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Long way to travel. Sloppy field.
It didn’t matter – the Tewksbury High girls soccer team remained on a mission Saturday during a 2-0 victory at Martha’s Vineyard during a Div. 3 round of 16 game.
For No. 25 Tewksbury (11-5-5), the goals scored by Lyla Chapman and Sophia Nazzaro, assists from Samantha Ryan and Cordelia Zwirek, to oust No. 24 Martha’s Vineyard (15-5-1).
It was a true team victory. The Redmen got off to a slow start, but built momentum in the second half. Both goals were scored within the first 10 minutes of the second half. Nazzaro scored off of a crossed ball from Zwirek and Chapman scored soon after from 20 yards out.
The defensive line of Sophie Brewster, Sarah Marano, Vera Garabedian and Lila Chambers was outstanding.
Natick 2, Westford 1: An outstanding fall for 20th-seeded Westford Academy came to a painful end when fourth-seeded Natick scored in overtime during a Div. 1 round of 16 game in Natick.
Westford caps a 10-6-2 campaign. The Ghosts defeated Brookline in penalty kicks to advance to face Natick.
Northbridge 1, Tyngsboro 0: Tyngsboro’s memorable season came to a tough close with a narrow loss in a Div. 4 round of 16 battle.
The ninth-seeded Tigers (10-4-6) weren’t able to send a shot past Northbridge goalkeeper J.P. Bolduc, who notched his second straight shutout.
Pelham 7, West 6: It wasn’t easy and the Pythons had to play great defense all afternoon, but Pelham hung on for a tough NHIAA Div. 2 quarterfinal victory.
One touchdown and extra point kick was enough as No. 4 Pelham (8-2) edged No. 5 Manchester West (7-3) before a large home crowd.
Pelham, which has been banged up with injuries, entered the game having lost two of three game since hammering Manchester West, 35-0, in the regular season.
The Pythons advance and will play at top-seeded Souhegan on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m.
Billerica 20, Beverly 0: Marc Luther led an inspired defensive effort as the Indians posted a home shutout during a Div. 2 round of 16 game Friday.
Luther finished with 10 tackles, while Luke McKenna had 2.5 tackles for loss for No. 6 Billerica (6-3), which didn’t let No. 11 Beverly (5-4) get its offense untracked. Offensively, the Indians were led by Erik Knight, who rushed for 106 yards on 17 carries.
Billerica advances to face third-seeded Bridgewater-Raynham.
OR 47, Wilmington 39: Old Rochester’s Connor Nelson scored the winning touchdown in the third overtime on a 1-yard run, followed by a successful two-point conversion, to hand the Wildcats a painful Div. 6 round of 16 loss Friday.
No. 4 Wilmington (6-3) was ousted despite a superb performance from quarterback Mark Holleran. He tossed two touchdowns passes and ran for two scores. Julian Martins broke loose for a 35-yard TD run.
Holleran tossed a 15-yard TD to Pasquale Delucia and in overtime a 10-yard strike to Delucia. He also sprinted in from 10 yards out in OT. Two failed two-point conversion attempts hurt Wilmington.
Algonquin 41, G-D 13: Liam Richard was 16-for-22 through the air for 153 yards and a TD, but Groton-Dunstable fell to visiting Algonquin Regional on Friday.
Finn Gallagher (1-for-1) tossed a nine-yard TD pass to Carter Maple in the second quarter. In the third quarter, Richard lofted a 21-yard strike to Gallagher.
G-D spread the ball to receivers Gallagher (4-41), Korbin Larsen (4-40), Jayce Szatkowski (1-32) and Jack Burrows (4-30). The Crusaders struggled to run the ball effectively.
Monty Tech 41, Littleton 16: Austin Hegarty scored on a 95-yard pass from Justin Kasey in the first quarter, but it wasn’t enough for the Tigers (2-7) against the Fitchburg school Friday.
Keniat Velez scored on a 2-yard TD run in the fourth. Evan Fitzgerald and Cole Macadie each converted two-point attempts. Damien Sor and Cole Makie played well in the defensive backfield, with Sor grabbing an interception.
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Wilson’s Brooklyn Vega gets the catch in the end zone for a Bruin two-point conversion in Long Beach , CA, on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
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Wilson’s Brooklyn Vega gets the catch in the end zone for a Bruin two-point conversion in Long Beach , CA, on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
LONG BEACH — It took more than four quarters of football to determine who was going to advance to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.
With the game tied at 48 all, Long Beach Wilson, who had rallied and tied it twice in the fourth quarter after 14-point deficit in the second half, got the ball first in overtime. The Bruins started the drive with a six-yard run, followed by three incompletions and turned it over on downs at the Paraclete 19.
