How They Got Here
Stoughton
Stoughton was ranked #2 in D3 Southwest and beat #7 Hopkinton, #3 Hopkinton, and #1 Oliver Ames to reach the D3 State Semifinals against D3 Southeast Champion, Plymouth South. Here's a look at how the Black Knights got here.
Regular Season: Stoughton finished 6-1 in the regular season with their lone loss coming to Oliver Ames, who went 7-0. The Black Knights offense got off to a hot start - and hasn't exactly stopped - beating Pembroke, Milton, and Milford all on the road by a combined score of 115-39. After their loss to Oliver Ames, the Black Knights took care of their last three Davenport opponents - home wins over Canton and Sharon and a big road win over Foxboro. In their last three regular season games, they outscored the Bulldogs, Eagles, and Warriors by a 107-22.
Hingham: It came down to the last play and Stoughton's defense came up absolutely huge at the goal line. With 4 seconds left in the game and the Black Knights up 14-7, the Harbormen had the ball at the Stoughton 1-yard line. Hingham ran the ball towards the right side but defensive end Pat Raeke was able to get off his block and make the game-saving tackle as time expired. Lennox Green scored both of Stoughton's touchdowns in the game, rushing for one and a 5-yard catch for another.
Hopkinton: The Black Knights continued to roll with their win over Hopkinton and now will have a chance to avenge their lone loss of the season when they take on Oliver Ames in the D3 Southwest Finals. Lennox Green had three touchdowns and Jovani Pires ran for two of his own as Stoughton jumped out to a 33-0 lead before Hopkinton scored late in the fourth quarter. Pires opened the scoring with a 2 yard run and added a 14-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Green scored on runs of 8 yards and 67 yards and caught a 51 yard touchdown pass from sophomore Jake Gibb.
Oliver Ames: The Black Knights used a monster drive in the fourth quarter, taking over 9 minutes off the clock, driving from their own 26 yard line before sophomore Jake Gibb kicked the eventual game winning field goal with 1:08 left in the game as Stoughton won 16-14. Stoughton went up 7-0 early on a short Lennox Green run but found themselves in a 14-7 hole. Jovani Pires had a couple of huge runs before Green struck again on a 45-yard run. The Black Knights limited the Oliver Ames rushing attack throughout the game and watched as OA's last second field goal attempt sailed wide.
Mansfield
Mansfield was ranked #1 in Division 2 South and beat #8 Wellesley, #4 Needham, and #2 Barnstable to reach the D2 State Semifinals agains the D2 North Champion, Waltham. Here's a look at how the Hornets got here.
Regular Season: The Hornets finished a perfect 7-0, starting their season with a huge 29-26 win over Dunbar High School in Maryland. Quarterback Kyle Wisnieski drove the team down with under 2 minutes before finding Michael Hershman for the game winning touchdown. Mansfield shut out non-league opponent Milton before sweeping their Kelley-Rex schedule. They beat North Attleboro 35-14 before edging Attleboro in one of the most entertaining offensive performances this year. The two teams battled back and forth but the Hornets defense made a big stop at the end at the Hornets won 49-42. Mansfield handled Taunton before coming away with a huge statement win on the road at King Philip, before finishing the regular season with a 35-13 win over Franklin.
Wellesley: The Hornet defense gave up an early big run to Raider quarterback John Fadule but tightened up after, giving him fits throughout the night. Kyle Wisnieski ran for a season-high 80 yards and tossed 175 more, tossing a touchdown to Kyle Hurley. Miguel Villar-Perez ran for 56 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 64 yards. Senior back Chris Buchanon had two rushing touchdowns and classmate Aurien Dawkins had two interceptions for the Hornets. Mansfield won 31-14.
Needham: Kyle Wisnieski went 14 for 17 for 223 yards and tossed four touchdowns, three of which went to junior Brendan Hill. Hill had seven catches for 153 yards and had huge catches in the second half, including a six yard grab on a 3rd and 5 for Mansfield that essentially sealed the game. Senior back Miguel Villar-Perez had another strong game, specifically in the first half. He rushed for a touchdown and caught one in the first half and ran for another in the second half. He had 111 total yards and three touchdowns. Senior defensive back Mike Barresi also came away with two second half turnovers - an interception and a forced fumble and recovery combination. The Hornets won 42-35.
