Daily Item 2018 Thanksgiving Football Preview

2018 HIGH SCHOOL 

Thanksgiving Preview

2 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP THANKSGIVING FOOTBALL 2018 

Classical looks to keep the ball rolling 

By Steve Krause 

ITEM STAFF 

Brian Vaughan has had every 

chance to throw it in the faces of 

the MIAA about the inequities of its 

post-season football format. 

But he didn’t do any complaining 

when the Rams missed the cut in Division 

3 North despite a 4-3 record, 

kept quiet as his team went out and 

throttled its three non-playoff opponents 

(including 44-20 and 41-0 wins 

over Marblehead and Beverly respectively) 

and refuses to take the bait 

now on the eve of Thursday’s 105th 

Thanksgiving game against English 

(10 a.m., Manning Field). 

Classical may lead the series 55- 

40 with nine ties, but the Bulldogs 

romped last year, 38-0. One would 

think that score has been written on 

CLASSICAL (7 -3) 

9/7................. Classical 52, Medford 8 

9/14............... Classical 41, Malden 8 

9/21............... Classical 16, Revere 19 

9/28............... Classical 22, Gloucester 26 

10/5............... Classical 20, Danvers 29 

10/12............. Classical 55, Somerville 15 

10/19............. Classical 36, Salem 0 

10/27............. Classical 38, Wilmington 8 

11/3................ Classical 44, Marblehead 20 

11/10.............. Classical 41, Beverly 0 

11/22.............. at English (10) 

some upper-right-hand corner of the 

team blackboard. And perhaps it has 

been. But if so, Vaughan isn’t biting. 

“I think,” said the second-year 

coach who played his football for the 

Bulldogs, “we have just focused on 

the task at hand. Just win as many 

games as possible. All we want to do 

is prepare our kids to go out and play 

their best football on Thanksgiving 

morning. Those are the things we can 

control.” 

The 7-3 Rams ended the 

pre-Thanksgiving portion of their 

season with five straight wins. They 

were 4-3 but they didn’t have the 

points to make it into the Top 8 in Division 

3 North. 

“Were we disappointed? Of course,” 

he said. “But that wasn’t something 

we were going to be able to control.” 

The Rams certainly had a lot going 

for them. 

“Defensively we’re playing well,” 

Vaughan said, “and we’re starting to 

click offensively too.” 

This starts with receiver Nashaun 

Butler, who, for the second straight 

season, has eclipsed the 1,000-yard 

mark (1,132). He’s also caught 13 

touchdown passes. 

“I don’t know of too many people 

around here who have done that,” 

Vaughan said. 

Quarterback Keith Ridley went 

over 2,200 yards this season, and 

Vaughan — offhand — doesn’t know 

of too many Classical quarterbacks 

lately who have done that. Running 

backs Marcus Tucker and Malcolm 

Best are getting back in form after 

mid-season injuries. 

“We missed Marcus when he was 

out,” Vaughan said. “He’s a special 

kid. Malcolm’s our thunder, and he’s 

our lightning.” 

He’s impressed with the 7-3 Bulldogs 

too. 

ITEM FILE PHOTO 

Nashaun Butler went over the 1,000-yard mark for receiving for 

the second straight year. 

“They have some guys over there,” 

he said. “Not just some. A lot. It obviously 

starts with (Matt) Severance, 

who might be the best football player 

on the North Shore. He is a special 

kid. If he gets going early, it’s going 

to be ‘good night.’ 

“(Ishmile) Bangura and (Prince) 

Brown are having great seasons too,” 

he said.

THANKSGIVING FOOTBALL 2018 ESSEX MEDIA GROUP 3 

English seeking a successful ending 

Steve Krause 

ITEM STAFF 

Last year was magical for English. 

The Bulldogs won 10 games -- only 

the third time in school history that 

has happened -- and capped the season 

off with a resounding win over 

archrival Classical. 

Duplicating that this season while 

rebuilding their core defensive front 

was going to be a mean feat. Still, 

heading into Thursday’s game with 

Classical (10 a.m., Manning Field), 

this has been a successful season. 

The Bulldogs are 7-3, with having to 

replace their entire front seven and 

start 10 sophomores. 

The Bulldogs know what they’re up 

against. 

“I don’t know,” said coach Chris 

Carroll, “whether there’s a carryover 

ENGLISH (7-3) 

9/8................. English 38, Beverly 21 

9/14............... English 31, Somerville 9 

9/21............... English 28, Mald. Cath. 41 

9/29............... English 42, Saugus 35 

10/6............... English 27, Swampscott 14 

10/12............. English 41, Salem 14 

10/19............. English 41, Winthrop 13 

10/26...............English 35, Concord-Carlisle 33 

11/2................ English 7, Danvers 28 

11/9º.............. English 7, Marblehead 31 

11/22.............. Vs. Classical (10) 

from last year or not. But from our 

perspective, there’s the season, and 

then there’s Thanksgiving. It’s our 

seniors’ last game, and everybody 

wants to go out a winner.” 

Two of those seniors are quarterback/safety 

Matt Severance and running 

back Ishmile Bangura. 

Earlier this season, Severance 

broke his coach’s school passing record 

in a win over Swampscott. He’s 

gone on to pass for 1,450 yards and 

throw for 14 touchdowns. He has run 

for 300 more yards and nine touchdowns. 

On defense, he has 102 tackles 

and four picks. Bangura goes into 

Thursday’s game with 901 yards and 

15 touchdowns. 

Another solid contributor has been 

senior receiver Prince Brown. 

In addition, English has had stellar 

seasons from defensive backs Mathias 

Fowler and Taj Purter, “who had 

a big catch in our win over Swampscott. 

Taj and Mathias are a special 

pair together,” said Carroll. 

He’s also high on Thomas Gaylord, 

“who has been an undersized twoway 

starter. He’s a great leader and 

a great kid.” 

After getting off to a 2-0 start, “we 

ran into a little bit of a hiccup in a 

loss to Malden Catholic,” Carroll 

said. After that, though, the Bulldogs 

ran the table with wins over Saugus, 

Swampscott, Salem and Winthrop to 

enter the Division 3 playoffs at 6-1, 

good enough for a second seed. 

Especially nice, said Carroll, was 

the win over Swampscott. 

“You have the Blydell Cup, and it’s 

a natural rival,” he said. “And that 

game, and Salem after it, were our 

two best wins. I hope we can get back 

to playing like that.” 