Wilson’s defense forced a four-yard loss on Paraclete’s first play in overtime. However, Paraclete senior quarterback Joseph Mesa dropped back and threw a 29-yard game-winning touchdown pass to to senior receiver Savaughn Gentle to secure a 54-48 road win in overtime against Long Beach Wilson in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs Friday.
“They never gave up in this game,” Long Beach Wilson first-year coach Raudric Curtis said. “It could have went either way at the end like you said. We didn’t get that drive. We had a couple of mistakes that cost us that big moment but we were right in the fight and that’s what I want them to remember.”
Paraclete, the Angelus League co-champion, was led by Mesa, who completed 28 of 38 passes for 446 yards, seven touchdown and one interception, including a 47-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Gentle as time expired in the first half. The game-changing play put Paraclete up 41-27 at halftime.
Paraclete improved to 9-2 overall and will host Oaks Christian (5-6) in the quarterfinals on Nov. 14.
“We have a balanced offense,” Paraclete first-year coach Erick Jackson said. “We have a running back that ran for over 1,200 yards. He’s a dog. Kyle Fulton is the truth but my quarterback (Joseph Mesa) can slang it and Adrian Jones is just flat out special.”
Wilson was led by senior running back Kori Scott with 174 rushing yards, three touchdowns on 18 carries, including his 54-yard run, which tied the game at 48 all with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Mack Cooper completed 11 of 20 passes for 170 yards two touchdowns and one interception.
“We had to come prove something,” Scott said. “Even though we might not have won, we proved ourselves. People looked down on us. You can’t do that with a team like us.”
The Bruins, who won an outright Moore League championship for the first time since 1991, finished the season 9-2. They moved up to Division 4 after losing in the Division 9 final last season.
“I think it was a very amazing season,” Scott continued. “We proved a lot of people wrong and we made history. Something a lot of people can’t do.”
Wilson sophomore sophomore running back Jemel Grigsby’s 3-yard touchdown run made it 41-39 with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter. The Bruins tied the game at 41 on a 2-point conversion catch by junior receiver Brooklyn Vega on his 17th birthday.
Paraclete responded with 28-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Mesa to senior receiver Adrian Jones, who finished with a game-high eight receptions for 184 yards and three touchdowns. The Spirits led 48-41 with 3:39 to go.
Wilson answered with Scott’s 54-yard touchdown run, to pull within 48-47 with 1:53 to go. The Bruins nearly went for 2 to go-ahead for good but after two penalties, they made a PAT, and tied the game at 48.
“Kori is a leader,” Curtis continued. “He’s a tried and true football player. He’s one of those old-school rugged running backs but he has breakaway speed. He can open it up too. He’s really flying under the radar.”
The teams combined for 68 points and 554 yards of total offense in the first half, as Paraclete scored touchdowns on the team’s first six possessions, including a Hail Mary touchdown before halftime.
Gentle, who finished with six catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns, intercepted a Wilson pass in the end zone early in the third quarter, to keep the Spirits in control.
Wilson answered back with senior running back Scott’s 6-yard touchdown run. The PAT was no good. Paraclete led 41-33 with 3:52 left in the third quarter.
Bruins senior defensive back Andrew Piggue II’s interception in the end zone kept Paraclete off the scoreboard late in the third.
Meanwhile, Wilson stopped Paraclete on a fourth-and-1 from midfield and got the ball back at the 45 with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and later tied the game at 41 and 48 all.
“We are a family program,” Curtis explained. “We are Wilson. It is the age of Wilson and though Paraclete got us today, this program is here to stay for a long time.”
Paraclete began the game with an explosive 48-yard kick return by junior Jaivyn Nelson to the Wilson 48. Mesa took advantage of short field with a three-play scoring drive, capped off with a 33-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Jeffrey Patino. The PAT was no good. Paraclete led 6-0 with 10:34 left in the first quarter.
The Spirits kept up the pressure and extended their to 12-0 on Mesa’s 54-yard touchdown pass to Jones. The 2-point conversion was no good. Paraclete led 12-0 with 6:16 left in the first.
Wilson responded with senior quarterback Cooper’s 41-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Thomas Jones with 6:03 left in the first quarter. It was a one-play scoring drive. Paraclete led 12-7.
Mesa answered with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Gentle. The 2-point conversion was good. Paraclete led 20-7 with 11 seconds left in the first.
Wilson answered with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Cooper to sophomore Kyle Harris. It was a two-play scoring drive started off by Scott’s 28-yard run. Paraclete led 20-14 with 11:51 left in the second quarter.
On fourth-and-8 from the Wilson 11, Mesa scrambled out of a sack and threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jones in the corner of the end zone. The 2-point conversion was no good. Paraclete led 26-14 with 5:54 left in the second.
