FOXBORO — West Boylston and St. Bernard’s got here into the Division 7 Super Bowl realizing a factor or three about every group’s dashing assault.
But a play-action, championship-record move was the distinction early on because the Lions (11-2) roared to a 29-6 victory over No. 3 St. Bernard’s (11-2) in an all-Central Massachusetts last Friday at Gillette Stadium.
The win is the first-ever Super Bowl title for the Lions because the state championship format began in 2013, however the third title at school historical past, with Central Massachusetts titles in 1988 and 2012.
After a scoreless first quarter, quarterback Luke Foley tucked in a second-and-seven designed run off left deal with on the Lions’ personal nine-yard line and located Connor Muldoon in a one-on-one battle in the course of the sphere. Foley tossed up a 50-50 ball and Muldoon did the remaining for a 91-yard landing at 11:04 of the second to present the top-ranked Lions the 6-0 lead in a recreation they by no means trailed.
The Foley-to-Muldoon connection is now a Massachusetts State Championship scoring document for yards on a landing because the completion surpassed Clinton’s Rich Wetherell’s 89-yard move to Dan Notaro in a 1994 win over Leicester.
“It really changed the momentum of the game and opened things up, it was a tight game, and we needed that score,” stated Muldoon. “We have a great line with Jake O’Brien, Jon Edwards, Sam Stille and all the guys on the line really makes us hard to stop.”
After Jamie McNamara punched within the two-point conversion, West Boylston held the 8-0 lead into the halftime lockers as each groups struggled to get their run video games on observe.
On the primary collection of the second half, St. Bernard’s Antonio Mancini (23 carries, 72 yards) completed off an 11-play drive that ate up 7:59 of time within the third to chop the deficit to 2, 8-6, at 4:01 of the third.
That was all of the Benardians may muster as West Boylston went again to the tried-and-true balanced double-wing working fashion and smash-mouth protection they’ve been accustomed to.
St. Bernard’s head coach Tom Bingham was gracious and emotional in pointing to his seniors of their final dance ending with a loss.
“Wish we had a few things back and certainly did not put our best foot forward but incredibly proud of these seniors for the road our school has gone through the last four years and the leadership we’ve had and everything they have accomplished along the way,” stated Bingham. “It just seemed we never really got into a rhythm on either side of the ball and that’s not to take anything away from West Boylston and maybe it was something they were doing to make that happen.”
After Mancini’s lone rating for the Bernardians, John Ruas answered proper again with a 32-yard landing on the subsequent collection as West Boylston pulled out to a 16-6 lead. Bobby Humphrey and McNamara added their very own dashing scores within the fourth quarter because the Lions scored 21 unanswered factors to shut issues out with 5:07 left to play.
McNamara completed the day with a game-high 136 yards on the bottom on solely 17 carries capped off by his game-ending 45-yard scamper to the top zone.
The Lions’ protection was excellent all recreation lengthy, holding St. Bernard’s to 68 yards of offense within the first half en path to permitting solely 172 whole yards within the recreation. Senior captain Damien Jones completed with 71 yards on 18 carries for the Bernardians.
“In the second half, I felt a little pressure, but we don’t have a kid over 220 pounds on the (offensive) line, so we are tough,” stated West Boylston head coach Mike Ross. “Our defense has played well all season and Mancini and Jones are unbelievable.”
“We have four (running) backs, they are all good, and most teams do not have that. The new state format is so hard to even get to here. You play the best in the state and I think Division 7 is the toughest division in the state top to bottom,” stated Ross.
ST. BERNARD’S (11-2) – 0 – 0 – 6 – 0 — 6
WEST BOYLSTON (11-2) – 0 – 8 – 8 – 13 — 29
WB – Connor Muldoon 91 move from Luke Foley (Jamie McNamara run)
SB – Antonio Mancini 2 run (run failed)
WB – John Ruas 32 run (Bobby Humphrey run)
WB – Humphrey 9 run (run failed)
WB – McNamara 45 run (McNamara kick)
Source: www.bostonherald.com