along with its three-game winning streak, became the latest tragedy in a long line of formidable opponents expected to put up a fight.

Instead, Saturday's contest turned into a laugher early and often. The Pioneers wasted no time building a commanding 42-point in the first half lead, then proceeded to blow the Rams out 64-24 at Pioneer Field.

Postgame Blog: Grafton Controls Own Destiny After Defeating Uxbridge

 By Connor Evans (@RonnocEvans)

GRAFTON - Grafton High School was buzzing with fans on Senior Night for the Indians. The visiting Uxbridge Spartans looked to ruin the party, but would ultimately fall to a revitalized Grafton offense, 33-13.

Let's break down all the action.

Postgame Blog: Shepherd Hill Stops Wachusett at the Goal Line

By Connor Evans (@RonnocEvans)

Tonight we saw a track meet between the hosting Shepherd Hill Rams and the visiting Wachusett Mountaineers. These two teams have legitimate bids for being among the best in CMass football. Tonight these young men put on a spectacular show for everyone at the game. Shepherd Hill would ultimately come from behind to win a nail-biter, 41-40.

Let's break it down.

Postgame Blog: St. John's (S) Pulls Away from Shrewsbury

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

In a game that featured plenty of highlights, the St. John's Pioneers made just enough plays to come away with a road win against cross-town rival Shrewsbury.

The 46-35 St. John's victory makes the Pioneers (5-0) the unquestioned top dog in Central Mass for the moment, and a heavy favorite to make it to Gillette Stadium in Division 3. But, it wasn't all about the Pioneers, as Shrewsbury (4-1) acquitted itself quite well, and showed why it might be the team in D3 Central that can give St. John's the best run in the playoffs.

Here are a few takeaways. Click here for photos and video highlights.

Nipmuc Edges St. Bernard's in Defensive Struggle

By John McGuirk (@Patsfan1313)

FITCHBURG - Averaging 28 points-per-game in its first four contests, Nipmuc has made it look relatively easy during the first half of the regular season. But on Friday evening, that scenario was altered a bit.

Facing a stout St. Bernard's squad, the Warriors needed to scratch and claw their way from beginning to end in order to pull out a 7-0 Dual Valley Conference victory at the Bernardian Bowl.

PHOTO AND VIDEO GALLERY: St. John's (S) vs Shrewsbury Football

Photos and Videos by Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

In a game that featured nearly 700 yards passing, St. John's (Shrewsbury) went on the road and pulled away from cross-town rival Shrewsbury, 46-35 Friday night.

Be on the lookout for a postgame blog a little later, but for now, check out these images and video highlights from the big game.

Note that you can click any image to enlarge and launch a slideshow. Continue to the bottom for some short video clips.

Doherty Rallies Late Against Rival St. Peter-Marian

By John McGuirk (@Patsfan1313)

WORCESTER - In a game that looked all too pedestrian for three-plus quarters, things suddenly took a wild turn in the latter stages.

Once St. Peter-Marian's Matt Dumphy hit the ground running following his 57-yard punt return for a touchdown with 8:18 remaining, putting the Guardians ahead by eight points, things were looking good for the home team.

But an ill wind suddenly blew across the SPM sideline soon thereafter, as two Guardian miscues would lead to pair of Doherty touchdowns, resulting in an improbable 26-22 victory for the Highlanders on a chilly, overcast Saturday afternoon. 

Grafton Digs Deep Into its Playbook to Edge Leicester

By Brendan Hall (@BHallESPN)

GRAFTON – Now and then, there come times when you’ve got to take a leap of faith to get to where you want to be.

Exhibit “A” in this theory comes in the form of defending D3 Central Mass champion Grafton. Staring down a possible 1-3 start after spotting SWCL rival Leicester a 14-0 lead just four minutes into its contest Friday night, the Indians opted for the more creative side of offensive coordinator Mike Binkoski’s playbook to get themselves off the canvas.

It paid off, with the Indians rallying all the way back to take the lead for good with nine minutes to go, and hold on for a 26-21 win over the Wolverines.

Postgame Blog: St. John's (Shrewsbury) Continues Offensive Surge Against Wachusett

By Connor Evans (@RonnocEvans)

HOLDEN - Tonight's matchup between the hometown Wachusett Mountaineers and St. John's (Shrewsbury) Pioneers turned out to be a lopsided affair. SJ would jump out to an early lead and never look back as they cruised to victory, 55-21.

Nashoba Grinds Out Win Against Marlboro

By John McGuirk (@Patsfan1313)

MARLBOROUGH - Things were not going well for Nashoba Regional during the first half of its crucial Mid-Wach B encounter against Marlborough. Averaging nearly 30 points per game in their first three outings, the Chieftains found the road a lot tougher to navigate against a resilient Panther defense.

Accumulating just 42 yards of offense over the first half was certainly not going to get it done. But, Nashoba made some quick adjustments at the half, and saw the running game show vast improvement, with the defense following suit, as they managed to escape Kelleher Field with a dramatic 14-13 triumph Thursday night.

Postgame Blog: Shepherd Hill Wins Shootout at Algonquin

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

NORTHBOROUGH - If you thought Shepherd Hill's football team could only win physical slugfests, think again.

The Rams sent a message to the rest of Division 3 Central, pulling away from young Algonquin 61-36 Friday night at Algonquin Regional High School.

There was barely any time to catch your breath in this one, but here are a few things I took away from the Rams' statement win.