Barnstable: Kyle Wisnieski completed nearly 75% of his passes, going 20/27 for 284 and threw for four touchdowns in the Hornets big win over second-seeded Barnstable. Michael Hershman emerged as the top target for Mansfield, grabbing 7 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Wisnieski also hit Kyle Hurley and Brendan Hill for touchdown passes. Miguel Villar-Perez had 52 yards but scored a sweet touchdown, hurdling over a defender right at the goal line. Q'ra Guichard and Hurley each totaled 8 tackles each on defense while Mike Barresi and defensive tackle Dhruv Patel each had an interception. Mansfield won 41-16.
Stoughton was ranked #2 in D3 Southwest and beat #7 Hopkinton, #3 Hopkinton, and #1 Oliver Ames to reach the D3 State Semifinals against D3 Southeast Champion, Plymouth South. Here's a look at how the Black Knights got here.
Regular Season: Stoughton finished 6-1 in the regular season with their lone loss coming to Oliver Ames, who went 7-0. The Black Knights offense got off to a hot start - and hasn't exactly stopped - beating Pembroke, Milton, and Milford all on the road by a combined score of 115-39. After their loss to Oliver Ames, the Black Knights took care of their last three Davenport opponents - home wins over Canton and Sharon and a big road win over Foxboro. In their last three regular season games, they outscored the Bulldogs, Eagles, and Warriors by a 107-22.
Hingham: It came down to the last play and Stoughton's defense came up absolutely huge at the goal line. With 4 seconds left in the game and the Black Knights up 14-7, the Harbormen had the ball at the Stoughton 1-yard line. Hingham ran the ball towards the right side but defensive end Pat Raeke was able to get off his block and make the game-saving tackle as time expired. Lennox Green scored both of Stoughton's touchdowns in the game, rushing for one and a 5-yard catch for another.
Hopkinton: The Black Knights continued to roll with their win over Hopkinton and now will have a chance to avenge their lone loss of the season when they take on Oliver Ames in the D3 Southwest Finals. Lennox Green had three touchdowns and Jovani Pires ran for two of his own as Stoughton jumped out to a 33-0 lead before Hopkinton scored late in the fourth quarter. Pires opened the scoring with a 2 yard run and added a 14-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Green scored on runs of 8 yards and 67 yards and caught a 51 yard touchdown pass from sophomore Jake Gibb.
Oliver Ames: The Black Knights used a monster drive in the fourth quarter, taking over 9 minutes off the clock, driving from their own 26 yard line before sophomore Jake Gibb kicked the eventual game winning field goal with 1:08 left in the game as Stoughton won 16-14. Stoughton went up 7-0 early on a short Lennox Green run but found themselves in a 14-7 hole. Jovani Pires had a couple of huge runs before Green struck again on a 45-yard run. The Black Knights limited the Oliver Ames rushing attack throughout the game and watched as OA's last second field goal attempt sailed wide.
Mansfield
Mansfield was ranked #1 in Division 2 South and beat #8 Wellesley, #4 Needham, and #2 Barnstable to reach the D2 State Semifinals agains the D2 North Champion, Waltham. Here's a look at how the Hornets got here.
Regular Season: The Hornets finished a perfect 7-0, starting their season with a huge 29-26 win over Dunbar High School in Maryland. Quarterback Kyle Wisnieski drove the team down with under 2 minutes before finding Michael Hershman for the game winning touchdown. Mansfield shut out non-league opponent Milton before sweeping their Kelley-Rex schedule. They beat North Attleboro 35-14 before edging Attleboro in one of the most entertaining offensive performances this year. The two teams battled back and forth but the Hornets defense made a big stop at the end at the Hornets won 49-42. Mansfield handled Taunton before coming away with a huge statement win on the road at King Philip, before finishing the regular season with a 35-13 win over Franklin.