English beat Concord-Carlisle, 35- 

33, in the MIAA quarterfinal before 

losing to Danvers in the semis, and 

then at Marblehead in Week 10. 

Good luck, Seniors! Thanks for 4 great years! 

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ITEM FILE PHOTOSS 

Matt Severance has passed for 1,450 yards and 14 touchdowns. 

As for 7-3 Classical, the Rams have 

been on a tear since being passed 

over in the MIAA playoffs. After winning 

two straight to end the regular 

season, the Rams have run of three 

lopsided wins over Wilmington, 

Marblehead and Beverly to go into 

Thanksgiving on a 5-game streak. 

“They’re playing good ball right 

now. They have a good offense. 

(Quarterback) Keith Ridley is a good, 

strong player.” 

Good Student Discounts Available! 

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Good luck to all the teams! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 

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St. Mary’s will have a lot at stake 

By Harold Rivera 

ITEM SPORTS EDITOR 

St. Mary’s football coach Sean 

Driscoll feels his team’s in a special 

place at this point in the season. 

Prior to Thursday’s Thanksgiving 

game between his Spartans and Fenwick, 

which is for the Catholic Central 

League title, St. Mary’s won the 

Division 7 North championship at 

Nashoba Valley and played against 

Cohasset in the state semifinal. 

“We talked about that as coaches. 

We’re hoping to carry some momentum 

into Thanksgiving,” Driscoll 

said. “That’s what we’re preaching. 

We’re playing for three championship 

games in a row. It’s quite the 

challenge for the kids to be able to 

compete at a high level for three 

weeks in a row.” 

ST. MARY’S (7-3) 

9/7............ St. Mary’s 30 Millis 12 

9/15.......... St. Mary’s 39 So. Boston 22 

9/21.......... St. Mary’s 14 Cath. Mem. 42 

9/29.......... St. Mary’s 40, Spellman 22 

10/6.......... St. Mary’s 28 Arl. Cath. 12 

10/13........ St. Mary’s 20 Williams 27 

10/19........ St. Mary’s 24 Mashpee 30 

10/26........ St. Mary’s 49 Georgetown 6 

11/2........... St. Mary’s 30 Gr. Lawrence 24 

11/9........... St. Mary’s 39 Nashoba Tech 14 

11/16......... vs. Cohasset (at Medford, 7) 

11/22......... at Fenwick (10) 

The Crusaders aren’t the same 

team St. Mary’s saw last season. 

Fenwick earned the No. 4 seed in the 

Division 5 North state tournament 

and reached the sectional semifinal 

before falling to No. 1 Stoneham. 

The Crusaders made quick work 

of Ipswich the following week in a 

non-playoff tilt. 

“I’ve seen them a couple of times 

in person,” Driscoll said. “I think 

they’re very good. (David Cifuentes) 

is one of the better backs we’ll face. 

On defense they get to the ball pretty 

quick. They make plays. I didn’t see 

their playoff game against Stoneham 

but I can say Fenwick’s one of the 

better teams we’ll play all year.” 

Offensively, the Spartans will look 

to control the line of scrimmage and 

move the chains in hopes of keeping 

Fenwick’s offense off the field. Running 

backs Jalen Echevarria, George 

Freeman and Connor Donohue have 

done the bulk of the damage on the 

ground this season. 

“I think we have to keep their offense 

off the field and control the line 

of scrimmage when we have the football,” 

Driscoll said. “I always think 

kickoff returns and punt returns 

are important this time of the year. 

We played a game before this and 

Fenwick had a week off. I know St. 

Mary’s dealt with that last year but 

still prepared well and got a win at 

home. I’m hoping we do the same. I 

know it’s going to be a challenge getting 

ready to play for this game.” 

Defensively, Mathias Haley and 

Freeman lead the Spartans in tackles. 

Driscoll said he’s looking forward 

to his first go-round in the St. 

Mary’s-Fenwick rivalry. 

“I think every coach in general loves 

Thanksgiving football,” Driscoll said. 

IITEM FILE PHOTO 

Jalen Echevarria (10) has been a key cog in St. Mary’s backfield. 

“For me it’s new. Getting a chance 

to play at their place on Thanksgiving, 

it’s cool. It’s exciting to play for a 

share of the CCL title. It’s important 

for us to get off to a good start and 

be healthy to be able to compete with 

them.” 

Kickoff for Thursday’s game is 

scheduled for 10 p.m. at Donaldson 

Field≠≠≠. 

Good luck to the players and coaches 

GO SPARTANS! 

Joan McGovern Regan • 617-529-1785 

joan.regan17@gmail.com • century21hughes.com 

Happy Thanksgiving!


Bishop Fenwick has league title on line 

Steve Krause 

ITEM STAFF 

After being the Thanksgiving football 

version of “A Man Without a 

Country” for more than a decade, 

seeing St. Mary’s from across the 

50-yard line Thursday will do coach 

Dave Woods’ heart a lot of good. 

The fact that the game will be for 

a Catholic Central League championship 

makes it even better. 

“Anytime we play St. Mary’s in 

anything, it adds a little extra,” said 

Woods, on the eve of Thursday’s game 

(10) at Donaldson Field against the 

Spartans. “But with a league title on 

the line, it adds extra implications.” 

The fact that the value of winning a 

league title has been de-emphasized 

in terms of qualifying for the Super 

Bowl is of no consequence when it 

BISHOP FENWICK 8-2) 

9/7................. Fenwick 28, Ham-Wen 0 

9/14............... Fenwick 20, Dedham 29 

9/21............... Fenwick 33, Pentucket 7 

9/28............... Fenwick 42, Arl. Cath. 14 

10/ 5.............. Fenwick 28, Williams 0 

10/ 12............ Fenwick 13, Malden Cath. 7 

10/ 19............ Fenwick 56, Spellman 6 

10/ 26............ Fenwick 55, Gr. Lowell 0 

11/ 1............... Fenwick 20, Stoneham 48 

11/9................ Fenwick 46, Ipswich 27 

11/22.............. vs. St. Mary’s (10) 

comes to playing the game. 

“It’s two good programs, and whoever 

wins is going to be (Catholic 

Central League) champion,” Woods 

said. “It’s going to be fun.” 

Fenwick has run the table in the 

CCL up to now, but that’s a bit deceiving. 