Wilson responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Grigsby. The PAT was no good. Paraclete led 26-20 with 2:49 left in the second.
Paraclete sophomore running Kyle Fulton Jr.’s 1-yard touchdown run made it 32-20. Spirits junior kicker Oscar Rivas’ fake PAT pass was good for 2. Paraclete led 34-20 with 1:16 to go in the first half.
Wilson’s offense would not be denied as Scott’s 6-yard touchdown run made it 34-27 with 20 seconds to go before halftime.
POSTGAME: Long Beach Wilson coach Raudric Curtis and 2026 running back Kori Scott both said they were proud of Wilson’s historic season.
The Bruins lost 54-48 in the 1st round of the Division 4 playoffs vs. Paraclete.
Coach Curtis said Wilson is here to stay for a long time. pic.twitter.com/t1nTt3LNLz
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 8, 2025
MUST SEE VIDEO: Paraclete football ends the first half with a Hail Mary touchdown.
Halftime: Paraclete 41, Long Beach Wilson 27 in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs.
Paraclete 2026 QB Joseph Mesa has completed 13 of 16 passes for 277 yards and five touchdowns.… pic.twitter.com/BpVV1rZbFl
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 8, 2025
Paraclete football first year head coach Erick Jackson before his team’s CIF-SS Division 4 playoff opener on the road at Long Beach Wilson. pic.twitter.com/u2v201D7VH
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 8, 2025
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Darren Sabedra
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Notre Dame senior Tyran Stokes, the nation’s No. 1 high school boys basketball recruit in the Class of 2026, has withdrawn from the school.
The school’s athletic director Alec Moss announced the news via a press release Wednesday afternoon.
“Notre Dame High School acknowledges Tyran Stokes’ decision to withdraw and explore new opportunities,” Moss stated in a press release. “We appreciate the contributions he made to our basketball program and community during his time here. We wish Tyran all the best as he pursues his future goals, and we are confident he will find success.”
Stokes, a 6-foot-8 forward, transferred to Notre Dame before last season from a prep school in Northern California. He averaged 21.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists as he helped lead the Knights to the CIF-SS Open Division championship game and the CIF Southern California Regional final.
Where Stokes will play his senior season is not known yet, but many expect him to play for a national prep school once again.
Notre Dame should still be one of the top teams in the area and all of Southern California, with San Diego State commit Zachary White and junior NaVorro Bowman returning.
It should be another interesting race this season in Mission League basketball, with Sierra Canyon now being the favorite after Stokes’ departure.
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The CIF Southern Section released its football playoff pairings Sunday, and there is a long list of teams in the Daily News area ready to take part.
First-round games in Divisions 2-14 are scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. Division 1 teams will start the playoffs Nov. 14.
Here is a look at the area teams in each division:
DIVISION 1
Sierra Canyon, the first-place team from the Mission League, will begin its postseason push against surging Santa Margarita, which tied for the Trinity League title and finished 7-3 this season under head coach Carson Palmer.
Sierra Canyon, the No. 4 seed in the division, has notable weapons on offense in running back Jaxson Stokes and quarterback Laird Finkel. The Trailblazers also boast a defense that posted five shutouts and gave up just 43 total points in the regular season.
DIVISION 2
Chaminade, the No. 2 from the Mission League, will start the playoffs on the road against Chaparral of the Big West North League.
Chaminade had an up-and-down regular season, but the Eagles were able to grab an automatic playoff bid with a 3-2 mark in a deep Mission League. Junior defensive lineman Kingston Williams is a playmaker for them on defense and receiver Beau Lindus is key player on offense.
DIVISION 3
Notre Dame and Valencia both have home games in the first round. Notre Dame will face Laguna Beach, which shared the Foxtrot League title, and Valencia will host Palos Verdes, the No. 2 team from the Bay League.
Notre Dame received an at-large berth into the playoffs. They might have secured the spot with a 27-21 win over Chaminade on Friday night, making them 5-5 in the regular season. They’ll try to ride their late-season momentum in the playoffs.
Valencia had an impressive 9-1 record in the regular season that included an undefeated campaign in the Foothill League. It is led by the explosive tandem of quarterback Brady Bretthauer and running back Brian Bonner.
DIVISION 4
Westlake completely flipped the script this season, finishing 10-0 in the regular season after going winless last season. The Conejo Coast League champions will open the playoffs at home against Villa Park, the No. 3 team from the Bravo League.
Oaks Christian is a bit of a surprise inclusion in the playoffs, as it finished 4-6 overall, the program’s worst regular season record. But the Lions received an at-large berth in Division 4 and will be home in the first round.
Oaks Christian will be facing St. Bonaventure, a team that shut out the Lions 19-0 last month.
