Central Mass Super Bowl Wrap

St. Bernard's corner Cooper Bigelow flips West Boylston running back Cole McCubrey when the big man attempts to hurdle him Saturday in the Division 6 Central final.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Saturday was a fantastic day for high school football in Central Massachusetts, as four Super Bowl champs were crowned in Worcester and Leominster. Those four CMass champs will now move onto the state semifinals next week, and are each just one step away from Gillette Stadium.

But it wasn't just about the winners, as several teams and players acquitted themselves very well in defeat.

Let's take a look back at the weekend that was.

2015 Central Mass Lax Previews: Grafton Indians

Chase Kapuscienski celebrates a game-winner against Worcester last season.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Over the next few days I will be unveiling season previews of the top high school lacrosse programs in Central Massachusetts, leading up to the season opening in early April on what we can only hope will be snow-free fields.

We begin today with a program that has risen to prominence in recent years, and remained among the state's most consistent winners under the tutelage of coach Alan Rotatori. Grafton has come oh-so-close the last three years, falling in district championship games each of those seasons, but the Indians return a plethora of experience and talent this season as they begin another quest for a championship.

CMass Football Preview: The 2014 Doherty Highlanders

Star senior guard Sean Moran will lead one of the region's best offensive lines, and could start at middle linebacker as well.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The Doherty Highlanders were as good a story as there was in the Commonwealth last year, capturing the inaugural Division 4 Massachusetts state football championship.

The run of those Highlanders ended a 33-year playoff and Super Bowl drought for the program, and established Doherty as a name that merits consideration statewide.

But, as you might expect, that special squad was led by a special group of seniors who have all since graduated, with many taking their games to the next level. Star receiver/safety Isaac Yiadom is now playing defense in Chestnut Hill as an up-and-coming defensive back for Boston College, while receiver Alfred Adarkwah is hoping to earn his keep as a red-zone threat at UMass. Quarterback Luke Brennan is now pitching for Franklin Pierce, and numerous other key players are lost to graduation as well, including defensive back/receiver Shawn Jackson, linebacker Pete Franco and two-way lineman Matt Smalls.

But the cupboard is far from bare on Highland Street in Worcester. Doherty returns five starters on both sides of the ball, and the spots with little experience are loaded with athleticism. Here's what to expect foam the 2014 Highlanders.

Video Preview: 2014 Doherty Football

Doherty running back Jahkari Carpenter

 By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

I will have a full write up on the 2014 Doherty Highlanders, and their quest to defend their Division 4 state championship, tomorrow. In the mean time, check out this quick video preview I produced with new ESPN Boston correspondent Mike Uva.

Doherty has a ton to replace, but the talent, hunger and leadership all appear to be there.

Click below to watch our video preview.

Central Mass Well Represented on ESPN Football Recruiting Rankings

St. John's S/WR Davon Jones turned heads around the Commonwealth with his performance in the 2013 MIAA playoffs.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

After a banner season in 2013 that saw the region go 4-2 against Western and Eastern Mass come playoff time, including two state title wins, Central Mass is once again demanding respect statewide.

Six players from the region have found their way onto ESPN's Scouts Inc. rankings for Massachusetts football recruiting, two more than last year's group headlined by current Boston College defensive back Isaac Yiadom.

So, let's take a look at each of the CMass players on the Scouts Inc. list, plus a few others that merit attention in 2014. (Click all photos to enlarge)

Post Game Blog: Grafton Edges Worcester in a Thriller

Grafton's Chase Kapuscienski (25) celebrates his game-winning goal with teammate Nick Hart (5). Hart had the assist.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Here is your weekly reminder that this blog is simply my wandering thoughts on the game, not a full recap. If you would like the whole story, head on over to BostonLaxNet. The story should be up soon, and will feature a few photos I grabbed, along with complete highlights from this 7-6 nail-biter.

If you just want to watch the highlights, you can find those here.

Worcester is For Real

Many believed the Warriors' 11-0 record coming into the Grafton game was the product of a soft schedule, but I thought they really showed something against an established program in Grafton. While the end result wasn't what they wanted, I was very impressed with James Bowler on attack and Jahmal Bryan-Massop in the midfield. Both of those guys have crazy speed, and if I were doing my Central Mass All Star team right now, they'd be on it.

