Sports

Eastern Mass. Football Power Rankings: Week 7

An in-depth look at the top teams in Eastern Mass.

Want to know who the best football teams are in Eastern Massachusetts? We’ve got you covered.

Each Thursday, our  will clue you in on the top teams, players and games, as well as highlight performances from the week before.

Think your team has been left off unfairly or deserves a higher spot? Let us know in the comments section below.

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DIVISIONS 1, 1A

1. (1) Everett (6-0) (1A, Greater Boston League): One down, one to go. The Crimson Tide beat Xaverian 42-21, as quarterback Jonathan DiBiaso threw for more than 300 yards and had three TDs – two passing, one rushing – running back Vondell Langston rushed for more than 200 yards and two TDs and receiver Jalen Felix caught 10 passes for 145 yards and a TD. Kenny Calaj also had two TDs – one rushing, one receiving. Next up, the Crimson Tide will face No. 2 BC High at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at home in what’s undoubtedly the game of the week.

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2. (2) BC High (4-2) (1, Catholic Conference): The Eagles stayed undefeated against in-state opponents with a 32-0 shutout of Marlborough. Senior running back Preston Cooper rushed for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns. The Eagles have now outscored their Massachusetts competition 150-21 so far this season. However, No. 1 Everett should pose their toughest Bay State test yet. The two teams square off at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Everett.

3. (6) Chelmsford (5-1) (1, Merrimack Valley Conference): The Lions impressed with a , as running back Eddie Sheridan had four touchdowns (he now has 17 on the year), including a 75-yard TD run and a 94-yard kickoff return for a score. The Lions came back from a 22-19 halftime deficit in the game. They’ll be at Dracut at 7 p.m. Friday.

4. (4) Catholic Memorial (3-1) (1, Catholic Conference): The Knights were on a bye this past week. They’ll host Malden Catholic at 7 p.m. Friday.

5. (3) Xaverian (4-2) (1, Catholic Conference): It’s hard to blame the Hawks too much for losing to Duxbury and Everett in consecutive weeks. Junior QB Austin DeCarr had three touchdown passes against Everett in the 41-21 loss. The Hawks will look to get back to their winning ways when they host Bridgewater-Raynham at 2 p.m. Saturday.

6. (5) Lincoln-Sudbury (6-0) (1A, Dual County League): The Warriors defense was at it again in a – the team’s third shutout so far this season. They’ll host a Boston Latin team at 7 p.m. Friday that’s on a three-game skid.

7. (9) Billerica (5-1) (1, Merrimack Valley Conference): Quarterback Nick LaSpada had three touchdowns – one passing, two rushing – as the Indians narrowly beat Lawrence 21-18. After a late Lawrence touchdown and ensuing onside kick, Billerica’s Eddie Jankowski picked off a Hail Mary attempt to seal the victory. The Indians will be at Haverhill at 7 p.m. Friday.

8. (10) Needham (5-1) (1, Bay State Conference): The Rockets trounced Milton 49-14, but after senior quarterback Drew Burnett threw for close to 300 yards and five touchdowns in the first half, he was . The Rockets won’t have much time to regroup as they host Walpole, a team known for its defense, at 7 p.m. Friday.

9. (On the Bubble) Lowell (5-1) (1, Merrimack Valley Conference): The Red Raiders are 5-0 against in-state opponents. Most recently, they routed Central Catholic 42-15, as quarterback R.J. Noel connected with receiver Gilberto Brown for two touchdowns and also ran two in. They’ll host Tewksbury at 7 p.m. Friday.

10. (7) Andover (4-2) (1, Merrimack Valley Conference): The Warriors for their second loss of the season. They jumped out to a 22-19 halftime lead, as quarterback C.J. Scarpa connected with Will Heikkinen for a 55-yard touchdown, running back Andrew Coke found receiver Cam Farnham on a 40-yard halfback pass for a score and Coke ran one in from 14 yards out. However, Chelmsford ground game, led by running back Eddie Sheridan and quarterback Colby Emanouil, proved to be too much in the second half. The Warriors will look to rebound when they host Methuen at 7 p.m. Friday.

On the Bubble: Bridgewater-Raynham (4-1), North Andover (5-1), Revere (5-1), Weymouth (4-2)

 

DIVISIONS 2, 2A

1. (1) Duxbury (6-0) (2, Patriot League): The Green Dragons continued to roll with a 21-0 shutout of Scituate – their third shutout of the season. They’ll host North Quincy at 4:15 p.m. Friday.

2. (2) Walpole (6-0) (2A, Bay State Conference): Running back Shane Blass had more than 200 yards on the ground and two TDs, as the Rebels took care of Wellesley 25-7. Walpole’s Craig Hanley also had a pair of rushing touchdowns. They’ll travel to Needham Friday for a key league game at 7 p.m.

3. (3) Mansfield (5-1) (2, Hockomock League): After going down 7-0 to Attleboro in the first quarter, the Hornets turned things around, scoring 28 unanswered points in a 28-7 victory. Greg Donahue had three rushing touchdowns, while Craig Mallett picked off a pass late in the Hornets’ own end zone and took it back more than 100 yards to the house. The Hornets will host Oliver Ames at 7 p.m. Friday.