Paraclete went 8-2 this season and shared the Angelus League title after missing the playoffs last season. It will be on the road in the first round against Long Beach Wilson, the Moore League champion.
Paraclete’s offense is led by receiver Adrian Jones, who averages 137 yards per game and had 23 total touchdowns during the regular season. Sophomore Austin Robinson led the team with nine sacks.
DIVISION 5
Newbury Park, which lost star quarterback Brady Smiegel to a torn ACL on Oct. 3, will be on the road against Loyola, an at-large team from the Mission League, in the first round.
The Panthers have been using a QB-by-committee approach since Smiegel’s injury. Sophomore Darrien Johnson threw for 136 yards and ran for 111 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-7 win on Friday.
Thousand Oaks, with a powerful offense led by Boise State quarterback commit Jackson Taylor and running back Jordan Johnson, will be home in the opening round against Rio Hondo Prep, the Gold Coast League champion. Taylor threw for 24 touchdowns this season and Johnson had over 1,000 rushing yards.
DIVISION 6
Crespi and Burbank will be home for their first-round games. Crespi, the Del Rey League champion, will face Roosevelt in the opening round, and Burbank will host Lancaster, the Golden League champion.
Crespi, led by a balanced offense and a defense that allowed just over 11 points per game, was 10-0 during the regular season. Senior Jaden Ayala and sophomore Royel McFarlane were impact running backs, as Ayala had over seven yards per carry and McFarlane had over five yards per rush.
DIVISION 7
Hart, Saugus and Calabasas are all in this division and begin the playoffs with home games. Hart will face Mayfair, while Saugus takes on Schurr and Calabasas hosts El Segundo.
Hart and Saugus were two of the strongest teams in the Foothill League this year.
Hart has plenty of weapons — namely running back/receiver Matix Frithsmith – while QB Jake Nuttall and receiver Landon Lattimore led a turnaround for Saugus.
Nuttall broke the Centurions’ school record for career passing yards with 5,783 over three varsity seasons, andLattimore had five touchdown receptions in a win over West Ranch earlier this year, also a school record.
Calabasas made the playoffs after winning two out of their last three games, Running back Kayne Miller was big for the Coyotes, averaging just under 114 rushing yards per contest.
DIVISION 8
St. Genevieve, the No. 3 team from the Camino Real League, will start the playoffs with a rematch against St. Monica Prep, which is the No. 2 team from the Camino Real League.
The Valiants lost St. Monica 33-19 on Friday night.
Senior defensive end Leonidas Vargas leads the Valiants with over seven tackles per game.
DIVISION 10
Oak Park, which clinched an automatic playoff berth with a 41-20 win over Royal last week, starts the playoffs at Village Christian, the No. 3 team from the Ironwood League.
The Eagles need to stay strong on defense against a Village Christian team that went 5-0 at home.
Also in this division is Heritage Christian, which will host Tahquitz in the first round.
Heritage Christian’s offense has been potent at times, scoring over 31 points a game. If their defense can come through, they could advance.
DIVISION 12
Grace, which had a lot of success as an 8-man football power when it was known as Grace Brethren, won the Citrus Coast League title this season. It will host another league champion, Rialto of the Skyline League, in the first round.
Grace ran through league competition, including a 64-12 win over Santa Clara in its regular-season finale.
DIVISION 13
Viewpoint will host Fontana in the first round.
Viewpoint started the year 7-0, but lost its last three games of the regular season. The Patriots have the offense to give themselves a chance in the playoffs. They average 29 points per game at home.
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LAFAYETTE — The most fearsome part of the Halloween night showdown for Foothill Division supremacy in the Diablo Athletic League had to be Acalanes’ offense whenever it got within sniffing distance of a first down.
Whether it was mobile junior quarterback Tyler Winkles or bruising senior running back Josh Elerts, the Dons’ (9-0, 3-0) two-pronged attack methodically moved the ball at will Friday night against visiting Clayton Valley Charter to clinch the league title in front of a sparse — but festive — crowd.
“At the very start of the year, we talked about what we wanted to do,” Elerts said after rushing for 134 yards on 35 carries in the 31-14 win. “Winning league is not something Acalanes is known for. So it’s something that we’ve been emphasizing in our practices and something that we’ve been moving toward.”
Acalanes compiled three scoring drives of a dozen plays or more, ran the ball for 12 first downs and passed for seven more. They ran 81 plays to Clayton Valley’s 34 and possessed the ball for nearly three-quarters of regulation. But they didn’t produce a single play from scrimmage that gained more than 26 yards, that is, until Winkles connected with junior receiver Finley Rivera from the 50-yard line to ice the win with 4:37 left to play.
The touchdown brought Winkles’ passing total to 210 yards, and he added another 30 on the ground before he got to take a knee in the victory formation. Winkles’ first four passes fell incomplete before he went on to complete 17 of his next 20 attempts.
