Peter Oliver Returns from Injury for St. John's (Shrewsbury)'s D3 Super Bowl Win

FOXBOROUGH - St. John’s (Shrewsbury) senior running back Peter Oliver expected to watch the MIAA Division 3 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium from the sidelines.

But one day before the Pioneers' state finals date against North Attleborough, Oliver received clearance from doctors after X-rays revealed that his broken fibula, suffered in a Week 3 win over Leominster, had healed.

Oliver, who has received interest from multiple Division 1 schools, compiled 387 yards and four TDs on just 31 carries through two-and-a-half games this season, and the senior gave the Pioneers a jolt in his return.

Postgame Blog: St. John's Wins Shrewsbury Bowl, Advances to State Semifinals

By Connor Evans (@RonnocEvans)

SHREWSBURY — The CMass Championship featuring cross-town rivals St. John's (Shrewsbury) and Shrewsbury High School came with some hype, but what started out as a hot contest would soon turned into a landslide as the Pioneers of St. John’s would cruise to a dominant 36-14 victory over the Colonials.

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.

Post Game Blog: St. John's Too Much for Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury defenseman Griffin Couture (white) and St. John's attackman Drew Smiley (red) fought a physical battle all game.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

If there were any doubts about who the top lacrosse team in Central Mass was, defending district champion St. John's dismissed them emphatically with a 9-0 win over cross-town rival Shrewsbury.

Here is your weekly reminder that this is only a blog of my wandering thoughts, not a complete recap of the game. If you would like a full recap, head on over to BostonLaxNet or ESPN Boston for complete stories.

This Game Could Have Been Close… No, Really

Look, I don't want to make excuses for Shrewsbury, but they weren't as bad as the final score indicated. Through the first quarter, St. John's only won the shot battle 7-6, but still held a 3-0 lead.

CMass Lax Power Rankings: 4/7/14

Shrewsbury is known for senior goalie Chris Gorman and its defense, but the Colonials got downright offensive against Westboro last week.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

There was some major movement in our Power Rankings, but not at the very top, where St. John's showed it will once again be the team to beat in Central Mass.

Just below the Pioneers, always powerful Algonquin looked like its usual self, while Shrewsbury showed more scoring punch than anybody could have imagined on its way to three impressive wins.

Here are our Power Rankings for this week.

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.

2014 CMass Lax Preview: Algonquin Tomahawks

Mike Wood (12) is one of the top returning attackmen in the state.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

After back-to-back Central Mass championships, Algonquin was slowed by injuries and inexperience in 2013.

Despite that, the T-Hawks rallied late in the year, winning six of their final seven games before bowing out to eventual district champion St. John's in the CMass semifinals.

Now, Algonquin will look to replace long-time leaders Davis Kraft, Giles Ober and Brennan Pierce, and win with a young, but talented roster.

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.

Playoff Notebook: CMass Sweeps WMass for Trips to Gillette

Davon Jones gets some serious air on this first quarter St. John's touchdown vs Springfield Central.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Central Mass went a perfect 4-0 against Western Mass Saturday in the state semifinals, as St. John's, Doherty, Northbridge and Littleton all earned spots in their respective Super Bowls at Gillette Stadium.

Those Super Bowls, which will serve as inaugural football state championship games for each division, will take place on December 7th. But, each of those teams must first play a Thanksgiving Day game, thanks to the new statewide playoff system that forces teams still alive in the playoffs to play, effectively, meaningless games against their old rivals.

How the coaching staffs and standout players on each team handles this will be interesting to see, and I'm sure I'll be at one of those games to keep you posted on playing time and whatnot. Anyways, I'll have full previews of each Super Bowl up next week, but now let's take a look back at how each CMass school got to this point.

Division 2: St. John's

Next Up: Mansfield

The Storyline: Back on Top

St. John's had lost five in a row to rival Leominster, and though people weren't talking about it as much, had also dropped its last two to cross-town rival Shrewsbury. The offense that was supposed to lead the Pioneers to greatness was held to check against Fitchburg, but receiver Michael McGillicuddy's miracle kickoff return (McGiracle™) saved St. John's from starting the season 1-2.

CMass Playoff Notebook: Champions to be Crowned

QB Drew Smiley and the Pioneers will have revenge on their minds when they face Leominster Friday.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Our first season in the new state-wide football playoff system has been a fun one, but let's not forget you need to win Central Mass before you can prove your worth to the entire Commonwealth.

Taking home a CMass crown is exactly what eight teams have on their minds this weekend, as champions will be crowned across the region's four divisions. So, without further ado, here is everything you need to know about the championship games in Central's D2, 4, 5 and 6.