4. (4) Dennis-Yarmouth (6-0) (2A, Atlantic Coast League): The Dolphins defense led the way in a 14-0 win over Marshfield. They’ll host Rhode Island’s Cranston West at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

5. (10) Natick (5-1) (2A, Bay State Conference): Quarterback Troy Flutie threw two touchdown passes and ran in another, as the Red and Blue had an impressive 28-21 win over Weymouth. After going up 21-0, the Red and Blue gave up 21 unanswered points, before Flutie hit Brian Dunlap on a 42-yard touchdown late to seal the victory. They’ll travel to Braintree Friday for a 7 p.m. game.

6. (6) King Philip (5-1) (2, Hockomock League): After sitting out last week with an injury, running back Charles Ruffin made up for lost time, with close to 150 rushing yards and two TDs in a . The Warriors will travel to Foxborough Friday for a 7 p.m. game.

7. (5) Swampscott (5-1) (2A, Cape Ann League): Quarterback Michael Walsh hit receiver A.J. Baker for three scores, but the Big Blue fell 29-19 at Malden. Malden’s O’Shane McCreath had more than 200 yards on the ground and a TD. They’ll look to rebound at Salem Friday at 7 p.m.

8. (7) North Attleboro (5-1) (2, Hockomock League): The Red Rocketeers suffered their first loss of the season, as they . They were down 19-0 before a late rushing touchdown by Wesley Nicholls. They’ll look to return to their winning ways when they travel to Sharon Saturday for a 2 p.m. game.

9. (On the Bubble) Wakefield (5-1) (2A, Middlesex League): The Warriors had four second-half touchdowns, including two from running back Zach Bates, in a . They’ll host Burlington at 7 p.m. Friday in a key league game.

10. (8) Melrose (5-1) (2A, Middlesex League): The Red Raiders jumped out to a 20-7 lead at the half against Burlington, thanks to three rushing touchdowns from Bryan Reale, but they gave up 14 unanswered points from then on to fall 21-20. Burlington’s Anthony Cruz had an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter and blocked an extra point in the second. Burlington’s Kyle Shields provided the game-winning touchdown on a 40-yard run. The Red Raiders will look to bounce back when they host undefeated Watertown at 7 p.m. Friday.

On the Bubble: Beverly (4-2), Burlington (4-2), Norwood (4-2), Tewksbury (3-3)

 

Best of the Rest: DIVISIONS 3, 3A, 4, 4A, 5

1. (1) Concord-Carlisle (6-0) (3, Dual County League): The Patriots put up 61 points in a . Tyquan Culbreth had four rushing touchdowns in the win. The Patriots will host Acton-Boxborough at 7 p.m. Friday.

2. (2) Holliston (4-1) (3, Tri-Valley League): The Panthers had a bye week, giving them more time to prep for a huge game at Hopkinton Friday at 7 p.m.

3. (3) East Bridgewater (6-0) (4, South Shore League): Casey DeAndrade had three rushing touchdowns, Tim O’Brien, two, as the Vikings had another lopsided win – a 42-14 victory at Carver. They’ll host Norwell at 6 p.m. Friday.

4. (4) Cardinal Spellman (6-0) (4, Catholic Central League): Dan Kustka did what he does best – find the end zone – in a 25-6 win over Seekonk. Kustka had two TDs in the rout. The Cardinals have a huge league game against St. Mary’s at 6 p.m. Friday at home.

5. (5) Hopkinton (6-0) (3, Tri-Valley League): The Hillers jumped out to a 21-0 lead on Norton on way to a . They’ll have a chance to prove they’re the best team in the Tri-Valley League when they host Holliston at 7 p.m. Friday.

6. (8) Arlington Catholic (5-0) (4, Catholic Central League): After a botched snap on what would’ve been a game-winning field goal with two seconds left, the Cougars won at previously unbeaten St. Mary’s 30-24 in overtime. First, the Cougars made a goal-line stand on St. Mary’s running back Todd Collier, who had cut up the Cougars for 180 yards and three TDs. Then, they won the game, as quarterback Pat O’Donnell ran the ball in from two yards out. The Cougars will be at Austin Prep Saturday at 1 p.m.

7. (9) Pembroke (5-0) (3, Patriot League): With the game tied 14-14 heading into the fourth quarter, Jon Hooper ran for two TDs (he had three on the day) to carry the Titans past Whitman-Hanson 26-20. They’ll host Quincy at 7 p.m. Friday.

8. (6) St. Mary’s (5-1) (4, Catholic Central League): The Spartans certainly put up a good fight against Arlington Catholic but fell 30-24 in overtime (see above) – in what was their lowest offensive output of the season by 11 points. They’ll have to regroup quickly, as they face Cardinal Spellman on the road at 6 p.m. Friday in another huge league game.

9. (On the Bubble) Millis (6-0) (4, Tri-Valley League): The Mohawks took a 12-0 lead at previously unbeaten Westwood and were up 12-7 at the half, before a scoreless second half gave them the . They’ll travel to Dover-Sherborn Friday for a 7 p.m. game.

10. (On the Bubble) Bourne (6-0) (3A, South Coast League): The Canalmen trounced Greater New Bedford 36-6 behind three passing touchdowns from quarterback Jay Moriarty. They’ll look to stay undefeated when they host Plymouth South at 7 p.m. Friday.

On the Bubble: Triton (4-2), Westwood (5-1), Oliver Ames (4-1), Mashpee (6-0), Hamilton-Wenham (5-0)

Statistics and results compiled from a variety of media sources, primarily our local Patch.com sites and the Boston.com standings.


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