Rivera hauled in eight of those completions for 131 yards.
“That’s the game plan,” said coach Joel Isaac. “We want to stay on schedule, make sure that we’re taking what they give us. We were able to run effectively really all night. Maybe we weren’t popping them, but we also don’t have a No. 8 back there.”
Isaac was referring to Clayton Valley’s senior running back, Jhadis Luckey, who is closing in on his second consecutive 2,000-yard season. He trucked a defender and sprinted 29 yards to the end zone to put Clayton Valley up 7-0 as the first quarter came to a close. But the Ugly Eagles (5-4, 3-1) proceeded to surrender 25 unanswered points until junior quarterback Mirza Mann found freshman tight end Landon Trautner in the back of the end zone for a touchdown that made it 25-14 with 7:40 to play.
Mann connected with his receivers for deep balls of 42 and 39 yards but finished with 95 total yards passing. Likewise, Lucky was contained to 57 yards on 20 carries besides the touchdown. He returned the opening kickoff into Acalanes’ territory, but the Uglies then went three-and-out.
“We figured we could match them speed-for-speed in the passing game, and they didn’t really beat us deep,” Clayton Valley coach Nick Tisa said. “We just couldn’t stop their run game, and they did a good job of stopping ours. They just beat us in the trenches.”
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CHELMSFORD — Anthony Mauriello finally got to enjoy some home cooking Wednesday night.
The Chelmsford quarterback celebrated senior night in style, rushing for a pair of touchdowns, while throwing for a third, as the Lions (4-4) leveled Lawrence, 33-12.
“It feels good back to .500,” said Mauriello. “It’s a big step up from where we were. I’m just excited to be here.”
Still searching for their first home win of the season, Mauriello gave his crowd something to cheer about rolling in on a pair of touchdown runs in the first half before putting the game away with a 54-yard bomb to open the second half.
“It feels good to actually play here and win here,” said Chelmsford coach George Peterson. “It was a good night for our seniors. We got every senior in our program, which was 22 of them, an opportunity to get on the field. In a situation like this that’s what were looking for, the opportunity to play here under the lights, which is a special place to play in front of the home crowd. The kids have worked hard for us for four years and it was great that every single one of them got a chance tonight.”
Not bad for a Chelmsford squad that endured a bumpy start, losing its first two games and sporting a 1-4 mark after first five. The Lions managed to turn things around dramatically, however, playing much better defensively the last three weeks, surrendering just 24 points over their last three contests.
“We’ve really tightened up defensively,” said Peterson. “Having Nate Duggan back on the back half of our defense really is a huge thing for us at safety. He brings that physicality for us and helps us run support. That’s been big for us over the past few weeks, especially last week and this week.”
Fresh off a 26-6 win over Westford Academy, the Lions continued their impressive late-season push. Mauriello led the charge. The senior quarterback rolled seven yards for the touchdown on their opening drive, grabbing a 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the contest.
The Lions defense put the squeeze on the Lancers’ counterattack. Senior Kyle DeLuca sacked Lawrence quarterback Manny Perez on their second snap, setting an authoritative tone.
Meanwhile, Mauriello continued to fan the offensive flames. The QB found senior Gable Gray on a big 25-yard gainer to the 17. Senior Oliver Ilg picked it up from there, bursting through on a 1-yard strike, increasing the Chelmsford lead to 13-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Dropping its last six contests, Lawrence responded late in the opening quarter. Perez hung tough, guiding the Lancers’ offense to the 4 in the closing seconds. The QB eventually connected up with a wide-open Denzel Morales on a 6-yard TD pass with 10:44 remaining in the half.
The Lions offense finished the first half off with a flurry. Mauriello led the charge by marching 30 yards up the middle for his second touchdown. Patrick McConnell’s second PAT of the night made it a 20-6 affair.
“I got great blocks all around,” said Mauriello. “I saw a hole and just took it.”
The Lions recovered a Lawrence fumble on the kickoff return, putting them in prime position yet again.
Mauriello aired things out by finding Dylan Quinn on a 24-yard pass to the six. Joseph Nordengren took it from there, bolting six yards into the end one for the 26-6 lead at halftime.
And when Mauriello hooked up with Quinn again on a long 54-yard bomb in the third quarter, Chelmsford kicked open the floodgates. McConnell’s third PAT increased the Chelmsford cushion to 33-6.
“I was just letting it fly and having fun,” said Mauriello.
According to the Peterson, the QB has come into his own in recent weeks.
“He’s gotten better and better as we’ve progressed,” said Peterson. “He’s starting to have a real confidence about him, a control of the offense. He’s been fantastic the past few weeks.”
