Everett is Clear Division 1 Favorite After Thrashing of Xaverian

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

EVERETT - Within moments it was clear; The Crimson Tide are the prohibitive Division 1 favorites in 2017.

Behind a stellar opening day performance from quarterback Jake Wilcox, Everett cruised to a 38-7 victory over Xaverian on Saturday afternoon at Everett Memorial Stadium.

The lead up to the game was a recognition of the town, as it was the Crimson Tide’s homecoming, while the 44 minutes of play that followed were a non-stop celebration of a prolific Everett offense.

Wilcox, who went 11-for-16 for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns, used a multitude of offensive weapons that the Hawks were simply unable to contain.

Xaverian Baseball Holds Off Newton North

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

NEWTON - Xaverian coach Gerry Lambert has been waiting for one of his more inexperienced players to come up big in a key spot. On Thursday afternoon, Sean Birch did just that.

With the Hawks and host Newton North deadlocked in a 1-1 tie in the top of the eighth inning, Birch lined a go-ahead RBI single up the middle that scored Aidan McLaughlin, as Xaverian went on edge the Tigers 3-2 on a cold Thursday afternoon at Newton North High School.

Xaverian (4-3) was able to grab an insurance run two batters after Birch’s single, as a balk brought home Birch to put the Hawks up 3-1.

The insurance run proved critical in the bottom half of the inning when the Tigers (3-2) threatened to win the game.

Sperzel Powers Xaverian Past Catholic Memorial for Gardner's 200th Win

By Marisa Ingemi (@Marisa_Ingemi)

WEST ROXBURY - Sean Sperzel’s five goals led Xaverian past Catholic Memorial in an 11-7 affair on a chilly Friday night in West Roxbury.

Xaverian (1-2) took a 2-0 lead before CM (2-1) tied it up, but the Hawks re-gained the lead and never looked back.

Xaverian’s A.J. Ryan Picks Yale After Last-Minute Campus Visit

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

A decision that had been weighing on A.J. Ryan’s shoulders for weeks came down to a matter of minutes but, when it was all said and done, Ryan committed to the school that was always at the top of his list.

On Tuesday afternoon Ryan announced his commitment to Yale University after choosing between the Bulldogs, Princeton, and Colgate.

For months Ryan, who was named the Suite Sports Defensive Player of the Year following the 2016 season, was committed to Brown University, but de-committed and reopened his recruitment in the fall.

Discussions with Navy, Colgate, Yale, and Princeton occurred for weeks, and finally this last weekend the two-time state champion visited Colgate and came away impressed.

Xaverian Handles BC High 17-0, Advances to Fourth Straight D1 Super Bowl

With a 17-0 win over BC High on Friday, the Xaverain Hawks advance to their fourth consecutive D1 Super Bowl

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

Call it a dynasty.

For the past four seasons the Xaverian Hawks have thrived on environments like the ones they played in on Friday night. With the wind howling inside the Hawk bowl on a frigid night, the Xaverian defense seemed primed for a heavyweight performance before they even stepped foot on the field.

Sure enough, in front of a packed crowd that included NBC’s Sunday Night Football truck, the hallmark of the Hawks unbridled success over the last four seasons shined once again, as their defense shut out BC High for the second time this season en route to a 17-0 victory.

The win clinches a spot for Xaverian (9-1) in the Division 1 State Final for the fourth consecutive season and improves their record to 43-3 over those four seasons.

VIDEO RECAP: Xaverian Edges Catholic Memorial in D1 South Semis

By Greg Story (@StoryThruVideo) and Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7)

WESTWOOD, Mass.- Xaverian jumped on Catholic Memorial, then fell behind by two scores, but ultimately overcame the Knights in a thrilling semifinal victory,

For a full written report of this back-and-forth affair, click here. And, for a video recap by stellar videographer Greg Story and outstanding correspondent Nate Weitzer, continue below.

Xaverian Wins a Wild One Against Catholic Memorial

By Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7)

WESTWOOD, Mass. – It began as a familiar story. 