Austin Prep dropped out of 

the CCL Large and right now there 

are only five teams in the division. 

The Crusaders have beaten the three 

they’ve played — Williams, Spellman 

and Arlington Catholic — with St. 

Mary’s left. The Spartans lost to Williams. 

A St. Mary’s win would leave 

each team at 3-1 in the league, with 

the Spartans having the tiebreaker 

in head-to-head. 

In the world of the CCL, the lord 

giveth and taketh away for Fenwick. 

The Crusaders celebrated the return 

in Week 4 of quarterback Cory 

Bright, who, in the half-season since, 

has thrown for 1,100 yards and 16 

touchdowns. 

“That’s a season for most kids,” 

Woods said. “He’s been phenomenal.” 

However, all-everything-else Keegan 

O’Connor broke his arm last Friday 

night against Ipswich, and that’ll 

be a tough loss for the Crusaders to 

absorb. 

“He wants to (play),” said Woods, 

“but I don’t know. It might be too 

soon to talk about doing that. It’s a 

tough break. He’s a senior.” 

Also playing their last games are 

Derek DelVecchio, George Fiskatoris, 

Ian Connor and Tommy McDonald. 

All six have been invaluable, Woods 

said. 

Underclassmen who have emerged 

as key contributors are David Cifuentes 

and Joe Rivers. 

“They’re our 1-2 punch at tailback,” 

said Woods. “David gets the ball more, 

but Joe scores about 20 percent of the 

time he touches the ball. We have to 

get him the ball more.” 

The Crusaders went into the Division 

6 playoffs at 6-1 with the fourth 


David Cifuentes emerged this season as key runner for the Crusaders. 

seed, and defeated Greater Lowell in 

the quarterfinals before falling to No. 

1 Stoneham in the semis. 

“Stoneham is a great team,” said 

Woods. “I think they could play with 

anyone from Division 3 on down. 

Maybe not a team like St. John’s 

Prep, but from 3 down, they can play.” 

Fenwick tuned up for St. Mary’s 

with a win over Ipswich to enter 

Thanksgiving at 8-2. St. Mary’s, not 

counting its state semifinal game 

with Cohasset, is 7-3. 

WISHING ALL THE PLAYERS THE BEST OF LUCK 

AND A HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL! 

Charles Gaeta, Executive Director and the LHAND staff 

Where opportunity and achievement meet 

Bishop Fenwick High School, Peabody, MA 

www.fenwick.org • 978-587-8300


Tech happy to be part of all-Lynn rivalry 

By Mike Alongi 

ITEM STAFF 

Move over Classical-English, 

there’s a new all-Lynn Thanksgiving 

football rivalry coming to town this 

year. After playing a regular season 

game against each other last year, 

the Tech and KIPP football teams 

will go head-to-head on Thanksgiving 

Eve for the first time Wednesday. 

“It’s nice to get another all-Lynn 

game for Thanksgiving,” said Tech 

coach James Runner. “The kids are 

always talking about it to each other, 

and our schools are just a stone’s 

throw away from each other, so it’s 

only right. Plus, it’s great for the 

fans who now don’t have to travel to 

a different city for the Thanksgiving 

game. 

“Don’t get me wrong, playing Aus- 

LYNN TECH (6-4) 

9/8................. Tech 6, Nashoba Valley 2 

9/15............... Tech 51, Mystic Valley 6 

9/22............... Tech 34, Minuteman 6 

9/29............... Tech 32, Northeast 34 

10/6............... Tech 8, Gr. Lowell 34 

10/12............. Tech 43, Georgetown 15 

10/20............. Tech 55, Chelsea 0 

10/27............. Tech 14, Roxbury Prep 0 

11/3................ Tech 0, Pope John 24 

11/9................ Tech 8, Gr. Lawrence 36 

11/21.............. vs. KIPP (6) 

tin Prep for the past couple of years 

has been great and we really enjoyed 

it,” Runner continued. “But there’s 

nothing like a city rivalry.” 

Tech is coming into this year’s 

game as the likely favorite despite 

not being quite as powerful as last 

year’s MVADA Small championship 

team. Standing at 6-4, the Tigers 

have changed things up this season 

offensively. With the talented running 

back duo of Steffan Gravely and 

Keoni Gaskin gone, Tech has moved 

to more of a running back-by-committee 

approach in addition to adding 

more of a passing attack to its 

arsenal. Quarterback David Barrios 

runs the show, while a combination 

of Haidar Bdaiwi, Chance Buono and 

Giuliani Daniells lead the way on the 

ground. 

“It’s nice to be able to spread the 

ball around to all of our different 

playmakers,” said Runner. “We have 

a lot of guys who have been able to 

contribute this season, and it keeps 

the other team off balance when we 

keep changing guys out.” 

As for the defense, everything revolves 

around star linebacker Emerson 

Ramirez. With over 100 tackles 

this year, the senior has improved on 

last fall’s impressive junior season. 

Add in the dominant play of defensive 

lineman Ali Bdaiwi and Barrios’ 

prowess at safety, and the Tigers 

have a lot to offer defensively as well. 

“Those guys have all really stepped 

up this year, and I think they’re all 

going to want to go out with a bang 

and play well in their final game,” 

Runner said. 

As for next Wednesday’s game, 

Runner and the Tigers don’t plan on 

doing anything out of the ordinary. 

“We’re just going to approach it 

like any other game,” said Runner. 


David Barrios will be calling signals for the final time in Wednesday’s 

game 

“We’re going to try to control the line 

of scrimmage on both sides of the ball 

and try to negate their speed. We can 

spread it out or bring it in and pound 

the ball, so we’ll let the game dictate 

what approach we’re going to use.” 

The Tigers and KIPP face off 

Wednesday night at Manning Field 

(6). 

Marion Street Autobody 

44 Marion St., Lynn 

781-592-7001 

Go Lynn Tech Tigers! 

Mark A. King, Class of 1978 

“Best of luck to all 

the Lynn Teams. LVTI”


KIPP happy to be part of the festivities 

By Mike Alongi 

ITEM STAFF 

The KIPP football team remembers 

what happened in Week 5 of its inaugural 

season last year, when the 

Panthers were handed a 47-0 loss 

by Tech. Now KIPP will try to take 

its revenge on Thanksgiving Eve in 

a new all-Lynn football rivalry game. 