The Lancers never gave up scoring a late TD run to cut the deficit to 33-12, but that’s as close as they’d get.
Nordengren ended the game with an interception, putting an exclamation point on the victory.
Next up is a date for the playoffs.
“We’re excited,” said Peterson. “The 6-12 (seed) area is really a mish mash of teams that are all really comparable. There are some teams in front of us. We’ll see what happens to them and then it comes down to the math. It looks like there’s a possibility we play Billerica, which would be an interesting first round facing our Thanksgiving Day rival. We’ll see what happens. We’ve done our part. We’ve put ourselves where we are. We’ll see what happens.”
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Christopher Hurley
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Crespi ball carrier is tackled by Harvard-Westlakes’s Jordan Doi (8) during a game at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
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Crespi ball carrier is tackled by Harvard-Westlakes’s Jordan Doi (8) during a game at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
INGLEWOOD — Harvard-Westlake quarterback Aaryon Mehdi Williams took the snap on third down. He stepped up in the pocket looking to make a throw down the field, and moments later, boom. Crespi Celts pass rusher Somto Nwude met him for a sack – Nwude didn’t celebrate after the stop on third down.
There was no need – or he ran out of celebrations.
Nwude and Williams got to know each other throughout the game. How couldn’t they? Nwude got six sacks and five of them in just the first half, with four coming on third down. He set a school record with six, setting the tone for the Celts defense. Pure dominance.
More poetically, it happened in the building used to this kind of dominance, Sofi Stadium. Future hall of famer Aaron Donald used to dominate on the same turf, but on Saturday, Nwude was the one dominating.
TCrespi defeated the Harvard-Westlake Wolverines, 34-6.
“Pass rush has been consistent all season, so those guys do a great job,” Crespi head coach Brad Vonnahme said postgame. “It’s just making sure on defense that we create opportunities to do that by stopping the run, which we did for the most part tonight.”
The Celts (9-0, 5-0 Del Rey League) smelled blood in the water from the kickoff. The defense had eight sacks, a blocked punt and forced three turnovers. One of those turnovers, a pick-six by Crespi freshman defensive back Antionio Gasby, extended the Celts’ lead to 34-0 in the third quarter.
On the errant pass Williams threw, it came as no surprise he was pressured by the Crespi pass rush. It was that kind of night for Harvard-Westlake – nothing came easy.
“We got a few guys that can really get off the ball and press the pocket,” Vonnahme said. “It’s a lethal weapon in throw situations, and it’s showing up big for us all year long, and especially tonight.
Standout Celts sophomore quarterback Chase Curren didn’t have to do much to win the game, but he still made sure to make his presence felt. Curren threw two touchdown passes, with both going to wideout Stephen Nunez, one for 10 yards in the first quarter and one for 33 yards in the third quarter.
Curren was aggressive, trying to get passes down the field constantly against the Wolverine defense. Whether he was rolling out or taking multiple hitches in the pocket, his eyes were always down the field.
He completed three passes for 30 yards or more, with one going for 60 yards in the first quarter to wideout Blue McFarland.
“He’s incredibly talented, phenomenal arm talent, really sharp kid,” Vonnahme said about Curren. “The ability when you’re in third and long, to never really be out of it and still have a chance to possibly move the chains, we did it again tonight, that is a testament to his talent.”
Despite the win and earning their ninth win of the season, the first nine-win season for Crespi in 11 years, Vonnahme still pointed out there was room for improvement during the postgame huddle. The Celts faced multiple third-and-long situations on offense, penalties on both sides of the ball.
Crespi has talent, but Vonnahme knows when it comes to the playoffs, some of the magic his team is creating in the regular season is hard to come by in the postseason. His team is not yet perfect, even though they’re undefeated.
“We talk every day about focusing on the process, not the results, ” Vonnahme said. “Celebrating wins when we get them, but also looking intently at what we need to do better and find the things that future opponents are going to look at and try to take advantage of. And so that is a balance. It’s a constant battle for guys to realize that, and hopefully we continue to get better every week and play our best football at the best time.”
The Celts now move their attention to the Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary Cardinals next week to close out their season, looking to finish undefeated. Harvard-Westlake (3-6, 1-3 Del Rey League) will face the St. Anthony.
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LOWELL – After winning the Merrimack Valley Conference championship meet every year from 2010-23 (excluding the COVID year), the Lowell High boys cross country team fell to fourth a year ago.
Although Lowell rebounded with strong performances at the divisional and all-state meets, the program anxiously waited 365 days for a little redemption against their league foes.
And that happened Saturday.
Lowell took back the league championship meet title by compiling 42 points, beating out strong North Andover (51) and Billerica (75) teams to earn their 14th title in the past 15 years.