Wellesley: The Hornet defense gave up an early big run to Raider quarterback John Fadule but tightened up after, giving him fits throughout the night. Kyle Wisnieski ran for a season-high 80 yards and tossed 175 more, tossing a touchdown to Kyle Hurley. Miguel Villar-Perez ran for 56 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 64 yards. Senior back Chris Buchanon had two rushing touchdowns and classmate Aurien Dawkins had two interceptions for the Hornets. Mansfield won 31-14.
Needham: Kyle Wisnieski went 14 for 17 for 223 yards and tossed four touchdowns, three of which went to junior Brendan Hill. Hill had seven catches for 153 yards and had huge catches in the second half, including a six yard grab on a 3rd and 5 for Mansfield that essentially sealed the game. Senior back Miguel Villar-Perez had another strong game, specifically in the first half. He rushed for a touchdown and caught one in the first half and ran for another in the second half. He had 111 total yards and three touchdowns. Senior defensive back Mike Barresi also came away with two second half turnovers - an interception and a forced fumble and recovery combination. The Hornets won 42-35.
Barnstable: Kyle Wisnieski completed nearly 75% of his passes, going 20/27 for 284 and threw for four touchdowns in the Hornets big win over second-seeded Barnstable. Michael Hershman emerged as the top target for Mansfield, grabbing 7 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Wisnieski also hit Kyle Hurley and Brendan Hill for touchdown passes. Miguel Villar-Perez had 52 yards but scored a sweet touchdown, hurdling over a defender right at the goal line. Q'ra Guichard and Hurley each totaled 8 tackles each on defense while Mike Barresi and defensive tackle Dhruv Patel each had an interception. Mansfield won 41-16.
Scouting Reports
Stoughton vs. Plymouth South
Plymouth South Scouting Report
John Botelho, South Shore Sports Journal
Offense: The Panthers run an offense that could play in any era. They operate under a prototypical Power-I, with workhorse running back Dylan Oxsen leading the way. Oxsen has earned every bit of publicity he's garnered the last two years, piling up more than 60 touchdowns since the start of his junior year. The senior is hardly the only show-pony for South though. Bryant-commit Shaun Duncombe leads a solid unit of linemen that seemingly never misses an assignment and opens plenty of holes for Oxsen. Matt Bremis is a strong fullback, capable of leading the way for Oxsen or for pulling would be tacklers past the first down marker in short yardage situations. This team is known for their running ability, but sophomore QB Andrew Shortall kept Plymouth North honest last week by going to the air to convert three long third downs in last week's Div.3 Southeast title game.
Defense: They've allowed just 10.6 points per game this year -- and that includes the 31 Dennis-Yarmouth put up on a night when Oxsen didn't play in South's lone loss of the year. The same faces that have led the high-powered offense anchor the stingy defense. Duncombe is a monster on the defensive line, Bremis is a high-energy linebacker and Oxsen has the ability to be a play-maker in the secondary. Oxsen didn't play defense last week, but the team was still able to completely bottle up North's star running back Christian Carr, and held him under 70 yards (on the heels of his 351 yard performance the week before).
Players to Watch
Dylan Oxsen: He's the guy everybody already knows, but just how good is he? Well, last week, he ran for 166 yards and a score despite not being anywhere near 100 percent. On just his second carry of the night, Oxsen ended up with a charlie horse in his leg that slowed him most of the game. A true workhorse, he took a career-high 39 careers despite the injury to pile up the yardage.
Shaun Duncombe: The two-way lineman might be considered the symbol of a line that plays beyond it's size. None of South's lineman are going to make eyes pop on the roster sheet, but they all hit their blocks and are tough to push around. Duncombe made big plays on both sides of the ball last week.
Matt Bremis: Coach Scott Fry referred to Bremis as the "inspirational leader" of the Panthers on both sides of the ball last week, high praise when considering how effective both the offense and defense have been. Bremis has a motor that just won't quit, and a nose for both the ball and contact. He racked up 10 tackles against North last week.
Dylan Anti: The lesser known of the uber athletic Dylan's on South, Anti is a sophomore speedster capable of a big play. He joins Oxsen as a return on both kickoffs and punts, and he responded with quality returns last week when North was kicking the ball nowhere near Oxsen.
