Nashoba Outlasts Wachusett in CMass Slugfest

By John McGuirk (@Patsfan1313)

BOLTON — There is no script or manual that says you have to win every game with ease.

While Nashoba Regional has blown out its fair share of opponents this season, Friday night's encounter versus Wachusett Regional was not one of those.

The Chieftains had their hands full all throughout but still managed to come away with a 9-0 victory.

Nashoba Outmuscles Groton-Dunstable on Opening Night

By John McGuirk (@patsfan1313)

BOLTON - The unexpected second half fireworks show wasn't the only thing lighting up the Nashoba Regional skyline Friday night. The Chieftains offense and defense combined to put on a pretty good light show of their own. Racking up 310 yards of offense, Nashoba opened its season with a flurry, blanking Mid-Wach B Divisional counterpart Groton-Dunstable, 34-0.

Two years removed from winning the Division 2 Super Bowl, the Chieftains, at least early on, appear primed to make another run on Gillette Stadium come December. Although one game is hardly a defining example, nonetheless, this team has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball but, like most clubs, the Chieftains are taking the one game at a time approach.

But starting the season 1-0 can certainly set a precedent of greater things to come.

Brighton Too Much for Nashoba in D2 State Title Game

Photo by Nate Weitzer.

By Jason Siegel (@jasiegel1821)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Throughout the season, the Division 2 Central champion Nashoba Chieftains would use a big third quarter to pull away from their opponents.

On Saturday afternoon in the Division 2 State final, it was the Brighton Bengals who dominated play in the third period, as they outscored Nashoba (21-4) 24-4 in the third quarter, en route to an 82-58 victory at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

The Bengals (23-5) won their first state championship since 2013, and the second title during the eight-year tenure of head coach Hugh Coleman.

Marlboro Outmuscles Nashoba for Top Spot in Division & League

By Jason Siegel

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Marlborough’s dominant defense and relentless rushing attack propelled the Panthers past Nashoba 27-7 Friday night, in a battle for the top spot in both Division 2A Central, and Mid-Wach B.

The offense and defense both received notable contributions from senior Owen Cappadona, who rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown to go along with two tackles for a loss on defense. 

Defense & Splash Plays Propel St. John's Past Nashoba

Led by one of the state's best fronts, the St. John's defense is off to a great start in 2016.

By Jason Siegel

The St. John’s (Shrewsbury) Pioneers outlasted the Nashoba Chieftains, 12-0, in a gritty, rainy defensive battle in Bolton on Friday night.

In a tight game where both offenses are struggling to find a rhythm, one big play can determine the outcome of the game. On Friday night, that big play belonged to St. John’s (3-1).

With the game scoreless and time winding down in the third quarter, St. John’s quarterback Steven Bucciaglia scrambled, evaded a couple of Nashoba (2-2, 1-1 Mid Wach B) defenders with the help of his offensive line, and completed a 50-yard pass to senior wide receiver Khamal Saunders for the ice-breaking score with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter.

CMass Lax Preview: The 2016 Nashoba Chieftains

Nashoba goalie Robby Atwood

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Many teams around Central Mass are returning boat loads of experience and gearing up for a year of senior leadership.

Nashoba is not one of those teams.

After losing a dozen seniors, including stars Eric Demmer and Casey Elkins, the Chieftains return senior goalie Robby Atwood and… That's about all they know for now.

"Robby and I spoke before practice started," Nashoba coach Kevin McNamara said. "And he asked me, 'coach who's going to be starting on attack.' I told him that, other than goalie and who's taking our face-offs, nothing's set yet."

That might seem like a bleak picture, but for a program looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013, some fresh blood might not be a bad thing.

Nashoba Will Relish Underdog Role in Division 2 State Championship Game

Egan Bachtell (11) and Jake Fire (29) celebrate Nashoba's D2 state semifinal win over Springfield Central.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Ed. Note- This is the first in our series of MIAA state championship game previews, focusing on the three squads from Central Mass to qualify for Gillette. We begin today with Nashoba's date in the D2 final with Reading, but will feature previews of both Northbridge and St. Bernard's in the next week.

After a wild weekend of state semifinals, three CMass squads have punched their tickets to Gillette Stadium for the state championship games on December 5th.

Central Massachusetts went 3-1 against its rivals from Western Mass this past Saturday, as St. Bernard's defeated Lee in Division 6, Northbridge topped Hoosac Valley in Division 5 and Nashoba bested Springfield Central in a classic Division 2 semi.

Division 4 is the only district Central Mass competes in that won't see a CMass team at Gillette, as Grafton's comeback bid came up short against Chicopee Comprehensive.

Any way you slice it, Saturday was a success for the region, as both Northbridge and St. B's won convincingly, while Nashoba continued to come up big when it mattered most, stopping Springfield Central on fourth and goal twice in the game's final minute.

Postgame Blog and Video: Nashoba Earns Signature Win at Leominster

The Nashoba offensive line asserted itself Friday night, and quarterback Robby Atwood made every play that was there to be made.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Nashoba, it would seem, is back, as the Chieftains scored a massive road win against perennial power Leominster to clinch at least a share of the Mid-Wach A title and grab control of the race for home field advantage in the Division 2 Central playoffs.

Here's your quick reminder that this blog is not a complete recap, only my wandering thoughts on the game, along with some highlights and postgame video reactions from Nashoba coach Jamie Tucker and senior Jake Benjamin.

If you'd like my full story, head on over to ESPN Boston.

Well, let's get on with 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.

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.