“The guys remember last year, 

there’s no question about it,” said 

KIPP coach Jim Rabbitt. “We obviously 

went up against a very talented and 

well-coached team, and it will be no 

different this year. We know it’s going 

to take a lot, and we’re ready for it.” 

Revenge aside, Rabbitt is aware of 

how important it is for his team and 

the KIPP program as a whole to be a 

part of an all-Lynn football rivalry on 

Thanksgiving. 

KIPP (3-7 ) 

9/8................. KIPP 6, Gr. Lowell 34 

9/15............... KIPP 12, Roxbury Prep 36 

9/22............... KIPP 28, Chelsea 6 

9/27............... KIPP 0, Nashoba Tech 39 

10/4............... KIPP 38, Mystic Valley 14 

10/11.............. KIPP 26, Keefe Tech 16 

10/20............. KIPP 6, Minuteman 12 

10/26............. KIPP 12, Brighton 8 

11/2................ KIPP 6, Charlestown 14 

11/9................ KIPP 24, Matignon 30 

11/21.............. at Tech (6) 

“I think this is one of the best things 

about our town,” Rabbitt said. “I can’t 

think of any other city that has two 

in-city football rivalries like this. 

Obviously you have the more than 

100-year history between English 

and Classical, and now to be a part 

of a Thanksgiving game with Tech, I 

think it just says so much about the 

football culture in this city.” 

The Panthers come into the 

Thanksgiving game at 4-6, but don’t 

let that fool you. KIPP’s last three 

losses have each come by one touchdown, 

with two of those losses coming 

against playoff teams. 

“We’ve been incredibly competitive 

in all of those games,” said Rabbitt. 

“A couple plays here and there, and 

we could be coming into this game at 

7-3.” 

The Panthers rely on a high-flying 

offensive attack, running a spread 

offense that distributes the ball to 

playmakers such as receiver Taj 

White-King and running back Daniel 

Oluwasuyi. White-King has logged 

nearly 1,000 receiving yards this 

season, while Oluwasuyi has multiple 

100-yard games on the ground. 

Then there’s the quarterback duo of 

J’ddon Vincent and Pierro Canales, 

who both power the offensive machine 

with their legs and their arms. 

Offensive linemen Mike Bryce and 

Dave Filias round out the talented 

offense. 

Pierro Canales (2) is part of KIPP’s quarterback tandem. 

As with many high school football 

teams, the defense also features 

many of those offensive stars. Filias 

and Oluwasuyi lead the way at the 

linebacker position, while White- 

King has logged 10 interceptions 

from the safety position. 

In order to take down the Tigers, 

KIPP knows it has to be sound on 

both sides of the ball. 

“We know it’s going to be a difficult 

task and we have our work cut 


out for us,” Rabbitt said. “Not only 

is Tech talented, but they’re also 

well-coached. I think (Tech) Coach 

(James) Runner is one of the best 

coaches in the Commonwealth. He’s 

going to have his team ready to go, so 

we’re going to have to be prepared for 

a real battle.” 

KIPP and Tech go head-to-head 

Wednesday night at Manning Field 

(6). 

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Big Blue hope it’s their turn this time 


ITEM STAFF 

Swampscott football coach Bobby 

Serino doesn’t need to be reminded 

how many years its been since the 

Big Blue have defeated Marblehead 

on Thanksgiving. The Magicians, 

who defeated Swampscott 35-17 last 

fall, haven’t lost to the Big Blue since 

2012. 

“Everyone keeps reminding me of 

how many years its been since we’ve 

won it,” Serino said. “The last year we 

won it was 2012, my son’s (Robert Serino) 

year and we were 25-point underdogs. 

You throw the records out. I 

speak at the Old Timer’s dinner and 

people remind me how many years 

it’s been since we’ve won. Thanksgiving’s 

like a one-game season. I don’t 

want to be the only coach that hasn’t 

SWAMPSCOTT (9-1) 

9/8.......... Swampscott 21 Gr. Lawrence 30 

9/14........ Swampscott 49 Triton 0 

9/21........ Swampscott 40 Winthrop 6 

9/29........ Swampscott 36 Salem 21 

10/6........ Swampscott 14 English 27 

10/13...... Swampscott 27 Revere 7 

10/19...... Swampscott 42 Saugus 0 

10/26...... Swampscott 42 Triton 20 

11/3......... Swampscott 34 Pentucket 0 

11/10....... Swampscott 34 Amesbury26 

11/16....... vs. Scituate (at Westwood, 7) 

11/22....... vs. Marblehead (10) 

beaten Marblehead, that’s for sure.” 

The Big Blue, who won the Division 

5 North sectional title and advanced 

to the state semifinal earlier this 

month, know exactly what to expect 

from the 7-3 Magicians. 

“Every year it seems like they reload,” 

Serino said. “It shouldn’t be 

anything different. Their talent 

changes at every position each year. 

I’m glad there aren’t any Gillises 

or Marinos on the team this year. I 

think we match up well with them. 

“They have a solid team. (Magicians) 

Coach (Jim) Rudloff will say 

he’s weak here or weak there but every 

year he gets them ready to play 

us. It doesn’t matter about the playoff 

system. 

You put two teams on the field on 

Thanksgiving and it’s like a championship 

game every year.” 

Offensively, it starts with Big Blue 

junior quarterback Graham Inzana. 

A three-sport player who’s also on 

the school’s basketball and baseball 

teams, Inzana has emerged as one of 

the better quarterbacks in the Northeastern 

Conference. Running back 

Dylan January does the majority of 

the damage on the ground and receivers 

Andrew Augustin, Jonathan 

Oriakhi and Arturo Vasquez are consistent 

playmakers. 

Defensively, Jake Bartram holds 

down the fort in the trenches. January 

quarterbacks the defense at the 

linebacker position with help from 

Oriakhi. Nick Reiser has come along 

nicely as of late. Zack Palmer, Inzana 

and Augustin are the key contributors 

in the secondary. 

“Hopefully it’s not below 50 and it’s 

not raining,” Serino said. “Other than 

that, we just can’t turn the ball over. 

We have to play well in all three 


Graham Inzana has emerged as a top quarterback on the North 

Shore. 

phases of the game and we are right 

now. We’ve gotten better and better 

each week. We can’t get hyped out 

because it’s Thanksgiving. If our defense 

can stay healthy, they’re going 

to give us a great shot to win.” 


scheduled for 10 a.m. at Blocksidge 

Field. 