Mansfield vs. Waltham
Waltham Scouting Report
Chris Bradley, ESPNBoston High Schools
To say Waltham quarterback Dana Parello was outstanding last week against Lincoln-Sudbury doesn’t even do his performance justice. The star QB, who also lines up at defensive back, was all over the field, scoring four total touchdowns and forcing two Lincoln-Sudbury fumbles. Parello’s big-play ability is probably the biggest fear that Mansfield should have heading into this one, he threw for two touchdowns last week, ran for another, and returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown on one of the final plays of the game.
The Hawks will need to throw the ball efficiently and hope for one of their younger receivers to step up in this one in order to keep it close with the Hornets, especially after losing Parello’s favorite target in star receiver Brendan Bonadino (5 receptions, 132 yards, TD last week) to a fractured collarbone. The key for the Hawks will be to keep Mansfield off the field as much as possible, last week they were able to do this against Lincoln-Sudbury, manufacturing long drives and holding the Warriors to just seven points.
There is no question that Mansfield will be the more talented team in this game, but whether or not the Hawks can keep it close will likely depend on their initial energy and ability to get stops defensively.
Plymouth South Scouting Report
John Botelho, South Shore Sports Journal
Offense: The Panthers run an offense that could play in any era. They operate under a prototypical Power-I, with workhorse running back Dylan Oxsen leading the way. Oxsen has earned every bit of publicity he's garnered the last two years, piling up more than 60 touchdowns since the start of his junior year. The senior is hardly the only show-pony for South though. Bryant-commit Shaun Duncombe leads a solid unit of linemen that seemingly never misses an assignment and opens plenty of holes for Oxsen. Matt Bremis is a strong fullback, capable of leading the way for Oxsen or for pulling would be tacklers past the first down marker in short yardage situations. This team is known for their running ability, but sophomore QB Andrew Shortall kept Plymouth North honest last week by going to the air to convert three long third downs in last week's Div.3 Southeast title game.
Defense: They've allowed just 10.6 points per game this year -- and that includes the 31 Dennis-Yarmouth put up on a night when Oxsen didn't play in South's lone loss of the year. The same faces that have led the high-powered offense anchor the stingy defense. Duncombe is a monster on the defensive line, Bremis is a high-energy linebacker and Oxsen has the ability to be a play-maker in the secondary. Oxsen didn't play defense last week, but the team was still able to completely bottle up North's star running back Christian Carr, and held him under 70 yards (on the heels of his 351 yard performance the week before).
Players to Watch
Dylan Oxsen: He's the guy everybody already knows, but just how good is he? Well, last week, he ran for 166 yards and a score despite not being anywhere near 100 percent. On just his second carry of the night, Oxsen ended up with a charlie horse in his leg that slowed him most of the game. A true workhorse, he took a career-high 39 careers despite the injury to pile up the yardage.
Shaun Duncombe: The two-way lineman might be considered the symbol of a line that plays beyond it's size. None of South's lineman are going to make eyes pop on the roster sheet, but they all hit their blocks and are tough to push around. Duncombe made big plays on both sides of the ball last week.
Matt Bremis: Coach Scott Fry referred to Bremis as the "inspirational leader" of the Panthers on both sides of the ball last week, high praise when considering how effective both the offense and defense have been. Bremis has a motor that just won't quit, and a nose for both the ball and contact. He racked up 10 tackles against North last week.
Dylan Anti: The lesser known of the uber athletic Dylan's on South, Anti is a sophomore speedster capable of a big play. He joins Oxsen as a return on both kickoffs and punts, and he responded with quality returns last week when North was kicking the ball nowhere near Oxsen.
Mansfield vs. Waltham
Waltham Scouting Report
Chris Bradley, ESPNBoston High Schools
To say Waltham quarterback Dana Parello was outstanding last week against Lincoln-Sudbury doesn’t even do his performance justice. The star QB, who also lines up at defensive back, was all over the field, scoring four total touchdowns and forcing two Lincoln-Sudbury fumbles. Parello’s big-play ability is probably the biggest fear that Mansfield should have heading into this one, he threw for two touchdowns last week, ran for another, and returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown on one of the final plays of the game.