Xaverian dominated defensively and used a strong running game to build a 13-0 lead early in the third quarter of a Division 1 South Semifinal matchup against Catholic Memorial.

But the final 20 minutes of this playoff tilt were both exciting and trying for the two conference rivals.

In the end, Xaverian held on for a 34-29 victory to advance to the D1 South Final against another Catholic Conference rival in BC High, but the Knights’ extraordinary effort in defeat is quite noteworthy.

Massachusetts Football Recruit Profile: Joe Gaziano

 By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Ed. Note- We continue our month-long look at the top football recruits in Massachusetts with a profile of Northwestern bound defensive end Joe Gaziano. Mike Uva takes a look at ESPN Boston's 2014 Mr. Football from Division 1 state champion Xaverian.
-Joe

Joe Gaziano

Defensive End
Xaverian Brothers High School
6'4'', 245 lbs.
College Choice: Northwestern
Senior Highlights

Postgame Blog: Xaverian Holds Off Everett for D1 Crown

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Xaverian completed a perfect season and captured the Massachusetts Division 1 high school football championship Saturday at Gillette Stadium, surviving a late rally from rival Everett.

The 38-29 win was the second victory for the Hawks over the Tide this season, and capped a year that saw Xaverian earn nearly unanimous praise as the Commonwealth's best team.

A powerful offensive line was assisted by Northwestern commitment Joe Gaziano, who often motioned across the formation from his tight end position to lay massive blocks and open up room for running back Noah Sorrento. Speaking of Sorrento, the versatile back and linebacker had himself a game, rushing for 187 yards and four touchdowns, just one score shy of the MIAA Super Bowl record.

Eastern Mass HS Football Playoff Preview

Led by two-way stars Noah Sorrento (#4), Kenny Kern (#45) and Joe Gaziano (#97), Xaverian is the favorite in a loaded Division 1 bracket.

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva), with a cameo by Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Earlier this week, editor Joe Parello gave you his Central Mass playoff preview. Now, correspondent Mike Uva checks in with his thoughts on the Eastern part of the Commonwealth.

Normally, Joe stays out of these Eastern Mass affairs, but he had a few thoughts on some of the smaller divisions. You can find his thoughts sprinkled in below.

Eastern Mass HS Football Power Rankings: 10/21/14

Could St. John's Prep's big win over BC High push the Eagles up our Power Rankings?

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Yesterday, editor Joe Parello brought you his latest Central Mass High School Football Power Rankings, and today correspondent Mike Uva checks in with his latest Top-5 for the Eastern part of the Commonwealth.

See his rankings below.

Eastern Mass HS Football Power Rankings: 10/13/14

Despite the loss to Xaverian, Brockton running back Kerry Raymond went over 100 yards rushing for the fourth game in a row, and the Boxers once again look like a force to be reckoned with.

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Even in defeat, Brockton impressed Friday against top-ranked Xaverian, while Central Catholic's demolition of Lowell made room for a new team in correspondent Mike Uva's Top-5.

Find out who made the cut below.

Eastern Mass HS Football Power Rankings: 10/6/14

Xaverian may have the best group of linebackers in the state, led by standout Kenny Kern, who also serves as the Hawks' fullback and short yardage specialist.

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Earlier today, editor Joe Parello brought you our latest Central Mass high school football Power Rankings, and now we turn our sights East for correspondent Mike Uva's EMass Rankings.

Check them out below.

Eastern Mass HS Football Power Rankings: 9/30/14

Star defensive end/offensive tackle Joe Gaziano is one of the many reasons Xaverian is so tough in the trenches this year. The Northwestern commit also kicks and punts for the Hawks.

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

After three consecutive big wins, St. John's Prep finally fell victim to its brutal early schedule, losing at Everett on homecoming in our Game of the Week.

How would the Eagles' first defeat, and other action around the region, affect our Mike Uva's Power Rankings? Find out below.

