WEST ROXBURY — Generally, if a group scores two touchdowns earlier than its offense runs a play, issues are going fairly properly.
Against Mansfield in a non-league opener for each groups Thursday night time, Catholic Memorial did simply that, and rolled to a 41-14 win.
With a gap kickoff return for a landing by Eric Perkins, a pick-six by Chris Sanchez, and an extended landing run by Mekhi Dodd, CM was up 20-0 earlier than Mansfield knew what hit it.
It was a powerful efficiency.
“I thanked the special teams coach and the defensive coordinator,” CM coach John DiBiaso mentioned. “Kids played well. Played well in all the facets early. We made some mistakes in the second quarter, but nothing that’s not correctable.”
Dodd rushed for 110 yards and a landing on 5 carries, and caught a 19-yard landing to finish the primary half. He had 4 receptions for 59 yards. Quarterback Peter Bourque accomplished 11 of 21 passes for 3 touchdowns and an interception. Caleb Garrity caught two of these scoring tosses and had 75 yards on 5 receptions.
Perkins took the opening kickoff down the appropriate sideline for a 90-yard rating. On Mansfield’s first possession, Sanchez made a terrific break on the ball, bobbled it, then caught it and ran 20 yards for the choose six.
When CM lastly took over on offense, Dodd went over the left facet, discovered daylight, and raced 81 yards for the rating.
It was over quick, and Mansfield by no means actually had a solution.
“I was telling you in the preseason, Mekhi Dodd is the real thing,” DiBiaso mentioned. “He reminds me a lot of the great running backs we’ve had here and at Everett. He’s only a junior. Jeff Hafley, the BC coach, was here tonight. I think they were very impressed.”
Dodd was actually spectacular, as was Bourque. After Dodd’s landing run, Bourque hit Garrity over the center for a 9-yard landing. On the subsequent CM drive, Bourque discovered Garrity once more, this time for a 32-yard landing by which the receiver was extensive open.
Mansfield quarterback Connor Curtis (173 yards passing) hit Brandon Jackman for a 43-yard landing after that, nevertheless it was too little, too late.
Dodd made a 19-yard catch-and-run because the half ended, and guarantee a operating clock within the second quarter.
There was some curiosity to how CM would carry out this season. Dodd was a backup in 2022 as a sophomore. Backs Datrell Jones (BC) and Carson Harwood (Rhode Island) had a lot of the carries. But Dodd proved Thursday night time that he’s succesful.
“It is really just fun to have my own show now,” Dodd mentioned. “I’m not behind anybody. I’ve got my own show, but they really mentored me to get to this level right now. Way more to come now. Way more.”
CATHOLIC MEMORIAL 41, MANSFIELD 14
Mansfield (0-1) 0 7 0 7 — 14
Catholic Memorial (1-0) 27 14 0 0 — 41
C — Eric Perkins 90 kickoff return (James Sansone kick)
C — Chris Sanchez 20 interception return (kick failed)
C — Mekhi Dodd 81 run (Sansone kick)
C — Caleb Garrity 9 go from Peter Bourque (Sansone kick)
C — Garrity 32 go from Bourque (Sansone kick)
M — Brandon Jackman 43 go from Connor Curtis (James Warren kick)
C — Dodd 19 go from Bourque (Sansone kick)
M — Trevor Foley 75 go from Curtis (Warren kick
Source: www.bostonherald.com