The Hawks will need to throw the ball efficiently and hope for one of their younger receivers to step up in this one in order to keep it close with the Hornets, especially after losing Parello’s favorite target in star receiver Brendan Bonadino (5 receptions, 132 yards, TD last week) to a fractured collarbone. The key for the Hawks will be to keep Mansfield off the field as much as possible, last week they were able to do this against Lincoln-Sudbury, manufacturing long drives and holding the Warriors to just seven points.
There is no question that Mansfield will be the more talented team in this game, but whether or not the Hawks can keep it close will likely depend on their initial energy and ability to get stops defensively.
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Game of the Week - The Picks
Stoughton vs. Plymouth South
Ryan Lanigan, HockomockSports.com
Sorry to disappoint the Black Knights, but they won't be getting any motivation from me - at least in terms of my pick. Lennox Green easily deserves to be considered as one of the best Hockomock players so far in this playoff and he will prove that even more so on Friday night. Expect a big Stoughton crowd and big performance on both sides of the ball from Green.
The Pick: Stoughton 21, Plymouth South 12
Josh Perry, HockomockSports.com
The Black Knights defense did a good job limiting OA last week and the Plymouth South offense does not have nearly as many options as the Tigers. I think the Stoughton D can stop Dylan Oxsen and that will be enough to get the win. I picked against them last week, but this feels like a game that suits Stoughton.
The Pick: Stoughton 20, Plymouth South 14
Brendan Hall, ESPNBoston High Schools
One thing is for certain, Stoughton will not be taken by surprise when they hit the field against these guys. Everyone knows the game plan for South going into this one -- hey, Dylan, do something -- but stopping it is a whole other story. More importantly, though, the Panthers are going to muck this one up, and win the battle at the line of scrimmage with Shaun Duncombe.
The Pick: Plymouth South 20, Stoughton 14
Danny Ventura, Boston Herald High Schools
This will probably irritate Black Knights coach Greg Burke, but we're riding their bandwagon. I think their defense will find a way to slow down the Panthers' running game just enough to get a victory.
The Pick: Stoughton 17, Plymouth South 14
Chris McDaniel, The Enterprise
Run, run, run. The clock might not stop running in this one. Going against Plymouth South the past two years teams have had a simple game plan - stop Dylan Oxsen. No one has done a good job at that but Stoughton will get its crack at stuffing the star running back on Friday. Stoughton will bring their usual run-heavy game plan with Lennox Green, Joe Girolamo and Jovani Pires all garnering significant carries but I think you could see sophomore quarterback Jake Gibb throw the ball more than usual. In the Black Knights' final drive against OA, the sophomore showed off the ice that runs through his veins. The way he finished the OA game may implore coach Greg Burke to put the ball in his quarterback's hands even more and that could catch the Panthers off-guard.
The Pick: Stoughton 14, Plymouth South 12
Bruce Lerch, Boston Herald High Schools
No real secrets here. Stop Dylan Oxsen and you've stopped Plymouth South. That task has been easier than said over the past two years. Don't see it getting any easier this weekend.
The Pick: Plymouth South 20, Stoughton 16
Mansfield vs. Waltham
Ryan Lanigan, HockomockSports.com
Mansfield deserves all the credit they have gotten after going through easily the toughest divisional bracket in the state. Now they will punch their ticket to Gillette Stadium with a dominating performance over Waltham. It's no coincidence that Miguel Villar-Perez's initials are MVP.
The Pick: Mansfield 35, Waltham 6
Josh Perry, HockomockSports.com
The Hornets have shown throughout the playoffs that they have the ability to score in multiple ways. The mix of run and pass will be the key again and Mansfield has too many weapons for Waltham. It could be a comfortable win for the Hornets.