Post Game Blog: Westboro Flips the Switch Against Nashoba

Westboro's Kyle Lemack gets some air for one of his three goals.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

By their own coach's admission, Westboro played a pretty bad game Tuesday against Shrewsbury, and their slump seemed to continue into the first half of Thursday's game against upset-minded Nashoba.

But the Rangers turned it on after halftime, transforming a 3-3 tie at intermission into a 12-5 blowout by day's end. Here is your weekly reminder that these are simply my wandering thoughts from today's game. If you would like a full recap, head on over to BostonLaxNet. The story should be up there shortly.

If you would like highlights from the game, you can find those here.

Post Game Blog: St. John's Makes Short Work of Xaverian

The emergence of sophomore middie Andrew Cox has made St. John's even more dangerous.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Wow.

That's all I can really say after watching a game I thought would be close turn into a laugher, thanks to a dominant performance from the now 11-0 St. John's Pioneers.

Here is your weekly reminder that this blog is simply a collection of my wandering thoughts from the game. If you'd like full recaps, you can head on over to BostonLaxNet or ESPN Boston.

CMass Lax Power Rankings: 2014 Preview

St. John's star Drew Smiley (left) will have to deal with an even tougher Westboro squad (right) in 2014.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

So, this preview is a little late for the teams that opened their 2014 seasons over the weekend, but most teams in Central Mass are gearing up for their openers early this week.

2014 will present new challenges for every team in Central Mass. With the new "Central/West" district in both Divisions 2 and 3, the best teams in CMass will now have to deal with Western Mass powers if they hope to win a district title.

That could prove incredibly problematic in Division 2, where reigning state champion Longmeadow looks to be a juggernaut out west. Still, Central Mass has several teams with district and state title aspirations.

Click below for our first Power Rankings of the season, and then check out our individual team previews after that.

2014 CMass Lax Preview: Nashoba Chieftains

The Chieftains were up-and-down in 2013, but they expect to break through this season.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Nashoba's opening round playoff loss to Shrewsbury served as a microcosm of the Chieftains' season under new coach Kevin McNamara.

The Chieftains fell in an early 7-1 hole, but fought back to even the game, only to see things slip away in the last few minutes. Nashoba showed flashes of brilliance, but lacked the depth and experience to break through against one of the best teams in Central Mass.

In McNamara's second season, he thinks his team is ready to change that.

2014 CMass Lax Preview: Shrewsbury Colonials

Star goalie Chris Gorman (far left) is just one reason why the Colonials are known for defense.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The faces and names may change, but one thing doesn't for Shrewsbury lacrosse: The Colonials are going to play great defense.

So, even with captain and star defenseman Zach Thebeau gone to graduation, Shrewsbury coach Nate Skermont doesn't expect his team to relinquish its spot atop the Central Mass defensive standings.

"The guys we have know our (defensive) system," Skermont said. "It's worked for us for years, and the guys really take pride in it. They have an attitude about it. They want to be known as a great defensive team."

2014 CMass Lax Preview: Westboro Rangers

Westboro will be powered by its talented midfield, led by junior Jake Foster (left) and senior Mike Gallo (right).

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Things started slowly for Tom Baker in his first year at the helm of Westboro's lacrosse program.

The Rangers came out of the gate 1-2, with a nine goal loss to Shrewsbury and a humbling loss to Hopkinton already on their resumes. By season's end, Westboro was a club nobody wanted to play, avenging the aforementioned loss to Shrewsbury with a 14-4 win, and playing regional powers St. John's and Algonquin to the bitter end.

It was a combination of young players stepping up and the team as a whole grasping Baker's "freelance" offense, but Westboro emerged as a legitimate threat by the time the Central Mass tournament rolled around. While some key pieces are lost from last year's team, including the region's best face off man in Tom Lawton, Baker has even bigger plans for 2014.

CMass National Signing Day Report

Leicester's Tom Rodrick officially signed with UConn today.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Football season officially ended Sunday night (sigh), but today thousands of kids made their dreams of playing college football a reality, sending in their National Letters of Intent to the programs they will represent on Saturdays over the next 3-5 seasons.

