MIAA FOOTBALL PHOTO & VIDEO GALLERY: St. Bernard's tops Pope John in D8 Super Bowl

Photos by Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe), Videos by Matt Siegel (@SportVideoMA)

Foxboro, Mass. - In the second-highest scoring MIAA Super Bowl ever, St. Bernard's held off Pope John in a morning thriller at Gillette Stadium, 46-35.

The win gives the Bernardians the Division 8 state championship, and the program's first ever state-wide Super Bowl victory. Our Joe Parello and Matt Siegel were down on field level to bring you photos and videos of all the action. Check them out below, and note that you can click any image to enlarge.

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.

Central Mass Lax District Semifinals Preview

St. John's goalie Matt Mongeau and pole Sam Correnti (4) will be key for the Pioneers against top-seeded Minnechaug.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Seven Central Mass lacrosse teams remain alive across three districts and two divisions, but nearly all of them head into this week's semifinals as underdogs.

Let's take a look at each team left standing, and what they must do to take the next step.

Division 2 Central/West

The only D2 bracket to feature Central Mass teams still has two CMass squads alive, but each will enter the semifinals as underdogs against Western Mass powers.

Curtiss Vachon Looks to End Historic St. Bernard's Career in Style

By James O'Regan

Curtiss Vachon is currently one of the highest active scorers in Massachusetts lacrosse, but Vachon's historic career has gone unnoticed by many across the Commonwealth.

The senior from St. Bernard’s in Fitchburg is one of the most dangerous attackmen in the state, and is a feared presence from the moment he steps on the field. The 6’4”, 220 lb. lefty is a rare sight as an attackman, not to mention a nightmare for opposing teams and defenses.

Postgame Blog: St. Bernard's Wins a Thriller at Nashoba

St. Bernard's attackman Curtiss Vachonn (13) scored two goals and dished out an assist, but Nashoba goalie Robby Atwood (24) didn't make things easy, turning away 19 shots.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

It was a game of inches Saturday in Bolton, as visiting St. Bernard's edged Nashoba 7-6 when a last-second shot by Chieftain attackman Tim Leach flew just wide right.

Before that final shot, those in attendance were treated to a back-and-forth affair between two teams hungry for a win. The Bernardians (4-1) were coming off a surprising loss to Bromfield, while Nashoba (0-4, 0-2 Mid-Wach A) was just hoping to pick up its first win of the young season.

Central Mass HS Football Power Rankings: End of 2015

Senior running back/defensive back Jake Benjamin did a little bit of everything for Nashoba during the Chieftains' run to a Division 2 state championship.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

It was a wild season of high school football here in Central Massachusetts, as three CMass teams advanced to Gillette Stadium, with a pair of them taking home state titles.

It was a competitive year across all divisions in the region, and several programs re-emerged as powers on the state level.

We haven't done our Power Rankings since the regular season ended, so these final rankings will include the entire playoffs, and even give credit to non-playoff teams that took advantage of some big games in their consolation schedule.

Who's in and who's out? Find out below.

Northbridge and Nashoba Capture State Championships at Gillette

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

It was an unseasonably beautiful day (and night) at Gillette Stadium in Foxoboro Saturday, and a pair of Central Mass teams were able to achieve their ultimate goals on the Patriots' home turf.

In the day's early game, beginning at 9 am, the Northbridge Rams found redemption after back-to-back disappointing trips to Foxoboro, topping East Bridgewater in an instant classic to win the Division 5 state championship.

Then, after the sun went down, Nashoba physically dominated heavily favored Reading in the Division 2 title game. The Chieftains completed an undefeated season, and will no doubt be in line for some postseason accolades, while Northbridge's historic group of seniors got the poetic end it seemed they deserved.

Here is your reminder that this is not a complete recap of any of the games at Gillette Stadium. You should head to ESPN Boston High Schools for extensive coverage of all six games, including my highlights from Nashoba and Northbridge's historic victories.

St. Bernard's Hopes to Complete Unlikely Run in D6 State Championship Game

Don't let his size fool you, senior Cooper Bigelow (24) makes BIG plays on both sides of the ball for St. Bernard's.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Ed. Note- This is the third, and final, article in out series previewing the Central Mass football teams playing for state championships and their opponents this Saturday. Click here for our look at Nashoba and Reading in the D2 final, and here for a preview of Northbridge and East Bridgewater in the D5 final.


Also, a big special thanks to Matt Goisman of the Cape Cod Times, who provided some excellent background on St. Bernard's opponent Mashpee for this preview.

At 11-0, St. Bernard's might be the most unlikely unbeaten in Central Mass in recent years. Playing in a division that Littleton had owned the last two seasons, and saw West Boylston freight train Cole McCubrey dominate teams on the ground, the Bernardians came into the D6 Central playoffs as a rare undefeated afterthought.

But, after a 7-6 victory over West Boylston, and a state semifinal blowout win over Lee, it's impossible to ignore the Bernardians now.

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.

Central Mass HS Football Week in Review: Playoff Surprises

St. John's quarterback Tim Cassidy celebrates one of his three touchdown runs against Leominster Friday.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Ed. Note- Since we won't be updating our Power Rankings until after the state championship games on December 5th, we will instead bring you a weekly review of Central Mass high school football.

The first weekend of the Central Mass high school football playoffs has come and gone, and we were treated to some shocking upsets, thrilling finishes, and break-out stars across the region.

Throw your expectations out the window, because top seeds and lower seeds went 4-4 against each other in the eight playoff games, including upsets in both Division 4 semifinals.

These past few days also brought us some intriguing non-playoff match ups that pitted up-and-coming programs against established powers, with bragging rights and momentum on the line.

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