(781) 596-0703 • sanphypodiatry.com/ 

98 Nahant St, Lynn, MA 01902 

Tradition never graduates, Good Luck!


Marblehead has 5-game streak on the line 



The recent trend points to the 

Marblehead football team being 

the favorite in Thursday’s Thanksgiving 

game against rival Swampscott. 

Marblehead has dominated the 

Turkey Day rivalry as of late and 

hasn’t lost to the Big Blue since 2012. 

But anything can happen when two 

teams take the field, especially in 

high school sports. 

With Swampscott having won the 

Division 5 North sectional championship 

and advancing to the state semifinal, 

the Big Blue have momentum 

on their side. 

Marblehead, on the other hand, is 

coming off a 31-7 non-playoff win 

over English in which Magicians 

MARBLEHEAD (8-2) 

9/7................. Marblehead 55, Triton 0 

9/14............... Marblehead 18, Revere 6 

9/21............... Marblehead 28, Peabody 7 

9/29............... Marblehead 27, Beverly 6 

10/5............... Marblehead 35, Malden 0 

10/12............. Marblehead 37, Gloucester 12 

10/19............. Marblehead 10, Danvers 7 

10/26............. Marblehead 14, Dracut 28 

11/ 3............... Marblehead 20, Classical 44 

11/9................ Marblehead 31, English 7 

11/22.............. at Swampscott (10) 

junior running back Tim Cronin 

dominated the Bulldogs and scored 

four touchdowns. Another key 

threat on Marblehead’s offense is 

quarterback Chris Gally, who can 

run the ball as effectively as he 

throws it. 

The Magicians ran the table in the 

Northeastern Conference. They won 

the NEC crown outright and finished 

their regular season undefeated 

at 7-0. They earned the No. 1 seed 

in the Division 4 North state tournament 

but fell in the quarterfinal 

round, 28-14, to No. 8 seed Dracut 

of the tough Merrimack Valley Conference. 

Marblehead lost a non-playoff game 

in Week 9 to Classical, 44-20, at Manning 

Field. The Magicians bounced 

back with the big win over English 

in Week 10. 

“Our guys did a good job on defense, 

even though we made a few 

mistakes to put it on our defense,” 

Magicians coach Jim Rudloff said. 

“The most important thing for us 

is we bounced back. We played so 

bad the last two games (Classical, 

Dracut), especially in the second 

half (at Classical). We were terrible 

but we bounced back (against English).” 

The Magicians are 8-2 this season. 

Swampscott’s 9-1, excluding its Division 

5 state semifinal game against 

South champion Scituate. 


Tim Cronin has been the go-to runner for Marblehead this season. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL 

THE PLAYERS! GOOD LUCK! 

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Saugus rallies around its senior class 

Dan Kane 

ITEM STAFF 

Saugus football coach Mike Mabee 

knows firsthand just how important 

the Sachems’ (4-6) yearly matchup 

against Peabody is to his players and 

how his team will be tested in the 

game. 

“It’s a game I’m really familiar 

with,” Mabee said. “I went to Saugus 

High School and we played Peabody 

all four years. It’s a game where you 

can pretty much throw both the records 

out the window. Even though 

we both have similar records it 

means nothing.” 

Mabee has looked for his players to 

rally around the senior class in the final 

weeks of the season and that will 

be no different when Saugus travels 

to Peabody on Thanksgiving (10). 

SAUGUS (4-6) 

9/7................. Saugus 12, Amesbury 30 

9/14............... Saugus 18, Northeast 26 

9/22............... Saugus 14, Salem 0 

9/29............... Saugus 35, English 42 

10/5............... Saugus 15, Gloucester 61 

10/12/............ Saugus 20, Winthrop 14 

10/19............. Saugus 0, Swampscott 42 

10/26............. Saugus 27, Weston 6 

11/2................ Saugus 0, Amesbury 20 

11/10.............. Saugus 21, Pentucket 7 

11/22.............. at Peabody (10) 

“It’s a big game that our seniors are 

looking forward to,” Mabee said. “We 

are looking for younger players to 

play for the seniors. We have a really 

tight-knit group and they’re all close 

so that shouldn’t be a problem. 

“This group is really loose,” Mabee 

added. “So there hasn’t really been a 

shift at practice this last week. But 

as Thanksgiving gets closer and the 

end is approaching I expect to see a 

change in the atmosphere.” 

The Sachems will look to linebacker 

Dante McGrane and defensive 

lineman Jake Morgante to help combat 

the Tanners offense. 

“We look for Dante and Jake to sort 

of lead our defense and players feed 

off them defensively,” Mabee said. 

“Everything they do for us helps free 

up a lot of other players. Jake is a 

great defensive lineman and a lot of 

the focus on him allows other players 

to get chances to make plays.” 

On offense, junior running back 

Marvens Jean has been the primary 

threat for much of the season, including 

a 266-yard performance against 

Weston in the Division 5 North 

quarterfinal game. Jean cracked the 

1,000-yard mark for the season in a 

win over Pentucket. 

Junior offensive lineman Zach Kesbia 

has also been a huge help this 

season. 

“He has been our biggest leader on 

the line,” Mabee said of Kesbia. “Zach 

has been great for us all year. I think 

of him as the brains of the offensive 

line. All year I’ve looked to him to 

help his teammates understand the 

blocking schemes. He always knows 

what everyone’s job is.” 

Along with the running game, the 

Sachems have also been able to expand 

their offensive attack with 

quarterback Mason Nickolas stepping 

up late in the season. 

“In last Saturday’s game Mason 

ITEM FILE PHOTOS 

Marvens Jean went over the 1,000-yard mark in Saugus’ win over 

Pentucket. 

threw a touchdown pass and probably 

had over 100 passing yards,” 

Mabee said. “Some games we just 

haven’t been able to run as well. He 

has really stepped up if our running 

game isn’t working. It’s good to have 

that option on offense now. 

“Overall I know it can be an an 

emotional week,” Mabee added. “It 

means a lot to our players and it’s a 

great opportunity for the kids so we 

are looking forward to it.” 