The Pick: Mansfield 35, Waltham 20
Brendan Hall, ESPNBoston High Schools
Barnstable was one of the best pass defenses I saw all year, and Mansfield carved them up for 41 points to capture the D2 South title. Folks, that is just scary, and no disrespect to Waltham, it's going to take a lot more than moxie and rhetoric to neutralize such a surgical, multi-pronged offense that never seems to be out of position. Maybe Springfield Central or St. John's of Shrewsbury can solve these guys on December 7. But tomorrow? I don't see an upset happening.
The Pick: Mansfield 35, Waltham 14
Danny Ventura, ESPNBoston High Schools
Hornets simply have way too weapons in their arsenal. I respect the job Waltham has done to get this far, but there is a reason Mansfield is the No. 1 team around.
The Pick: Mansfield 28, Waltham 6
Chris McDaniel, The Enterprise
With the way the high school football season opened, it appeared that being the unanimous no. 1 team in the state had a curse. That was until Mansfield came along, whose been the by-far best team in the state all year. The Hornets survived arguably the toughest bracket in Div. 2 South with relative ease. They've shown they can win any type of game and that their offense is nearly impossible to slow down. Waltham has shown signs of excellence this year, but they also hasn't faced a team of Mansfield's talent.
The Pick: Mansfield 42, Waltham 24
Bruce Lerch, Boston Herald High Schools
I'm sure that whatever speech Hornets coach Mike Redding gave to his charges about Wellesley's John Fadule in the first week of the playoffs has been repeated this week with the name Dana Parello inserted. The Hawks biggest problem is that they are likely going to be without defensive end Kens Morantus, and we saw last week what happens when Kyle Wisnieski has time in the pocket. Mansfield played as close to a perfect game as a team is capable of against Barnstable. Waltham is no Barnstable.
The Pick: Mansfield 38, Waltham 7
Ryan Lanigan, HockomockSports.com
Sorry to disappoint the Black Knights, but they won't be getting any motivation from me - at least in terms of my pick. Lennox Green easily deserves to be considered as one of the best Hockomock players so far in this playoff and he will prove that even more so on Friday night. Expect a big Stoughton crowd and big performance on both sides of the ball from Green.
The Pick: Stoughton 21, Plymouth South 12
Josh Perry, HockomockSports.com
The Black Knights defense did a good job limiting OA last week and the Plymouth South offense does not have nearly as many options as the Tigers. I think the Stoughton D can stop Dylan Oxsen and that will be enough to get the win. I picked against them last week, but this feels like a game that suits Stoughton.
The Pick: Stoughton 20, Plymouth South 14
Brendan Hall, ESPNBoston High Schools
One thing is for certain, Stoughton will not be taken by surprise when they hit the field against these guys. Everyone knows the game plan for South going into this one -- hey, Dylan, do something -- but stopping it is a whole other story. More importantly, though, the Panthers are going to muck this one up, and win the battle at the line of scrimmage with Shaun Duncombe.
The Pick: Plymouth South 20, Stoughton 14
Danny Ventura, Boston Herald High Schools
This will probably irritate Black Knights coach Greg Burke, but we're riding their bandwagon. I think their defense will find a way to slow down the Panthers' running game just enough to get a victory.
The Pick: Stoughton 17, Plymouth South 14
Chris McDaniel, The Enterprise
Run, run, run. The clock might not stop running in this one. Going against Plymouth South the past two years teams have had a simple game plan - stop Dylan Oxsen. No one has done a good job at that but Stoughton will get its crack at stuffing the star running back on Friday. Stoughton will bring their usual run-heavy game plan with Lennox Green, Joe Girolamo and Jovani Pires all garnering significant carries but I think you could see sophomore quarterback Jake Gibb throw the ball more than usual. In the Black Knights' final drive against OA, the sophomore showed off the ice that runs through his veins. The way he finished the OA game may implore coach Greg Burke to put the ball in his quarterback's hands even more and that could catch the Panthers off-guard.
The Pick: Stoughton 14, Plymouth South 12
Bruce Lerch, Boston Herald High Schools
No real secrets here. Stop Dylan Oxsen and you've stopped Plymouth South. That task has been easier than said over the past two years. Don't see it getting any easier this weekend.