“The fourth-place finish last year never sat well with us,” said head coach Scott Ouellet. “We didn’t know why it went so wrong for us that day. That was as bad as we have ever done. To be honest, we tried a bunch of new things, and it was a disaster. It was a true case of over-coaching. I think that absolutely fueled us today.”
The Red Raiders were on fire with five of the top 14 finishers, led by senior James Kelly, who for the second straight year finished second overall in 16:06 over the 2.95 mile home course.
“This is our home, and we can’t lose here. We just can’t lose here,” said Kelly.
Kelly finished 11 seconds behind Billerica sophomore Mason Niles, the overall winner in 15:55. He said he woke up Saturday morning knowing he was going to be crowned the individual champion.
“I gained so much confidence heading into this race. In the MVC (dual meets) I only lost to my teammate once, so I knew that I was going to be the person to beat so I was just trying to race like it,” he said. “Winning this over a lot of good runners in our league really gives me a lot of confidence going into the divisional and All-State meets.
“I’ve had good results this year and I’m running fast so even if I didn’t win, I think I would still have that confidence. (The extra confidence) helps you a lot and it definitely helped me out today.”
After Niles and Kelly came a mix of runners from Lowell, Billerica and North Andover. The Red Raiders were able to pull out the victory thanks to season best performances from Samuel De Souza (4th, 16:11), Tim Schribman (9th, 16:36), Charlie Mirabel (13th, 16:46) and Elijah Calderon (14th, 16:55).
“We got five guys under 17 minutes on a course with two hills, you get that and that’s a sign of a good team,” said Ouellet.
Kelly added, “I knew that we had a good chance of winning it, but we knew that North Andover was a good team. We knew it would be hard, but we did it. They have such a tight pack, so it was going to be really close, but we have been working all season for this.”
Ouellet added that the home cooking benefitted his runners.
“We’re all Lowell kids, the coaches and the kids so being here gives us that extra one percent,” he said. “It just means a little something extra being here at Shedd Park. Every Lowell kid grows up playing sports at Shedd Park, whether it’s baseball, tennis lessons, the parks and recreation department and when I was a kid, we were swimming in the pool and running the cross country races. Every single kid in Lowell grows up playing sports at Shedd Park. To run here today in a big meet with all these people here, there’s just that extra one percent that we get.”
Besides Niles, Sahil Gandhi was fifth in 16:11 and Shane Leslie was seventh in 16:31 to lead Billerica to a third-place finish.
Central Catholic was sixth with Noah Ruggiero finishing 17th. Chelmsford was seventh with Whitley Will finishing 23rd and Tewksbury was eighth behind Steven Oppedisano, who was 11th in 16:42.
The top 12 finishers earned All-Conference honors.
As expected, Billerica dominated.
Billerica is absolutely loaded with tremendous talent from top to bottom and the Indians have dominated even without their best runner, Gianna McGowan, who is out injured. Despite that, the Indians had its five top runners finish in the top eight spots, while runners six, seven and eight were ninth, 10th and 11th overall, respectively.
Only Central Catholic’s Kyla Breslin (1st) and the Chelmsford duo of Mia McCusker (5th) and Kate Leonard (7th) ruined the perfect sea of green and white jerseys crossing the finish line.
“It’s easier when you look next to you and it’s just a teammate,” said sophomore Kylie Donahue, who was second. “That’s how you work together and work with them. It’s easier when you have so many girls on your team right with you and we can count on them to work together as a pack.”
Donahue was second in 18:46, just four seconds behind Breslin, who took the title for the second straight year.
“Sometimes I do go out too fast and then break that second mile so today I was really hoping to keep (the pace of the Billerica runners). I know that I have a good last stretch and was hoping to then just outrun them. But those Billerica girls are such tough competition,” said Breslin, a Lowell resident.
Billerica eighth-grader Maya Niles was third in 18:56.5 and was followed by Caitlyn Donahue (4th, 18:58.2), Hartlie Siegal (6th, 19:32.5) and Madelynn Larosa (8th, 19:47.1) to account for the impressively low 23 points for the team score, while freshman Evelyn Wesling (9th, 19:48.1), sophomore Sabrina Gorski (10th. 19:56.1) and junior Emma Ausilio (11th, 19:57.5) also earned All-Conference honors.
“As a team we knew that we would most likely be able to win even if one of us had an off day because our team is so strong,” said Kylie Donahue. “We have so much depth that anyone can just hop in if someone is having an off day. It’s a little bit of pressure individually but as a team we know what we can do.”
The eight Billerica runners consist of three juniors, three sophomores, a freshman and an eighth-grader.
“We work a lot on mindset and focus on our team, focusing on each other and finding one another during a race,” said Billerica head coach Cullen Hagan. “We are still really working on that because we can improve a lot there. A lot of the times we’re strung out, so we really need to solidify that, so we run together more. It’s such an advantage when you have a team like this and have teammates who can pack it in like that. It’s always a work in progress and we can always do better with it.
