FOXBORO — Most groups would wilt underneath the assault St. John’s Prep unleashed upon Xaverian in Wednesday’s Div. 1 state title sport at Gillette Stadium.
But Xaverian just isn’t most groups.
The Hawks made a number of enormous defensive performs, and quarterback Henry Hasselbeck was immense, as they earned a 31-25 victory over the Prep.
It marked this system’s first D1 title since 2015.
The victory got here simply six days after Xaverian (11-2) beat the Prep (11-2) on Thanksgiving, 23-21.
“I’ve got to tell you one thing: I’m sure as hell glad we’ve got Henry Hasselbeck,” Xaverian coach Al Fornaro mentioned. “If he’s not the best player in the state, I’ll fight anyone who wants to disagree.”
He received’t get a battle from St. John’s Prep. Hasselbeck, a Michigan State commit, performed the largest sport of his profession at a excessive degree. He accomplished 7-of-13 passes for 101 yards and three touchdowns, all to senior Caleb Brown. Hasselbeck additionally rushed for 122 yards on 13 carries. All of Brown’s three receptions went for touchdowns, for 62 yards. Running again Mike O’Connor rushed for 75 yards and a landing.
“We never lose faith in each other,” Hasselbeck mentioned. “That was the big thing so far this year. No matter what, we’re all there for each other. We could be down, 30-0. We could be up, 30-0. We’re all going to uplift each other.”
The sport was backwards and forwards all evening. Xaverian led at halftime, 14-12, however Prep took the second-half kickoff and drove proper down the sector. On a nine-play, 74-yard drive, Gael Garcia completed it off with a 4-yard landing to take an 18-14 lead.
It was on the subsequent drive the place Hasselbeck may need had his best second. He ran off proper finish, stayed in bounds, broke a deal with, and raced for a 55-yard achieve. O’Connor scored on the subsequent play from a yard out with 7:06 left within the third quarter.
Again, Prep battled again. Prep quarterback Deacon Robillard (7-of-14 passing for 136 yards and two TD) hit Garcia for a 16-yard landing, and the Eagles led, 25-21, with 3:15 left within the third.
Xaverian rallied with an eight-play, 58-yard drive, as Hasselbeck hit Brown for an 18-yard landing, their third scoring connection of the evening, on the second play of the fourth quarter.
The Xaverian protection pressured a 3 and out, and Luke Bell’s 33-yard area purpose gave Xaverian a 31-25 lead halfway by way of the fourth.
The Prep had one final shot after the groups traded punts. But Ben Angelini and Micah Amedee mixed for 2 late sacks, and Robillard’s last-second move to the tip zone fell incomplete.
“I think they just reach down one little percent more,” Fornaro mentioned of his group. “I always ask them to get one percent better each day, one percent each week. We just reached into the reserve, and were able to do that.”
Prep scored first on a 1-yard Jimmy Nardone run within the opening quarter.
Xaverian took a 14-6 lead after Hasselbeck hit Brown twice for touchdowns, of 19 and 25 yards.
The Prep regained some momentum simply earlier than the half when Robillard discovered Merrick Barlow for a 38-yard landing.
Eagles operating again Cam LaGrassa completed with 106 yards on 20 carries.
Source: www.bostonherald.com