BROCKTON – An early 14-0 deficit was too much for the previously undefeated, fourth-ranked Grafton High School football team to overcome against top-seeded Scituate in the Division 4 state semifinals on Nov. 20.

The Sailors scored two touchdowns in the first quarter to jump out ahead. Scituate got on the board with a 50-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Henry Gates to receiver James Cannon and then doubled their lead on an Andrew Bossey one-yard run. But the Gators didn’t quit and their defense stiffened long enough for their senior captain Tyler Dimond to cut the lead in half with a 5-yard scamper following a Scituate turnover on downs.

After the Grafton defense forced another turnover early in the fourth quarter, Dimond struck again, punching the ball in the end zone from two yards out to tie the score. But the euphoria from tying the score was short lived. Sailors’ running back Keegan Sullivan exploited a big hole in the Gators’ defense to run 66-yards for the eventual game-winning touchdown. The final score was 21-14 as the Gators lost their only game of the season.

Grafton did bounce back to beat Millbury in their annual Thanksgiving Day game, 35-7. The Gators finished a very successful season with a record of 11-1. Scituate will move on to play Duxbury in the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Wahconah 22, Northbridge 7

Northbridge senior captain Ryan Boyce scored the only touchdown in a recent playoff loss to Wahconah. Photo by Kevin Paul Saleeba

HOLYOKE – The fourth-ranked Northbridge High School football team could not hang onto an early touchdown lead against the top-seeded Wahconah Warriors as they fell, 22-7, in the Division 7 semifinals on Nov. 20. Wahconah will play Cohasset in the Super Bowl today at Gillette Stadium at 5:30 p.m.

The Rams jumped out to an early first quarter 7-0 lead following a 30-yard bomb to the Wahconah two-yard-line from quarterback Ryan Boyce to receiver Tyler LaChapelle. The play set up a two-yard touchdown plunge from Boyce. Northbridge seemed poised to upset the favored Warriors. However, Wahconah’s Ben Noyes picked off a Boyce pass deep in Northbridge territory that led to a Ryan Scott touchdown run and two-point conversion and an 8-7 lead. 

The Warriors would never relinquish this lead as Scott would toss two more touchdown passes in the second half to earn the victory and a trip to Gillette Stadium to play in the Super Bowl. As for the Rams following the loss, they went on to defeat Uxbridge in their annual Thanksgiving Day game, 28-14, and finish the season with a solid 10-2 record.

Randolph 8, Oxford 6

SUDBURY – After defeating sixth-ranked Quaboag Regional in the first round and third-seeded Palmer in the second round of the football playoffs, the Cinderella season of the eleventh-ranked Oxford High School Pirates came to an end with their 8-6 loss to Randolph in the Division 8 state semifinals on Nov. 20.

The Pirates scored first on a two-yard touchdown run by Jadan Morales, but were unable to convert on the two-points. This would prove to be the difference in the game as Randolph scored on a two-yard rushing touchdown of their own by Sebastian Jouissance to tie the game. Unlike Oxford, the Blue Devils converted on their two-point try when Makhi Barnes scored, which would prove to be the game-winner.

In their next game, Oxford was able to find their offense when they defeated their Thanksgiving Day rival Bay Path, 41-14, to finish with a 9-3 record that included a five-game winning streak. The Blue Devils play Hull in the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium today at 3 p.m.

Rockland 20, Blackstone Valley Tech 17

WALPOLE – Blackstone Valley Tech fell victim to a late Rockland High School touchdown as BVT lost their semifinals Division 6 game, 20-17 on Nov. 20. After the Beavers built a 17-13 lead on a 58-yard touchdown pass from Alex Burgos to receiver Josh Mateo, a 22-yard field goal by Miles Guertin, and a John Furno fumble recovery in the end zone for a score. 

BVT were unable to hold onto the lead as Rockland’s late touchdown helped get them into the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium on Monday, Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. As for the Beavers, they rebounded by beating their Thanksgiving Day rival Nipmuc at Fenway Park, 47-19, to finish with a record of 7-3.