“We try to strive to be the best we can at that present meet. To us, there’s no such thing as a big meet. Today is just another meet. You don’t want to build it up so much, so it becomes this overwhelming thing, because it’s just another race and we have seen these teams throughout the season. We know it’s such a good league and we look forward to the competition.”
Central Catholic finished second with Breslin and Calista King (11th, 20:25). Chelmsford was fifth with McCusker (19:16) and Leonard (19:44). Lowell was sixth with Ella Machado (20th, 20:58) and Tewksbury was eighth behind freshman Maeve Burns (15th, 20:17).
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James Albert
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Friday, Oct. 24
Antioch 35, Heritage 14
Archbishop Riordan 35, Bellarmine 13
Benicia 28, Alhambra 8
Bishop O’Dowd 28, Moreau Catholic 7
Burlingame 14, Capuchino 6
Castro Valley 42, Tennyson 35
Clayton Valley Charter 21, Campolindo 16
De La Salle 56, San Ramon Valley 7
Liberty 63, Freedom 0
McClymonds 50, Castlemont 0
MacDonald 35, Monta Vista 0
Menlo-Atherton 41, Palo Alto 14
Monte Vista 34, California 13
Mt. Eden 33, San Lorenzo 18
Northgate 44, College Park 40
Piedmont 39, Washington-Fremont 35
Pittsburg 51, Deer Valley 0
St. Francis 28, St. Ignatius 7
St. Patrick-St. Vincent 51, Kennedy-Richmond 12
San Leandro 20, James Logan 14
Saratoga 42, Mills 14
Serra 28, Archbishop Mitty 13
Sobrato 33, Gunderson 14
The King’s Academy 54, Mountain View 16
Not yet reported
American at Encinal, 7 p.m.
Carlmont at San Mateo, 7 p.m.
Concord at Ygnacio Valley, 7 p.m.
Del Mar at Pioneer, 7:15 p.m.
El Camino at Cupertino, 7 p.m.
Evergreen Valley at Hill, 7:15 p.m.
Foothill at Dublin, 7:15 p.m.
Hercules at Bethel, 7:30 p.m.
Homestead at Jefferson, 7 p.m.
Irvington at Newark Memorial, 7 p.m.
James Lick at Independence, 7:15 p.m.
Las Lomas at Miramonte, 7 p.m.
Oak Grove at Piedmont Hills, 7:15 p.m.
Oakland at Fremont-Oakland, 7 p.m.
Overfelt at Silver Creek, 7:15 p.m.
Prospect at San Jose, 7:15 p.m.
Richmond at Albany, 7 p.m.
Santa Clara at Terra Nova, 7 p.m.
Skyline at Oakland Tech, 7 p.m.
South San Francisco at Gunn, 7 p.m.
Vallejo at El Cerrito, 7 p.m.
Yerba Buena at Mt. Pleasant, 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 25
Alameda at Arroyo, 2 p.m.
De Anza at Salesian, 1 p.m.
Los Gatos at Menlo School, 2 p.m.
Mt. Diablo at Berean Christian, noon
Pinole Valley at St. Mary’s-Berkeley, 1:30 p.m.
Valley Christian (3-4) vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral (3-4) at CCSF, 1:30 p.m.
Wilcox at Sacred Heart Prep, 2 p.m.
Woodside at Sequoia, 2 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 23
Half Moon Bay 41, Aragon 20
Hayward 47, Kennedy-Fremont 7
Hillsdale 28, Milpitas 16
Leland 27, Gilroy 12
Lincoln-San Jose 35, Leigh 30
Live Oak 52, Branham 46
Los Altos 9, Fremont-Sunnyvale 0
Santa Teresa 27, Christopher 16
Willow Glen 41, Westmont 8
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Darren Sabedra
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The Pelham High football team will now try to start a new winning streak.
The Pythons (6-1) were handed their first defeat this fall Friday night in a 23-13 loss at Trinity (5-1) in Manchester, N.H.
Luke Draper rushed eight times for 53 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Kevin Hardy scampered for eight carries and 68 yards. Brady Williams gained 51 yards on 14 carries.
Hardy, however, struggled to get the passing game going, finishing 4-for-11 for 34 yards and an interception. Draper caught a 20-yard pass, but no other receiver had more than seven yards.
Defensively, Nick Landry led the Pythons with seven tackles, while Hardy and Domenic Peranelli each had five tackles. Jacob Chafe and Draper finished with four tackles each, Ben Maslanek had a fumble recovery and Brady Williams intercepted a pass.
Pelham will host Souhegan on Friday.
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