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Peabody wants to end on an up-note 



The goal for Peabody football coach 

Mark Bettencourt and his Tanners 

coming into their Thanksgiving 

game against Saugus is simple. Peabody, 

4-6 this season, won’t accept a 

loss to close a tough, injury-riddled 

2018 campaign. 

“The seniors want to end the season 

on a win,” Bettencourt said. “Our goal 

of finishing the season over. 500 or at 

.500 was lost. Finishing at 5-6 is the 

best we can do and we have to make 

sure we do that. Finishing 4-7 isn’t 

an option, that doesn’t speak for the 

work we’ve put in this year.” 

Saugus, however, will have other 

plans. Bettencourt has studied the 

Sachems on film and knows they aren’t 

an easy opponent to beat. 

PEABODY (4-6) 

9/7................. Peabody 36, Somerville 7 

9/14/.............. Peabody 3, Danvers 30 

9/21............... Peabody 7, Marblehead 28 

9/28............... Peabody 25, Revere 27 

10/5............... Peabody 21, Masconomet 6 

10/12............. Peabody 42, Malden 12 

10/20............. Peabody 7, Beverly 28 

10/26............. Peabody 21, Reading 35 

11/2................ Peabody 20, Haverhill 10 

11/9................ Peabody 24, Woburn 28 

11/22.............. vs. Saugus (10) 

“They’re tough kids,” Bettencourt 

said. “The story early in the season 

about what happened there and the 

way they’ve persevered with Coach 

Mike Mabee, he’s done a great job 

rallying these kids, motivating them 

and giving them something positive. 

When you inspire kids to overcome 

adversity you get good results. Watching 

the film, they had growing pains 

early in the year but they’re playing 

cleaner with every game. They’re 

coming here expecting to win.” 

Peabody plans to control the line of 

scrimmage and establish an effective 

running game in hopes of creating 

opportunities through the air. That 

makes it a big game for Peabody’s offensive 

line, led by Abe Kabba, Chris 

Glass and Mike Lock, and running 

backs Luis Guridys and Angel Paulino. 

“The biggest key is up front,” Bettencourt 

said. “We have to control 

the line of scrimmage. In the games 

we’ve won we’ve controlled the line of 

scrimmage. We’ve shown we can do it 

against teams a little bigger than us. 

We did it against Masco and Haverhill. 

If we can’t establish a running 

game, it affects our passing game. 

“If we can control the trenches, it 

allows us to do a lot more with ball 

control and that allows us to control 

the passing game.” 

Other key offensive contributors include 

quarterback Alex DeNisco and 

PHOTO | XYXY 

Luis Guridys has come through for Peabody this year in the offensive 

backfield. 

kicker Austin Leggett. 

Defensively, Bettencourt pointed to 

sticking to assignments as Peabody’s 

key. He also foresees a tall task ahead 

for cornerbacks Dylan Peluso and 

Carlos Hernandez, who’ll be relied on 

to prevent big plays in Saugus’ passing 

game. Linebackers Tyler Norman 

and Kyle Maglione have played well 

as of late. 

“Defensively, we have to read our 

keys and trust what the coaches 

are telling them to do,” Bettencourt 

said. “When we get away from reading 

our keys, we step into problems. 

The defense we run relies on 11 guys 

doing their jobs. What helps us is 

we’ve played some really good teams. 

Haverhill, Masco and Woburn were 

good teams. Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, 

that’s going to help. 

“We have to step up and make sure 

we play our best game on Thanksgiving 

morning or the turkey might not 

taste so well.” 

Kickoff for Thanksgiving’s clash between 

Peabody and Saugus is scheduled 

for 10 a.m. at Coley Lee Field. 

Warmest wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Good Luck Teams! 

DRS. ZICHERMAN, LAGO & ASSOCIATES 

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, ADULT DENTISTRY 

& ORTHODONTICS SINCE 1975 

www.mzldental.com 

225 Boston Street #305 Lynn • 781-581-7798 

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Revere has had a ‘never-quit’ attitude 



When Revere football coach Lou Cicatelli 

reflects on the season his Patriots 

have had this fall, what stands 

out the most is how they’ve battled 

with top-notch opponents. At 6-4 on 

the season, three of the Patriots four 

defeats came at the hands of opponents 

who are still alive in the state 

tournament. 

“We’ve gotten better week by week,” 

Cicatelli said. “We’re 6-4 and two of 

the teams we played are (playing 

for) the Super Bowl; Swampscott and 

Gloucester. 

“For us, the most impressive thing 

is these kids have had a ‘no quit’ attitude,” 

Cicatelli added. “We had to play 

Gloucester twice, we played Swampscott 

at their place and Marblehead 

REVERE (6-4) 

9/7................. Revere 6,Gloucester 29 

9/14............... Revere 6, Marblehead 18 

9/21............... Revere 19, Classical 16 

9/28............... Revere 27, Peabody 25 

10/5............... Revere 27, Medford 21 

10/13............. Revere 7, Swampscott 27 

10/19............. Revere 28, Somerville 8 

10/26............. Revere 27, North Reading 21 

11/2................ Revere 7, Gloucester 38 

11/9................ Revere 32, Burlington 29 

11/22.............. vs. Winthrop (10) 

was no walk in the park. Those three 

teams are 26-4 combined.” 

But a good season isn’t remembered 

in Revere unless it ends with a win 

over rival Winthrop at Thanksgiving. 

“It’s our Super Bowl every year,” 

Cicatelli said. “It’s a huge rivalry. It’s 

one of the bigger ones around here. 

We played them last year and beat 

them at their new stadium. They’ll 

be hungry. Our guys will be focused. 

They want to get to 7-4. We have one 

more to go. The kids know the importance 

of the game. Hopefully we play 

well. 

“We had a great year this year. I 

think as far as Winthrop goes, it’s 

the game. We have the trophy. We’ve 

beaten them the last two years.” 

The Vikings, 5-5 this season and 

winners of three straight, won’t be 

an easy task. 

“They’re a wing-T team,” Cicatelli 

said. “They have some size up front. 

They’re a solid football team. We’re 

going to have to bring our A-game to 

beat them. 

They’re at .500 this year, they’re 

having a solid season but we throw 

the records out the window. The 

games are always close. We know it’s 

going to be a tight game and my kids 

are excited to play in this game.” 

Offensively, the Patriots are led by 

running back Darius McNeil. A team 

captain, McNeil has come around 

nicely in the closing stretch of the 

season. He ran for over 200 yards in 

Revere’s non-playoff win over Burlington. 