A few of those lucky dudes reside in Central Massachusetts, so here's a quick look at each CMass player set to play college football next season.

Also note that these are only the players that have sent in their paperwork and made it official. More players could be added as the day progresses, so check back later.

CMass Football All-Stars and Award Winners 2013

Leominster quarterback/safety Neil O'Connor.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe


We've already gone over the banner year that was for Central Mass, but which players stood above the rest? Well, here is my best stab at answering that, with our 2013 Central Mass Football Suite Stars. Check out our complete All-Star team, and end of the season Award Winners, below.

CMass HS Football Power Rankings: The End of a Statement Season

Thanks in large part to a special group of seniors, Doherty has gone from regional doormat to state champion in just two years.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

The first year of Massachusetts' state-wide football playoff format was a rousing success for Central Mass, as the region sent teams to Gillette in all four Divisions it participated in, including two that would go on to win state championships.

The great season couldn't have come at a better time, as CMass was able to prove itself against the best teams in Western and Eastern Mass, going 6-2 in playoff games against the Commonwealth's other two regions. So, we'll get into our final Central Mass Power Rankings at the bottom, but first, here are the teams, stories and players that made 2013 a special year for CMass high school football.

Also, don't forget to check back Wednesday for our Central Mass All Stars and Award Winners.

Postgame Blog and Video: Doherty Edges Burncoat on Thanksgiving

Doherty QB Luke Brennan won the game's MVP after a pair of touchdown runs.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Doherty rolled out to an 18-0 lead, but Burncoat made things interesting, and forced the Highlanders to reinsert their starters in a unique Thanksgiving Day match up.

What made things unique for both squads was the fact that this game, ultimately, meant nothing to Doherty. The Highlanders won Division 4 Central, then defeated Western Mass champion Wahconah last week to earn a spot in the Division 4 Super Bowl on December 7th. Doherty will face Eastern Mass champion Dennis-Yarmouth at 11 am at Gillette Stadium that day.

CMass HS Football Game of the Week Preview: St. John's at Leominster

St. John's senior QB Andrew Smiley (left) and Leominster senior QB/S Neil O'Connor (right).

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

This week's Central Mass Game of the Week is a bit of a no-brainer, as ESPN Boston has named Leominster's home date with St. John's its game of the week for the entire state.

So, while I'd love to go against the grain and give you all the details on Auburn visiting Hudson, I'm not going to over think this one. I mean, I did rank these two teams No. 1 and 2 in my first CMass Power Rankings, so not picking this game would be silly and a bit of a contradiction.

Anyway, neither of these teams have played a game yet, but each has challenged itself in the preseason, scrimmaging against some of the best teams in Central Mass and beyond. While this game represents a rematch of the last two Central Mass Division 1 Super Bowls, both teams still have questions to answer: Leominster in the trenches and St. John's throughout its defense.

CMass Video Preview: Auburn Football 2013

The Rockets will rebuild around ESPN Boston Pre-season all state lineman Will Greelish.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

The first season in which the MIAA will crown football state champions may have come a year too late for Auburn.

Last season, the Rockets were one of the most dominant teams in the history of Central Mass, defeating opponents by over 20 points per game, rolling to yet another undefeated campaign and capturing a fifth straight Super Bowl win.

That team would have been a state title favorite.

Central Mass Finishes Strong in Final ESPN Boston Poll

There were plenty of goals to celebrate this season for St. John's

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

As I mentioned before, it was a banner year for Central Mass lacrosse, and my buds over at ESPN Boston took notice, ranking three CMass squads in their postseason Top-25.

A Banner Year for Central Mass Lacrosse

St. John's and Grafton had two memorable matchups this year, with the Pioneers barely winning both. Here, Grafton All-American Tyler Reilly looks for room against St. John's star defenseman Aidan Fox.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

While Central Mass champion St. John's bowed out in the D2 state semifinals, the Pioneers and region as a whole accomplished a ton in 2013.

Early next week I will release my Central Mass All Stars, but first, here are some of the highlights from what was a memorable 2013 for the CMass lacrosse community.

Big Wins Out of Region