The Pick: Plymouth South 20, Stoughton 16
Mansfield vs. Waltham
Ryan Lanigan, HockomockSports.com
Mansfield deserves all the credit they have gotten after going through easily the toughest divisional bracket in the state. Now they will punch their ticket to Gillette Stadium with a dominating performance over Waltham. It's no coincidence that Miguel Villar-Perez's initials are MVP.
The Pick: Mansfield 35, Waltham 6
Josh Perry, HockomockSports.com
The Hornets have shown throughout the playoffs that they have the ability to score in multiple ways. The mix of run and pass will be the key again and Mansfield has too many weapons for Waltham. It could be a comfortable win for the Hornets.
The Pick: Mansfield 35, Waltham 20
Brendan Hall, ESPNBoston High Schools
Barnstable was one of the best pass defenses I saw all year, and Mansfield carved them up for 41 points to capture the D2 South title. Folks, that is just scary, and no disrespect to Waltham, it's going to take a lot more than moxie and rhetoric to neutralize such a surgical, multi-pronged offense that never seems to be out of position. Maybe Springfield Central or St. John's of Shrewsbury can solve these guys on December 7. But tomorrow? I don't see an upset happening.
The Pick: Mansfield 35, Waltham 14
Danny Ventura, ESPNBoston High Schools
Hornets simply have way too weapons in their arsenal. I respect the job Waltham has done to get this far, but there is a reason Mansfield is the No. 1 team around.
The Pick: Mansfield 28, Waltham 6
Chris McDaniel, The Enterprise
With the way the high school football season opened, it appeared that being the unanimous no. 1 team in the state had a curse. That was until Mansfield came along, whose been the by-far best team in the state all year. The Hornets survived arguably the toughest bracket in Div. 2 South with relative ease. They've shown they can win any type of game and that their offense is nearly impossible to slow down. Waltham has shown signs of excellence this year, but they also hasn't faced a team of Mansfield's talent.
The Pick: Mansfield 42, Waltham 24
Bruce Lerch, Boston Herald High Schools
I'm sure that whatever speech Hornets coach Mike Redding gave to his charges about Wellesley's John Fadule in the first week of the playoffs has been repeated this week with the name Dana Parello inserted. The Hawks biggest problem is that they are likely going to be without defensive end Kens Morantus, and we saw last week what happens when Kyle Wisnieski has time in the pocket. Mansfield played as close to a perfect game as a team is capable of against Barnstable. Waltham is no Barnstable.
The Pick: Mansfield 38, Waltham 7
| HockomockSports.com Picks | ||||||||||
| Ryan Lanigan |
Josh Perry |
Michael Antonellis |
Cameron Merritt |
Jeff Pickette |
Chris McDaniel |
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| Game of the Week Staff |  |
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| Hockomock Sports |
Hockomock Sports |
Hockomock Sports |
Hockomock Sports |
Stoughton Media Access |
The Enterprise |
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| Stoughton vs. Plymouth South Friday, 7:00 |
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| Mansfield vs. Waltham Saturday, 2:00 |
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| Total | Lanigan 45-20 |
Perry 54-11 |
Antonellis 56-9 |
Merritt 37-10 |
Pickette 56-9 |
McDaniel 57-8 |
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Previous Games of the Week
11/15 - Football: Stoughton @ Oliver Ames (D3 Southwest Finals)
11/8 - Football: North Attleboro @ Oliver Ames (D3 Southwest Semifinals)
11/1 - Football: MIAA Playoffs
10/25 - Football: Stoughton @ Foxboro
10/18 - Football: Mansfield @ King Philip
10/11 - Football: North Attleboro @ Attleboro
10/4 - Football: OA @ Stoughton / Mansfield @ Attleboro
9/27 - Football: North Attleboro @ Mansfield
11/8 - Football: North Attleboro @ Oliver Ames (D3 Southwest Semifinals)
11/1 - Football: MIAA Playoffs
10/25 - Football: Stoughton @ Foxboro
10/18 - Football: Mansfield @ King Philip
10/11 - Football: North Attleboro @ Attleboro
10/4 - Football: OA @ Stoughton / Mansfield @ Attleboro
9/27 - Football: North Attleboro @ Mansfield