Jonathan Murphy has done a solid 

job filling in at quarterback for 

injured starter Calvin Boudreau. 

Running backs Frank Sims and Zach 

Furlong, and receiver Eric Bua have 

also made key contributions. 

If it comes down to attempting 

a game-winning field goal, Revere 

might have the edge. Patriots kicker 

Rayan Riazzi has been clutch all 


Jonathan Murphy stepped in at quarterback during Week 2. 

season long and Cicatelli has nothing 

but confidence in him. 

“Rayan’s one of the biggest reasons 

we’ve had some of the biggest wins 

we’ve had,” Cicatelli said. 

Defensively, safety Furlong, defensive 

tackle Devin Mathhias, linebacker 

Zac Carifio and cornerback 

Lucas Barbosa have led the way. 

Kickoff for the Thanksgiving clash 

between the Vikings and Patriots is 

scheduled for 10 a.m. at Della Russo 

Stadium. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

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GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE TEAMS 

AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

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Winthrop has made the most of its season 

Harold Rivera 


When the Winthrop football team 

found itself at 2-5 at the end of the 

regular season, the Vikings had two 

choices. They could’ve taken the easy 

way out by throwing the towel on the 

season. Instead, first-year coach Jonathan 

Cadigan and his players decided 

to turn things around and give 

themselves a chance at ending with a 

winning record. 

They’ve won three in a row and 

they’ll have a chance to reach their 

goal on Thanksgiving when they visit 

rival Revere. 

“We got to 5-5 which was our goal 

when we were 2-5,” Cadigan said. 

“We wanted to play for a winning 

season on Thanksgiving, so that’s a 

positive.” 

WINTHROP (5-5) 

9/7................. Winthrop 12, Pentucket 27 

9/14............... Winthrop 28, Medford 20 

9/21............... Winthrop 6, Swampscott 40 

9/28............... Winthrop 7, Lynnfield 6 

10/5............... Winthrop 14, Salem 24 

10/13............. Winthrop 14, Saugus 20 

10/19............. Winthrop 13, English 41 

10/26............. Winthrop 15, Shawsheen 0 

11/3................ Winthrop 20, Arl. Cath. 6 

11/10.............. Winthrop 15,Essex Tech 6 

11/22.............. at Revere (10) 

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72 Crystal Cove Ave. 

Winthrop, MA 02152 

617.846.3000 

617.846.4444 fax 

jmarr@marrrealestate.com 

www.marrrealestate.com 

Bobby Hubert has been a leader for the Vikings. 

A former Vikings player himself, 

Cadigan knows firsthand what it’s 

like to be part of the Winthrop-Revere 

rivalry. Cadigan feels his players 

understand the tradition that 

comes with playing against Revere 

on Thanksgiving. 

“It’s the great thing about playing 

football, in Massachusetts especially,” 

Cadigan said. “Every year, no 

matter what our record is, we’re playing 

for a championship. They have it 

and it’s hard to talk about. I was able 

to win four straight against Revere 

when I was in high school. A lot of 

Winthrop players have been able to 

do that the last 20 years. It’s been 

hard seeing that go the other way the 

last few years. 

“This game is a big deal and it’s 

great,” Cadigan added. “It’s great to 

be involved in something like that 

and look forward to something like 

that every year.” 

Offensively, the Vikings are led by 

senior quarterback/running back 

Bobby Hubert. Senior running back 

Feedle Small has done the heavy 

lifting on the ground. Sophomore 

running back Austin Daigneault has 

come around nicely to round out the 

offense. 

Defensively, the Vikings received 

a boost when sophomore linebacker 

Brian Conceicao returned to action 

after missing a few weeks with a concussion. 

Senior defensive back Jonathan 

Applebee has recorded an interception 

in three consecutive games. 

Senior defensive lineman Chris Castro 

causes havoc in the trenches. 

Winthrop lost to Revere, 17-14, 

when the rivals met last fall in the 

first game played at the new Miller 

Field. Cadigan’s hopeful the Vikings 

will erase the sour memories 

from last year’s game with a victory 

Thursday. 

“It’s one of those things where you 

tell the kids you’re not looking past 

this opponent or that opponent,” 

Cadigan said. “I think they know the 

tradition that goes into it, especially 

around here. We had a lot of players 

come back and talk to the team. We 

wore throwback jerseys from the ‘90’s 

against Essex Tech. We have a tradition 

and we’re pretty well versed in 

it. They understand the tradition of 

the game and they want to get that 

trophy back.” 


scheduled for 10 a.m. at Della Russo 

Stadium. 

GO VIKINGS! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 

ITEM FILE PHOTO


In Lynnfield, pride is still on the line 

Anne Marie Tobin 

ITEM STAFF 

There will nothing but Pioneer 

Pride on the line in this year’s Lynnfield 

Thanksgiving clash against visiting 

North Reading (10). 

Pride, and the desire to finish 

what’s been an up-and-down season 

on a high note with the Pioneers’ 

fourth win of the season. 

Coach Pat Lamusta knows what 

the rivalry is all about, which dates 

back to 1959, having played in four 

straight Turkey Day games from 

2004-2007. 

“We struggled and lost all of them,” 

said Lamusta, a 2008 LHS grad. “The 

rivalry runs deep, but fortunately I 

have been part of two Thanksgiving 

Day victories as an assistant coach 

(2014, 2015). Regardless, it means 

LYNNFIELD (3-7) 

9/7................. Lynnfield 13, Newburyport 15 

9/14............... Lynnfield 7, Wayland 28 

9/21............... Lynnfield 9, Amesbury 30 

9/28............... Lynnfield 6, Winthrop 7 

10/5............... Lynnfield 36, Man-Essex 6 

10/12............. Lynnfield 14, Ipswich 21 

10/20............. Lynnfield 0, Ham-Wenham 16 

10/26............. Lynnfield 2, Watertown 7 

11/2................ Lynnfield 29, Wakefield 22 

11/9................ Lynnfield 23, Salem 20 

11/22.............. vs. North Reading (10) 

more to me that we win this game for 

the players because they have put in 

a ton of work this year and it would 

be a very positive way to end the season 

and reset the Thanksgiving rivalry 

on our terms.” 