Division 2: St. John's and Leominster, Friday at 7 pm

Postgame Blog: St. John's Too Much for Marlboro

St. John's QB Drew Smiley (right) and RB Shane Combs (left) form the most feared backfield in Central Mass... But football isn't even the top sport for either of them.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

So much for this being the exciting semifinal in D2 Central.

The Pioneers of St. John's were scary efficient in their 56-20 thrashing of visiting Marlboro, and quarterback Drew Smiley had one of the finer performances of his stellar career, throwing for 3 scores and adding another two on the ground.

On the day, Smiley was 12/14 passing for 205 yards, while rushing four times for 70 yards. Yeah, he was pretty darn good.

Leicester's Rodrick Still Committed to UConn

Leicester Fullback/Linebacker Tom Rodrick

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Shortly after his team's 15-6 victory over rival Auburn, Leicester fullback/linebacker Tom Rodrick took some time to talk about his commitment to Connecticut, in the wake of the program firing coach Paul Pasqualoni.

Rodrick, who rushed for a touchdown, recorded 11 tackles and blocked an extra point in the Wolverines' statement win, emphasized that he remains committed to the Huskies, but that he will be paying close attention to the UConn coaching search.

CMass HS Football Power Rankings: 9/30/13

All State QB Andrew Smiley and the St. John's offense will have its hands full with Nashoba's defense this week.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

The top two teams in Central Mass passed their tests with flying colors this past weekend, as Leominster outgunned Shepherd Hill and Doherty ran past Tantasqua. For the Blue Devils, it was just another day at the office against the Rams, but the Highlanders needed a big win to prove they belong among the region's elite.

They got that against a tough Tantasqua squad, and more, dominating all three phases of the game and solidifying their place as the favorite in Division 4.

For the rest of our Power Rankings and an update on the Player of the Year race, along with a preview of next week's Game of the Week, keep reading below.

CMass HS Football Power Rankings: 9/23/13

Leominster's Jarell Addo delivered several big hits from his safety spot in the Blue Devils' win over Lowell.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

While Leominster and St. John's both made trips to test their mettle in Eastern Mass, plenty was being decided back in the heart of the Commonwealth. Nashoba kept its winning streak alive with an impressive performance, while Shepherd Hill, Tantasqua, St. Peter-Marian and Quabbin all made their case to be ranked among the best in CMass.

Oh yeah, and Hudson proved that it's no fluke. Check out the rankings, along with our Player of the Year watch list, and Game of the Week, below.

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.

D2 Lax Semifinal Preview: St. John's vs Longmeadow

St. John's junior middie Kevin Butler recorded a hat trick the first time the Pioneers faced Longmeadow.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

If Central Mass is to send a team to the state finals for a third straight year, St. John's will need to avenge a previous loss and hand Longmeadow its first loss of what has been a spectacular 2013 season for the Lancers.

Last Time Out

Postgame Blog: Longmeadow-St. John's and Algonquin-Shrewsbury

Jake Scearbo rips one in for the T-Hawks

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

So, I didn't end up having time to do a blog on Longmeadow's impressive win at St. John's Wednesday, so I figure I'll kill two birds with one stone here and combine that with my thoughts from Algonquin's bounce back win over Shrewsbury Thursday.

First of all, you can check out my recaps for both games, and video highlights of the latter, at BostonLax.Net. Second of all, if you have to spend back-to-back days somewhere in Massachusetts, you could do worse than Shrewsbury. Very nice town.

Anyways, now to the lacrosse, starting with St. John's and Longmeadow.

Postgame Blog: Westboro Sends a Message Against Shrewsbury

Jake Foster led the way for Westboro with three goals and an assist.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

I think we can safely say the growing pains were worth it for Westboro.

Under first year head coach Tom Baker, the Rangers began the season 1-2, including a 12-3 defeat at the hands of the very team they played Tuesday. Round two for Westboro and Shrewsbury would be a completely different story, however, as the now-healthy Rangers seem to have fully adapted to their new coach's freelancing offensive philosophy.

Jake Foster and Connor Joyce each had hat tricks, and both Sean Anderson and Tony Cibelli chipped in a pair as the Rangers dominated Shrewsbury from start to finish, winning 14-4.

For those of you that haven't read my full recap on BostonLax.Net, you can check that out and watch the highlights here.

You Can't Score Without the Ball… I Don't Think

While the Ranger attack was diverse and potent, the real problem for Shrewsbury was that they just couldn't get the ball.

Central Mass Represented Well on ESPN's All State Lacrosse Team

Algonquin senior Davis Kraft does it all for the T-Hawks

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

This is the first entry into our new "SuitePreps" section that will feature coverage of high school sports and recruiting throughout Massachusetts. Today, editor Joe Parello takes a look at Central Massachusetts and the growing high school lacrosse community in the heart of the Commonwealth.
While the depth of talent is not quite on par with the Boston area yet, the game is growing rapidly, and the quality of play is quickly rising.