Eastern Mass HS Football Power Rankings: 9/22/14

Led by QB Oliver Eberth and RB/LB Jack Lambert, St. John's Prep has won three in a row against teams ranked in the Top-10 of ESPN Boston's statewide high school football poll. The Eagles will get another chance to enhance their resume at Everett this coming Saturday.

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Another week, and another big win for St. John's Prep, but how far would the Eagles move up Mike Uva's Eastern Mass Power Rankings?

Find out below.

Eastern Mass HS Football Power Rankings: 9/15/14

A solid defense led by linebackers Sean Fallon (44) and Jack Lambert (32), along with defensive tackle Hunter Brown (74) has St. John's Prep soaring under first year head coach Brian St. Pierre.

By Mike Uva (@mike_uva)

Ed Note: We've been doing Power Rankings for Central Massachusetts football and lacrosse for over a year now, and we're thrilled to announce our first Eastern Mass Power Rankings, courtesy of new correspondent Mike Uva. Mike is a 2010 graduate of St. John's Prep, where he played football for the Eagles before moving on to play at Assumption College in Worcester.

A recent Assumption grad, Mike has deep ties to Massachusetts football and a wealth of knowledge of the game's local history and culture. He's definitely the perfect guy to help us expand our coverage into the far more populated section of the Commonwealth.

-Joe Parello


Power Rankings

1. Xaverian: 2-0, 0-0 Catholic Conf. Division 1

Last Week: Defeated Everett 21-14

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.

Massachusetts Super Bowl Previews: Divisions 1-3

Expect points galore when St. John's and QB Drew Smiley battle high-powered Mansfield.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

A dozen high school teams from Eastern and Central Mass have finished their journeys down the #RoadToGillette, and are now preparing for the first state-wide football championships in Massachusetts history.

As you may or may not know, I've spent the majority of the year covering Central Mass. So, I will briefly touch on the exclusively Eastern Mass title games (Divisions 1 and 3), but give far more in-depth previews of the games that include teams from the heart of the Commonwealth.

So, here it is, Part I of everything you need to know about Super Bowl Saturday at Gillette Stadium this weekend.

Massachusetts Thanksgiving Football Game Notes

Burncoat WR Nathan Dubay (11) grabs teammate Tyrae Sims (34) and helps him fight across the goal line in an eventful Thanksgiving Day game against Doherty.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Thanksgiving Day was interesting for high school football in Massachusetts this year, as the new state-wide playoff format led to 12 teams playing meaningless games a week before their respective Super Bowls. Well, they were meaningless when it came to competing for a state championship, but don't tell those kids or coaches that these games didn't matter.

Playing to Win and Injuries

By in large, teams competing for Super Bowls next week played to win their rivalry games, and thus, put their starters at risk of injury. It didn't work out for some, as D2 East champion Mansfield lost star tight end/wide receiver Brendan Hill in the first half of its game against Foxboro. The athletic 6-foot-6 Hill left the game with a knee injury, and was seen on the sideline with crutches. This would, obviously, be a huge blow if Hill is not able to play December 7th in the D2 Super Bowl against St. John's (Shrewsbury).

CMass Lax Power Rankings: 5/6/13

Eric Thompson is just one of Grafton's two quality senior goalies.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

We saw a major shakeup in our Power Rankings for the first time this season.

With Grafton's dominant victory over up-and-coming Nipmuc and beaten-up Algonquin's loss to Eastern Mass power Hingham, the Indians have jumped past the reigning champs for the No. 2 spot. But, the T-Hawks won't have to wait long for a shot at Grafton, as they host the Indians this Thursday.

An absolutely huge win keep St John's at the top. After falling to Eastern Mass foes St. John's Prep (Danvers) and BC High, the Pioneers scored the best win of any CMass team this season when they knocked off ESPN Boston's No. 5 team in Massachusetts, Xaverian Bros. Their win over one of the best teams in Eastern Mass not only entrenched the Pioneers as the best team in CMass, but turned some heads around the state.

Are the high-scoring Pioneers suddenly a state tittle contender?

Rankings after the jump.