While the Pioneers (3-7) hold a 35- 

25 rivalry edge, the Hornets (5-5) 

have won the last two games. They 

have one of the top offenses in the 

league, averaging 26 points a game 

with a potent running attack. Both 

teams have rock-solid defenses, each 

allowing about 18 points per game. 

But Lynnfield may be peaking at 

the right time, after putting up a 

combined 52 points in its last two 

wins (both wins against Wakefield 

and Salem) heading into the Thanksgiving 

game. 

Lamusta said the key to the offense 

will be getting the running game going 

with Jaret Simpson, Leo Quinn 

and D.J. Capachietti getting the lion’s’ 

share of the handoffs. 

“That’s the key and we need to 

get those guys running behind our 

improving offensive line,” Lamusta 

said. “Hunter Allain and Cole Moretti 

continue to do a great job leading 

the O-line. 

“Clay Marengi, Jack Ford and John 

Lee are great football players and 

have big play potential.” 

The Pioneers’ biggest challenge will 

be containing the Hornets’ running 

attack. 

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Saugus MA 01906 

(781) 233-2587 

We are open 

7 days a week! 

“It is going to take the whole defense 

executing to stop the North 

Reading run game,” said Lamusta. 

“They have been very effective in 

that phase all year, but we will continue 

to lean on our seniors on defense 

to bring the defensive intensity 

on Thanksgiving.” 

Good luck teams! 

Should you suffer an injury, please keep in mind that: 

80% of those with opioid addiction reported 

that their first opioid was a prescription drug. 

Please clean out your medicine cabinet, and if your 

child is prescribed an opioid, keep it under lock and key. 

PHOTO | KERRIANNE ALLAIN 

Clayton Marengi has big-play potential, coach Pat Lamusta says. 

Key defensive players include defensive 

back Matt Fiore, linebackers 

Quinn and Simpson, and two-way 

lineman Moretti. 

“They will all be important factors 

on defense against the Hornets run 

game,” Lamusta said. 

Contact: 

Prevention Werks Team 

781-776-4104 

msimons@bridgewell.org 

Facebook.com/PreventionWerks 

Happy Thanksgiving 

to all Players and CoacheS


Fenway and Xaverian on Prep’s menu 



Perhaps there’s no area team more 

fortunate than St. John’s Prep, which 

will play its next two games at professional 

sports venues. It starts 

Wednesday night when the Eagles 

travel to Fenway Park to clash 

against rival Xaverian for the Catholic 

Conference title. 

“It doesn’t need to be explained,” St. 

John’s coach Brian St. Pierre said. “It 

goes without saying at St. John’s. Xaverian’s 

our biggest rival, football wise. 

We’re playing for a Catholic Conference 

title which means an awful lot.” 

After playing Xaverian, the Eagles 

will make their way to Gillette Stadium 

on Saturday, Dec. 1 to battle 

Catholic Memorial for the Division 1 

state championship. 

ST. JOHN’S PREP (9-1) 

9/7................. St. John’s 43, Haverhill 14 

9/14............... St. John’s 31, Cent. Cath. 12 

9/22............... St. John’s 14, Everett 26 

9/28............... St. John’s 42, Westford 0 

10/6............... St. John’s 27, Cath. Mem. 20 

10/13............. St. John’s 40, BC High 19 

10/19............. St. John’s 30, Bridge-Ray 7 

10/26............. St. John’s 41, Haverhill 0 

11/2................ St. John’s 55, Acton-Box 28 

11/10...............St. John’s 21, Cent. Cath. 0 

11/21................vs. Xaverian (at Fenway Park, 5) 

12/1................vs. Cath. Memorial (TBD) 

“I think we’re incredibly fortunate,” 

St. Pierre said. “The kids are excited, as 

they should be. It’s a once in a lifetime 

opportunity. This will be our second trip 

to Fenway in three years but to play at 

Gillette for a state title, to be afforded 

that opportunity is extra special.” 

Xaverian got the better of St. John’s 

last Thanksgiving at Glatz Field, when 

the Hawks blanked the Eagles 30-0. 

“We laid an egg big time last year,” 

St. Pierre said. “We weren’t a great 

team. We had a ton of injuries. In past 

years we’ve had tight games. Last 

year’s game wasn’t a good game.” 

Offensively, the Eagles are led by 

quarterback Matt Crowley. A junior, 

Crowley set the program record for 

most passing yards in season during 

the 21-0 win over Central Catholic in 

the Division 1 North final. Running 

back Trent Tully gets the bulk of the 

carries. Receivers Max Freedman 

and Wes Rockett are reliable threats 

in the passing game. 

Defensively, lineman James Taylor 

takes care of the battle in the trenches. 

Collin Taylor, James Hanley and 

Pat Keefe have also made key contributions 

defensively. 

“I think offensively we have to 

move the chains,” St. Pierre said. “We 

have to score. We haven’t scored a lot 

against them. We haven’t scored a lot 

against them the last couple years. 

Anytime you can control the ball 

that’s a good thing. Defensively we’ve 

been strong. Xaverian’s a good team. 

They play everybody we play, they 

play a tough schedule. It’ll be a huge 

challenge defensively. We have to stop 

their run game first and foremost. 

“They’re typical Xaverian,” St. 

Pierre added. “They’re very strong 

both sides of the ball. Defensively 

they challenge you. They’re big physically. 

Offensively they like to run 

the ball. They have a dual-threat 

quarterback. They present a lot of 

challenges. They’ve had our number. 

We’ll really need to play well.” 

St. Pierre said his Eagles will soak 

in the moment when they take the 

ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAKºº 

Wes Rockett has made his senior year memorable at St. John’s. 

field at Fenway but once the game 

gets underway it’ll be business as 

usual for both teams. 

“We’ve been there before,” St. Pierre 

said. “As a staff we know what to expect. 

It’s a little unique. They put both 

teams on the same sideline. There’ll be 

a lot of big eyes, a lot of nervous excitement. 

Once it starts, it’s a rivalry game 

on Thanksgiving. I think our kids understand 

there’ll be some early jitters 

but once the game starts we’ll be fine.” 

• 

In other games Thursday, Salem is 

at Beverly while Gloucester goes to 

Danvers. Both games are at 10. 

AND FOOTBALL 

SO GOOD! 

TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: 

720 Lynnway, Lynn • 421 Broadway, Saugus 

GO 

TEAMS!


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Daily Item 2018 Thanksgiving Football Preview

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